Flip Saunders reaction roundup
by Mike Prada on Apr 14, 2009 2:33 PM EDT
in Coaching
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So it's now official: Flip Saunders is coaching next year's edition of the Washington Wizards. Apparently, he'll sign a 4 year/$18 million contract to do so.
You know how I feel, but what about others?
- David Aldridge: "Maybe Arenas is not the same person at 27 that he was at 23. Lots of guards, like Chauncey Billups, for example -- who swears by Saunders, by the way -- become more team-oriented as their careers continue. It might be that we're looking everywhere else to find someone who can get in Arenas's head when the right guy looks at him in the mirror every morning. If that's true, then Saunders will do just fine. If that's true.
- Hardwood Paroxysm: "Flip Saunders and the Washington Wizards are a match made in Gilbert's own Gilberty heaven."
- Stet Sports: "The question you have to ask yourself with the Flip Saunders-to-the-Wizards rumors is really quite simple. Will Gilbert Arenas like playing for him? Because if the answer is yes, which is what Saunders has generally been praised for throughout his career, you can look forward to a possible Caron Butler trade, a media barnburner in Arenas, and a few more years of barely-making-the-playoffs mediocrity."
- Basketball Jones: Skeets loves the move, Tas wonders why we fired Eddie Jordan.
- Rip Hamilton: "Oh, I think he'd be good for Washington and for the city. He's an offensive genius and he brings a lot of great concepts to the game. He would be great for them." (via Detroit News)
- Chad Ford: He's a good offensive coach on a team with a lot of offensive weapons. I think he'll help the Wizards, but realistically, the best case scenario for the Wizards is what? A fourth seed? I don't see Saunders making the Wizards a serious title contender, even with a potential Top 3 pick in the draft coming. Maybe I'll feel differently if they land Blake Griffin.
- Fanhouse: "The Wizards went with the experienced guy here and there are worse ways they could have gone with this hire. Who knows, maybe this combination of coach and team will provide the punch Washington has been looking for for the better part of the last three decades."
- Michael Wilbon: Flip Saunders is a perfectly reasonable choice for a team to hire as its head coach. I'm just not sure he's the right fit for the Washington Wizards.
- NBA Roundtable: It’s a good decision by Washington. It’s not an inspired choice, or a reach for the stars type of coach, but Flip knows his business and does it really well. Saunders has been found lacking at the highest level, and that’s likely to continue, to dismay of Wizards fans … but he is a good coach and he’ll get the team back into working order.
- DC Sports Bog: Gilbert's Vendetta Against Flip Saunders. (chill folks, it's light-hearted).
- Detroit Bad Boys: Given the Wizards’ roster and Flip’s strengths as a coach, I couldn’t think of a better situation for him.
- Caron Butler: "Flip is a great coach. Very offensive-minded. You've seen some of the things he did in Minnesota and obviously Detroit."
- John Thompson: "He's a reputable coach, and he will help the Wizards, but the question has never been about coaching. The Wizards need to be healthy more than anything else. If all these guys are healthy together, they'll have a pretty respectable team."
- Sporting Blog: Shoals hedges his bets masterfully.
- SayNoToFlip.com: Well, you probably know what's going to be said over there. (HT: Stet Sports)
- The Secret Weapon: Saunders isn't going to start public or private feuds with players. He's going to implement a solid system - on both ends of the floor - and put the players in position to succeed. Is it a thrilling or exciting choice? Nope. But it feels to me like a very good one.
- Ken Berger, CBS Sportsline: "This is just my opinion, but I think Saunders was the right choice for the Washington Wizards. Unlike Detroit, where he was prematurely canned amid a locker-room revolt, Washington has a stable locker room and a core of veterans eager to reach their potential. With Saunders in charge, the message is clear: The Wizards' future is on the players."
I'll add more as I see them, but feel free to do so as well.
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Prad is BACK?
I’ve noticed you’ve been making quite a bit of posts lately… And it feels great.
Can we officially welcome you back? :)
by se7en on Apr 14, 2009 2:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Not yet
I’m on break, so I have more time. One more month.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Apr 14, 2009 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Reactions
• Just because Yahoo sports reports it, doesn’t make it true. The contract is not signed. I’m not saying it won’t be, but let’s not use the word “official” till it’s official
• Stet is looking pretty deeply into a hazy crystal ball
• John Thompson is exactly right
My take: Flip is a similar choice to the departed Jordan, but better IMHO.
by MR on Apr 14, 2009 2:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Stet
a very hazy crystal ball.
by Johnnie Futbol on Apr 14, 2009 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with him
Caron trade aside, he is seeing what I am seeing. i don’t know how anyone can look at what Eddie Jordan did and think we were on the right path, we just needed a more efficient offense. That’s the immediate improvement Flip brings. We needed a better half court offense too so i don’t doubt there will be improvement. I also don’t see Flip developing any of the young talent or holding any of them accountable.
I give Ernie credit for getting one of the top available proven coaches but I can’t help but think we will be blowing this experiment up in 2 years without a playoff series win.
by Jheiser3 on Apr 14, 2009 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
we'll see
I think it remains to be seen what this team can accomplish when healthy. The Wizards haven’t really proven anything even after making the playoffs four years in a row, but their best player has also been injured for the past two season. I know people look back to when a healthy team lost (barely) to the Cavs in the playoffs three years ago, and were swept by the Heat in round 2 four years ago, but this team is a much different team now than before. Back then they really lacked depth. Now they have a lot of talent on the bench, but also a lot of inexperience. I’m really curious to see what Arenas, Butler, Jamison & Haywood can do together with all the other players on the team who hopefully will develop in the next year or two.
I also think now is the time for Grunfeld to get creative in bringing another solid player or two, whether by trading expiring contracts, a young prospect like Blatche, or perhaps giving up the 1st round draft pick (if it’s not Griffin). The point being Grunfeld should have a little flexibility to improve this roster between now and next season (or the trade deadline).
What I don’t like about Stet’s piece, besides the silly Caron Butler trade prediction, is he characterizes the team as one that includes a bunch of loose canons (Arenas and all the young guys), and two mature, hard-working stars (Jamison and Butler) who have put up with Arenas in the past because Jordan kept him in check (more or less). Flip on the other hand will suposedly let Arenas and the rest do whatever they please which will alienate Jamison and Butler, which will lead to the Butler trade.
That to me is a bit too much, though I understand the doubt people have that the Wizards can amount to anything more than a notch below the Cavs, Celtics and Magic in the East (i.e. 4th seed). I think most people want their ceiling to be higher than that. We’ll see…
by Johnnie Futbol on Apr 14, 2009 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Caron
I think his point about Caron being moved is due to Jamison and Gilbert being guaranteed so much money that Caron is the only piece that’s movable.
by Jheiser3 on Apr 14, 2009 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
ah yes...
My mistake, I misread the column.
by Johnnie Futbol on Apr 14, 2009 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree
I heard a lot of people saying how they wanted Avery Johnson cause Flip does not coach. Well the man took the T-Wolves to the playoffs 8 times and the Pistons 3 times.
We have just as good, if not better talent to make a run at a title in coming years with Flip as our coach. Hope everything works out for the best.
You have to hate losing more than you love winning.
by Mr MaLoR on Apr 14, 2009 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
My 3 rules
1. Don’t play cards with a man named Doc
2. Don’t eat a place called Mom’s
3. Don’t entrust your basketball future to a man named Flip
Well I just invented the third one. Hopefully, it will prove to be untrue.
Its always Roger Mason (Jr.) time!
by ledellforlife on Apr 14, 2009 7:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
one more for ya
I’m pretty optimistic of the team’s chances for a big turnaround next year
http://www.celticsblog.com/2009/4/15/834835/potential-wizardry-in-2009-10
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
by Jeff Clark on Apr 15, 2009 8:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The fact that Flip was the best choice
is the disappointing part for me, but finding the right NBA coach is very difficult. And no matter how good some of the assistants are out there, it is tough to entrust any of them with a team like this. It’s the best hire, even if I am not a big backer of Flip Saunders.
"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck
by George Templeton on Apr 15, 2009 3:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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