The example you provide is ONE time, which is not even close to sometimes. Face it you love to bitch. It sucked a few years ago. Remember?
I don't know if Nate is THE ONE or not. He doesn't bother me as coach in the least. However, I can see where other people might think he's not THE ONE, which is fair.
Yeah, or it could be one coach doesn't have Jordan, Pippen and Grant in their primes and one does. Don't get me wrong, I think Phil Jackson is a great, great coach and considerably better than Doug Collins. But there was more going on than just a coaching change that led from playoff failures to playoff (ultimate) success. In some sense, the same thing could happen to Nate McMillan if he were fired as some fans seem to want. He has a lot of pre-prime talent...the next coach could come along, end up coaching the talent in their primes and succeed more and people would say, "Yup, poor old McMillan...good coach, but not a coach who can get a team over the hump."
IIRC, Nate refused to sign an extension because he wanted to "prove" himself over the course of his current contract. That's stand-up stuff right there. I'm gonna give him the benefit of any doubt.
Really? He's a guy who left Seattle on bad terms in spite of having spent his whole career there. I'm not convinced that his reluctance to sign an extension is based on wanting to prove himself... I find it more likely he'll want options as a free agent coach. Which isn't a criticism of him. He should do what he thinks is right for himself. Ed O.
other times your core players come into their prime years and with added experience play better. I'm glad he didn't because he's annoying enough as is, but I'm pretty sure that Collins could have won championships with prime time MJ Pip & Horace too. This Blazer club is doing better then most expected and probably a decent amount of credit should go to Nate for the way he manages the day to day stuff. Keeping guys focused on producing in their roles and playing hard every night isn't a given. He's balancing the minutes of a lot of deserving players and seems to have their respect. The players may eventually tune him out or possibly outgrow his message as that happens to most coaches, but he seems to have created an environment where the youngins are thriving so I doubt he's going anywhere else soon. STOMP
Yeah, I tend to think he didn't want an extension because he and/or his agent believe he'll be worth more after this season. It's not like a player, where there is injury risk. His risk is limited to having an awful season where the team melts down...not a huge risk given the talent. And his upside due to the negotiating leverage he'll get if we make the playoff, etc. is pretty strong. Shrewd move on his part.
I Agree with that. He's the right coach at this point in time. If, at some point, the "experienced" players begin to tune him out, then I want Adelman back. That said, (essentially echoing Ed O.'s remarks,) perhaps this is part of the reason Nate didn't sign an extension. Meaning, if he leaves, he wants it to be on his terms.
I don't think it's necessarily guaranteed, Hippie. I think it's conceivable that he checks out all of his options and finds one where he's not butting heads with a rock-star GM on personnel and team style. He'll get paid either way, especially by a team (MEM or MIN, perhaps) that has young talent to develop. His son's already off to college, and I think he's daughter's right behind. I don't know that there's much keeping him tied to the NW if something else comes along. Heck, even CHA might need a Brown replacement in a couple of years.
I think Nate will be staying as long as KP wants him here. The only way I see Nate leaving is if he just gets burned out by the daily grind and wants to spend time with his family. I highly doubt he'd leave us to just go through another brutal rebuilding process with another team. And it's not like college football where you see mid-level college coaches want to move on to a Michigan or Notre Dame. It's rare to see head coaches jump ship from a good job in the NBA unless they are forced out, and since we wanted to sign Nate to an extension this past summer.. he'll be here as long as his heart is in it.
