Potential Coaching Candidates

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Love the idea of stressing getting the ball inside, and not necessarily to a big. One thing many people overlook is that the pressure on a defence by having the ball inside is vastly different than on the perimeter; creating new angles and lanes. Most defences start from the ball on the perimeter, so getting the ball inside will often work to their weaknesses. From there, you can still work the ball around to get a good shot (either outside or inside).

Look no further than John Wall to see what consistent attacking/penetration can create, directly and indirectly.

The key is to attack with a plan that the entire team is in on. Too often Lowry, DeRozan, Lou and Vasquez would penetrate and then look like they had no idea what to do next, while the rest of the team was standing around watching them.

[Axel]

Look no further than John Wall to see what consistent attacking/penetration can create, directly and indirectly.

Yeah, unfortunately we aren't likely to get a player as adept as Wall in driving past defenders, so setting guys up with ball movement (what a novel concept...) is our best bet. Demar should be used more in the post (if he's back) and should work on his passing from the post.

[octothorp]

Yeah, unfortunately we aren't likely to get a player as adept as Wall in driving past defenders, so setting guys up with ball movement (what a novel concept...) is our best bet. Demar should be used more in the post (if he's back) and should work on his passing from the post.

Yeah, watching this Obradovic offense, I kept imagining Demar being the guy who starts low-post, receives a screen, comes up and gets the ball around the foul line from Valanciunas. It's definitely more controlled than driving into the key and finding someone on the fly (as Wall, for example, is great at), it's more about making specific reads at specific places, and knowing exactly who's going to be open along what passing lanes as a result of those reads, which I think would be something DD can handle. I'd even say that Ross could fit within that offense pretty-well as a catch-and-shoot and backdoor cut role. Lowry is probably the person who'd probably need to change his game the most, but I could see him used in a role where he's the initial ball-handler, then after passing off to JV in the high post, he comes down under the hoop and sets the pick for DeRozan (who would go up to take the ball in the pick-and-roll), and then there's the option of firing it back in to lowry under the hoop, who can post up his guy, or he can dart out to the 3-point-line for the catch-and-shoot from Demar.

Point being, I don't see any skillsets in the offense that Obradovic uses that the Raptors don't have... except perhaps quick decision-making.

[Axel]

Yeah, watching this Obradovic offense, I kept imagining Demar being the guy who starts low-post, receives a screen, comes up and gets the ball around the foul line from Valanciunas. It's definitely more controlled than driving into the key and finding someone on the fly (as Wall, for example, is great at), it's more about making specific reads at specific places, and knowing exactly who's going to be open along what passing lanes as a result of those reads, which I think would be something DD can handle. I'd even say that Ross could fit within that offense pretty-well as a catch-and-shoot and backdoor cut role. Lowry is probably the person who'd probably need to change his game the most, but I could see him used in a role where he's the initial ball-handler, then after passing off to JV in the high post, he comes down under the hoop and sets the pick for DeRozan (who would go up to take the ball in the pick-and-roll), and then there's the option of firing it back in to lowry under the hoop, who can post up his guy, or he can dart out to the 3-point-line for the catch-and-shoot from Demar.

Point being, I don't see any skillsets in the offense that Obradovic uses that the Raptors don't have... except perhaps quick decision-making.

I would think Demar coming baseline off a screen to set up in the low post. Have a concurrent elbow screen to free up a cutter down the lane to distract any help. Demar can hit the cutter, or ball fake spin for a shot. Either way, 2 quick options before even running anything.

[symbot]

I would like to see the Raptors hire a crew of MIT graduate students to write a computer program to make basketball decisions. Develop something that would be to basketball what Deep Blue is to chess.

Of course the players and fans would never accept a computer as coach. So we would hire an actor to play the role of "coach". We can tell everybody the actor used to be a successful coach in Europe. Like David Blatt who nobody ever heard of before this year.

But in reality the "coach" just wears an earpiece and Deep Blue for Basketball feeds him line-ups, substitutions & out-of-bounds plays.

I for one would welcome our new algorithm-based basketball overlord!

[octothorp]

I would like to see the Raptors hire a crew of MIT graduate students to write a computer program to make basketball decisions. Develop something that would be to basketball what Deep Blue is to chess.

Of course the players and fans would never accept a computer as coach. So we would hire an actor to play the role of "coach". We can tell everybody the actor used to be a successful coach in Europe. Like David Blatt who nobody ever heard of before this year.

But in reality the "coach" just wears an earpiece and Deep Blue for Basketball feeds him line-ups, substitutions & out-of-bounds plays.

I for one would welcome our new algorithm-based basketball overlord!

I like it. You could also build it into a virtual reality program that players wear while they're sleeping, which basically makes them spend all of their sleeping hours running through a simulation of ideal offensive and defensive positioning. Tell players it'll make them sleep better, what what it's really doing is ingraining position on a deep, subconscious level. Side-effect will be it'll probably be ingrained for the rest of their life... 20 years from now James Johnson will be walking in a crowded mall and the position of people around him will trigger the program, and for no reason that he can think of, he'll set a hard pick on the little old lady who's turning to go into the dollar store.

[GinobilisBaldSpot]

I know it's kinda far fetched, but today on Twitter, Scottie Pippen said he's "waiting for the right time and opportunity" to get into coaching. You guys think he would be a good coach? And if so, next raps head coach?

[distorsun]

-----
David Vanterpool, Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach
Ed Pinckney, assistant coach
Alex Jensen
---
I honestly do not think ANY OF CURRENT AC should be on that list.
=========

Cool. That's about20 candidates. I'm going to try to put together bios/coaching records for all these guys so we can have an actual debate in here. (Might take a day or 3 depending on free time).

So the list is:

Jeff Van Gundy
Alvin Gentry
E. Messina
Mike Malone
Thibadeau
Nate McMillan
Ron Adams
Obradovic
Tom Sterner

Fred Hoiberg (primer and psrs1)

and primer's list:

Nurse
Bayno,
Dave Fizdale,
Jim Boylen,
Adrian Griffin,
Kenny Atkinson,
Tyronn Lue,
Jay Larranaga,
Sean Miller,
Ime Udoka.

Pretty sure a bunch of these will be ruled out quickly. Pretty interested to see if bios and stats lead to any clear standouts.

[NoPropsneeded]

I would like to see the Raptors hire a crew of MIT graduate students to write a computer program to make basketball decisions. Develop something that would be to basketball what Deep Blue is to chess.

Of course the players and fans would never accept a computer as coach. So we would hire an actor to play the role of "coach". We can tell everybody the actor used to be a successful coach in Europe. Like David Blatt who nobody ever heard of before this year.

But in reality the "coach" just wears an earpiece and Deep Blue for Basketball feeds him line-ups, substitutions & out-of-bounds plays.

I for one would welcome our new algorithm-based basketball overlord!

LOL you guys are killing me

[distorsun]

Some of those names are already making the news as potential replacement for Brooks in OKC.

OKC head coaching job search

[007]

I would like to see the Raptors hire a crew of MIT graduate students to write a computer program to make basketball decisions. Develop something that would be to basketball what Deep Blue is to chess.

Of course the players and fans would never accept a computer as coach. So we would hire an actor to play the role of "coach". We can tell everybody the actor used to be a successful coach in Europe. Like David Blatt who nobody ever heard of before this year.

But in reality the "coach" just wears an earpiece and Deep Blue for Basketball feeds him line-ups, substitutions & out-of-bounds plays.

I for one would welcome our new algorithm-based basketball overlord!

lolwut

[Bonus Jonas]

When MU was assistant GM to BC was when Messina to the Raptors first came about to replace Triano, something tells me that he is Masai's guy...

"I don't want to go from 0 immediately to 100"

Not a fit with Drizzy

[15strong]

I think there is a young under the radar coach that hasn't been mention..

Sam cassell, currently one of the lead assistants under Doc Rivers clippers.
This guys was tough hard nose pg with the pedigree and knows what it takes to win... Was a champion with Housten Rockets..
We need someone like this that these players can relate to better

[Joey]

I think there is a young under the radar coach that hasn't been mention..

Sam cassell, currently one of the lead assistants under Doc Rivers clippers.
This guys was tough hard nose pg with the pedigree and knows what it takes to win... Was a champion with Housten Rockets..
We need someone like this that these players can relate to better

Love this suggestion. Love Sam Cassell.

[jerome]

I think there is a young under the radar coach that hasn't been mention..

Sam cassell, currently one of the lead assistants under Doc Rivers clippers.
This guys was tough hard nose pg with the pedigree and knows what it takes to win... Was a champion with Housten Rockets..
We need someone like this that these players can relate to better

two with Houston, and then one with the Celtics in 2008. Just image him being our head coach and all the crazy avatars people will be using