The Big Three

[Nurlman]

He pays very well. He gives me Sundays off, and he never criticizes my driving.

He talks to me a lot through the little window between the front and back seat. Why, just last week, he said, "I suppose fish get awfully tired of seafood - what are your thoughts, Nurlman?"

Also, a couple weeks ago, I suggested to him that he stop substituting the whole bench at one time so that the team wouldn't lose momentum - he thought that might work, so he's been trying it more often.

Say Diesel, is there anything you'd like me to mention to him? I'm picking him up for the 9:30 shootaround tomorrow...

[Nurlman]

Lon is a fine coach. Folks see the stoic sideline demeanor and think he lacks fire. Not so.

- He is an exceedingly patient teacher.

- He has virtually no ego.

- If he has a problem with the way someone is playing, he's not going to run off at the mouth to Jeff Denberg (or Jason Walker ;-)) - you'll see it in the player's minutes.

How grateful do you think Glenn Robinson is to have his boss come to him and tell him what he needs, rather than running to the media to complain?

Do you think that Jason Terry cannot benefit from additional teaching running the point? Have not many Hawk players developed nicely over the last three years?

Lon is void of ego. The players are the thing. It is never about Lon - it's about the team.

There are very few NBA coaches who are difference makers. I think Chuck Daly was one. I think Doc Rivers is one, Phil Jackson, Rick Adelman, Don Nelson, maybe the guy in Detroit. Most of the guys on your lists are not difference makers - they're guys without jobs.

Although Lon has had well-documented blips in his game-management coaching that he needs to improve (substitution patterns chief among them), I think he's a difference-maker -- because of the way he relates to people, the way he teaches basketball, the way he removes himself from the equation.

Some of the criticism he receives on this site is completely called for. I thought the "good nurturing mother, bad hunting father" piece a few weeks ago was interesting - he is a teacher first - but I'm not sold that he can't hunt and gather.

The blanket stuff you heap on him, Diesel - "Here is why we suck. Coaching. Here are 10 stiffs to replace him. I give him til December 19. That's the Diesel deadline." That's just disgruntled fan crap. On December 20, with Lon still in the coach's seat, the Diesel deadline past, the team (which has now played a whopping 20 games with its new center and small forward) still improving, what will you say then? A more cynical person might suggest that whatever you say, it won't be constructive.

[Diesel]

I'll take this point by Point.

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Folks see the stoic sideline demeanor and think he lacks fire.

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I rarely criticizes any coaches sideline demeanor. I mean, Phil Jackson has won 9 championships in 12 yrs and he rarely gets excited.

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How grateful do you think Glenn Robinson is to have his boss come to him and tell him what he needs, rather than running to the media to complain?

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So, Lon's not like George Karl. That has nothing to do with his ability to control the X's and O's, to make timely substitutions, to understand offensive flow, to diagram a [censored] play.

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Do you think that Jason Terry cannot benefit from additional teaching running the point? Have not many Hawk players developed nicely over the last three years?

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Again, this goes back to the original statement. When we were a team in need of Development, Lon was a fine coach to have. He has experience in taking players from the HS level to the college level in less than 4 yrs. HOWEVER.. Look at our team. Terry, Glover, and Ira are our YOUNGEST players and even they are considered Vets NOW.

We are a VET team and we have a different philosopher. NO longer do we need someone who is here merely for developmental reasons, we need someone who knows how to win. For example. IN Phil's 12 yrs of coaching, how many players has he developed? Let me also remind you that Jordan, Pippen, Kobe, and Shaq had all been allstars before meeting Phil. In fact, how many times did Phil trade a young player away like Corey Blunt or Scott Williams in order to get a vet like Rodman, Sally, or Brian Shaw in their place? Think about it. We are in the need of the same type of coaching if we want to be a championship contender. All that Lon could possibly do is waste the careers of Big Dog, Theo, and SAR while developing young players like Newble, DJ, and Dion for other teams to take advantage of.

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Lon is void of ego. The players are the thing. It is never about Lon - it's about the team.

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And??

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There are very few NBA coaches who are difference makers. I think Chuck Daly was one. I think Doc Rivers is one, Phil Jackson, Rick Adelman, Don Nelson, maybe the guy in Detroit. Most of the guys on your lists are not difference makers - they're guys without jobs.

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Before Don Nelson took the Dallas job and while he has had the job, people has said that the game has passed him by. Even here amoung this community, people said that Nellie, Lenny, and Larry B ought to step aside and make room for younger coaches like Doc Rivers, Tim Floyd, and Alvin Gentry.

BUT... Look now. Nellie is winning and finding new ways of winning in Dallas. Those young coaches might do well, but not as well as Nellie.

The point is you never know who might be a difference maker but having Experience is something that has always been a constant in the NBA. Why do you think that NO college coaches (even Pitino) has ever done well in the NBA? So the guys that I have on the list most of them have been to the big show.

Brian Hill. He has been an assistant for many yrs, Coached the Magic to the Championship game and beat the likes of Jordan's Bulls and Indiana on the way.. You don't think that's a difference maker?

Danny Ainge. He was one of the better coaches in Suns History. He did very well considering he never had a good C and his PFs were all suspect. He was able to win in a strong West using a 3 gaurd set. That's not making a difference?

I won't mention Chuck Daily.. 12 season coaching. ONly having 1 losing season. Won 2 Championships and 4 conference titles. Coached one of the most versatile/balanced attacks in the history of Basketball.

Van Gundy. Probably one of the best defensive tacticians that has ever coached. Coached the Knicks to the Finals and got one win vs. a very Strong Spurs team.

What was it about these guys that makes you say none are difference makers? I'm not calling out these names because they are out of work?? I have called many guys who have been to the Finals or at least in the playoffs and all of them had winning records as a coach?

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Although Lon has had well-documented blips in his game-management coaching that he needs to improve (substitution patterns chief among them), I think he's a difference-maker -- because of the way he relates to people, the way he teaches basketball, the way he removes himself from the equation.

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If Lon were truly a difference maker, it would show up in the win column. ANYBODY could befriend the players and make them feel good. However, those BLIPS you mentioned are just it. LON fails at the very thing that he is supposed to do. COACH. LON is not their Counselor. He's here to coach this team to wins. and with what we have seen, Lon's weakness is to the detriment of this team. Again, we are not in the business of development. We are in the business of WINNING.

[Guest Walter]

...now he can coach our team to the finals?!? Diesel hated the thought of Doc as Hawks coach (when Lenny was coach and hadn't coached us anywhere near the -snicker- finals).

Interesting.

I like Doc better as a coach, but since we don't have him, aren't going to get him (at least anytime soon), Lon is still on pace with this team, and Lon is better than the Diesel's 80-something head coaching posterchild replacement in Daly...I say we stay aboard this currently on course playoff ship.

W

[Diesel]

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Lon is still on pace with this team, and Lon is better than the Diesel's 80-something head coaching posterchild replacement in Daly...I say we stay aboard this currently on course playoff ship.

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What NBA are you watching. Lon is on pace to maybe get to the playoffs and get swept in the first round... With MUCH MORE talent and depth than Lenny every had in a league much more watered down than Lenny coached in.

What makes you hypocritical is that you criticized Lenny day after day after day about his coaching flaws while he was putting together 50 win seasons and at least getting us to the second round of the playoffs. IN fact, you said that the second round of the playoffs was NOTHING of Importance. HOWEVER, you want to stay the course on a ship destined to lose in the first round and waste another yr in the careers of Big Dog, Theo, SAR, and JT???

BTW, Chuck Daly could coach circles around Lon. Hubie Brown too.

[Teeareess]

Chuck Daly has burned out of his last two coaching jobs. He doesn't have the desire to lead a team anymore.