Apparently some beat writer with Ralph & Tom say he's got two weeks left. Anyone hear this? I'd be suprised after the damage control piece he did with Kawakami.
What if Monty wants out? hmmm. Again, I just think its unfair to blame the coach for the team's problems. Look at what Larry Brown inherited.
I don't think it's a matter of blaming the coach for the team's problems, but more of blaming the coach for not fixing the problems.
There was a rumor I heard Monty might be eyeing taking over Arizona States basketball program if he gets fired.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AnimeFANatic:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't think it's a matter of blaming the coach for the team's problems, but more of blaming the coach for not fixing the problems.</div> How can we fix the team's problems in such a short amount of time when the nba season is already in full swing? The team we have is missing fundamentals and its like trying to teach a high school dropout some college courses. Do they have the I.Q. or the prerequisites down to succeed? If we're missing the basics, it's simply a lot harder at the next level to study the current courses and try to work with what we know and knowing that we're missing certain things. Guys who start out raw don't always make it, guys used to playing a certain way don't always change, guys can't always catch up if they're not developed right and it just can't be fixed in such a short amount of time based on a fan's expectations and patience level. That's the biggest problem nowadays is that the coach gets fired as the scapegoat when its really the talent or the effort of the team. That's why college ball is preferred by many than what the nba is about.
I was talking about situations like where the Warriors always get out rebounded, which is a major problem. What does he do to fix it? Nothing, he goes with small line ups all the time. You're right that college is about basics and fundamentals. But keep in mind that our starting 5 all had some experience in college ball. I guess they lose in when they go pro.
It is difficult for a coach to make major improvements during the season but things like coaching palyers on shot selection or just ripping a guy are necessary in the NBA. Monty might have all the basketball knowledge in the world but in the NBA you need to have a whole new dimension of managing egos and controlling the players in order to succeed. Phil Jackson isnt a great X's and O's coach but he gets paid big money because he can get guys like Kobe, Shaq, MJ, Pippen, Rodman, etc to buy into his system. If Monty isnt happy then it would be better for everyone if he leaves. He just isn't cut out for coaching in the NBA if he can't control a guy like Baron Davis.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AnimeFANatic:</div><div class="quote_post">I was talking about situations like where the Warriors always get out rebounded, which is a major problem. What does he do to fix it? Nothing, he goes with small line ups all the time. You're right that college is about basics and fundamentals. But keep in mind that our starting 5 all had some experience in college ball. I guess they lose in when they go pro.</div> All of our big men are raw, understrengthed, out of position, and it's why Zarko and Diogu get more time at center than Biedrins does. If Monty went with the smaller lineup it's because the guards are better rebounders, they've got more skills in scoring, generally make better decisions passing, and are harder to seal off on the glass. Also Taft is hurt and rookies can't be depended on in major minutes unless we're talking about somebody like Monta Ellis that just comes in to play. I don't know what's up with Ike, but apparently he needs to get confidence scoring the ball and some more minutes at his natural position. Even if Ike isn't the answer right away, I still believe that big men tend to take a while to develop and they get better as they learn the nba game. Luckily, Ike has a head start and he's more athletic than people thought. Also, Baron Davis and Jason Richardson are the best players on the team, but they didn't spend as much time in college as some more polished players did. But nonetheless, Baron Davis is talented because he plays a position which requires you to be multi-talented. A guard who can't handle, pass, or shoot is a crappy guard. Richardson started out as a power forward in high school, played some forward at Michigan, and was forced to play the shooting guard position in the pros because he's only 6'5 or 6'4. He could have been better sooner if he played guard to begin with, but he did a hell of a job making a good case for most improved player award. He just does a lot of things he couldn't do before like jump off one foot on the drive, play defense, and hit the three more consistently.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Run BJM:</div><div class="quote_post">It is difficult for a coach to make major improvements during the season but things like coaching palyers on shot selection or just ripping a guy are necessary in the NBA. Monty might have all the basketball knowledge in the world but in the NBA you need to have a whole new dimension of managing egos and controlling the players in order to succeed. Phil Jackson isnt a great X's and O's coach but he gets paid big money because he can get guys like Kobe, Shaq, MJ, Pippen, Rodman, etc to buy into his system. If Monty isnt happy then it would be better for everyone if he leaves. He just isn't cut out for coaching in the NBA if he can't control a guy like Baron Davis.</div> How is Monty not managing egos? It's clear that he wants the team to do these things that he wants an organized team to do, but he lets Baron run the show and deviate from the offense. It's a different approach than how Byron Scott or George Karl runs things (my way or the highway), but we can't have our cake and eat it too. Do we want the superstar happy or not? PJ can't tell Kobe not to take 40 shot attempts per game, he's got to work with that. Monty is working with what Baron is giving him, but I think the pieces surrounding Baron Davis aren't that great for the style of game we (or he) want. If we want an uptempo game with Baron shooting a bunch of threes winding the clock, we have to play the defense, get the rebounding or everything else is wasted energy when it comes down to the final stretch. Then we also need to execute when the game is slowed down. The Warriors for the longest time have not executed very well even under Eric Musselman who designed a simplified offense of cutting and passing with no true roles or identity on the team. We need to cut the 1 on 5 style of play and play 5 on 5 or else we're a bad team not worthy of the playoffs. Baron Davis trade made the Warriors have some identity in the backcourt, now hopefully we can find some identity in the frontlines. The 5 players on the court need to complement each other and be solid defensively if not capable of being lockdown defenders. Forgot to add one more thing: Speaking of how coaches like Phil Jackson manage egos, didn't Phil Jackson write something about Kobe Bryant in his book that wasn't too flattering? Coaches and the players have to work together, nobody is above the other unless people are thinking in terms of ticket sales and franchise level talent.
It's a beat writer's job to get people talking about the team, and usually in a negative manner since that stirs up most emotions. I wouldn't put much credability into the statement.
Beat writer was Monte Poole from the Oakland Tribune. His whole thing was that the dynamic of this team changed with the trade for Baron Davis and that Montgomery is not the right fit for the new dynamic. His take was that Montgomery was not willing to get in Davis' face because it is not Monty's style, and that part of dealing with not only Davis but the team is being handled by the assistant coaches. He does not think Montgomery is happy and questions how long Montgomery will want to stay around. Did not think that Mullin would fire him mid season. Upshot was that since no one is reigning in Davis, the rest of the team sees this and it effects everyone. He did not think that ontgomery had lost the team yet. But if they don't make a push it could get ugly.
Isn't the whole ego thing these days about "respect?" Well I do not think anyone does a better job about that than Monty. Whatever the turmoil, he has never once gone public with any criticisms of players. He has not make any knee jerk substitutions with the stars. The current criticism is that he should send a message by making some substitutions. Well I bet if that happened he'd be labeled "disrespecting" the players and "out of touch." He cannot win right now because people are looking for a scapegoat for the Warrior's disappointing play and fall from grace.
seriously.....you give Monty too much credit. We can argue whether he stinks but he clearly doesn't want to be here anymore. I've never seen him show any animation and now he's just going through the motions to earn his paycheck. Elie and Smart care more than he does. Worst case scenario he's clueless. Best case scenario he's the Dunleavy of coaching (full of talent and it can't translate), either way I'd like a change.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting upsidedownside7:</div><div class="quote_post">seriously.....you give Monty too much credit. We can argue whether he stinks but he clearly doesn't want to be here anymore. I've never seen him show any animation and now he's just going through the motions to earn his paycheck. Elie and Smart care more than he does. Worst case scenario he's clueless. Best case scenario he's the Dunleavy of coaching (full of talent and it can't translate), either way I'd like a change.</div> I have to disagree: While I don't think Monty is the best coach in the world, I do believe he is a great X and O teacher. Unfortunately in the pros it's about handling egos, not game plans. I do think Monty cares but I don't think he really knows how to express it yet or which buttons he should push or not push. The problem I have is that, with Elie and Smart, you'd think they would have given him a full "Ego-management 101" class by now. So perhaps he knows what he needs to do but is still reluctant to do it -- i.e. getting into players, showing passion, and knowing how to build respect. I believe he does care -- so much that he's been reluctant to sacrifice his principles and "coaching morals" if you will and play the "NBA" coaching game. If he wants to survive, he must do this. Whether he does what he surely knows he needs to -- that will be the question.
