Larry out, Flip in. Nate out, Weiss in. Stan VG out, Riles in? I think Detroit probably made the right call in getting out of a loveless Larry Brown marriage. Not that the Pistons are better off without him – they’re just better off without the drama and the heartache. Flip will find out what it’s like to coach championship-caliber players and the Pistons will find out (the hard way) that Larry was a championship-caliber coach (and Flip ain’t).
My favorite schmuck Dan Shanoff argues that the Knicks shouldn’t hire Larry Brown. He says that the Knicks should think long-term and that quick fixers like Larry Brown will only contribute to the problem that the Knicks have, namely that they’ve spent the last half-decade wasting time on quick fixes instead of a thorough rebuilding effort. I think he’s flat-out wrong. It is undeniable that Larry Brown makes every team he works for better, even if his stay is short. Because he preaches defense and fundamentals, the lessons he teaches stay around after he leaves. As long as the Knicks go into this potential relationship with open eyes, knowing that Larry will only stick around Madison Square Garden for 2-3 seasons tops, then the Knicks won’t be badly damaged by his itch to move on. The man will turn 65 when camp opens and he’s battling a bladder problem (don’t you love how this bladder problem is mentioned in every article about him?) so it’s not like he’s in it for the long haul anymore anyway. The Knicks would be best served by hiring a teacher for their youngsters and it would do the Knicks good to have some expectations that go beyond simply making the playoffs. The Knicks should strive to be the best team they can be, even if that means being a .500 team that plays solid defense and becomes the team that no one wants to face because it will mean a bruising fight.
Side note: Did anyone see Bill Davidson, the Pistons owner, on ESPN last night? He ripped Larry Brown in a short interview. Dude, you’re entitled to your opinion but don’t criticize anyone when you have an alien life form growing out of your left cheek. Put a bandage on that thing, you’re gonna make us all retch.
I’ve already weighed in on the Weiss hiring (perplexing) and the Riles-to-return dance/treachery so I’ll stop right here, having written more than I thought I would this morning…
My favorite schmuck Dan Shanoff argues that the Knicks shouldn’t hire Larry Brown. He says that the Knicks should think long-term and that quick fixers like Larry Brown will only contribute to the problem that the Knicks have, namely that they’ve spent the last half-decade wasting time on quick fixes instead of a thorough rebuilding effort. I think he’s flat-out wrong. It is undeniable that Larry Brown makes every team he works for better, even if his stay is short. Because he preaches defense and fundamentals, the lessons he teaches stay around after he leaves. As long as the Knicks go into this potential relationship with open eyes, knowing that Larry will only stick around Madison Square Garden for 2-3 seasons tops, then the Knicks won’t be badly damaged by his itch to move on. The man will turn 65 when camp opens and he’s battling a bladder problem (don’t you love how this bladder problem is mentioned in every article about him?) so it’s not like he’s in it for the long haul anymore anyway. The Knicks would be best served by hiring a teacher for their youngsters and it would do the Knicks good to have some expectations that go beyond simply making the playoffs. The Knicks should strive to be the best team they can be, even if that means being a .500 team that plays solid defense and becomes the team that no one wants to face because it will mean a bruising fight.
Side note: Did anyone see Bill Davidson, the Pistons owner, on ESPN last night? He ripped Larry Brown in a short interview. Dude, you’re entitled to your opinion but don’t criticize anyone when you have an alien life form growing out of your left cheek. Put a bandage on that thing, you’re gonna make us all retch.
I’ve already weighed in on the Weiss hiring (perplexing) and the Riles-to-return dance/treachery so I’ll stop right here, having written more than I thought I would this morning…
2 comments:
I think the question is will Larry improve the young player. Thats something Zeke will have to work out with Larry. Philly hasn't exactly benefited from Brown's teachings since he left....
I don't agree on either count. Everyone points to Larry's dislike of young players. For the most part, he hasn't coached any. Before he went to Detroit, Larry specialized in the quick-turnaround job where he'd take a previously crappy team and make them better. He'd take a .250 WP% team and turn them into a .500 team and turn a .500 team into a conference champion. The Knicks are somewhere in the middle and nearly one-third of their roster is comprised of players with less than 2 full seasons of NBA experience. Larry coaches what you give him. Does he prefer veterans? Of course, most coaches do, since their WP depends on coaching people that know what they're doing. But Larry will coach what you give him. He always has in his other stops so I don't see why he won't this time.
As for Philly not benefiting from Larry's teachings since he left, I wonder why Philly was 9th in the NBA out of 29 teams in points allowed and opponents field goal percentage in the season after Larry left. I'm not saying they were a good team (they weren't) but they still knew how to play D. What is going on in Philly today, I can't answer, but there's no doubt that EVERY team benefits from having Larry around. I can't think of a single case where the team wishes it hadn't been through a Brown-style training camp.
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