Michael and I finally just talk Monty and what it would mean if the team did move on. Who we would like to see, if this is a reflection on Monty or the team, and should the team make more moves without knowing who will be at the helm? We also talk Hakeem Ajinca-won, Quincy being mad, and grading our guards.
Enjoy the Podcast!
Like the Show or the Blog? Follow @BourbonStShots
Like the music? Follow @ScottBurton
4 responses to “In the NO Podcast Ep 201: Talking Monty”
Trying to decipher MM’s guess about Monty’s future (or maybe he has a mole or something, but anyways. . . ) thinking maybe, team owner is basically like Captain Hook, hearing “tick-tock, tick-tock,” knows he has to win soon considering his age and all, so he goes ahead and pulls the plug on Monty.
My problem with that scenario is the predictable “win now” owner mistake thinking that a championship is an attitude adjustment away. Like, “Monty is too soft on these guys, too mild-mannered. Fan-base is in revolt. Jimmer isn’t getting enough touches. Austin Rivers’ brother keeps tweeting me. What we need here is more discipline! Somebody to crack the whip! . . . Get me the loudest Holler Guy out there!”
So then we get a holler-off between Avery and the Reverend, and one of them wins, and we’re sunk. Cause a holler guy is not going to change the team dynamic, just the decibel level in the locker room, and that’s not a longterm solution. I’d like a feistier coach than Monty that advocates passionately for his team on the court, but great coaching is not theater and not just X’s and O’s. It’s the 3 dimensional chess, seeing the moves in advance, getting the right people in the right places, and then pressing the right buttons during the game.
I hope sanity prevails and nobody does anything rash for the sake of firing up the fan base. Who knew who Budenholzer was before last year? How many people thought that wonky looking Steve Kerr was going to blow up the West Coast? I hope the team doesn’t do something just for the sake of getting everyone’s attention.
Tired of the “we need a defensive coach!” mindset. Defense is important, but so is having an offensive system that works. San Antonio wins championships because they know how to run an offense effectively. I want a Jerry Sloan type coach, someone who runs plays. Real plays.
This team is already has a good offense, but how much better could it be if you had a pick-n-roll game, or a triangle offense, or something other than Tyreke playing hero ball every play. Everyone wants to pick apart this team’s defense, but so many players are either being misused (Jimmer, Ryno) or are pretty much being ignored (Davis) on offense.
I would love to see you guys interview some former Monty Williams era Pelicans like Carl Landry (won playoff series with Golden State), Trevor Ariza (winning culture in 13-14 with Washington and currently with Houston), Jarrett Jack (won playoff series with Golden State), Anthony Morrow (winning culture in OKC), and Greivis Vasquez (part of the Toronto turnaround) and talk about the difference in organizational culture between the Pelicans and the successful teams that they have been a part of.
You think you could do that?
I don’t understand how you guys can thumb your nose at Mark Jackson as a possible Monty replacement, yet think that John Calipari would be an awesome successor. Whatever you want to say about Jackson’s personality, he’s a proven NBA winner. Calipari is a great college coach, but is a proven NBA loser (0.391 winning percentage from 1996-99 with the Nets).
Jackson turned the laughingstock Warriors into a top 3 NBA defense (http://on.nba.com/1yyI1CS) and a perennial playoff team, setting the stage for where they are now. Jackson is bombastic, but he would give an identity to a team that sorely needs one. I’m not saying he’s the guy to lead us to a title, but he can put us in a good position to hand it over to someone who will.
Great podcast this week, I really needed to hear from someone who was as fed up with Monty as I was (and still am).