Two more posts will land later tonight/tomorrow morning, but to hold you over, check out a few quotes from our esteemed coach, Eddie Jordan.
From ESPN, on Elton Brand not being happy about coming off the bench:
"It doesn't really affect me," Jordan said, before smiling and adding, "I think he told Jrue to go up and block the dunk."
Translation: Yes, the only way Elton Brand starts for me is if someone else gets hurt. Don't like that? Too bad, just wait until Speights gets back and I can cut his minutes down to about 15.
And on Andre Iguodala's injury,
from Kate Fagan:
"With Willie scoring 26 last night and adding Allen, maybe, into the starting lineup, that's not a bad fall-back plan."
Translation: Who needs Iguodala, Willie's an electric scorer.
Here's a bonus quote from the same Fagan post:
"He says, 'Coach, with 14 years in the league I played matchup somewhere I just don't remember.' So that's going to be good for us, too, in that way to help us save his legs a little bit, mix up some man and zone."
Translation: I love this little guy, he doesn't give a crap about defense either!
So here we are, 10 games under .500, riding a 9-game losing streak and our coach is essentially making jokes at our $80M PF's expense, happy to be able to over-use Willie Green if his $82M SG is hurt, and kind of laughing off the team's defensive woes. Yet still, no call for his head from anyone in the mainstream media.
Exactly how much of a leash does this guy have? I mean, it's not like he came in here with a stellar coaching record, he was 58 games under .500 for his career before this season began.
by tmoore on Sun Dec 06, 2009 3:54 pm
"Asked Jordan away from the other writers today about the poor 3-point defense.
His response: "It's a disappointment to us. We're disappointed that we're that poorly defending it. We're trying to stay with -- we're trying to get better at one scheme that's basic with the NBA or do we try to keep changing and find out what fits our personnel? For non-3-point shooters, like (the Thunder's Jeff Green and Kevin Durant) shooting 25 percent from 3 and they shoot 6-for-7 and Boris Diaw shoots 5-for-6 ... Someone says , 'Coach, it's not the defense -- you're just snakebitten.' I say, 'I can't believe that.' "
Nah, why change now?
I mean, who knew Durant could shoot? Not like he won the Horse competition or nothing. Or has had a shooter's rep ever since he started playing ball or nothing.
Or Diaw, right? Its not like he could actually shoot when he was in ATL, right? Phoenix was obviously just Steve Nash making him play WAY above his head, making open shots and stuff. Its not like he shot 41% from 3 just last year or anything...
Moron.
I don't see how firing Jordan would help us. And yes, he's a horrible coach, so I'm not defending him.
As long as Stefanski will be at the helm EJ is not going to get the axe I think. Jordan's substitute would be the 4th coach in less than 2 years with this GM. Won't happen IMO, it's more likely that Stefanski will get fired.
(the pic with the horse is fantastic, lol)
goat?
The problem is the ownership in that as long as they are selling tickets (at least temporarily they will be) that's all they care about.
The GM probably cares about winning, however, he's blinded by commitment to his friend, EJ, and still believes he can steer this team in the right direction. The ultimate problem with Stefanski is typical of human nature - you can't admit when you've made a mistake.
The most important thing this team needs is a change in ownership.
Stefanski is stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. If he fires EJ he's admitting he made a mistake, but backing up his coach (either actively or passively by not putting an end to it) in essentially benching Elton Brand is admitting to a different, much more expensive mistake.
If Stefanski still believes in Brand, which he should based on recent results, then he either needs to make Jordan play him or fire Jordan yesterday, IMO. This is a tacit endorsement of Jordan's impression of Brand, in my opinion. Either way, if I was Brand I'd desperately want out of here, and if I was any potential free agent, there's no way I'd ever sign with this franchise, even if they were offering the most money.
You're right, and once again, it all falls back to ownership. The reputation of this entire franchise needs to change.
I don't see how firing Jordan would help us. And yes, he's a horrible coach, so I'm not defending him.
I do not KNOW who the coach is, or if an assistant makes it better, neither do the rest of us, but Jordan isn't the right coach to maximize the assets and talents on the roster, that seems rather obvious right now, he's taking round pegs and trying to jam them in square holes, the roster needs a different coach, one who recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of the players he has and knows how to maximize the strengths while minimizing the weaknesses, this doesn't seem to be how jordan coaches.
By the way - the implication on the holiday quote is also that Elton Brand WANTED Jrue to get injured...don't like that either...jordan should remember that brand can probably beat his ass too
the sad thing is that the whole team is a mess.
Jordan is signed for (what?) 3 yrs and management brings him Iverson (= the anti-Princeton offense) after 20 games ??? Donp't know which of the two moves makes less sense.
Also, who do you guys have to coach the team if Jordan is fired? Randy f'n Ayers ??????
I think Sixers are currently the least attractive place for a new coach, especially now that we have also Iverson to manage... only a bad coach or a guy desperate to find a job would accept the Sixers job right now, let's face it.
The sixers MAY be the least attractive place to coach - but there are only 30 NBA teams - you can only turn down so many jobs before you don't get any offers.
Personally, I'd talk to lawrence frank if they fired jordan...look at it this way - the expectations are low
"only a bad coach or a guy desperate to find a job would accept the Sixers job right now, let's face it."
or maybe a coach who realizes there is potential on this roster and would like to make a name for himself as a guy who could turn lemons into lemonade. Or maybe a long-time assistant who's desperate for an opportunity to be a lead man. Jobs are few and far between and it's next to impossible to make the jump from asst to head coach for these guys. If they fire him, there will be a list of candidates, any one of whom would most likely be better than this stiff.
Exactly. You might not attract the "gold-standard" types right now, but a guy like Thibodeau or Turner, who is chomping at the bit for an opportunity won't turn it down.
Unfortunately, as of right now we have to trust Stefanski to choose the right guy.
fact
Here is the rub: 10-31.
That is Jordan's record over his last 41 games, including the 07-08 playoffs. That is a 20-win season.
Not to mention the fact that he has NEVER had a team rank higher than 19th in defensive rating. Never won more than 45 games in a season. Only won over 50 games ONCE as an assistant in NJ(52).
He's a losing coach. Compared to a guy like Thibodeau or Turner or Shaw, his resume is bleh.
Removing Jordan and replacing him with a COMPETENT defensive teacher would improve the team by leaps and bounds.
Now that we're past the first 10 games of the season, our opponents know the absurdity of our defensive schemes. Watching them exploit the weaknesses is like watching a feeding frenzy. The good news is that EJ's coaching is so deranged that it makes winning nearly impossible. A 15 game losing streak seems like a 50/50 proposition. The scariest scenario is that then management responds by blaming the players and makes a stupid trade.
I am still 100% for this team winning this season and making the playoffs, but after every loss you have to think in the back of your mind that this is one more step to a lottery pick. Trust me though, i root for this team to win every game, but for every loss there is an upside.
P.S. Fire him right now. I don't think it would be that bad if we get another new coach honestly because compared to this asshole anyone is better.
Thibodeau has been the hot name for the past two off seasons and yet doesn't have a job yet, that leads me to believe there's something about him that makes people not want to hire him...maybe it's the fact that the boston defense involves committing fouls so often that if refs called them all the game would come to a stand still?
If the refs called every foul the celtics committed, they'd all foul out by half time
Maybe he's a bad interview. Unlike EJ. I don't think it's ever a great argument to say that because the wise 30 GMs of the NBA don't make a certain move, it must not be a smart move to make for reasons unapparent to us.
To back this up, it wasn't 30 teams that interviewed him these past two seasons, the actual numbers was closer to what, 10? And 10 franchises that were obviously already in bad shape, one of which made an atrocious decision (I think you know which one I'm talking about).
He turns down 1/3 of the franchises in the NBA?
You only get so many chances, and a good coach can make even a bad team better...
Thibodeau is in no position to turn down an offer cause he doesn't know when he'll get a second one (or third) unless there's some sort of "when we get sick of doc" promise that no one knows about and he's just interviewing to keep it quiet.
There's a limited number of NBA head coaching jobs and a limited number of chances to get and keep one. If thibodeau thinks he's so good then no job should frighten him, and 'good jobs' don't tend to open up because, well, they already have good coaches...and some times those jobs when they do open have a 'heir apparent' and want some one who knows the system and the franchise.
I'm not saying he turned anyone down. I was saying that 30 teams didn't pass on him, 10 did. And those 10 teams aren't exactly known for making wise decisions.
Also, this sixers team hasn't earned the reputation to get away with that many fouls.
what makes you guys think that a good coach would accept the Sixers job now?
Avery Johnson, Thibodeau etc turned down the Sixers' offer this summer (or Sixers couldn't hire them, whatever, same outcome), if you think that the Di Leos, Ayerses, Doug Collinses, Dwayne Caseys etc would me a significant upgrade over Jordan fine, I will just disagree
Again, you don't have to convince me that Jordan is a stiff, I already know that.
Stefanski wouldn't hire guys like JVG, Collins or Johnson because 1) the "checkbook" sure as hell ain't THAT open and 2) each of those three guys would want more input on player personnel than Stefanski would EVER give.
Besides, all of those guys coach defense.
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