You know, even if about half the debaters are right here, and you simply take last year's team, add Moore and Hawes to it, and add an unknown quantity to coach them, how in the world does that get them over 33 wins?
Even if, eventually, Theus turns into a pretty good coach, in his first year, he's going to have to deal with headstrong players, and he's going to make rookie mistakes. I expect that. I don't see how it can happen any other way.
I'm still concerned about Hawes, in spite of everything people are saying. His rebounding in college was terrible, and all of a sudden, he's going to bring in the shot-blocking, rebounding, defending monster this team sorely lacks? I doubt it. So what do you do, play Justin instead? Been there, done that.
This team needed a new engine, not new spark plug wires. That's what this summer has been so far: Summer of new wires.
Think about Theus, the player, too. What was his reputation? Pretty good scorer, terrible defender. It's not just the way he played, it's also in his personality. So we had last year's non-scrappy team, and Theus, a non-scrappy player, is suddenly going to make them a scrappy team?
Where's the logic in that?
I see pretty much all the same selfishness issues as last year, an unknown quantity at coach, and a lot of wishful thinking going on here. Exactly HOW, given the current roster, do you think this team will rebound, block shots, and, darnit, be tough this coming year? Having as little roster turnover as they had won't do it. Going to an unknown quantity at coach MIGHT do it, but given Theus's style of play, I'm not holding my breath that his coaching will be much different. That leaves only a couple things: That all these players return to their career years, or magic. Players rarely get it back. Miller won't have a year like he did in 2003 ever again. Oh, it can happen; I've seen it happen. Rarely. That's the problem. We're all hoping someone turns the clock back to 2002, and that ain't gonna happen.
Until the team loses a few players to expiring contracts and buyouts, I just don't expect much. Patience; I think that's the only thing we have left.
It's obviously one thing for a player to say he's going to support the new coach; an entirely different thing to do it, especially when that coach calls on you to do such untenable things such as as sacrifice for the team, play fewer minutes, play D or don't play, or in general to do things that you're not comfortable doing. We'll see how the Thomas, SAR, Bibby and Artest respond when the rubber meets the road. Maybe Riles could handle this bunch, but the expectation seems very high for a guy who coached a couple of years in college, never assisted in the NBA, much less coached as a head coach in the NBA. And, he doesn't have an experienced vet coach on the roster. Whewwwwwweeeeeeeeeee! That's a big mountain to climb.
