Official 2016 Coaching Search Thread

My point makes plenty of sense because you're the one saying we shouldn't look at Luke just because he's an assistant with the Warriors which is ridiculous. He already proved he could coach by coaching them to a 39-4 record. He won more games than Kerr did this season. People who say oh well it's the Warriors he should get no credit I don't think really understand how the NBA works. New coach comes in and a team coming off a championship and in most cases teams would get complacent hell even with a veteran coach that often happens, but did that happen with Golden State? No because Luke didn't allow that to happen. He didn't allow them to relax or take their foot off the gas pedal. He obviously did a great job of pushing them and being a leader as a coach. Yes they have a lot of talent, but it's the coach's job to make the most of that talent and put them in right positions. Steve Kerr did that. As did Luke Walton. Messina coached overseas okay good for him, but what is his NBA experience? It's minimal at best. Some coaches come from Europe and have success, some don't. He's no more proven than Luke is.

 

regarding Ollie

the contract stipulated a $5 million buyout clause if Ollie had moved to the NBA as either a head coach or assistant coach before May 31, 2015. It would be $4 million if he were to do so before May 31, 2016. After that, the buyout clause for the NBA is reduced to $1 million.

 

Well if the best team in the NBA's top pro players love him then what's it going to be like for our young guys after Boron the a-hole. They've no chance of not feeling the same way. Players that love their coaches run through walls for them. I so want this guy. Hope that he can be pried away from the truly great position he's in now.

 

Back on the boycott bandwagon if we somehow end up with Doug Collins.

 

So who's more impressive with their European resume, NBA exposure / situation / experience and Xs and Os? ( I'm guessing Messina would have had a decent record in Cleveland with LeBron as well) Faces aside..... ... Blatt or Messina? How does Blatt sound in front of a mic? I really liked Messina. And that was 4 years ago before seeing how Pop handles interviews and learning under him what it takes in the NBA with NBA athletes.

 

I might not be giving him enough credit but you're giving him way too much credit for coaching a championship roster, and the best record in the NBA to a 39-4 record.

Just because he didn't screw up a great team doesn't mean he can coach up a bad one.

I definitely don't think you know enough about Messina since you're brushing him off so easily and saying he's not any more proven than Luke. That's just ridiculous.

 

I don't see what's so ridiculous about it and I didn't brush him off. In fact he's my third choice after Luke and Ollie. I just think it's ridiculous that you're acting like Messina is any more proven then Luke when in fact he hasn't proven anything more. He accomplished a lot in Europe, but what has he done in the NBA that Luke has not? Nothing. Luke deserves a lot of credit. Kerr has said the same thing. As his players. He's been instrumental in getting them to stay focused, be prepared each night, and getting them to continue to buy into the system. If coaching this team was so easy then a guy like Mark Jackson would've never gotten fired. If letting Luke go was a no brainer then the Warriors wouldn't have any qualms about letting him go. You wouldn't hear these reports about people being sad if he left.

 

I think a lot of these guys that are coming out of nowhere like Doug Collins, and Fisher are all just getting calls out of due diligence. They (Lakers) don't really have their eyes set on them, but they are giving them a call just to gauge interest. I could be wrong, but that's just how I see it.

 

We don't have a championship roster which covers up for a lot of flaws. He will be exposed.

 

"Exposed"? Come on.

 

Let's say Kerr never coached the Warriors, and he was coming into a coaching job for the first time. Without knowing how he runs his offense, and how he is as a coach, would you guys want to hire him? This is basically where we are when we talk about Luke and Messina. We really don't know what they're going to bring when they are the head coach. Granted we got a small sample size when Luke stepped in as coach for the Warriors. But lets not sit here and act like Kerr gave the reigns over to Luke and said "go and coach." I'm sure Kerr was in Luke's ear giving him input. We don't know how Luke, and Messina, even Ollie, will pan out in the NBA. But it is a gamble that the Lakers are willing to take.

 

***starts making exposed gif***

 

I think just with the schematic changes that Walton will bring will improve the team by 10-12 wins. That's not adding in the overhaul and upgrading of the roster this summer.

 

Luke's basketball influences:

John Wooden ..... his whole childhood - high school career, channelled from Pop .... HOF Bill Walton
Lute Olson ..... college
Phil Jackson .... Pros
Kobe Bryant .... Pros
Gregg Popovich ..... Pros (by way of coaching next to Steve Kerr who played for him)
Steve Kerr .... Pros (by way of playing for both Jackson and Popovich, shaping his own successful coaching philosophy)
Certainly throw Jerry West in whenever they've spent any time together plus relationship in Lakers organization with Ryan and what he learned from Pop ....HOF Jerry West.

 

I have something that I'll PM you. You'll like it.

 

My little 02 cents concerning some of the points that have been brought up recently

I don't get why Euro accomplishments are being thrown out the window by some people. Yeah it's not the NBA, but in my book winning the Euroleague is still much bigger than a similar feat in the NCAA or NBDL. It's not 1992 you know, the rest of the worls has grown basketball-wise and both produced some very good players as well as kicked tha US a** a few times. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but some of the comments seem to be silly. None of the considered candidates had huge success in the NBA. i don't get why the Euro argument is being thrown around as a negative... at all.

Luke is my personal second choice, but I have to disagree to some extent on how big of an impact he had on the Warriors success early this season. I believe he did a great job but I am also pretty sure he did not have to worry about one crucial factor which is being brought up - the motivation of the players. After the Warriors won the championship, many people were downplaying it and saying they had an easy road to the finals and were basically lucky. IMO, the Warriors have been on a mission to from the very beginning of this season to prove all doubters wrong.

BTW - I voted Messina, but could live with any of the discussed options - all seem very good.

 

Doesn't suck that Luke is a 6'8" in shape 36 year old athlete. As opposed to a Tyron Lue where you have an Iman Shumpert thinking he can get away with hanging his towel on your shoulder. I'm serious. I love that Luke is a big, young, in shape coach. Who's got presence oozing out of him. That kind of crap or a player LeBron style bumping him's not going to happen.