Game Day: Timberwolves (21-45) @ Suns (17-49), Mon 3/14/16

[Indy]

You know without a doubt they are keeping Watson, right?

I don't think they can. He's clearly outmatched as a head coach right now. He's got a good philosophy but he's in over his head. I assume it is evident to anyone with half a brain watching.

How many half-brained moves/contracts have they done the last few years?

[carey]

You know without a doubt they are keeping Watson, right?

I don't think they can. He's clearly outmatched as a head coach right now. He's got a good philosophy but he's in over his head. I assume it is evident to anyone with half a brain watching.

I think he may make a really good college coach one day. Where kids can buy into his message.

[Indy]

You know without a doubt they are keeping Watson, right?

I don't think they can. He's clearly outmatched as a head coach right now. He's got a good philosophy but he's in over his head. I assume it is evident to anyone with half a brain watching.

I think he may make a really good college coach one day. Where kids can buy into his message.

I think he is probably 5 years away from being a great coach for a program, but those 5 years need to be studying under a true X/O guy.

[Shabazz]

The Suns have put themselves into a tough situation because the players seem to love/respect Watson.

[The Bobster]

No, you make your decision based on results not on whether a coach is liked by the players.

If the players get butt-hurt over it, tough.

[Mori Chu]

I have no faith in the management of this franchise to make the right decision in terms of the head coach hire. They'll probably retain Watson, which just means we will be terrible again next year. But the players will be happy, I guess, while they are going 17-65.

[Mori Chu]

I could see a three team trade this summer with Cleveland, Minnesota and Phx. Swapping Bledsoe, Rubio, and Irving with some assets involved from the teams.

PLEASE YES.

Interesting,

How would you make it fair for the three teams?

What assets into the deal, without making it too big to be real? I'm worried that Irving is a bit overvalued, due to his comercial exposure.

I don't think the Cavs would give up Kyrie unless all of the following happened:

a) Cavs don't even make it to the Finals this year; maybe losing to Raptors or some other Eastern team in the ECF.

b) Kyrie doesn't play particularly well in their series, and/or doesn't mesh well with Lebron, general discontentment and finger-pointing between their "meh 3" of Lebron, Kyrie, and Love.

c) Kyrie and his agent start squawking about how he doesn't get enough respect in Cleveland, how he should be "the man," how he's the real #1 guy in Cleveland and not Lebron, etc., leading to buzz that the two sides should part ways.

d) Bledsoe recovers well and is looking fully recovered in practices and workouts this spring and summer.

...

Even with all of that, I'm sure the Cavs wouldn't trade Kyrie away for just Bledsoe, even if they had drama and wanted Kyrie out. I think we'd have to throw in maybe another player (Tucker?) and probably also a 1st-round draft pick, though hopefully not our own pick. I would *NOT* give up our own 1st rounder this year in a trade for Kyrie.

But I do think that Kyrie is better than Bledsoe or Knight, for sure, and that if we could get him without giving up Booker or Len or our own 1st rounder in this year or nearby future years, I'd want to do it. Kyrie is a bit of a chucker, so he's not really my "type" of player, but he's almost like a Westbrook to me where the talent and athleticism is so above bar that you still want him on your roster if you can get him.

[Split T]

Kyrie is a better version of Knight. Not really a play maker, but a very talented scorer. Can beat his man off the dribble better than just about anyone and is a very good shooter.

[Shabazz]

No, you make your decision based on results not on whether a coach is liked by the players.

If the players get butt-hurt over it, tough.

I agree.

Management hasn't quite proven that they can properly deliver the "tough" message, though.

[Superbone]

You know without a doubt they are keeping Watson, right?

I don't think they can. He's clearly outmatched as a head coach right now. He's got a good philosophy but he's in over his head. I assume it is evident to anyone with half a brain watching.

I think he may make a really good college coach one day. Where kids can buy into his message.

I think he is probably 5 years away from being a great coach for a program, but those 5 years need to be studying under a true X/O guy.

Why not bring in a top X/O assistant?

[Superbone]

Or you put Watson back to head assistant and hire a good x/o coach to mentor Watson for three years. Kind of like how Cotton mentored Westphal.

[Indy]

You know without a doubt they are keeping Watson, right?

I don't think they can. He's clearly outmatched as a head coach right now. He's got a good philosophy but he's in over his head. I assume it is evident to anyone with half a brain watching.

I think he may make a really good college coach one day. Where kids can buy into his message.

I think he is probably 5 years away from being a great coach for a program, but those 5 years need to be studying under a true X/O guy.

Why not bring in a top X/O assistant?

And have him coach the team? I just don't see that working. I really love the philosophy he preaches. And I do agree that he says the right things. But he doesn't know how to coach basketball. You need to do that to win, and to get respect. We have a ton of excuses this year as to why we are bad. We won't have that next year (unless we get blessed with more injuries) and the draft lottery screws us. So that goodwill won't go far, when even the players see they are being beat because of poor coaching.

If there was a way to bring in a top XO guy and keep Watson as an assistant, to learn under the next several years like Westy and Cotton, that would be great. But that can't happen either. The Suns already crossed the bridge when they fired Jeff's assistants, then Jeff, and put Watson in charge.

[Indy]

Or you put Watson back to head assistant and hire a good x/o coach to mentor Watson for three years. Kind of like how Cotton mentored Westphal.

Ha! Great minds? I just can't see it happen. That bridge is crossed and burnt. If they could make that happen, I would have a new found respect for the FO.

[LazarusLong]

"I really love the philosophy he preaches."

Yeah, Hornacek seemed like he was going to be a good coach, too, and look what happened. I think Jeff is a great guy and was a hard-working NBA player, but, for whatever reason, he didn't connect with the team overall. Some of that wasn't his fault, to be sure.

Just because Watson says the right things doesn't mean he's going to morph into a great coach.

[Indy]

Exactly

[Superbone]

Or you put Watson back to head assistant and hire a good x/o coach to mentor Watson for three years. Kind of like how Cotton mentored Westphal.

Ha! Great minds? I just can't see it happen. That bridge is crossed and burnt. If they could make that happen, I would have a new found respect for the FO.

I don't see how that bridge is crossed and burnt. Watson can't expect to be a head coach just because he was an interim head coach for a third of a season. I think if you explained to him you wanted an experienced head coach to groom him for the eventual head coach job, he might be open to that. Plus, it's a matter of supply and demand. If a team wants to take a chance on him, fine. But if he doesn't get any offers, why be an assistant somewhere else when you can be head assistant here with a plan of succession?

[Indy]

Or you put Watson back to head assistant and hire a good x/o coach to mentor Watson for three years. Kind of like how Cotton mentored Westphal.

Ha! Great minds? I just can't see it happen. That bridge is crossed and burnt. If they could make that happen, I would have a new found respect for the FO.

I don't see how that bridge is crossed and burnt. Watson can't expect to be a head coach just because he was an interim head coach for a third of a season. I think if you explained to him you wanted an experienced head coach to groom him for the eventual head coach job, he might be open to that. Plus, it's a matter of supply and demand. If a team wants to take a chance on him, fine. But if he doesn't get any offers, why be an assistant somewhere else when you can be head assistant here with a plan of succession?

You can't bring in a new boss and say, as soon as this guy blows it enough, we will fire him and promote you. And how many coaches are out there getting ready to retire in a couple years?

It would also be a big distraction in the clubhouse when everyone has been looking at him as the boss, the boss they picked supposedly, and now he isn't. It sets up the new guy for failure from day 1. Oh, and great XO coach that is nearing retirement, you can't hire your own assistants. We already picked your 2nd in command.

[Superbone]

"I really love the philosophy he preaches."

Yeah, Hornacek seemed like he was going to be a good coach, too, and look what happened. I think Jeff is a great guy and was a hard-working NBA player, but, for whatever reason, he didn't connect with the team overall. Some of that wasn't his fault, to be sure.

Just because Watson says the right things doesn't mean he's going to morph into a great coach.

It doesn't mean he won't either. He's already got a very important and not always easy to attain skill of being a leader of men. Now, he's just got to add that little thing known as basketball strategy.

[LazarusLong]

"He's already got a very important and not always easy to attain skill of being a leader of men."

With all due respect to Watson, who seems to be a likable sort, the folks who made the decision of naming him coach don't have a very good track record in recent years.

"Sworn in by a fool and vouched for by a scoundrel. I'm a lawyer at last..." -- The Rainmaker

[Shabazz]

"I really love the philosophy he preaches."

Yeah, Hornacek seemed like he was going to be a good coach, too, and look what happened. I think Jeff is a great guy and was a hard-working NBA player, but, for whatever reason, he didn't connect with the team overall. Some of that wasn't his fault, to be sure.

Just because Watson says the right things doesn't mean he's going to morph into a great coach.

I actually really agreed with a lot of the Xs-and-Os stuff Jeff spoke about, but his issue was getting buy-in from players. I think he expected the effort would come from players more naturally and struggled with pushing their buttons.

Watson has the exact opposite issue. Put them together and you may have a great coach.