NBA Moves

I think an NBA coach is a bit like a screenwriter: you're never exactly sure what he contributes but you can't do it without him. Look at the Knicks: Isiah Thomas thought he could accumulate high priced talent and the championships would just magically appear. Didn't happen. He never needed coaching and he thinks good players never do. Are the Knicks not talented enough? Are you kidding? They have plenty of talent to make a run in the east. They're not stiffs, they're headcases and that's where Isiah's skills as a head coach needed to come out. Isiah apparently does not have those skills. I'm not convinced Mike D'antoni does either but I can appreciate the dude picking up a hefty pay check and testing his abilities on the big stage.

Today the Pistons fired Flip Saunders. That's fine. Flip wasn't the problem and he wasn't the solution so getting rid of him can't be that big of a deal. Besides he's free now to go to Phoenix and pick up where D'antoni left off (namely, 65 wins and a playoff loss to San Antonio). For a decade Saunders lived off of KG's loyalty and Kevin McHale's inability to scrounge up somebody better. In Detroit he had to prove himself to the players and he just never did. 2 years ago against the Heat they had an identity crisis; last year against the Cavs they ran into a superstar putting it into overdrive; this year against the mighty talented Celtics they had injuries. Not his fault but he didn't overcome the obstacles and so after 3 years it's probably time for the team to find a new inspiration/scapegoat.

Surely this was so Joe Dumars could grab Avery Johnson, a coach who might actually make the Pistons better. AJ strikes me as the kind of guy that the Pistons will actually listen to unlike Saunders who was always just a stand-in until he won a ring. AJ understands these players and the position they find themselves in and I think he makes the Pistons more dangerous than they've been since Larry Brown checked out for the big money in NYC.

I thought AJ was the perfect choice for the Bulls but they hired Doug Collins instead. Why bother? I don't even find Collins to be a noteworthy TV analyst, so how's he gonna do with that ragtag bunch? The Bulls won't be as bad as this past year but that's not saying much considering how much young talent they have (with Derrick Rose on the way). The Bulls need discipline and a flexible game plan, both of which Avery Johnson would've been better at than Collins.

So why isn't AJ still in Dallas? I don't know. Granted, they've disappointed the last 2 years but I wouldn't blame Johnson for that. Blame that aging roster and the loudmouth owner's inability to change with the times. (Uh-oh, doesn't sound good for Yahoo) Rick Carlyle is another lackluster analyst and overrated coach, but with Dirk/Howard/Terry he's got a nucleus to build around. But the coach isn't a builder, the coach is a convincer.

Can Carlyle convince the Mavs that they're good enough? Can D'antoni convince the Knicks to shut up and play ball? Can Collins convince the Bulls to win instead of self-absorbed floundering? Can Saunders convince the Suns they're better than the Spurs? Can Johnson convince the Pistons they're champions? I'll take AJ and the Pistons over all the rest. We'll see.