Avery Johnson
- Thread starter Iggy
- Start date
DocHolliday
Starter
Basically what has been said in the media is that Avery Johnson turned the entire Mavericks team against him. I don't know if that's the guy I want mentoring the young guys.
Last edited:
TTown Kings
Bench
MassachusettsKingsFan
All-Star
He is maybe the one guy I want less than Jordan.
My cousin is a huge Mavs guy, Avery KILLED that team. He hates him.
I want no part of him, plus I cant take his voice seriously and I fear the players would have a hard time not laughing at him in the locker room.
My cousin is a huge Mavs guy, Avery KILLED that team. He hates him.
I want no part of him, plus I cant take his voice seriously and I fear the players would have a hard time not laughing at him in the locker room.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Probably that he is the only coach out there that has PROVEN he can coach a team to elite levels. That he can win 60 games. It was he and Saunders at that level. Now its just Avery. He also did it by preaching defense BTW -- that was the big change from the Nelson to Avery era that lifted the Mavs from also rans to contenders.
Which is not to say he does not have his warts and questions. Reminds me of a young George Karl perhaps -- George's teams had a ton of success but fought with the coach and had a tendency to have shaky chemistry and choke. Its hard to say that for sure about Avery with only the Dallas example to go on -- I've mentioned before not like the Mavs have done any better without him this year than they did with him last year. But its a concern. Comapred to the other candidates though, that's minor. You have guys who you have no idea at all if they could ever coach an elite team (the assistants) and guys who you KNOW can't do it (the Eddie Jordans).
I'd say it's inaccurate and unfair to say that he killed the Mavs. I think the fact that the Mavs got upset by the Warriors when they were at their apex is what did that team in. Yeah, it was primarily Avery's fault that they lost (tried to "do Nellie" better than Nellie). But that was just the start to their decline and eventual implosion.
nbrans
All-Star
The Kidd/Harris trade killed the Mavericks, not Avery. As Brick said, he has proven he can get a team there. He needs to learn from his mistakes (particularly that GS series, which was just awful), but he has gotten a team a couple of Wade loving refs away from a championship. He has the right style for this team. He just needs to check himself when he's too intense and it affects a team.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Hey! Whats the matter with a little love for Wade? I'd love him to death if he were a King.
SacKings7
Starter
Hey if he coaches the Kings, you won't have to listen to him on tv
.Anyway, I've made it clear that I want him as our coach. I just hope the Maloofs don't expect an immediate impact
Showtime
Starter
Cuban said several (over 5) players said that if Avery was returning, they wanted to be traded. That forced his hand. Do you want that kind of coach to take over a young, developing team? There was also talk of him not liking Harris and look how that turned out.
The very quick implosion of that team is something that is being ignored or downplayed by some people here. His supporters are quick to recognize the finals appearance and also quick to dismiss the extreme decline of that team afterward.
Players said that Avery would call almost every play and dictate the game (and thus many complaints about his lack of good game management). He didn't let the players play on the court with their own experience. When you have Jason Kidd running point, how much ego do you have to have to not trust him and dictate every play?
Last edited:
TTown Kings
Bench
He was handed that team as-is. IMO he did very little, he certainly hasn't proven that he can turn a bad team into a good one. That team was already a contender and a 60 win team. So he PROVED what? That he can win games with a good team that was already good before he got there.
SacKings7
Starter
I dunno if you've checked the market, but there's NOBODY available right now that proved they can turn a bad team into a good one. I say we either take a flyer on someone like Brian Shaw and hope for the best, or take a young coach that has already coached a team in the Finals.
kingsnation
All-Star
Better than Jordan or Whis.
D13
Bench
It might be a good idea though while there are still choices out there... there's a number of teams looking, and coaches will start getting grabbed up now that the seasons done.
I would definitely give Avery a chance. Hes a tough bastard who knows how to lead on and off the court. It just so happened the team he coached in Dallas sucked. Dirk is overrated and their 2nd best player howard is a complete dip****. I think Avery Johnson would be a great leader for our young team.
You know what bothers me the most about Avery Johnson? His voice. It's not his fault, but the guy has one of the all-time most annoying voices I've ever heard. I see I'm not the only one who feels this way. If I can't stand listening to him for 5 minutes on TNT, how do you think the players feel after a 4 hour practice? You add to that his reputation as a control freak, and I can see why the players got tired of him. Seriously. It's a dumb reason to turn down a former coach of the year I suppose, but I'm not convinced he's really proven all that much as an NBA coach anyway. I think he gets some credit for taking Dallas to the Finals, but that team was already a strong playoff team when he took over and you have to think he was fired for a reason.
As an analogy, Ken Macha - the manager of the A's (manager is the same thing as coach, for people who don't watch baseball) was fired after getting them within four wins of going to the World Series a couple years ago. It was the first time in a decade the A's had advanced past the first round of the playoffs, and they did it with a four game sweep of the favored Twins. To outside observers it probably seemed like a crazy thing to do, but a lot of the veteran players ripped him on the way out. We often don't know much about what goes on behind the scenes in the locker room. If the players are happy to see the coach go, I think probably it was a good decision.
As an analogy, Ken Macha - the manager of the A's (manager is the same thing as coach, for people who don't watch baseball) was fired after getting them within four wins of going to the World Series a couple years ago. It was the first time in a decade the A's had advanced past the first round of the playoffs, and they did it with a four game sweep of the favored Twins. To outside observers it probably seemed like a crazy thing to do, but a lot of the veteran players ripped him on the way out. We often don't know much about what goes on behind the scenes in the locker room. If the players are happy to see the coach go, I think probably it was a good decision.
Last edited:
ParniValjak
All-Star
I cannot believe how much people are rubbishing on Avery here. He is a very good coach. He is all about discipline and he is a hard *** which is what this team needs. People rave on about Pop and with a bloody good reason. Avery has made no secret of the fact that he has modelled himself on Pop and has implemented many things from him. Anyone that can take a team to 60 wins and to Western Conference crown knows how to coach.
This team is a loose ship. There is no unity, there is no leader both on and off the court. You sing up Avery and he will be a leader. He has been a leader as a player and he is one as a coach. He will have a strong emphasis on defence and he will actually coach it. We cannot go around hoping once again that we will get our Pop or Sloan from the assistant coaches or college coaches. Avery is proven at NBA level. He has won as a player and he knows how to coach a team as far as Adelman did.
If we do sign Avery, that will be one MASSIVE step in the right direction. But knowing us, we will go for a scrub like Jordan or another assistant coach or college coach in a hope to striking it lucky.
This team is a loose ship. There is no unity, there is no leader both on and off the court. You sing up Avery and he will be a leader. He has been a leader as a player and he is one as a coach. He will have a strong emphasis on defence and he will actually coach it. We cannot go around hoping once again that we will get our Pop or Sloan from the assistant coaches or college coaches. Avery is proven at NBA level. He has won as a player and he knows how to coach a team as far as Adelman did.
If we do sign Avery, that will be one MASSIVE step in the right direction. But knowing us, we will go for a scrub like Jordan or another assistant coach or college coach in a hope to striking it lucky.
co-freaking-signed.
Avery Johnson has been an NBA head coach for three seasons. He does have some legitimacy, but let's hold back on the Popovich comparisons. A hall of fame coach he is not. Reggie Theus was all about discipline. Kenny Natt was all about discipline. Convince me Avery Johnson is somehow different, besides the fact that he had the luxury of coaching much better players who already had years of playoff experience.
Showtime
Starter
Wasn't Natt hard nosed? Theus too? Both were supposed disciplinarians who stressed defense. A lot of good that did.
The difference is Pop trusts his team and they don't turn on him in two seasons.
Disagree.
And I guarantee you he will be out in two years and the Kings will never get to the playoffs or probably even reach .500 ball.
^^ I agree. Avery Johnson is not coaching right now for a variety of reasons. He is not the answer, IMHO, to the Kings problems.
And Carolija? That's not "rubbishing" on Avery Johnson; it's stating an opinion. You may think he's all that and a bag of chips but that doesn't mean it's the only valid opinion.
And Carolija? That's not "rubbishing" on Avery Johnson; it's stating an opinion. You may think he's all that and a bag of chips but that doesn't mean it's the only valid opinion.
steelevt
All-Star
im not sure if this is the place to post this question but wasn't sure if it deserved its own thread since there are a couple coaching threads already out. but im hearing mixed opinions on avery but a lot of people are bringing up assistant coaches. i can understand thibodeau, he's a well known defensive minded assistant to the current nba champs, i dont hear much about budenholzer, but i know he's the spurs top assistant and has been there with popovich while the spurs won their championships. but who i see so many people praise is brian shaw and i dont understand why. im not saying i dont want him or putting him down in any way, i just dont know enough about him and wanted to find out why so many people like him
Well for starters AJ was a hardnosed player, where as Reggie was a flashy player. AJ's background is much more based on D than Reggie's was. He played on the Spurs, he learned from Pop, during his 3 years his team always played good D, Reggie's never did and Natt was an instafailure from day one. Sorry but it's not close.
