I give Stotts a lot of credit for the success we've had this season. Yes, I'd bring him back but I would take a serious look at finding a drill sgt defensive coordinator...I've said many times..Bill Laimbeer but Lionel Hollins would work. Whoever suggested Sloan is 10 years too late, he's done coaching and has a desk job in Utah now.
Terry is not, nor is he likely to ever be, a coach who will take a team deep into the Playoffs. Do people still think he's an offensive genius? How many times do we see opponents completely stifle our offense in the 4th quarter? And they do it simply through P/R defense, stymieing any attempt to get the ball past the 3-point line. I can't say when it first happened, but it seems like every game the opponent just plays the first 3 quarters waiting for the right time in the 4th quarter in which to start jumping screens and keeping the ball 35' from the hoop. Game after game after game and Terry doesn't know how to counter it. Hey, here's one idea: DON'T SET A SCREEN FOR THE BALL HANDLER. What makes it all the more frustrating is that we can't defend the P/R to save our lives. You'd think that after howevermanygames Terry might notice the tactic that's repeatedly beat his team, and maybe think about doing something similar. But nope. Switch or sag, switch or sag.
I'm always in favor of turning the team upside-down except for my designated Favorite Player, so I voted to give Stotts the boot. Stump your friends: Who are the 3 current NBA coaches drafted in 1980?
Agreed. The adjustment has been made pretty much around the league as to how to defend us late in games. We bring the high screen for Dame & all that does is help the defense trap & get the ball out of his hands. He gives it up to Wes, Nic, or Mo and defenses are overplaying everything, daring those guys to make a play. Guess what? THEY CAN'T DO IT!! When LA was playing out of his head, this was hidden for the most part. But now it feels like our offense is going up against the "Bad Boys" Piston defense down the stretch of every game. And Stotts keeps saying "We ran our offense & got good looks, the shots we normally make just didn't go in tonight". Uhh, Ter . . . you seeing what we are? Nothing is coming easy. Sure, part of the issue is Wes & Nic struggle with handling the ball & making plays attacking the basket. Can't blame Stotts for that. But we're watching groundhog day, and to expect different results with the status quo right now would be ridiculous. Can't say "a shot here, a shot there", or "we're not getting as many of the 50/50 balls", etc. We are getting beat because teams have scouted us and are exploiting our weaknesses. We're barely getting shots off down the stretch of these close games, while the other guys are getting good looks all over the place. Keep waiting to see us adjust to the adjustments, but it never happens. Not ready to say definitively TS is/isn't the right coach. But if the nosedive continues & we miss the playoffs after that start . . . that won't be good for Terry.
I still don't think it's possible to miss the POs. I mean, I know that technically it's possible, but... Regardless, I've seen more than enough to make me pretty confident in my opinion that Terry is not the right coach for a team looking to go deep into the Playoffs. He adjusts slightly better than Nate, but not well enough to be able to help a team in the POs. If he ever gets a team out of the first round it'll be due to the talent on the roster, not because he out-coached the opposition.
If he were really that good of a candidate, he wouldn't be unemployed right now. I want to see what Terry does in the playoffs, and how he comes back and what he improves. There's a lot of talk of defense and Stotts' principles, but it's either not working or the players aren't executing it right. Either way, that's on Terry. Half the challenge of NBA coaches seems to be getting their players to play hard.
We need a Thibadou or Mike Malone type defensive guru to get the a good defensive system in place. Our pick and roll defense is a disaster.
Yes, I think he has def earned a third year. With that said, his contract is for three years is it not? The only way I would make a change is if Lionel Hollins was seriously interested in returning to Rip City. And even then, what you gain with Lionel defensively, you probably lose offensively. So I would have to really look at that. I'm more of an offensive guy. And I think Terry is bright enough to make the necessary changes to help improve the team defensively. That and I think it will be forced upon him by Paul and management. As for Jerry Sloan, I love him but I don't think Paul will go that direction. He has shown to be more progressive or forward thinking in the way he has conducted his business and the hires he has made here of late. Rather than tackling the old proven dogs. He has went with ones that don't come with a lot of baggage (demands) and something to prove.
One more thing you want to think about when bringing in a defensive coordinator or another assistant. You're ideas are only good if the players are willing to listen and execute them on the floor. Defense comes down to one thing. What the players are willing to do. Terry may have nice ideas but if the players are not yet ready to get serious on this side of the floor. Ideas are just what they are. Ideas. Players need discipline and accoutability. If they haven't felt the need or pressure to execute on this side of the court with Terry as the head coach. What makes anyone think they are going to change just because you are adding an assistant to his stafff? I think the defense and it's execution comes down to players and maybe more importantly. One or two players. When LaMarcus or Dame decides it's time to get serious in this one area. I think the team will follow suit. I think LA knows this. And if they 'like' Terry enough (I personally LA likes him) and buy into him. This won't be an issue next year.
I think it's a dumb question but again, yeah you bring Stotts back....duh and again, he needs a defensive coordinator..a tough guy who doesn't go to dinner with the players or buddy up like Canales did. Bill freakin Laimbeer please as the defensive coordinator.
I like to watch teams that are tough, play good defense and don't rely on the 3 on offense So no, I don't want Stotts back. He's a finesse coach that doesn't have what it takes to coach a contender. Keeping him around is a waste of time.
Terry Stotts won a ring with the Mavs and his offensive creativity is credited with the reason they did. If Wes makes that putback, we could have won tonight and we're losing about the same amount of games as the Pacers and Heat over the last stretch...not bad company if you ask me and they are highly rated defensive teams...what's their excuse?
These sort of threads always remind me of the movie Chicken Run where Mel Gibson is sneaking the hens out and says..shhhhh don't panic....then they all panic at once.
