Celtics assistant head coach who might be a hot commodity this offseason if the Hornets don't scoop him up. Many say he is the best defensive minded assistant coach in the NBA. Heard Avery Johnson aka Pat Pete's little brother wants to be VP also if the Hornets want him. :hihi:
Good coach, but there's no way he takes the offer right away imo. Plenty of better jobs than the Nola one out there he could snag. Cleveland being on that comes to mind. Maybe even Boston, too. Doc has said a few times this year that it might be his last go-round, but people just ignore him when he says it for some reason. Long story short, I don't want to coach a team who won in the high 30s last year and that has no cap room to improve itself in the offseason where almost every team in the NBA will be improving itself.
You are probably right, but with Chouest set to take over ownership I think the game is changed. Being from down the bayou, you have to know how committed to winning he is. Look at what he did for the SLHS basketball program. Chouest will be the type of owner that gives the coach everything he needs to win. That has to be attractive.
He did do a lot for SLHS. I was a kid and looked up to all the guys who played on those teams. That was a pretty special time for us South Lafourche folks -- not as much for the folks elsewhere in the state who alleged wrongdoings, etc... But yes, Mr. Gary loves... LOVES basketball. He will be great for the franchise.
Surely an intelligent head coach is going to look past one year? A nucleus of Chris Paul, David West, Okefor, Thorton, etc. has to be tempting. Cap room will be made, but not what Cleveland has of course. I think we see the Hornets deal Collinston and someone with a big cap number (Peja, Julian Wright, Mo Pete) off to make a little room. After next year though, things should open up a bit. If Cleveland loses LeBron, I don't care who they sign. They're a middle of the road team at best. Perhaps you're right, but Sean Payton had other options and saw New Orleans as an opportunity for something special. Maybe Thom will see the same. I have considered Chris Paul to be the Drew Brees of the NBA...
NBA coaches look at ONE year. TWO at the most. Because if they don't win in year one or two, they will be gone. The job security is ridiculously stupid. And the Hornets have a decent core, but not anything to go crazy about. Paul is great when he's healthy, but he almost never is. The other guys aren't nearly as nice without Paul. Put it this way, their core alone won't be nearly enough to even sniff the West Finals or anything like that.
