Head Coach Discussion: Canned Ham, Who Is Our New Coach?

The DLO/Reaves/Prince/LeBron/AD starting lineup is a +3.5 net rating on the year. I'd certainly like a more potent starting lineup with LeBron and AD, but its been adequate. I'd personally start DLo/Christie/Prince/LeBron/AD and divert Prince's other minutes to Rui. That starting lineup is +10.2 in 74 minutes this year. I think we were actually on to something bringing Reaves off the bench. You're right the Prince isn't good enough to warrant starting and playing 30+ minutes, but the wing defender, spot-up shooter guy is the right archetype. We need someone who does what Prince does but better. The right answer isn't Vando, and probably isn't on the roster unless Rui takes a significant step forward on both ends of the court.

The 3-man lineup data is telling. In 132 minutes together this year, LeBron/AD/Vando is +0.7 on the season. Suspiciously close to the +0.4 that the DLo/AR/LeBron/Vando/AD lineup was last postseason. It's just not a good way to maximize your two stars. But LeBron/Wood/Vando is +12.3 in 91 minutes. DLo/Wood/Vando is +9.1 in 99 minutes. AD/Vando/Rui is +16.2 in 104 minutes. Vando works well in these lineups without one of LeBron or AD, he's just not a good fit for lineups predicated on the LeBron/AD two-man game.

There's not much space for Vando to cut when AD is also standing right at the basket, or even the low-to-mid post. We saw this happen a ton in the Grizzlies series. Vando would flash to the middle, get the ball and...not finish because Tillman and JJJ are right there.

 

Continue?!?!?! Continue?!?!?! Continue to grow? When has he ever grew, aside from his impressive pocket-pool abilities?

Goddamn.

 

Maybe he gained weight? (Grew)



I tell folks I’m still growing

 

I agree. Doing the exact same s*** with Prince now that he did with Beverly last year. And still lying about being a defense first coach, when he prioritizes Prince's ability to knock down some 3s over all else, including defense in that position.

 

he tried to have his cake and eat it too by benching dlo or reaves for reddish so that he could keep a defender other than AD in the starting lineup, once everyone figured out prince isn't much of a defender. when the obvious move was of course to just start reddish (or, i don't know...vando?) instead of prince.

anyway, i knew he was lying about being a defense-first coach when i saw his offensive system last year (much less this year) and what it meant for player personnel.

 

Man, the albatross of Brick last year and Hambone this one. I actually fear that we will have a second round out and our FO saying, “see, he’s not that bad- he lead us out of the play-in and into the second round.”

 

i'd be shocked if we won a round in the playoffs this year. i think ham will be gone by may. the question is whether we screw up the head coach hiring process for the 5th time in 6 tries or whatever (and i'm being generous on the vogel situation given that he was our third choice).

 

If we don't win a round in the playoffs, Lebron or AD won't be here next season either.

 

NO. They'll "scapegoat" your boy, and unlike Vogel HE will deserve it. Comparing each of their rosters, injuries to your Big 2 and the awful play, and as of yet uncooperative, perish the thought of coming off the bench .... Russell Westbrook

 

Nah..Lebron is absolutely outta here, whether the coach got fired or not. He keeps making these subtle shots, about the FO isn't listening to him. It's chip or bust NOW..for Lebron. If he and AD wanted Darvin gone, he wouldn't be here IMO. The Bucks fired Griffin at 30-13.


I also blame Lebron and AD, more than anybody else period. Not playing under Vogel, and not always showing up under Ham.

You guys can be obsessed on the coaching stuff all you want, it's the Jimmies and Joe's, not the X's and O's IMO.

That said ..a HC has to work with whatever he has, because he's going to get fired if he doesn't win. Or in Griffin's case, he better have a good relationship with his star players, or he could get fired anyway.

 

You should quit or stop with your "absolute" calls considering your record. And NO I don't care to debate it all over again. (well OK .... Russ ONLY bad because AD and LeBron didn't play together enough, not his suck a** play regardless and needing to be benched in the 4th two straight teams, and Vogel won't get another job let alone one year later and a PLUMB one to boot).

 

Nothing has changed man for me. It's still all about Lebron and AD.I don't really give a s***, about what Westbrook or Vogel are doing, they are not here. It looks like we could see both in the playoffs, the blah, blah, blah about them, can be settled then I suppose.

I'm all about right now, that's how I've always been. I was exactly the same way when they were here. Westbrook played 44 games with Lebron and AD, they went 22-22. That's what happened

Vogel coached here for 3 seasons, we had 1 successful season. He got fired because he was mediocre in 2 of them. Just like Russ, he can point to Lebron and AD missing a ton of games. He was still fired. That's what happened.

Some of you guys, are just more emotionally invested, in the pieces on our chess board, than I am I suppose. They are all going to come and go eventually, Lebron AD, Ham and everyone else.

Currently the problem supposedly ..is Ham, Prince, D'Angelo, Rui, Vanderbilt etc..

Nah..it's more about Lebron and AD not consistently elevating thier teammates to me. Some of the role players or the HC, will suffer the price for failure this campaign. Me...I'll still be pointing my fingers at James and Davis, if we fail. I'll be showering them with most of the praise, if we succed too. It's more about the stars in this league than anything else.

This team is built differently than last year's squad, it's unfortunate with the backup PG situation, however I thoroughly expect, a healthy Lebron and AD, to be able to overcome that, at the end of the day.

If they don't, one of them needs to go, Lebron preferably.

 

LOL I know. Nothing ever changes for you. Make hills to die on, excuses for your position, "absolute" predictions and move goal posts when those don't happen, and IMO (yes we both have them I know) have been wrong about all that more than once. Then again you and I agree on a lot of other stuff so there's that. It's just comical to me you proclaim how bad Vogel was/is and support this clown. At least Vogel could coach defense and we were typically top 5 or whatever (higher than this no doubt AND would be with THIS roster) every season except probably his last with that god awful roster and Russ. This guy only TALKS defense but has other priorities.

 

I'm still not exactly sure, what your obsession is with Frank Vogel. We won a chip with him, yeah, but we fired him two seasons later too. Both were earned IMO.

Conversely...I think Frank is being carried in Phoenix, by the highest paid assistant in the NBA. The guy who is the actual architect of their offense, because their defense sucks.

Again though, the HC is supposed to get the most out of what he has to work with period. He's not supposed to be a specialist, that's what the assistants are for.

 

And you think Ham has gotten the most out of this roster? He's still farting around trying to figure out s*** (like timeouts even when his guys are gassed or hurt on the floor or have a run going against them) and has trashed the continuity he was given and money spent for that continuity and wrecked the chemistry. Yeah he's a huge improvement.

 

What continuity? Vanderbilt missed the start of this season, and we never actually replaced Shroeder. That is a part of this continuity, that you are alluding to as well.

I think folks just expected, Austin, D'Angelo and Rui, to make leaps on the court, that haven't materialized yet tbh. So now it's all Ham's fault. Frankly all 3 are putting up similar numbers to last season, but this team isn't exactly constructed the same.

Lebron and AD, also were playing at a higher level down the stretch. I expect for them to elevate down the stretch, in this season too, that's why they are superstars.

Vogel played Bradley to death, he was slow to make any adjustments, his rotations were odd, same s***. Shrug

 

This guy is such an idiot thinking Prince has any kind of chance guarding Curry.
The worst.

 

It's mad fun watching @LTLakerFan argue with himself.