Kurt Rambis is the new head coach of Timberwolves
- Thread starter coolhandluke
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AriesMar27
Guest
congrats to rambis....
hoopsfan
Starter
Good luck to Kurt. I guess that takes him out of the running to replace PJ, which is fine with me.
He's got his work cut out for him. Hopefully he does well and it's a good fit for him.
Did you know that that clothesline from McHale was just a hard foul? No flagrant...no ejection... Kurt shot his 2 FT and they went on with the game...that's it.
He's got his work cut out for him. Hopefully he does well and it's a good fit for him.
Did you know that that clothesline from McHale was just a hard foul? No flagrant...no ejection... Kurt shot his 2 FT and they went on with the game...that's it.
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AriesMar27
Guest
which coach will have a better record by the end of the season, westphal or rambis?
PurpleHaze
All-Star
I remember it well. But in seeing replay vid I notice Rambis didn't even lose his glasses in the fall from the flailing arms of McHale. In fact, those weird specs were not even slightly off tilt, if moved at all. Just a hard foul that probably looked not to deserve any flagrant assessment - especially back in the day as they say. Maybe Worthy's shove (accident?) of teammate Rambis just as he got up for a second fall was just as "flagrant." A very cool Bird looked like he jumped right in to calm Rambis with whatever he said to him.
Rambis v. Westphal. Minny probably has slightly better overall personnel. I already predicted Kings would win 20 games and Wolves I think I said 25.
hoopsfan
Starter
I wished they were allowed to play hard like back in the day. It's too bad the league is so soft anymore. I'm wasn't saying a flagrant was deserved, I liked how it wasn't called and that play just continued. I think Worthy's shove of Rambis probably kept him from getting into it with McHale...I have no problem with that.
coolhandluke
Starter
Really? I'm shocked. In today's NBA, Kurt would have been called for fouling McHale with his goofy face. That's what Bibby told me.
HighTopKicks
Bench
So, Rambus was our 1st choice, but we couldn't come to an agreement so we settled for Westphal. I wonder was it the total money or the years that we didn't like.
Four years & $8M, means he starts out about $350K more than we're giving Westphal. So, starting salary doesnt' look to be a deal killer. I'm guessing that the Kings didn't want to give him a guaranteed 4 yr deal.
Sounds like they still don't have a clear picture of where they're going or how to get there.
Four years & $8M, means he starts out about $350K more than we're giving Westphal. So, starting salary doesnt' look to be a deal killer. I'm guessing that the Kings didn't want to give him a guaranteed 4 yr deal.
Sounds like they still don't have a clear picture of where they're going or how to get there.
I don't know. The chances of the team even being a playoff contended in a couple of years is pretty dicey and losing coaches don't generally have a long life span so why guarantee another year when you'll probably end up having to pay two coaches?
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
As reported it was the years -- and it was Rambis who backed out. Basically we wanted cheap and short, and Rambis looked at a 17 win roster and smartly said, no way. You want me to take over a mess, you have to give me security that I'll be around to see it blossom. We refused and went to a guy desperate enough to get back into the game that he would accept our terms. Rambis found another team that's a mess, but got his years (although I wish him luck with what is looking like a precociously stupid rookieGM).
HighTopKicks
Bench
Here's my problem with the Kings decision making. They may be taking the safe route by hiring a guy on the cheap for a couple of years, then if he does well they can extend him. The problem is that if Westphal doesn't seemed to be making progress, do they fire him like Theus and start again? How many times can this go on? After Westphal will we have 2, 3 or 4 more two year trial head coaches? And, what does that do for the players?
If it takes 3 more Trial Head Coaches before we settle on someone, Spencer will have had 6 head coaches and will be into his 8th or 10th year. What does it say to the players when the FO isn't willing to commit to the Head Coach from the start. Someone in the front office needs to step up, pick someone and give him 4yrs to build the team. Four years with the same offense & defensive schemes. There's no sure fire method of finding the perfect head coach, but multiple 1 1/2 year trial coaches won't get it done. If GP is the GM that he's cracked up to be, then the Maloofs need to open their pocketbooks and let Petrie do his job.
That's a lot of "if" you've got in there...
Westphal brings credentials to the table neither Theus nor Musselman possessed. He's also reportedly the first pick made by Petrie and not the family Maloof.
For those reasons, among others, I think you're trying to create a hypothetical that has less and less chance of actually coming to fruition.
It's not about the Maloofs opening their pocketbooks, which just isn't going to happen with the current economy. It's about the Maloofs actually stepping back and letting Petrie do his job, which it appears they may have finally realized.
Rockmeister
All-Star
Wow, that's 3 more wins than last season.
HighTopKicks
Bench
So, are you saying that Rambis wasn't the 1st choice of the Kings. And, that GP has carte blanc, but decided on his own that he wasn't sure whether or not, Rambis could do the job so GP wasn't willing to give him a 3 or 4 year deal?
How many head coaches in any major Pro Sport make less then $2M a year? Most major college head coaches make more than that. Have you ever heard the expression that you get what you pay for? So, I guess we'll have to wait 2 more years to see if we bought a pigs ear and let a silk purse go over $500K a year.
Call a hypothetical if you wish, but that's what most posts on this site are. How about a couple axioms. History repeats itself. And, it's a sign of insanity to repeating yourself over and over and over, and expect the results to be different. Well, we have a history of hiring the cheapest coach and giving him 2 years or less to improve the team. So, how's that working for us.
PurpleHaze
All-Star
I didn't mean to be a pessimist in saying the Kings would win 20 games (improving by three) or Minny would get 25 wins - a one game improvement for them. Just being a sober realist. It's rather rare for an NBA team to get double digit better in one season like you're predicting with some stunning 17 game or better improvement - unless landing a superstar like Boston did in signing Kevin Garnett. When Muss left his train wreck 33 wins and Theus took over many were predicting he'd do about the same or worse in his first year. Surprisingly, he was being mentioned early on for COY and finally ended up with a modest 5 game improvement but seen as very respectable under the circumstances. If Westphal takes Kings from utter depths of disaster to double the wins - he'd clearly be seen as a miracle worker, COY kinda guy. Still, hope you're right and I'm wrong
PurpleHaze
All-Star
I heard a rumor of it but I guess it's confirmed. I know Reggie wanted the USC gig and interviewed for it. He was also thought to be under consideration at Oregon and a couple other NCAA large schools and mid majors. I think he's most recently been coaching/assisting a son who is now in college (forgot where) with oldest daughter at UC Irvine.
If Phil Jackson retires at the end of next season I suppose Rambis would not be a candidate for the job any longer with his long term deal in Minnesota. Maybe Theus would be interested in that one. Of course he would
6th
Homer Fan Since 1985
If Phil Jackson retires at the end of next season I suppose Rambis would not be a candidate for the job any longer with his long term deal in Minnesota. Maybe Theus would be interested in that one. Of course he would
Doesn't matter what Reggie would be interested in. The Laker organization could not be where they are with all those rings by being dumb.
PurpleHaze
All-Star
PurpleHaze
All-Star
along w/ Laimbeer also named an assistant.
http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/56130622.html?elr=KArks:DCiUBcy7hUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/56130622.html?elr=KArks:DCiUBcy7hUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
jalfa
Starter
So Rambis hires two guys that in all likelihood have their eyes set on becoming headcoaches (in one case again) and have quite massive egos? I don't want to underrate Rambis, but I think he's getting himself into trouble this way. If things don't go well -and with their team this will be sooner, rather than later- I fully expect Laimbeer and Theus to start lobbying for the headcoaching job.
PurpleHaze
All-Star
I don't know why all the paranoia about any assistant coaches so-called "ego." If there's a problem they can be dismissed on a dime by the head coach. They don't have long-term contacts like most of NBA players, GM's or the head coach. I think most coaches in the association look to hire best possible assistants they can find - ones with good experience, leadership qualities, teaching ability, and yes, some sort of winner ego. No body respects a bunch of wimpy yes boys, especially among millionaire NBA players. Lastly, as the article points out neither Theus or Laimbeer are being tapped as lead assistant in Minny so they'll be lower on the totem poll and surely know their respective rolls.
Are we talking about the same Reggie Theus and Bill Laimbeer?
I know what you're saying, but you can't just pretend the ego discussion is totally without merit. Both of those men are used to getting their own way, used to being in the spotlight, etc. I wish them all well but there's a potential there for some chemistry issues - at least behind the scenes.
PurpleHaze
All-Star
Rick Pitino (or should I now say, the besieged Pitino) when he hired Reggie Theus at Lousiville way back when (his only minor coaching experience coming at AAU level) it was because he liked his charisma, his drive, determination to succeed, etc. Pitino was certainly not threatened by any of it. Plus, they both obviously had a fetish for locating the finest suit tailors - Laimbeer - not
Ironically, If we are to believe the scuttlebutt at the time, Theus got fired as head coach of the Kings because he had an assistant coach who became "a big, festering problem," as identified by the Maloof's. Maybe if the head coach had just promptly axed Chuck Person and blamed him for all his teams "defensive woes" he could have saved his own job too - at least through the end of the season.
Ironically, If we are to believe the scuttlebutt at the time, Theus got fired as head coach of the Kings because he had an assistant coach who became "a big, festering problem," as identified by the Maloof's. Maybe if the head coach had just promptly axed Chuck Person and blamed him for all his teams "defensive woes" he could have saved his own job too - at least through the end of the season.
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