I've been a Nate fan since he came down from Seattle. He's not perfect, but more often than not, I've thought he's helped the team team - especially in preparing them, but then occasionally in late-game adjustments. That said - Nate's insistence on playing Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge waaaay too many minutes in the Clippers' game plus his refusal to double-team Zach Randolph really got me wondering about his stubbornness. Is he just too hard-headed some times? I agree, though, that without the Hedo desperation three, and Blake's inexcusable bricks at the foul line, there'd be more discussion of Nate as Coach of the Year than there would be as a possible pink slip victim.
Popovich will find a way to rebuild around Parker and aged Ginobili and Duncan to kick the league's ass a few more times.
San Antonio is a city of the same type of size to Portland, we have a young bunch of good kids that are coachable and have mega talent. We are the Spurs 7 years ago, if Oden pans out this year it would be a no brainer for Pop to come here! Wealthiest owner, GM pop knows and respects, and you don't pick up B Roys and LA's and Rudy's and Gregs in drafts..... Takes to long and then Parker is to old. I think Tim and Manu will either retire or leave if they don't make a championship this year.
Interesting thread. I am not advocating that Nate be fired, and as I said in the OP, I don't believe it will happen this season. Still, the difference between Nate (15-10) and Mo (fired at 9-14) is perilously thin. A few bad bounces, and the Blazers could have a losing record also.
I agree that the records could be very, very close... but even setting aside our very difficult schedule, there's still a matter of expectations and the difference between Philly and Portland this year. Philadelphia made the playoffs and added a max-level FA to their mix. I bet there are a lot of fans that were hoping to challenge for the championship this year, and HCA did not seem to be too far-fetched. Portland, on the other hand, had a few fans that expected 82-0, but I think that the more realistic expectation level was playoffs, 6 or 7 seed as a goal. The Blazers are overachieving, while the Sixers are not, based on those expectations. Ed O.
I think it would take the team falling out of contention for a playoff spot for Nate to be on the hotseat. Even then, that probably wouldn't be enough. I think this season it would take a player's revolt or McMillian obviously losing the team. Right now, it seems we are so far from that situation, I can't see it happening. A few losses, even a losing streak of a few games, is not going to do it this season. It is about expectations. So far - even after the recent bad stretch - the team is above pre-season expectations. Prior to the start of the season - a 12 - 12 record to start the insanely brutal start of the year would have been considered ok. This is the 2nd youngest team in the NBA. We start 2 rookies, and 3 rookies are big contributors. Youth simply doesn't win in the NBA. I really doubt KP or Allen is going to panic and throw McMillan under the bus for failing to beat the NBA elite teams at this stage - essentially - an accomplishment never before done. If all the Hall-of-Fame coaches before him have never done it, why fire Nate now, to replace him with even the best coach in the NBA? What are they going to do? Make history? I am not a huge Nate fan. He wasn't at the top of my list when they brought him in. But, I did much prefer him to Cheeks, who I never liked. Overall, I feel Nate has done a good job, and see no reason to make any change right now.
For real. And yet when I try to calm down all the "haters" (damn people are too sensitive) down, they try to light my ass up too.
Well then who do you think would do a better job at coaching the Portland players to a Championship than Pritchard?
Pretty small sample size. He inherited a good team as well... Most of the players lost respect for him and didn't want him to be there. They choked in the finals and then got eliminated in the 1st round after he got SEVERELY outcoached by Nelson. I would NEVER take Johnson over McMillan.
Really? You thought Nelly outcoaching Avery had a big impact in that series? I just remember that everything Baron Davis, S. Jackson, and J-Rich put up went it. And Dirk was like 20 for 60 in the 4 losses (or something like that) Actually, I do remember being surprised that Avery/Dallas didn't try and slow the pace of the game down (especially in GS) That just never happened.
Interesting article on the subject: http://www.slate.com/id/2204834/ So Nate is already overdue for firing. So it really doesn't matter anyway.
