I think Flip has a good working relationship with the front office and his job has never been in question. He's not going anywhere anytime soon, and honestly, I don't think he should.
I think he's good a coach. With Larry Brown out of the league, Pat Riley soon to follow, and Phil Jackson probably never leaving LA (unless for the Knicks) - there really isn't anybody worth going out to get. Flip is firmly entrenched towards the top of the second tier coaches.
That would be assuming that no more great coaches will be developed. Keep in mind that all of the coaches you noted above did not begin great coaches. Every great career must begin somewhere.
Flip may be entrenched with this front office but I am going to go on a limb and predict that they will never win with him as coach. Sooner or later the finger pointing will be turned to the front office itself for their failure to see this.
Leadership characteristics are a great quality for a coach to have; I do not see it in Flip. A calm hand and a strong will even in the bleakest of spots is a great quality for a coach to have; I do not see it in Flip. The courage to stand your ground and sit a key player who is giving a poor effort is a great quality for a coach to have; and yet again I fail to see this in Flip. X’s and O’s are not the only qualities of great coaches. Strong leadership abilities more then anything is what separates the Philip Saunders of the world from the Greg Pop’s and the Larry Brown’s.
If this team loses in the first round it will be a typical Flip Saunders pre Piston playoff outcome. First it was KG could not get it done, now its, these lazy Pistons cannot get it done. At what point do people begin to realize that there is a fairly consistent pattern here (50+ win regular season, playoff collapse)?
Jeff Van Gundy piques my interest a lot. His New York Knicks team in 1999 was one of the grittiest defensive teams I can remember. Marcus Camby that year became one of my favourite guys to watch, imagine Jason Maxiell in that role. I don't like planning for replacement coaches while Flip Saunders is still on calling the shots (I've never really had anything against him), but I have to say Van Gundy is someone I would take a closer look at. AND, who knows how much differently the Malice at the Palace would have been if Van Gundy was out there hanging on to Ron Artest's leg.
The team has some great defensive potential, so I can see this being an interesting combination indeed.
It's just that Flips flaws hurt our team a lot. He doesn't know when to play players, or to control the tempo. He has a good offensive system though. Avery Johnson sounds like the exact opposite, so I wouldn't want to look there.
Wow I didn't realize that it was the same kid posting in both threads. I can't believe he thinks Detroit FIRED Larry Brown. Why does he even post here? Is he really that bitter that the Bulls didn't make the playoffs?
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