Love the guy, but he's been pretty much a failure in Detroit. I think he's actually a better coach than GM.
Well, that's what happens when you make the playoffs once in 4 years under Van Gundy and once in 9 years under all coaches.
Like him as a coach and a GM, but his huge gamble to launch the franchise into relevance (obtaining Griffin) will set them back for YEARS. I understand the gamble, though. He was on the hotseat last year, so he probably felt like he had to try something big. They were better on paper than they actually were. An outsider (such as me) would be surprised at how much talent they've had, and yet weren't able to make the playoffs.
Best thing he did was just boot Josh Smith out, big contract and all. Of course, that was only necessary because of his own previous mistakes.
Wow.... As a GM, he's average at best. As a coach, I'd put him in the bottom 1/3 of the league. I'm one that would like to move on from both NO & Stotts (because I don't think either can take us to being a true championship caliber team). However, I'd much rather have the NO/Stotts combo over Van Gundy any day of the week
Yeah I don’t think I’d want SVG in Portland. I wouldn’t mind a change of coach, but I’d rather keep Stotts.
This is the problem with coaches who demand to also have GM duties. They want all the power, but what they fail to realize is they also get all of the blame. You have to be pretty narcissistic to think you can actually be one of the 30 best in the world at both jobs - and have the time to do both jobs simultaneously. Was it the GM's fault DET couldn't make the playoffs in the weak ass Eastern Conference, or was it the coach's fault? With no one else to share the blame/point the finger at, it makes ownership's decision on who to fire an easy one. Later Stan. BNM
https://www.freep.com/picture-galle...under-presidentcoach-stan-van-gundy/98057388/ has his transactions (INNER right arrow, not outside right arrow). They seem either meh or good.