Woody getting coach of the year talk

[TheDude]

kiss of death...they said the same thing early last year a bit too...

[Diesel]

Yeah, but are you saying Milsap is only putting up those numbers because of Sloan's coaching? Maybe he's just a beast. And the Jazz are pretty deep besides him.

Milsap is no Boozer. Hell, he's not even in Boozer's league. But in Sloan's hands....

The point is Sloan knows what he needs and how to use every player so what you may think of as a deep team is really a well coached, well thought out team.

[Diesel]

Most of these guys just look at where teams are in the standings compared to where they thought they'd be and assume that those coaches are great. Even if they haven't seen that team play a single game.

If not, one of Phil Jackson, Popovich, or Sloan would win coach of the year every year.

Honestly, as far as coaching goes... the guy who gets my respect the most are:

1. Sloan

2. Popp

3. Van Gundy

4. Larry Brown

I don't give Doc and Phil much credit because they need to have the best players in the league to win. Doc without KG, Allen was a losing coach on his way out. You don't think 23, 12, and 6 didn't help his cause? Phil Jackson hasn't taken a job without the best player in the league on the team. If you give Woody the Celtics, he'd win the championship too.

Sloan gets nuts in the face every year. IF he gets Utah to the playoffs and to the second round, he deserves the COY.

[AHF]

Most of these guys just look at where teams are in the standings compared to where they thought they'd be and assume that those coaches are great. Even if they haven't seen that team play a single game.

If not, one of Phil Jackson, Popovich, or Sloan would win coach of the year every year.

This is perfectly on point.

[Cwell]

Yeah, but are you saying Milsap is only putting up those numbers because of Sloan's coaching? Maybe he's just a beast. And the Jazz are pretty deep besides him.

considering that if Milsap was here Woody would have never given him a chance to play coming in as a rookie,Sloans coaching does have something to do with it.

[Lascar78]

Honestly, as far as coaching goes... the guy who gets my respect the most are:

1. Sloan

2. Popp

3. Van Gundy

4. Larry Brown

I don't give Doc and Phil much credit because they need to have the best players in the league to win. Doc without KG, Allen was a losing coach on his way out. You don't think 23, 12, and 6 didn't help his cause? Phil Jackson hasn't taken a job without the best player in the league on the team. If you give Woody the Celtics, he'd win the championship too.

Sloan gets nuts in the face every year. IF he gets Utah to the playoffs and to the second round, he deserves the COY.

I think Doc and Larry Brown are terribly overrated (although Brown is much better than Doc of course).

I also think Van Gundy is underrated.

You are right that Phil Jackson can't do it with out top notch talent, but his ability to get a very talented team to perform to the best of their abilities is unmatched. With the exception of the year LA lost in the finals, he has pretty much won a title every single season that he had a shot at winning the title, which is incredible. He manages to keep superstar egos in check for the most part, he knows how to use the press, how to pressure the refs, he knows the triangle offense better than anyone not named Tex, he is the zen master in terms of managing the ebbs and flows of a game and of a season. He gets the best out of his superstars and knows how to get his role players to buy into their roles and excel. And last year he showed that he can squeeze a lot out of a non-championship team, even though they did have Kobe.

Even with that caveat, I would still say

1a. Sloan

1b. Jackson

2. Popovich

3. Van Gundy

Sloan is just flat out amazing though, and the fact that he's never won a COY shows what a joke that award is.

[NineOhTheRino]

kiss of death...they said the same thing early last year a bit too...

You got that right. I remember Mo Cheeks and Sam Mitchell getting COY talk last season.

[bronnt]

Acie Law-another DNP CD.

You know, the last time he started a game was November 14, 2007. He had 7 assists, 2 steals, and 0 turnovers in that game, playing only 23 minutes.

He's only gotten over 20 minutes once this year. He scored 20 points, with 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1 turnover in that game. Lately we're seeing stretches of 10 minutes, DNP-CD, 9 minutes, 9 minutes, 16 minutes, DNP-CD, 6 minutes, DNP-CD, 7 minutes, DNP-CD. Just don't know what he's expected to produce under those circumstances.

I'm not saying Acie is the answer...but he could be. The biggest problem is that we just don't freaking know, and I wish we could see more of him playing consistent minutes while handling the offense. That way we could either go ahead and label him a bust or recognize that he's the future.

Woody never does his current GM any real favors. I know it's early to be thinking about the trade deadline, but as it is, we don't have nearly enough information to know if we can afford to trade Bibby, or whether that first round pick is something we need to hang on to so we can use it on another PG prospect.

[Plainview1981]

I guess the rest of the country thinks Woody is a pretty good coach.

For having a team that is only 5 games above .500?

Strange.

[Dsinner]

Acie Law-another DNP CD.

You know, the last time he started a game was November 14, 2007. He had 7 assists, 2 steals, and 0 turnovers in that game, playing only 23 minutes.

He's only gotten over 20 minutes once this year. He scored 20 points, with 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1 turnover in that game. Lately we're seeing stretches of 10 minutes, DNP-CD, 9 minutes, 9 minutes, 16 minutes, DNP-CD, 6 minutes, DNP-CD, 7 minutes, DNP-CD. Just don't know what he's expected to produce under those circumstances.

I'm not saying Acie is the answer...but he could be. The biggest problem is that we just don't freaking know, and I wish we could see more of him playing consistent minutes while handling the offense. That way we could either go ahead and label him a bust or recognize that he's the future.

Woody never does his current GM any real favors. I know it's early to be thinking about the trade deadline, but as it is, we don't have nearly enough information to know if we can afford to trade Bibby, or whether that first round pick is something we need to hang on to so we can use it on another PG prospect.

Reasons like the above is why Woody isn't even in the top 2/3 of coaches in the league. If we make the playoffs we will be so worn down it won't matter. He's right back in his old pattern of trusting 8 guys. One of the 8 (flip) doesn't even deserve time at the PG slot. WTF is he thinking?

[macdaddy]

Reasons like the above is why Woody isn't even in the top 2/3 of coaches in the league. If we make the playoffs we will be so worn down it won't matter. He's right back in his old pattern of trusting 8 guys. One of the 8 (flip) doesn't even deserve time at the PG slot. WTF is he thinking?

I don't know. Evans hasn't really impressed me either yet he gets his same minutes every game no matter what. Rondo, Stuckey, Paul, Williams these guys may all be better than Acie but the advantage they had was they got minutes and were allowed to make mistakes out there. Its good to take one game at a time when you are a player but the coach needs to consider next week, month, playoffs? You need to have guys capable of contributing when you need them. To me it just shows that Woody is intimidated by teams like the Celtics. Somehow Solo and Acie got in the playoff games its crazy they couldn't get in this one.

[AHF]

I don't think it is intimidation for Woody. I think it is a lack of planning. He seems to be looking at things game by game and giving Acie Law ad hoc minutes.

IMO, he needs to give Acie a structured pattern of minutes so Acie can adjust to that and prepare himself for it and so that Acie is getting some development time on the floor consistently. I am not talking about starting Law or handing him the team, but he needs to be developed for this year and for the future.

[bronnt]

I don't think it is intimidation for Woody. I think it is a lack of planning. He seems to be looking at things game by game and giving Acie Law ad hoc minutes.

IMO, he needs to give Acie a structured pattern of minutes so Acie can adjust to that and prepare himself for it and so that Acie is getting some development time on the floor consistently. I am not talking about starting Law or handing him the team, but he needs to be developed for this year and for the future.

I feel like this is obvious to everyone observing the situation.

A lottery pick, who was pretty well thought of, is sitting because a man with little feel for the offensive end of the game doesn't like how he runs the offense.

I suppose Acie doesn't sit around and wait for JJ to involve him when they're in practice. That's what Woodson's offense consists of. I love JJ, but any offensive scheme that gives him a chance to play off the ball on occasion should be a good thing.

[Dsinner]

I don't think it is intimidation for Woody. I think it is a lack of planning. He seems to be looking at things game by game and giving Acie Law ad hoc minutes.

IMO, he needs to give Acie a structured pattern of minutes so Acie can adjust to that and prepare himself for it and so that Acie is getting some development time on the floor consistently. I am not talking about starting Law or handing him the team, but he needs to be developed for this year and for the future.

As long as we have a winning record the Woody faithful, along with the ASG, will continue to turn a blind eye.

[Admin]

As long as we have a winning record the Woody faithful, along with the ASG, will continue to turn a blind eye.

And the flip side is that the Woody haters will continue to blame him for stupid things that the players do and it'll never be their fault and the only reason why we ever lose is because of Woody.

He's not perfect but no coach is and he's a lot better than many coaches in the league. But yeah, as long as we continue to win and get close or surpass 50 wins this season I'll be damn happy.

[tonegully]

woody should be fired but i know thats not going to happen. COY?? hell no

[Cwell]

And the flip side is that the Woody haters will continue to blame him for stupid things that the players do and it'll never be their fault and the only reason why we ever lose is because of Woody.

He's not perfect but no coach is and he's a lot better than many coaches in the league. But yeah, as long as we continue to win and get close or surpass 50 wins this season I'll be damn happy.

lol he's far from perfect alright, he has multiple negatives and very few positives. He's not even better than 5 coaches in the league. It's funny how u always say it's the players fault and Woody never coaches a bad game. U sound just like Woody,he never takes blame for anything,he always puts it on the players.

Lol we blame him for stupid things like having no system,no identity,doesn't trush many players,makes dumb subs,doesn't adjust,doesn't develop young players etc. that's not stupid,that's what coaches ARE SUPPOSED TO DO!

U blame players for dribbling or going one on one,well that's stupid because that's how woody has his offense run. Individual players have separate weaknesses and strengths and woody doesn't coach them accordingally at all. so u can never blame Bibby for playing bad defense because that's what he is and applies to everyone. Woody is a horrible coach.

[Dsinner]

And the flip side is that the Woody haters will continue to blame him for stupid things that the players do and it'll never be their fault and the only reason why we ever lose is because of Woody.

He's not perfect but no coach is and he's a lot better than many coaches in the league. But yeah, as long as we continue to win and get close or surpass 50 wins this season I'll be damn happy.

One thing you can put on the coach is getting the players ready to play every game. Every coach in the league, including Woody, will tell you that's their responsability. It's not even debatable. And the fact is we get up to play the big games (Cleveland, Boston, etc.) but we play down to the bottom feeders. That is a fact that's not even debatable. If we had a coach or even a player (ala KG) that required we put forth the effort EVERY night I promise you we would be MUCH better than we are now. Cause the fact is we are good enough to be better.

[Admin]

lol he's far from perfect alright, he has multiple negatives and very few positives. He's not even better than 5 coaches in the league. It's funny how u always say it's the players fault and Woody never coaches a bad game. U sound just like Woody,he never takes blame for anything,he always puts it on the players.

Lol we blame him for stupid things like having no system,no identity,doesn't trush many players,makes dumb subs,doesn't adjust,doesn't develop young players etc. that's not stupid,that's what coaches ARE SUPPOSED TO DO!

U blame players for dribbling or going one on one,well that's stupid because that's how woody has his offense run. Individual players have separate weaknesses and strengths and woody doesn't coach them accordingally at all. so u can never blame Bibby for playing bad defense because that's what he is and applies to everyone. Woody is a horrible coach.

Give me a freaking break. I tell you what, if you can find ONE QUOTE where I said that Woody NEVER coaches a bad game then I'll leave Hawksquawk permanently. The problem is that unlike you I'm able to place blame on BOTH Woody and the players. In your world it's always Woody that is to blame, never the players. Not better than 5 coaches in the league? Yeah you're truly showing that you are non-biased there.

[Admin]

One thing you can put on the coach is getting the players ready to play every game. Every coach in the league, including Woody, will tell you that's their responsability. It's not even debatable. And the fact is we get up to play the big games (Cleveland, Boston, etc.) but we play down to the bottom feeders. That is a fact that's not even debatable. If we had a coach or even a player (ala KG) that required we put forth the effort EVERY night I promise you we would be MUCH better than we are now. Cause the fact is we are good enough to be better.

Yeah the coach should prepare the team to play, go over game film, develop a game plan, etc. It is NOT the coaches job to get them fired up each and every game. Did you ever see Phil Jackson in the middle of that Lakers huddle before the game firing them up? No, it was Shaq or Kobe getting the players fired up. The problem is that Al Horford is the closest that we have to someone that can get us to be fired up for the game (just look back to what he did during the playoffs last year by showing the team Rocky or whatever it was) but he's only a sophomore and shouldn't be expected at this point to be that guy for us night in and night out. That should fall squarely on the shoulders of Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. They should be leading this team and getting them fired up and motivated.

I'll gladly blame Woody for the things he has control over, like substitutions, not playing Acie, etc. but when a player fails to dribble the ball without turning it over or a player fails to give effort on the court it's on the individual player not on Woody. Maybe I just believe in personal accountability more than others do but it's stunning to me to read how often the boss is blamed around here. Do you guys blame your boss whenever you fail to show up for work on time or give effort throughout the day?