Is it now a general concensus around here....

...that Nate is not a good coach? I mean c'mon folks. He might be great with younger players because he's a motivator, but thats really where his expertise ends as a head coach. Motivating coaches are good for awhile, but eventually they get tuned out.

His offense is stagnant, no moving, no cutting. We are predictable in end of game situations, 4 corner ISO ball with either Roy or Andre up top. His subsitution patterns are awful as well, always have been.

A lot of the guys who played for him during Team USA basketball loved him. But, maybe he's just a good assistant. I think the task of a good head coach is too much for him.

I just don't think he's a very good coach, I think most around here feel the same way I do.

 

I don't see any indication that he understands that jump shooting isn't viable plan for this team's success. The Blazer need easier shots, either in the paint or at the FT line. I'm sick of hearing the same "shots just didn't fall" quotes from Nate on the nights of losses. Amazing insight from a coach.

 

Since some of us have been saying this for literally three or four years, I think it's way past time to come to these conclusions. I personally have given up hope on Nate being fired.

 

I think Nate is a great motivator in that he can get more out of players than you would expect he could given their overall talent or composition. The trouble I see with that approach is that it only carries you so far for so long if you don't also develop strong fundamentals or have a real offensive philosophy beyond "scrap" and "tip-ins" off of offensive rebounds. Now, I think it's possible that this group is starting to tune him out; that he's gone to that "scrappiness" well one too many times and now he's no longer getting the supreme effort that generated wins like they did in the past, that compensated for that lack of fundamentals.

Will Paul Allen fire him? I doubt it. But I also wouldn't be shocked to see Nate walk at the end of the year and take over for Phil in LA or try to whip that mess in Miami into shape (which he will probably fail to do). But don't get too excited, given the current state of the roster and the uncertain future of Roy and his knee (not to mention the age of Miller and Camby and the grave doubts about Oden) I wouldn't hold your breath for a big name to come to this team's rescue any time soon; this has rebuild written all over it.

 

Oh, I haven't been big on him as a coach for awhile either. This isn't some epiphany for me.

I'm just saying, I see the McMillan supporters fewer and fewer around here lately. Seems its a general consensus he sucks as a coach.

 

Well, it was easier to defend him when the team was still coming into its own, young and exciting... but now it's been about three years since we've passed that mark... and we really haven't made any progress.

 

Amen

 

I don't know why we don't go down low more often. Camby, Aldridge, and Cunningham might be the three biggest bruisers in the league. What is Nate thinking?

 

I used to think that Nate's style could never ever win an NBA title.

Now, I think that Nate was just succumbing to Roy's needs to stand around the whole game.

But, in reality, I really think that Nate is not a bad coach. He's just not an "elite" coach. He's 10 times better than Maurice Cheeks. That was a "bad" coach.

What Nate lacks is "cahones". He's never had the "cahones" to limit Roy's minutes from the very get-go. Nate's as much to blame for Roy's bad knees as anybody. Roy never should have been allowed to average more than 30 minutes per game for any season.....EVER. That's on Nate.

And, now everything's a mess.

 

I think Nate has done a terrific job rebuilding the character of this team and teaching fundamentals to a young group. We went from being one of the dumbest teams in the league to playing "veteran" basketball, even though we were young. You have let a coach see that development through.

It seems now, however, we're at a different point. Injuries, some picks that haven't panned out and some tough breaks have dimmed the once bright future of this team. I'm not so sure we want Nate to rebuild and I'm not so sure Nate wants to rebuild this team. I could see him in Charlotte.

 

Fuck sake

:shakeshead:

 

Amen

 

Ramen

 

I'm not looking to pick on what you're saying or anything, but I'm not sure what fundamentals you are talking about? The only player we have (had?) who sets a decent pick is Joel and a team has to be able to generate cleaner/higher percentage looks at the hoop after 6 years of a system being implemented for me to call them fundamentally sound.

If we're talking about getting guys to play hard, I would agree that he's been able to do that from nearly day one.

/justsayin.

 

McMillan keeps his nose to the grindstone and makes no enemies within the organization.

What might get him out is the annual Oregonian poll. Last Spring, 39% wanted McMillan gone. If it gets to 60% like it was with Rudy, maybe management will notice.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/blazers/2010/05/you_be_the_gm_2009-10_rewind.html

 

thats the way we play royball.

 

Aldridge is an average finisher inside, Camby for some reason way below average and Cunningham is too small.

 

I think McMillan is in the vast majority of NBA coaches who don't make a major difference, either positive or negative. I think very few NBA coaches make a significant difference over and above the talent on hand.

Therefore, I'd be happy to replace him if someone like Rick Adelman or Phil Jackson were available to Portland, but otherwise I see him as interchangeable with most head coaches.

 

I'm telling you, coaches get too much credit and too much blame! Supposed one time Coach of the Year Avery Johnson isn't going to do shit with NJ. Is it his fault..... no....... but should he have received the credit he did for being handed a stacked Dallas squad. Their are only a couple coaches that straight up make a difference. Pat Riley was one, Phil Jackson and I believe Jerry Sloan.

 

Do you think Jerry Sloan would be considered a great coach if he had never had John Stockton or now Deron Williams? The guy has been unbelievably lucky in getting amazing point guards.