Congratulations, Lon Haters!

[Nurlman]

Lon's dismissal sure has made a difference to the team, hasn't it? How about that effort against the Nets last night?

Diesel, you - and all your hatin' buddies - were right. The team needed to get that crappy college coach out of the way, then they will run a structured offense with actual plays, take care of the basketball, and play defense.

Don't give me that crap about 75 year old Chuck Daly or any of your failed recycles. That doesn't wash. IT WAS NEVER A COACHING PROBLEM.

This is a flawed team. Three key starters don't play defense. The same three starters are turnover prone, and don't take care of the basketball. The club has plenty of finishers and no initiators. Until the mix is changed, this club isn't going to win for Daly, Red Auerbach, Larry Brown, Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, or anybody else you bring up.

So, again, congratulations. Getting rid of Kruger really made all the difference, didn't it? Morons.

[Diesel]

Thank you for your support.

However, Nurlman...

Keeping Lon would have done nothing but show the world that the organization JUST doesn't care about winning. Best to do something that to do nothing!

EVERYTHING falls on Leadership.

[Playmaker0017]

Nurlman,

Lon Kruger was not the coach for this team. It hasn't even been 10 games into the new coaches regime and we have played better ball under him.

I don't think he is the answer, but he definately has us working harder than Lon. THis was the second best team in the NBA and we made a decent run and didn't fold.

Besides, to think a coach has nothing to do with how well a team plays... why not check out the Memphis Grizzlies. A no talent team, that is making decent strides. This is the LEAST amount of talent that organization has ever had.

What do you expect? Overnight returns? I think we are doing better.

Of course, I would be impressed if Stotts realized the one win came with Reef taking 24 shots.

Play.

[Guest]

plenty of finishers? we're flawed, no doubt...but we lack true athleticism as well

[Guest Walter]

In reply to:

---

"Keeping Lon would have done nothing but show the world that the organization JUST doesn't care about winning."

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You only harped that it was Lon's FAULT that we were not winning, NOT that regardless of whose fault it is the organization must make a change to "show it cares about winning" and presumably that change will be the proverbial coaching change. It doesn't appear that it was Lon's fault now at all and your non-commital answer or rather serious shift in position suggest only that you agree.

The ONLY good thing that has come out of Lon's firing is that at least we know the PLAYERS don't really seem to care about winning. If the organization cares about winning then it appears that changing Lon is the least of changes it should have made including changes in the front office and amongst the players.

W

[Playmaker0017]

Walter,

All of you need to calm down.

Stotts must undermine the entire plan that Krugar had installed. He now has to remold every player into something else.

It takes time. If by the end of February we don't see marked improvement... then worry.

Play.

[Diesel]

I set a deadline of Dec. 19th whereby this team should be playing well. We wasn't. In fact, we were playing better in Oct. than in Dec. That Decline was the last straw in my mind. Mind you I said Playing. There were many parts of Lon's coaching that were at Fault. However, the main ones had nothing to do with Wins and Losses. From the beginning I noted how we didn't make adjustment and how we struggled to put teams away... Even Games that we were supposed to win by a large Margin. The problem was Coaching all Along. Talent can only take you so far.

Many guys jumped on the fire Lon Bandwagon when the players quit playing for him. However, even then, I told you that that's only a sign of the players being fustrated because they are going out with NO gameplan. NO direction.

How many times did I beat you over the head with that and you sit here talking about WINS and Losses. The only thing about Wins and Losses... IS this. If Lon would have been allowed to stay, it would have suggested to the players and the world that It doesn't matter to management weather we win or lose. It would have suggested that the franchise doesn't care. If you go to a restaurant and you eat a Shitty Steak... It's your own fault. You should have sent it back to the kitchen. You have just told the Chef that YOU don't care.