Is Kurt Rambis a Worthy Candidate

Would You Want Kurt Rambis to be he next Coach of the Kings

  • Total voters
    42
Purple Reign

Purple Reign

Starter
I think Rambis would be an excellent choice as the new coach of the Kings.

1. As a player and a coach he has won 7 NBA Championships.

2. He has learned at the feet of two of the greatest coaches of all time, Pat Riley and Phil Jackson.

3. He played and coached multple Hall of Famers: Kareem, Magic, Worthy, Sir Charles, Shaq and Kobe.

4. In his one short stint as a head coach, he led the Lakers to the playoffs and won a first round series. Then once he was replaced by Phil Jackson, hes has stayed on the coaching staff the last eight years.

Now I don't know about the x's and o's and how he relates to players, but on paper Rambis seems like he is extremely qualified.

Can somebody give me any negatives?
 
The negative would be that despite the record, his one stint as a head coach was generally considered a failure lacking in organization and the ability to reach the monstrous egos on that Lakers squad.

Long time ago -- 10 years. But I think damaged him to the point that this is the first I've heard of him getting a serious look since then. The rest of the qualifications are all there -- cerebral players that had to bust their butts often make the best coaches, and he has been around 2 of the 3 or 4 best coaches of all time. But that one stint long ago is the caution. Funny to say about a 24-13 record, but think its unquestionably true anyway.
 
I voted no, but I'd like to clarify - I think he's a worthy enough candidate, which is what the title of the thread asks. I voted no in answer to the poll question itself, which wants to know if I would want him to be the next coach of the Kings.

Two entirely different questions...
 
VF21 said:
I voted no, but I'd like to clarify - I think he's a worthy enough candidate, which is what the title of the thread asks. I voted no in answer to the poll question itself, which wants to know if I would want him to be the next coach of the Kings.

Two entirely different questions...
Click to expand...


ditto.
 
It's hard to tell. Could he keep the Shaq & Kobe egos in check. No. Could Hall of Fame Coach Phil Jackson do it? No. He was only a "temporary" head coach with the Lakers, which automatically would have lowered the respect factor from the get go. The interviews are key. Petrie is going to have to challenge these guys in the interviews just like the future head coach will invariably be challenged by his players. One question I would ask: So, you've just lost 7 games in a row; players are bickering, pointing fingers, even pointing fingers at YOU, what do you do then?
 
Bricklayer said:
The negative would be that despite the record, his one stint as a head coach was generally considered a failure lacking in organization and the ability to reach the monstrous egos on that Lakers squad.

Long time ago -- 10 years. But I think damaged him to the point that this is the first I've heard of him getting a serious look since then. The rest of the qualifications are all there -- cerebral players that had to bust their butts often make the best coaches, and he has been around 2 of the 3 or 4 best coaches of all time. But that one stint long ago is the caution. Funny to say about a 24-13 record, but think its unquestionably true anyway.
Click to expand...

I thought the Lakers made it to the Western Conference Finals the year that he took over as the head coach?
 
CalBears1 said:
I thought the Lakers made it to the Western Conference Finals the year that he took over as the head coach?
Click to expand...

Don't think so -- his career playoff coaching record is 3-5, so that must have been one of those second round sweep years there (3-1 in the first round, swept 0-4 in the second). Probably at the hands of Utah -- they used to own the Lakers of that era.

All I can say is its not in the numbers -- the Lakers of that era were considered perpetually underachieving and undercoached considering their talent (Shaq, Kobe, Eddie Jones, Elden Campbell, Van Exel, Rice etc. -- just a parade of stars). And that was the perception with the Rambis regime. Now was that true or fair? Hard to say. But there was certainly considerable dissatisfaction with his stint -- much MUCH more than you ever would expect for a guy winning 60% of his games.

Edit -- turns out it was the Spurs who swept them 4-0 that year.
 
Last edited:
VF21 said:
I voted no, but I'd like to clarify - I think he's a worthy enough candidate, which is what the title of the thread asks. I voted no in answer to the poll question itself, which wants to know if I would want him to be the next coach of the Kings.

Two entirely different questions...
Click to expand...

I value your opinion VF21. I'm still looking for the negatives.

Is it that he is a Laker? Is it that he doesn't look like a coach? If I'm not mistaken his one stint as a head coach, he took over in the middle of the season. I don't think a coach can be judged fairly in those circumstances. I just like the guy's credentials, which can not be denied..

Help me if I am missing something.:confused:
 
For me, to be totally honest, I think it's the Laker tie-in. Petty and childish? Yeah, but my hate for the Lakers runs deep...

:)
 
VF21 said:
I voted no, but I'd like to clarify - I think he's a worthy enough candidate, which is what the title of the thread asks. I voted no in answer to the poll question itself, which wants to know if I would want him to be the next coach of the Kings.

Two entirely different questions...
Click to expand...
At least you read the question before you voted. I voted yes, but I thought I was voting on the thread question, not the poll question.

I wouldn't want him to be the next Kings coach, but I think he's a worthy candidate. He's been working with one of the best for several seasons, and he didn't do so bad with the Lakers 10 years ago. So give him an interview, sure. Might not be so bad.
 
VF21 said:
For me, to be totally honest, I think it's the Laker tie-in. Petty and childish? Yeah, but my hate for the Lakers runs deep...

:)
Click to expand...


Note: he played for the Kings for a year too. Most exciting moment in franchise history was when it was announced we were bringing him in. :p
 
Bricklayer said:
Don't think so -- his career playoff coaching record is 3-5, so that must have been one of those second round sweep years there (3-1 in the first round, swept 0-4 in the second). Probably at the hands of Utah -- they used to own the Lakers of that era.

All I can say is its not in the numbers -- the Lakers of that era were considered perpetually underachieving and undercoached considering their talent (Shaq, Kobe, Eddie Jones, Elden Campbell, Van Exel, Rice etc. -- just a parade of stars). And that was the perception with the Rambis regime. Now was that true or fair? Hard to say. But there was certainly considerable dissatisfaction with his stint -- much MUCH more than you ever would expect for a guy winning 60% of his games.

Edit -- turns out it was the Spurs who swept them 4-0 that year.
Click to expand...

I'd say true. It was essentially the exact same roster that won 61 games and the championship the next season. They had no business being swept out of the playoffs, even if it was to the Spurs team that won the championship. Maybe he's learned since then, but he never was a cerebral player to begin with, just an overachieving hustle guy.
 
Bricklayer said:
The negative would be that despite the record, his one stint as a head coach was generally considered a failure lacking in organization and the ability to reach the monstrous egos on that Lakers squad.

Long time ago -- 10 years. But I think damaged him to the point that this is the first I've heard of him getting a serious look since then. The rest of the qualifications are all there -- cerebral players that had to bust their butts often make the best coaches, and he has been around 2 of the 3 or 4 best coaches of all time. But that one stint long ago is the caution. Funny to say about a 24-13 record, but think its unquestionably true anyway.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but this is Shaq we're considering here. He's a special case. Harris made a Finals appearance and won COY and the same things could be said about him to an extent.

Rambis' stint is still kind of gray. I'm 99% sure that if left to his own devices that Jerry West would've kept him as head coach after 1999, regardless of being swept by SA that year.
 
nbrans said:
I'd say true. It was essentially the exact same roster that won 61 games and the championship the next season. They had no business being swept out of the playoffs, even if it was to the Spurs team that won the championship.
Click to expand...

It was a similar roster but different scenario. They underwent two major trades, a coaching change, and Rodman in a 50 game season. J.R. Reid was starting against Duncan.

In 2000, Shaq finally committed to giving 100% to the regular season for the first time since probably his first couple of years. Ron Harper was a tutor and an actual factor. The triangle is a great system for a team that has 1 or more superstars. Whatever Rambis was using wasn't. But then, he didn't exactly get a lot of time to prove himself. Note that in 2000 SA lost in the first round. I think LA still would've made it to the WCF in 2000 w/o Jackson (since the Jazz' window slammed shut).
 
Last edited:
Bricklayer said:
Note: he played for the Kings for a year too. Most exciting moment in franchise history was when it was announced we were bringing him in. :p
Click to expand...

I have tried for years to suppress that memory... I finally - until now - was able to view it as a "Dallas" moment.

;)
 
Gargamel said:
Yeah, but this is Shaq we're considering here. He's a special case. Harris made a Finals appearance and won COY and the same things could be said about him to an extent.

Rambis' stint is still kind of gray. I'm 99% sure that if left to his own devices that Jerry West would've kept him as head coach after 1999, regardless of being swept by SA that year.
Click to expand...

Artest is an even more special case....considering we keep him
 
(27-10 now)

The poll question is: "Would You Want Kurt Rambis to be he next Coach of the Kings"

We don't have to think he's terrible to vote that way. We just have to be unconvinced, at this moment, that he's the best available. Under the circumstances, I don't think there's anything unreasonable about feeling that way. So far, no candidate except for Stan Van Gundy has done well in a poll, so it's not like Rambis is being singled out. It doesn't take any negatives for him to lose this poll, just a relative lack of perceived positives.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Mr. S£im Citrus
  • Locked
  • Poll Poll
[Game] 71/82: Kings vs. Celtics 24 MAR 2025, 7pm PT/10pm ET
7 8 9
Replies
256
Views
11K
gunks
gunks
Spike
  • Poll Poll
NBA Power Rankings Week of 11/21
Replies
2
Views
418
Capt. Factorial
Capt. Factorial
Spike
  • Poll Poll
Power Rankings, Week of 12/5
Replies
0
Views
187
Spike
Spike
Spike
  • Poll Poll
NBA Power Rankings Week of 11/14, Sponsored by Juniper Networks*
Replies
4
Views
512
Mr. S£im Citrus
Mr. S£im Citrus
Caccia
Jawad Williams joins the Kings as player development coach
Replies
0
Views
381
Caccia
Caccia
Back
Top