Around the League: Playoffs

[Mori Chu]

I wish teams were more open to dual head-coaches and other alternative structures. Horny is a decent coach but imagine a combo like Mike D'Antoni + Mike Malone. Goodness. That would be nasty.

[Cap]

Dual head coaches? Where has that ever worked?

Admittedly, I'm not aware of it having been tried. The NBA seems like the wrong place for that kind of radical experimentation if it hasn't been shown workable somewhere.

[Mori Chu]

Well I guess I mean more like the NFL where you can have an offensive and defensive coordinator, etc. In the NFL it seems like they just want to win. There's no shame in being a coordinator; it's an important job.

[Superbone]

Dual head coaches? Where has that ever worked?

Admittedly, I'm not aware of it having been tried. The NBA seems like the wrong place for that kind of radical experimentation if it hasn't been shown workable somewhere.

Wasn't Gentry associate head coach when he was with Doc and the Clippers?

In fact he's associate head coach now with the Warriors.

[Wally_West]

What is the difference between an associate head coach and an assistant coach though?

[carey]

What is the difference between an associate head coach and an assistant coach though?

$$$

[ShelC]

The dual head coaching thing/coordinator makes sense in theory but it really comes down to the personalities of the coaches involved. Remember, Kerr wanted MikeD to hire Thibs as his top assistant/defensive coordinator and MikeD refused (opting for, ahem, Jay Humphries). MikeD is/was as stubborn as they come and wanted to win his way (he also probably figured he'd have his replacement waiting in the wings, which happened with the Knicks when Woodson was hired as his assistant). That's fine, but when you keep coming up short in the same areas and don't win, you deal with the consequences. Conversely, I just couldn't see Malone or Thibs working under a guy like MikeD who essentially didn't place any importance on defense. Those coaches are just too extreme.

The good head coaches have good assistants to balance things out. Kerr's not going to live in the video room memorizing other team's plays. He's not as savvy working the sidelines or managing subs and rotations because he's a rookie head coach. He has assistants for that. Larry Bird had Carlisle, Doc had Thibs and then Lawrence Frank. Riley had JVG. JVG had Brendan and Mike Malone. Pop had PJ Carliesimo.

[carey]

Gentry is interviewing in NOLA. I kind of heard Thibs was a done deal but I think Chicago is going to hold him hostage first.

[SDC]

I think thibs should go to orlando and gentry to NOH.

[SDC]

i wonder if he'll bring back thunder dan and igor kokosov to his coaching staff.

[Mori Chu]

I think Thibs will be hurt by Chicago stringing him along. That franchise seems like it has a toxic FO, hostile to coaches and players.

[ShelC]

For some reason I feel like Thibs is an East Coast guy, especially with his style. Maybe that's just a stigma. NOH has a ton of talent but Orlando could be a monster team defensively with Thibs. They need another frontcourt player but that perimeter of Payton, Oladipo and Gordon could be lockdown.

I'd like to see Gentry in any of those places...Orlando, NOH, Chicago, even Denver.

[Mori Chu]

I'll be sad if Gentry leaves GSW. He and Kerr are a formidable pair.

[The Bobster]

No Suns received any votes for Al-NBA this year.

A testimonial to their lack of star power.

[carey]

Tucker got a few votes for All NBA defense. I think Bledsoe also got 1 (Thanks, Al!)

[Mori Chu]

Maybe they should create an all-"meh" team. We'd get 1st team.

[TOO]

Maybe they should create an all-"meh" team. We'd get 1st team.

Doubt it.

[Superbone]

How about worst draft position in the history of a franchise?

[LazarusLong]

I seem to remember at least one year where all Phoenix had was a low second-rounder, with no first round pick.
Bobster can probably look that up in a nanosecond.

[LazarusLong]

Doing a quick Google search, the Suns had no draft choice in 1998. Alton Ford was the Suns only choice at #51 in 2001.

When Phoenix first drafted in 1968, the NBA had 15 rounds. FIFTEEN. Plus the Suns and other expansion teams had five additional rounds, so there were 20 rounds for the Suns in '68.

In 1969, the Suns drafted Floyd and Lloyd Kerr, identical twins from Colorado State. Both played guard. Were final cuts in 69 and 70. Maybe management knew something then that folks nowadays have seemed to have forgotten ...

Also in the '69 draft, the Suns drafted longtime world record holder in the long jump, Bob Beamon. He had great hang time, but did not make the team.