from where I sit Nate has seemed to do a fine job. Admittedly I only get to see a small fraction of what he does and so by judging him I'm only taking a stab at matters, but he consistently seems to keep the many Blazer players worthy of PT focused on the task at hand and team oriented. Those are not small matters and only go to a coach that has the respect of his guys. STOMP
With all due respect ABM: It was obvious to everyone except Nate. Blake's head was so "right" he was having his worst season as a Blazer. Until he was benched. If coming off the bench makes Blake play like last night, it was long overdue. Exactly right. The only things Nate has done right this season, he was forced to do. Absolutely. Instead of filling Roy's head with misguided delusions, Nate should have been in charge of the rotation from the beginning. Again, circumstances beyond Nate's control. Hard to give Kudos for that. OK, I will. It's Nate's offense and it is designed to set up tough shots in the last seven seconds of the clock. Good thing we have an all-star to pull it off. I love Bayless and Miller and Roy attacking the rim. Free throws are good. I've never been a Nate basher, but he really disappointed me this year. Now that the team is depleted, maybe he is the right coach again. Personally, I think sitting at home watching the team on TV may have given him some perspective. Whatever it is, I'm loving the result this week.
Thanks Nate, for running rotations you should have done at the start of the season, but are now forced to because of injuries. PROPS!!
The thread was a nice attempt. Nate is known around the league as a quality coach. Some SA writer just pointed out that Nate outcoached Pop (which he did). The Blazers are at 20-12 with Oden and Joel out for the season and Howard starting games. Yet a thread that starts out as props to a coach turns into a Nate bashing debate (like many other Blazer thread) Imagine if the Blazers were losing? Nate is riding the coattalis of this incredible finely tuned basketball machine called the Blazers. Hell a 9th grade coach could do better than Nate . . . really some on here believe that.
I should say this to posters that get tierd of the coach being bashed (even when winning) . . . go to most boards across the NBA abd the coach gets blasted on many team boards. I think some would be surprised at some of the coaches being bashed (just like those fans would get a kick out of the Nate bashing going on here). Blaming the coach is going to be around as long as there is sports. If not Nate then it will be the next coach . . . knowing it will always exist no matter the coach makes these posts easeir for me to read.
Exactly. Some folks just want to find reasons to complain, rather than look at the realities of the season (new players - specifically, Miller; early very busy schedule - i.e., limited practices; injuries; etc.) Me? I'm choosing to let everything play out and just enjoy the season. All this other whiny stuff serves no purpose to me. Even if Nate were doing as badly as some claim, I'd still give him the benefit of the doubt to get things worked out over the course of the season. He's done very well with his teams up to this point. IMO, He deserves that much.
Hey I like being on the same thought plane with you . . . maybe I'm not that far out there. Niether us are saying to give Nate a free pass. At the end of the year, evaluate what he has done, where the players and team are and make a decision then. To do some bizzaro knee jerk reaction and fire a coach when the team is 20-12 and the best player is playing at top level doesn't make a lot of sense in my simple basketball brain . . . maybe these posters have analyzed things to a level beyond KP and realize Nate isn't helpinbg the team, but that though seems very far fetched. Let's enjoy the season knowing in the end at least Nate and company will be classy in win or defeat . . . and hopefully most fans will to.
Kinda where I'm at with it, as well. Have I screamed at Nate on the television? Sure, who hasn't? But, again, he's doing an overall credible job given the circumstances. It makes no earthly sense to me why folks haven't moved on from where things were to begin the season.
Seth Godin once said that there are around 1800 statues in the different parks of New York, and not one of them is of a critic... There are critics that offer constructive criticism, and there are those that just yell at the top of their lungs for attention. Nate is not a critic. He does something. Sometimes it will be right, sometimes it will be wrong, but at the end of the day, his record is fantastic. There is a good chance there will be a painting of Nate on the Rose Garden "walk of fame" section, not of the critics...
That's exactly why people get tired of it. It does happen on every board for every team in every sport. And because of it there is very little credibility when you read it the same old shit over and over no matter what board you are on. It would be comical if it was not so annoying. I mean really does anyone really think that internet geeks know anything about X's and O's? About the only thing they can have an intelligent conversation about is substitution patterns. What does that come out to? 5% of coaching. There is nothing wrong with criticizing a coach. Nate pisses me off when he does not get off his ass (Crutches or no crutches) and scream at the refs for horrible call. I want him to be in their face. But that is just my personal opinion. Nate may be right on that philosophy. I don't really know. What I do know is replacing a coach who is winning for a guy who has never coached or a coach that some other fan base wants fired seems.....................ridiculous. Once you lose a team then it is time to go. Nate is far from losing this team. And I don't give a shit about the players on the end of the bench. They will always be unhappy.
That is spot on. It is the easier for fans to blame the coach than to use some critical thinking. I think sometimes people get caught up in trying to educate or open the minds of these fans, but it's probably not a worthwhile cause.
I wasn't especially critical of Nate until this season. Last year the only thing that really irritated me was his substitution patterns of Oden. It's not okay to be critical of a coach when a team is winning. Everything must be attributed to his greatness. Give me a break. He's a good coach, not a great coach. I'd gladly bet anyone we don't win a title with him here. Call me a pessimist, but it's reality. I eagerly await the bump of this thread to show me I'm an idiot. Until then keep avoiding reality.
I have been pretty negative on Nate, but he is doing a hell of a job now. Sometimes I wonder how much of it has to do with the rotation being tightened by attrition. A tight rotation makes a tight team. Blake being moved to the bench seems to have relaxed him as well.
So anyone you disagree with is incapable of critical thinking? OK. Since circumstances forced Nate's hand, Nate has done a great job. It took a total team effort to win these last few games, and Nate is a big part of that, and I'll give him props for the job he's done in that span. His stubborn bone-headedness before the injury bug became an epidemic, not so much.
Not what I said. But I would guess a large majority of the fans around the NBA who blame the coach for a teams shortcoming are not using their critical thinking skills to the fullest.
