Enough Is Enough!

I voted for Sloan, but Hubie was definitely my second choice.

And why did Sloan keep winning post-Stockton/Malone? Some of what you say is true, but I think it’s oversimplified. You absolutely need good players to win, and stars to win championships. But good coaches maximize the talents of their players, not only via people management but also via their playbooks, instruction, and game management. The Clippers have improved because they have better players. But if you look at their half-court sets, you can see that VDN’s “playbook” doesn’t compare to Pop’s or Sloan’s. And this was also glaringly evident recently when he played San Antonio and Utah (which is still using Sloan’s playbook).

Van Gundy can teach defense!! Unlike VDN who doesn’t teach but rather points out the obvious. For example “They are getting to many easy lay-ups” he says but then doesn’t tell the players what to do differently. VDN is the weakest link on the Clippers! I would take Van Gundy, Adelman, Larry Brown, etc…. My biggest sorrow is that VDN is a much slicker talker than Thibodeau and go the job over him!

The fallacy of your argument is that the winning record means VDN is doing an adequate job. The Clippers’ record has improved because they have better players. But who’s to say we wouldn’t have an even better record with a good coach? You say he “hasn’t done anything wrong,” but in fact, many of knowledgeable observers have pointed out lots of things he’s doing wrong, from playing lineups with no scoring threats to running an offense with fewer wrinkles than a good high school team.

But that doesn’t mean I’m going to be content with just making the playoffs and maybe winning one round. Sure, it’s great that they finally have a winning team that seems like a lock to get in. But many of us here know a bit about the NBA and have been watching for a long time. We know that the playoffs are a lot different than the regular season. We know teams that execute in the half-court and play good D win in the playoffs, while teams that run-and-gun and can’t play D get bounced. We know teams that only go 7 or 8 deep can’t get past the teams with solid, veteran benches.

As to your longtime Clipper fans question, if you’re around the age of the average Citizen, then I’ve been a diehard for considerably longer than you’ve been alive. I’ve seen them make the playoffs. I’ve even seen them win a series. But I damn well want to see them win a championship someday, and I’d hate to see it not happen as the result of misguided loyalty to mediocre coach.

unless of course we are talking about that dollie from Entourage

Sloan made it to the finals twice and would have likely won a championship had he not been coaching his best team during the Jordan era. Sloan would teach the team to be a physical defensive team like his Jazz teams and would bring instant credibility. JVG would be a great hire as well but I don’t see him leaving broadcasting, it is much easier to be a broadcaster and there far less scrutiny.

What has Jeff Van Gundy done? Won 1 game in the finals. Another year he was beat 4-2 in the conference finals. His teams were knocked out in the 1st round in each of his last 4 playoff appearances. The other 3 playoff appearances ended in 2nd round playoff exits. Thibodeau won’t be joining him as the defensive assistant any longer. With all of that said, I do like Van Gundy, but I’m not entirely sold on him taking us as far as we want to go.

I like Hubie Brown as an announcer and as a teacher/coach, but he’ll be 79 in September and has had health problems that have caused him to step down before. His NBA coaching days are over.

Jerry Sloan would make the Clippers become a very good defensive team. He was a great defender as a player. He’s a hardnose coach. If you watched the game yesterday, Ralph made mention about the make-up of this team. They don’t play around and the majority of them are married with families. In other words, they can probably handle a no-nonsense coach like Sloan. They are more focused at this time. He has coached the best PnR tandem ever, so he could probably do wonders for Blake and Paul. He could probably also get Malone (wants to pursue coaching) to work with Blake if he asked.

Gee, since you think a coach’s record is proof of his talent, then by your logic wouldn’t MDSr be the best coach they’ve ever had?

At least his drafting and vision have been inspiring. Some of the trades didn’t pan out to say the least, but he hit a grand slam this offseason.

Vinny is a young coach that did get a raw deal in Chicago, but they did end up with the more experience coach that has paid dividends for them already. Vinny will get at least the entire season to be evaluated. With the Clippers holding the option for his final season, it is important that we make the best decision for our future when the time comes. If he underachieves, then Neil and company probably weighs their options. Nobody would have to be fired, no lawsuits would be made, so it would be a perfect opportunity to upgrade if possible. If Vinny exceeds expectations or shocks the world (you know what I’m saying), then we’ll pick the option on his final year and he’ll have at least another season to prove himself.

But is he coming back to the NBA?