[absolutebest]

Larry Bird was given the most experienced team in the league...

he won lots of games.


Isiah Thomas was handed the most inexperienced team in the league...

he's struggled at times, but still gotten to the playoffs both years. Quite a feat considering only one starter remains from the 2000 Finals Team... Reggie Miller.


Larry was not that good (His assistants were and he had aout three coaches on the floor-- Mullin, Miller, Jackson...). Isiah is great with developing talent and with the help of Malone, Aguire, Rollins, etc... he should have us atop the East next year. So, really after considering all the facts who is the better coach?

Is Phil Jackson the best coach in the NBA? No. No way. That is probably Larry Brown or Greg Popavich or someone. You have to put these things in perspective.

 

[Sir I Gotta Go]

I agree. Everyone just says we have the worst coach because they hear other people say that. Other rebuilding teams would love to play as good as we have the last few years. Golden state's goal next year is to play .500 like the Pacers. Yet the media just sees it as them struggling to make the playoffs a year after they went to the Finals. They figure they can blame Zeke. But the fact is we are lucky to make the playoffs the last few years. Everyone says Carlisle would have been better, but you don't know that. He was given an experienced team. Everyone says the Pacers have way more talent than their playoff position shows. Look at it this way. Last year when they started they had a rookie point guard. They had a streeky player in Jalen rose who played inconsistent defense at best. they had no center, they started Jeff Foster who was foul prone and had no back up. Rose was stubborn and always wanted to play the point. Harrington covered a lot of their problems because he was an energy player who could come off the bench and score 20 and was an above average defender. He was taking minutes away from Rose and rose was speaking out to the local media and was playing inconsistent. So they figured he was expendable so they could get more time for Harrington. they traded Rose for depth more than anything else. They got Artest because they figured they could let Harrington and him compete for the starting job. They got Miller for a legit starting center. Donny chose to take Mercer instead of Oakley. I wish he would have took Oakley so they would have had an expiring contract. But, he thought he would get another scorer. He didn't know that Mercer would never recover from his injury until the playoffs. This threw off chemistry. And then harrington got hurt. Most teams would have folded. At one point they were 37-40 and counted out to make the playoffs. That is when they went on their streak of 5 straight wins and had classics against the Raptors and Bucks.

They accomplished a lot for what they went through last season. Don't dawg Zeke. He has done a good job so far. It's taking the next step that he needs to do next season. If they are not top 4 then Zeke will be gone. But I see them going to the Finals. I don't really see a team that scares them. They will have the most talent in the East.

So far Zeke has done his job. Develop talent and get into the playoffs. What more can you ask from a rookie coach coaching the youngest team?

 

[w-h-i-t-e-b-o-y]

My question is this if he is such a good coach then explain the trade for jalen Rose. As a veteran player he was their go to guy and should have been an allstar a couple of times and then he lets management trade and him and Best for Brad Miller, Mercer, and whoever else it was....No a good deal for Indy. Good for Chitown.

 

[Sir I Gotta Go]

Zeke is not in charge of deals. DW is. They had no depth and they had someone to replce Rose. It works out well for both teams. they also got Artest who is an elite defender and IMO on the same level as Rose.

 

[w-h-i-t-e-b-o-y]

NO WAY

Are you crazy the same level as Rose....Now you may not like Rose or you may like Artest but he is definitely not on the same level as Rose(not yet anyway) rose has avg 20 5 and 5 almost every year and artest avg what? The same level?????........

 

[absolutebest]

come on...

Jalen was never the Pacers go-to guy. That players name is Reggie Miller. Jalen was just peeved that the torch was being passed to a player better than him... Jermaine O' Neal. End of story.

 

[R-Star]

Rose is on a higher level than Artest, no doubt about it. But that wasent the reason for the trade. Rose is the kind of guy who needs to be the man on the team. He NEEDS to take the shots at the end of the game and couldnt handle it that that was Reggies job. Now hes on a team where he runs the show and hes loving it. He could be in the asg this year. At the same time Indiana got just as good of a deal. A far better than average center who we desperatly needed, one of the best defensive stoppers in the league (even if he is a nut show) and a great off the bench scorer and possible (remember is said POSSIBLE) guy to take Reggies spot when hes done. Each team go exactley what they wanted and both got a great deal. With Harrington, JB and now Artest there was no room for Rose anyways.

 

[Sir I Gotta Go]

Artest is an elite defender. A lot better defender than rose. And on top of that, in indiana Rose put up 18 points, in chicago Artest put up 15 points. That is not that big of a difference.

 

[R-Star]

Why would you compare how they did on the opposite teams. Compare how they're scoring now. Rose is demolishing him, with a higher percentage. Rose is a better player, no question, a way better player. But he doesnt fit with Indy. If he did, I would take him over Artest any day

 

[Sir I Gotta Go]

O well we don't need scoring anyway. We've got enough of that. Wait a minute, that's why he didn't fit in! We had more scorers to take his points away and he hated that. Who is Chicago's second option? umm, umm, umm, Marcus Fizer? :no: Sorry. There is none! So Rose has to score more points which he is happy to do. He fits in well with Chicago because he can jack up all the shots he wants and no one will get mad at him because there is no one else to pass it to.

 

[R-Star]

Yea man, thats what I was trying to say

 

[ptstyle272]

Originally posted by Malakian
O well we don't need scoring anyway. We've got enough of that. Wait a minute, that's why he didn't fit in! We had more scorers to take his points away and he hated that. Who is Chicago's second option? umm, umm, umm, Marcus Fizer? :no: Sorry. There is none! So Rose has to score more points which he is happy to do. He fits in well with Chicago because he can jack up all the shots he wants and no one will get mad at him because there is no one else to pass it to.

yeah but now that williams is in town do you think that rose will be happy that he has to share his shots?

 

[Sir I Gotta Go]

Williams won't take too many of Rose's shots this year, but down the road I could see that being a problem. But Rose is going to have to be passing it more anyway. The point of their offense is for Rose or Williams to get it down to Curry or Chandler. So Rose may be happy now, but down the road he could have the same problems he had in Indiana.