Lowe: Portland May Be Looking at a Coaching Vacancy

Assuming that we're losing Stotts (which I actually think is VERY unlikely) why can't we go after Walton? Apart from anything basketball related, if he really is gay then Portland should be more amenable than Phoenix. (Although, apparently Salt Lake City has one of the most active and lively gay scenes, so I guess I shouldn't judge on appearances.)

 

I think Paul really likes Olshey, and I don't think he's quite earned a firing. Look at his major moves since coming here:

-2012 draft: Lillard, Leonard, Barton. Talent wise, this should be an A+ because of Barton and Lillard. Leonard hasn't been that good, but it's not like he passed on anyone great.

-Hired Stotts: big upgrade over McMoron B

-2013 draft: McCollum #10, traded for Crabbe. If the draft were redone today, McCollum would be top 5 and Crabbe would be top 10. A+ when you get a good guy in the 2nd.

-Trading Barton/Robinson/Claver and a 1st for Afflalo. Obviously, this turned out really bad for the Blazers. F....it was his first doozy....but it looked good at the time.

- Batum for Henderson/Vonleh. Both players are garbage, but I fully supported getting rid of batum one year early. And we got a stab at a lotto pick (who may still turn into something) C

- RHJ for Plumlee. Plumlee is looking pretty good. We don't know how good RHJ will be, but right now, Portland looks like they got the better end of this deal. B

-- Aminu/Davis signings: Both players are limited, but could be good role players/reserves. At 7 mil per year, they are on decent contracts. C

I think Olshey's worst moves are the ones that never happened....trying to sign Hawes, Hibbert, the Leonard extension...you might say the same thing about no defense Kanter, who continues to have a net negative affect with his defense.

 

I don't think Stotts's job is on the line this year at all. If anything, the Blazers are overachieving vs. expectations. If the Blazers do decide that an upgrade at coach is needed, I doubt that they make that move until they've got the team rebuilt a bit more than it is now. I'd assume that they'd be looking to attract a top-tier coach and you don't get one of those guys unless they think they're going to win games and be competitive in the playoffs.

 

Nate has been comfortable being the defensive coordinator for Indy since he left here, he also just retired from being defensive assistant for team USA...he's in his comfort zone...like Thibs, some guys are not head coaches

 

Somehow I don't think our record would be any different if we adopted this approach.

 

brandon roy for rookie coach of the year

 

BRoy would be a good shooting coach for the young guys like Montero and Alexander.

 

Lowe clarified this on twitter that he said it in his article just because the extension is not set in stone. Not that he thinks Stotts truly is going to be out of a job

 

Why is Aminu/Davis a C? I think those were two stellar signings. They were both signed at bargain prices.

 

You can only fool so many people for so long. Nate got way, way more run than he ever should have. Taking a fairly talented Seattle team that was dropped into his lap didn't mean he was a good coach. He was a Seattle guy, therefore PA had to have him. Nate did some good things but he wasn't much of a game coach. His offense was a slow boring mess, and for a guy with a supposedly stellar rep as a defensive coach, we usually sucked defensively. But hey, we didn't have Gary Payton either. People can complain about Stotts all they want, but at least he's capable (and even willing) to make some reasonable adjustments as the game goes along. At least when he calls a time out, the results are positive more often than not. And he coaches an entertaining style of ball. Nate was too stubborn to change because he believed he was smarter than everyone else. And he believed his undeserved reputation. I'm not the least bit surprised his name isn't popping up. But then again, the NBA being one of the earliest champions of the recycling movement, I won't be surprised to see some team give him another chance. He's the basketball equivalent of Dusty Baker, and look how many chances Dusty keeps getting despite all the evidence that's he's not a particularly good coach....

 

7 mil isn't a "bargain" for a backup. It's a decent contract for a higher level reserve. Neither of them are really playing better than they did last year as a backup on a bad/mediocre team.

 

Stotts is more of a pick & pop guy and now that Aldridge is gone it's time to go a different direction.