As well the should,Vlade has been a leader, a real team leader and glue guy, he's ntelligent, he has basketball smarts, he is and has been an action guy in public affairs, he has contributed his money and time to support the needy, worked at bringing adversaries together, managed national basketball teams and played on them, has the respect of many for his basketball involvement and leadership. I always liked Salmons but tell me about him. What qualities would you want in a GM besides "experience"? Let me recommend Vlade Divak.
Kings interview Del Negro, Jackson and Mitchell for Head Coach position (Yahoo News)
- Thread starter Geoff
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Sam Mitchell is terrible as far as candidates go because he has that milquetoast personality that does not translate into inspired leadership. And for proof of this see his entire career as a coach. He is neutral or negative factor wherever he has been. He may competent to the extent outlined in the article but he's competent in a way that Ty Corbin would be competent under better circumstances than the ones he was thrown into during his stint with us. If you want a tick above mediocre should all things fall into place, Sam Mitchell may be your guy. I think we can do better.
I like Kevin McHale, Stan Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. I like guys who players will run through walls for, are not afraid to ruffle feathers, call it like it is and confront players not pulling their weight, and treat stars and 12th men equally. Maybe I am wrong but I don't see Mitchell as this type of personality. He's more of a go along to get along than a man who inspires greatness and overachievement.
Vinnie Del Negro, Luke Walton and David Blatt are other lightweights who have no business generating serious interest.
I like Kevin McHale, Stan Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. I like guys who players will run through walls for, are not afraid to ruffle feathers, call it like it is and confront players not pulling their weight, and treat stars and 12th men equally. Maybe I am wrong but I don't see Mitchell as this type of personality. He's more of a go along to get along than a man who inspires greatness and overachievement.
Vinnie Del Negro, Luke Walton and David Blatt are other lightweights who have no business generating serious interest.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...ento-kings-coaching-vacancy-exploratory-talks
Dang. I had forgotten about that. Might lessen his incentive to get back in the coaching game, although at his age he might be thinking no time like the present. In any case I would think we'd have to pay him enough to match both the coaching money he was giving up as well as the studio analyst money he was losing,
The good news is elsewhere in the article its apparent that Vlade has both explored the idea with him, and that he's gotten back something other than a flat negative.
Dang. I had forgotten about that. Might lessen his incentive to get back in the coaching game, although at his age he might be thinking no time like the present. In any case I would think we'd have to pay him enough to match both the coaching money he was giving up as well as the studio analyst money he was losing,
The good news is elsewhere in the article its apparent that Vlade has both explored the idea with him, and that he's gotten back something other than a flat negative.
I didn't say he was your guy. I said if you want a tick above mediocre, he may be your guy. That is quite the conditional statement with inference anyone including yourself would want more in the next coach than milquetoast. Look if we had leadership and maturity among our best players, the next coach could be someone like Sam Mitchell and we could experience a modicum to more success. But when Rondo and Cousins are your team leaders getting T'd up in the final seconds of a meaningless game for mocking the ref, there is a void of leadership and maturity that needs to be filled....and the next coach can set that tone. It requires a strong personality like Malone, Thibs, Jackson, Van Gundy...... Mitchell is not that strong personality. Xs and Os are great but I want a guy who can command a room and send the ignoramus to the corner for a timeout. 
I didn't say he was your guy. I said if you want a tick above mediocre, he may be your guy. That is quite the conditional statement with inference anyone including yourself would want more in the next coach than milquetoast. Look if we had leadership and maturity among our best players, the next coach could be someone like Sam Mitchell and we could experience a modicum to more success. But when Rondo and Cousins are your team leaders getting T'd up in the final seconds of a meaningless game for mocking the ref, there is a void of leadership and maturity that needs to be filled....and the next coach can set that tone. It requires a strong personality like Malone, Thibs, Jackson, Van Gundy...... Mitchell is not that strong personality. Xs and Os are great but I want a guy who can command a room and send the ignoramus to the corner for a timeout.
You think Mitchell got the most out of the talent on Wolves roster? I don't. 29 wins in a down year for the West with a point differential worse than the underachieving Kings. None of this screams "hire this guy" and the front office that replaced him shared this sentiment. I grant to you the guy has his merits but I think we can do better than recently fired retread.
Hard to say. He started the season coaching a different coach's agenda. Wasn't til the season was almost upon us that he found out he would be running the team (too late to coach his way). They did play much better the 2nd half of the season with the individual players showing improvement. I am not saying I want him to be hired by the Kings, but I'm not sure he would be as bad as you seem to think.
You make some educated fair points, however, it is hard to blame Vlade for the players that did not sign here. As much as I think Pete D'allesandro is a snake, I do not blame him for Andre Igoudala not signing in Sacramento. Often times, agents will use the Kings for leverage. Also, trades take at least two total teams. Vlade may have went after big fish but couldn't reel them in because the other team wouldn't budge.
The one move that will really cause Vlade to sink or swim will be the Sixers trade. If the Kings cannot make the playoffs at any point during the duration of the trade details, it will have been a failure and will have slowed down a full rebuild. However, Vlade had basically nothing to use to improve the roster. He couldn't trade the 1st round draft pick, nobody seems to want Ben, Pete let Isaiah walk FOR NOTHING, and Boogie is a center-piece that one builds around therefore doesn't trade. Thus, for Vlade to have wheeled and dealed to have this current roster compared even to the season before is staggering.
I agree with you that there are weak spots and some help is needed but defensively I think playing Seth and Willie more minutes will help with some of those gaps. Maybe the last key piece is trading Rudy for a defensive stopper, especially with Omri's shockingly good play since he came back to Sacramento. However, finding a 3rd star as good as Rudy willing to come here is really tough.
We both have the same general conclusion though which is to give Vlade some more time and see how it goes.
The one move that will really cause Vlade to sink or swim will be the Sixers trade. If the Kings cannot make the playoffs at any point during the duration of the trade details, it will have been a failure and will have slowed down a full rebuild. However, Vlade had basically nothing to use to improve the roster. He couldn't trade the 1st round draft pick, nobody seems to want Ben, Pete let Isaiah walk FOR NOTHING, and Boogie is a center-piece that one builds around therefore doesn't trade. Thus, for Vlade to have wheeled and dealed to have this current roster compared even to the season before is staggering.
I agree with you that there are weak spots and some help is needed but defensively I think playing Seth and Willie more minutes will help with some of those gaps. Maybe the last key piece is trading Rudy for a defensive stopper, especially with Omri's shockingly good play since he came back to Sacramento. However, finding a 3rd star as good as Rudy willing to come here is really tough.
We both have the same general conclusion though which is to give Vlade some more time and see how it goes.
At this point in time I doubt if McHale is making decisions primarily with monetary concerns in mind. True he has the luxury of time and money to look around for a situation he really WANTS to be in. Now it is up to Vlade to convince him that that Sacrament is that situation IF Vlade really wants him.
Being the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers will pretty much always hold more appeal than being the coach of the Sacramento Kings and that's just the way it is. Word is that Thibs would have considered LA over Minny and that stacked roster. The Kings may not get their first choice guy. But there are quite a few good coaching options out there. Kings just need to make sure they get one.
There are more decent coaches available than teams that need one. Also, as much as I think Karl cost us some wins by just being who he is, we actually won more games than we have won in awhile. It's odd, I think. Unless Vlade makes the bonehead hire of all time, we will be better next year. I would be shocked if we didn't have a better w/l record.
I would like this following to be played out as an experiment which of course it can't or won't. Keep the same lineup with the only change being to get a different coach with all the nice qualities that need not be specified. Defense, honest, etc. What would our record be? I think we would be at least 41/41. Make a few tweaks and we should be better barring a major injury. I'm optimistic.
I would like this following to be played out as an experiment which of course it can't or won't. Keep the same lineup with the only change being to get a different coach with all the nice qualities that need not be specified. Defense, honest, etc. What would our record be? I think we would be at least 41/41. Make a few tweaks and we should be better barring a major injury. I'm optimistic.
No argument here, but LA is in fairly serious flux right now and it is rumored that Phil may end up back there as GM, coach, maybe both? at any rate while yes the Lakers are still an ultimate destination, at this time a coaching gig there is more likely to be temporary than permanent all things considered. Now will or should that matter to an assistant coach looking to take the step up? probably not, but a guy like Blatt of JVG will have to consider it.
I can't imagine Phil Jackson will ever coach again. He's just not physically up to the gig and he's always been much more self aware than a guy like George Karl.
I don't know enough about Messina to know if I want him as coach. From what I know Brick is right about him being a control freak AND his only NBA experience is with the Spurs which is a very different environment than almost any other team. There's very few coaches that get away with berating his players like Pop does, but that's because (1) Tim Duncan allowed him to from the beginning and (2) decades of success have given him that right. A first time head coach couldn't expect to come to the Kings and dress down his players the way Popovich does. That has to be earned through trust and success.
It's also why I'm higher on Udoka. Younger guy who has a different temperament. He's calm, cerebral and knows NBA locker rooms. If the Kings want someone from the Spurs I think he's a better fit.
I don't think Etorre Messina is the Lakers' #1 target though. I think they are eyeballing Luke Walton.
I don't know enough about Messina to know if I want him as coach. From what I know Brick is right about him being a control freak AND his only NBA experience is with the Spurs which is a very different environment than almost any other team. There's very few coaches that get away with berating his players like Pop does, but that's because (1) Tim Duncan allowed him to from the beginning and (2) decades of success have given him that right. A first time head coach couldn't expect to come to the Kings and dress down his players the way Popovich does. That has to be earned through trust and success.
It's also why I'm higher on Udoka. Younger guy who has a different temperament. He's calm, cerebral and knows NBA locker rooms. If the Kings want someone from the Spurs I think he's a better fit.
I don't think Etorre Messina is the Lakers' #1 target though. I think they are eyeballing Luke Walton.
Latest update from Woj: Kings interviewed Del Negro yesterday, Woodson coming in as soon as today:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/source...el-negro-for-head-coaching-job-051438426.html
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/source...el-negro-for-head-coaching-job-051438426.html
Del Negro and Woodson are interesting as they both have had some success and then replaced by other coaches. I've heard several NBA guys and sources who believe both to be quality head coaches who would succeed in the correct setting. Correct me if I'm wrong but didnt Del Negro get replaced in Chicago by Thibs and then replaced in LAC by Rivers and Woodson had a good run in Atlanta before being replaced by their current HC?
Vinnie Del Negro is starting to grow on me.
Caron Butler gave him a thumbs up. He would be better than Woodson and Mitchell. I would still prefer Kevin McHale, but if he doesn't come, I would be okay with Vinnie D.
He has a winning record and he kinda has the Terry Stotts in Portland feel to me. A coach that could do well in the right situation, but hasn't found that ideal situation yet.
Caron Butler gave him a thumbs up. He would be better than Woodson and Mitchell. I would still prefer Kevin McHale, but if he doesn't come, I would be okay with Vinnie D.
He has a winning record and he kinda has the Terry Stotts in Portland feel to me. A coach that could do well in the right situation, but hasn't found that ideal situation yet.
I think SA is the only club in NBA where Messina can potentially succeed as an NBA head coach. He is definitely a great coach, tactician and teacher and if you want a coach to lead a superstar team in Europe, he is IMHO the best guy in the world for the job. He could be a truly great coach for big name NCAA teams like Duke, NC, Kentucky etc. In many ways he is a rich man Calipari, only even more dictatorish. He's won almost everywhere but one thing is to coach and win with CSKA Moscow, European juggernaut with unlimited recourses and superstar players (by Euro standards) where you are a God-like figure and another thing is to coach a small market NBA team with issues or actually any other NBA team. NBA players will not appreciate his managing style. Can he adjust as a head coach in NBA? Can he still be a great one without his edginess? May be. I just doubt.
IMHO Blatt was a poor man Messina in Europe but he is better suited for NBA. I would definitely take Blatt over Messina. Blatt was also tough on players, was a control freak BUT players still loved him, played hard for him. He was like their strict and demanding father or older brother unlike Messina, who was players hard-a** boss.
I think Blatt can build strong no nonsense relationship with DMC. Plus, Blatt showed that he can be successful in different environments - he coached big clubs like Maccabi, he was successful with some no-name clubs in Russia, he even won some kind of Euro cup with one of them, he has almost a legendary resume as a NT coach with Team Russia. He also has NBA head coaching experience and it was not an easy one, so I think he is ready to take on a team like Sacramento.
IMHO Blatt was a poor man Messina in Europe but he is better suited for NBA. I would definitely take Blatt over Messina. Blatt was also tough on players, was a control freak BUT players still loved him, played hard for him. He was like their strict and demanding father or older brother unlike Messina, who was players hard-a** boss.
I think Blatt can build strong no nonsense relationship with DMC. Plus, Blatt showed that he can be successful in different environments - he coached big clubs like Maccabi, he was successful with some no-name clubs in Russia, he even won some kind of Euro cup with one of them, he has almost a legendary resume as a NT coach with Team Russia. He also has NBA head coaching experience and it was not an easy one, so I think he is ready to take on a team like Sacramento.
Nate McMillian is another interesting name. He seems like a no nonsense, defensive minded coach. He is currently an assistant with Indiana, and they are a hard nosed team.
He quieted a lot of the "Jail Blazer" persona when he was in Portland and guided them to a winning record and the playoffs.
Vlade should give McMillian an interview and see what he has.
He quieted a lot of the "Jail Blazer" persona when he was in Portland and guided them to a winning record and the playoffs.
Vlade should give McMillian an interview and see what he has.
I am pretty much terrified of any players from the late 80's into the mid 90's as coaches right now. Many of them seem to not fully grasp the new spacing and movement of the NBA. The 3 point line is still a mystery to them. Popovic who is very vocal about hating the 3 point shot, at least has conceded that anyone who isn't using that tool as a huge portion of both the offensive and defensive scheme is crazy. I don't recall McMillan's offensive system but he seems to be a lot more like Byron Scott and Brian Shaw with his personality which surprisingly just doesn't mesh with current players.