Spurs hire Becky Hammon as assistant coach

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crandc said:
If a team hired a male assistant, who had extensive basketball experience but not in the NBA, except as an intern, no one would question the hire.

The Spurs hired a female assistant, who has extensive basketball experience but not in the NBA, except as an intern, but people question the hire.

And insist it has nothing to do with sexism.
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Personally, I wish there were more coaches that had a lot of coaching experience. So I wish the first woman coach in the NBA was someone with an extensive background in coaching. I find that coaches who have spent time working their way up the chain (high school, college, NBA) usually have the best minds for the game. Most of the people who jump directly from playing into coaching, usually aren't very good. They might have the leadership quality that a coach requires, but they don't seem to have the x's and o's that the really good coaches possess.

With that said, the current trend in the NBA seems to be former players starting as assistant coaches and then working their way into a head coaching gig, so I really see no problem at all with a woman taking that same route.
 
Popovich wouldn't make this hire unless he knew that the players would respond to her coaching. You don't hire a coach that players don't respect, man, woman, or transgendered.

Even more reason to like the Spurs, who I believe is what Olshey envisions as his template for the Blazers.
 
VanillaGorilla said:
I think it's pretty ridiculous that just because she's a woman, people can't question the hire without being called sexist.
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Maybe so, but it's not like the Bucks hired her. If Pop believes in her, I'm guessing it's a good hire.
 
NewsSource said:
Popovich wouldn't make this hire unless he knew that the players would respond to her coaching. You don't hire a coach that players don't respect, man, woman, or transgendered.

Even more reason to like the Spurs, who I believe is what Olshey envisions as his template for the Blazers.
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It's an organization we've been emulating since the days of Kevin Pritchard.
 
Natebishop3 said:
Personally, I wish there were more coaches that had a lot of coaching experience. So I wish the first woman coach in the NBA was someone with an extensive background in coaching. I find that coaches who have spent time working their way up the chain (high school, college, NBA) usually have the best minds for the game. Most of the people who jump directly from playing into coaching, usually aren't very good. They might have the leadership quality that a coach requires, but they don't seem to have the x's and o's that the really good coaches possess.

With that said, the current trend in the NBA seems to be former players starting as assistant coaches and then working their way into a head coaching gig, so I really see no problem at all with a woman taking that same route.
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I think there are two "legitimate" paths to head coaching: one is working your way up through high school and college. Sometimes that involves assistant coaching, but not always. Often, someone starts out as a head coach at a small high school, gets an offer to be head coach at a larger high school, moves on to head coach at a tiny college, etc.

The other is to work as an intern or assistant coach at the pro level and work your way up. This one generally involves ex-players because you need some basketball experience somewhere in order to even get your foot in the door, but if you can impress a team enough with your knowledge of the game, I don't have a problem with it. Teams aren't charities...they're only going to hire you if they think you can contribute.

Of course, some teams offer ex-players with no coaching experience head coaching opportunities, which I think is silly. Obviously, someone like Kidd impressed the Nets, but I think that's an example of bad process. When you're hiring for the top of your hierarchy, you shouldn't just be looking to be impressed in the interview...there should be some coaching bonafides in addition.
 
Natebishop3 said:
It's an organization we've been emulating since the days of Kevin Pritchard.
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The 2012 trade deadline for the Blazers was very unlike the Spurs. Maybe Pritchard had that model in mind, but since he was fired, the rotating chair of coach and GM seemed like something the Spurs would never do.
 
NewsSource said:
The 2012 trade deadline for the Blazers was very unlike the Spurs. Maybe Pritchard had that model in mind, but since he was fired, the rotating chair of coach and GM seemed like something the Spurs would never do.
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I think we went off the rails for a little bit.
 
With all the super-experienced female basketball coaches, why did Popovich hire a young cute one? Being younger than Duncan, and only 4 months older than Ginobili, can't help.

A grayhair would not be self-conscious around the players, having long since made the transitions Hammon must now surmount. An old bat would be MUCH smoother.

I was hoping Hammon's gay, but no, she actually was romantically involved with Tony Parker. What a terrible hire. Keep her out of the locker room!

http://terezowens.com/tony-parker-dating-wnbas-becky-hammon/

http://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/h/hammobe01w.html
(Scroll down.)
 
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Will she be allowed in the lockeroom?
 
Will she travel with the team? Sometimes new assistants don't, to save money. Lisa Boyer, a volunteer assistant on John Lucas' Cleveland Cavaliers' staff in 2001-02, did not travel. Assistants on the road, of course, drink and carouse with the players in bars and hotels. Imagine a female HCP. This is a big ugh for the Spurs. See one of my quotes below...Just joking, H.
 
Remember, she's still a "player" (in more ways than one). She's playing in WNBA games this week.

female NBA asst. coaches, from best to worst

1. an older, experienced coach
2. a young rookie lesbian
3. a young rookie heterosexual
4. a young rookie heterosexual who has dated a star on the same team she coaches
 
Minstrel said:
"Besides the fact that it's for an assistant job." So, you mean, besides the main difference? Assistant positions are specifically for inexperienced but promising (to the person hiring) candidates...the expectation is that they're not finished products but can contribute while continuing to learn about coaching. Head coaches are at the top of the (coaching) hierarchy. That single point that you brushed off completely changes the situation.
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I had to say "Besides the fact that it's for an assistant job" because NateBishop was talking about head coaches for some reason.
 
crandc said:
If a team hired a male assistant, who had extensive basketball experience but not in the NBA, except as an intern, no one would question the hire.

The Spurs hired a female assistant, who has extensive basketball experience but not in the NBA, except as an intern, but people question the hire.

And insist it has nothing to do with sexism.
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Uhhh, not true at all.

If the Blazers hired a dude who played basketball at Linfield and then the 3BA, I would question the shit out of it.

The only valid reason I've seen is that if Pop thinks she'll be good, she'll probably be good.
 
VanillaGorilla said:
Uhhh, not true at all.

If the Blazers hired a dude who played basketball at Linfield and then the 3BA, I would question the shit out of it.

The only valid reason I've seen is that if Pop thinks she'll be good, she'll probably be good.
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there's a huge disparity in trying to compare her career to someone playing at Linfield and then...3BA whatever that is, IMO.

There was next to nobody questioning the hiring of Blatt by Cleveland, and he has no NBA experience at all. And that was for a head coaching position, not what likely amounts to a very low level assistant.
 
The Spurs are a quality organization. I trust they know what they're doing. Good for them. Good for her.
 
What if a male coached the Blazer dancers?

Would we be allowed to question that because he is a male?
 
Treaty_of_Batum said:
What if a male coached the Blazer dancers?

Would we be allowed to question that because he is a male?
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I doubt anyone would be disallowed from questioning that hire, so I suppose the answer is yes to your question. After the hire, you could judge opinions and weigh how you feel about them.

I trust Pop in this instance, hypothetical male Blazer Dancer coach scenario aside.
 
I always doubted the woman's mind as it pertains to hoops. Then I listened to Doris Burke calling games on ESPN. She knows more about the game than most her male counterparts. She's an assistant anyways, I don't see what the issue is.
 
MickZagger said:
I always doubted the woman's mind as it pertains to hoops. Then I listened to Doris Burke calling games on ESPN. She knows more about the game than most her male counterparts. She's an assistant anyways, I don't see what the issue is.
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I think Pat Summitt is one of the top 10 college coaches of all time, regardless of men or women NCAA ball. I also think Geno A. is, too.
 
I guess it's not possible to discuss a woman in any context, no matter how nonsexual, without the sexist and homophobic comments. An insight into the minds, or lack thereof, of some posters. Not that anyone needs reminding.

The woman's mind? WTF does that mean? 4 billion women on the planet all have "the" same mind?

Gregg Popovich had NO NBA experience when he became lead assistant under Larry Brown. He was a military guy. There were questions as to how a man with military background who never played in the NBA could coach young players. I think they have been answered.

Of course men coach women and girls all the time. In high school, college, WNBA, and yes in professional dance. No one has a problem because men are "supposed" to be in authority over women.
 
Popovich had small college head coaching experience. Anyway, no one's going to answer my posts. Well, at least I'll edit one. I just added "Scroll down."
 
Bottom line: if Pops thinks she can do the job, that is a very solid endorsement. How many major screw-ups of his can you name?
 
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