Avery Johnson

[504ByrdGang]

Holiday is not a pass-first PG. He's a solid passers, but that isn't his strength. He's in a system that is point guard friendly and when the team is healthy he has a handful of players that can give him easy reads. However I think Jrue's biggest flaw as a player is his limited court vision. Saying Jrue Holiday is a pass-first PG is like saying Brandon Jennings is a pass-first PG. This isn't an insult to Jrue like I said he's a capable passer on top of his other skills that make him beneficial to this team. I just strongly disagree with the idea that he's a pass-first PG.

he averaged 8 assist last year with no players to pass to they were all scrubs

[Kurgan]

I get your point DT but putting jennings, who is a chuck-first, chuck-second, chuck-third type of player next to jrue is not really going to endear your point to people here (and also is a bit far fetched. Plenty of other point guards who are NOT pass first - any not named marshall, paul, rondo and nash i think -)

[da ThRONe]

You just compared his passing or lack their of to Brandon Jennings, yes I'd say that is an insult to Jrue.

The point is Jennings is averaging just a shade more assist per game than Holiday and averages about 1.5 more shots. Which should be expected because Brandon averages over 2 more mpg than Jrue. Jrue has been a much more efficient scoring, but as far as apg and shot attempts per game their numbers are very similar.

Again this is comparing style of play and not over all talent and/or value.

[da ThRONe]

he averaged 8 assist last year with no players to pass to they were all scrubs

This doesn't make him a pass first PG.

[da ThRONe]

I get your point DT but putting jennings, who is a chuck-first, chuck-second, chuck-third type of player next to jrue is not really going to endear your point to people here (and also is a bit far fetched. Plenty of other point guards who are NOT pass first - any not named marshall, paul, rondo and nash i think -)

I chose Jennings for a reason. Because like Holiday he's on a new team and their numbers this year are very similar. The point is seeing a spike in numbers don't mean a players skill set has changed.

[Austin Rivers]

He'd love Rivers for his defense and leadership and would actually play him over Roberts.

[ImSorryMonty]

I have no idea why everyone hates Avery so much either. Some entitled vets haven't gotten along with him, but his record speaks for itself.

I honestly think a team comprised of young vets starved for winning would be more receptive to his style of coaching. Winning cures everything and the talent is there.

If Anthony Davis gets along with him, the locker room will follow. Dirk and Deron Williams are not Anthony Davis in age or personality.

[SeaLegs]

I'm not taking exception to those that are against Johnson. However what often times take places on this board is a bunch of overreactions and selective criticism for those players, coaches, refs, announcers, etc. the collective seem to dislike.

I'm not saying having a good win lost record or reaching the Finals(hell to a certain degree winning the Finals) makes you a good coach however it is apart of that coaches resume and can't just be dismissed. I think Bryon Scott is the prime example of a coach that had not one, but two Finals appearance and was/is a terrible NBA coach.

I see two names that have become common and they two have some aspect on their coaching record that concerns me that aren't discussed much here. Stan Van Gundy in the Finals inserted Jameer Nelson in to the starting line up of Rafer Alston when Nelson wasn't ready physically and it completely ruined any chance they had of winning. Then there's George Karl who has never made it out of the 1st round.

This isn't a ballot for Avery. Just a ploy for less selective criticism. Johnson could just as easily be as terrible as most are saying, but there's a chance he could make this team better. Either way we should be trying to up grade our team doctors and/or trainers more than our coaches.

I agree with most of what you said, however Karl has definitely made it past the first round of the playoffs before -- he beat us during our infamous '08/'09 first round exit which I'm sure everyone remembers all too well. In 2001 he even brought the Bucks to one game away from the NBA Finals. So it's disingenuous to say that he has no post-season success -- perhaps just not as much recent success as you'd like.

[SeaLegs]

I have no idea why everyone hates Avery so much either. Some entitled vets haven't gotten along with him, but his record speaks for itself.

Just listening to Avery talk about basketball is discouraging. His record may speak for itself, but unfortunately for him, he speaks for himself as well.

[da ThRONe]

I agree with most of what you said, however Karl has definitely made it past the first round of the playoffs before -- he beat us during our infamous '08/'09 first round exit which I'm sure everyone remembers all too well. In 2001 he even brought the Bucks to one game away from the NBA Finals. So it's disingenuous to say that he has no post-season success -- perhaps just not as much recent success as you'd like.

Good catch. I certainly didn't mean to be disingenuous or flat out false, but again he has had his issues a well.

[MistahB]

Then there's George Karl who has never made it out of the 1st round.

This isn't a ballot f

:/

Karl has made it out of the first round quite a few times. You're focusing on his time with Denver...he took Seattle to the Finals and lost to Jordan and the Bulls....

In fact, of the seven years he coached Seattle, his teams were eliminated in the first round only twice and went to the playoffs each year.

[kclaboy504]

:/

Karl has made it out of the first round quite a few times. You're focusing on his time with Denver...he took Seattle to the Finals and lost to Jordan and the Bulls....

In fact, of the seven years he coached Seattle, his teams were eliminated in the first round only twice and went to the playoffs each year.

Exactly. Not like he had a championship team in Denver either. They went as far as they should of went.

[Kurgan]

...should have gone

[Pelicans78]

I guess people forgot how bad Avery was with the Nets. The team was struggling last season before he got fired and then took off with PJ Carlisemo as the coach. Avery wouldn't be an upgrade IMO.

[BallSoHard]

I think we should hire Denzel Washington

[Jabberwalker]

I think we should hire Denzel Washington

+1

[DefensiveMind]

I think we should hire Denzel Washington

Better choice than Avery Johnson.