Pels Need One Piece For Playoff Push: A Head Coach

[tyler]

I'll give you all the proof I need and the eye test backs this up. 2012-2013 the team scored 94.1 PPG and allowed 97.9 PPG in the regular season. You can't stop or shut down good NBA teams from scoring in the NBA. Now that year was a real joke, they had no chance at all scoring 94.1 PPG and trying to keep teams under that.

2012-2013

Denver did 106.1
Houston did 106
OKC did 105.7
San Antonio did 103
Miami did 102.9
Lakers 102.2
Warriors 101.2
Dallas 101.1
Clippers 101.1


Now look at last season, even more scoring. You will see a pattern here, and it doesn't matter about the injuries and of course we don't make playoffs last year with the injuries, but it is the system that is also a problem. The Timberwolves didn't make the playoffs but at least they had a fighting chance because they had an offense that could keep up. If their defense or offense was a little better they could have made the playoffs. But our offense is so bad, it doesn't matter how good the defense is, you can't stop NBA teams. And even the Lakers scored more points per game than us, which is a total disgrace, because that was a truly awful NBA team.

2013-2014
Clippers 107.9
Houston 107.7
Minnesota 106.9
Portland 106.7
OKC 106.2
San Antonio 105.4
Suns 105.2
Dallas 104.8
Denver 104.4
Warriors 104.3
Lakers 103

Guess what the Pelicans were? #18 at 99.7 PPG and allowed 102.4 PPG. So lucky us, we got a 5.6 point increase from 94.1 PPG to 99.7 PPG from one year to the next. Not going to get in done in the Western Conference. Does Monty Williams know what conference the team plays in? The team obviously plays in slow motion.

The Lakers put up 103 but allowed 109.2, if Mike D'Antoni was coaching our healthy team this year I predict we would score 110 PPG and allow maybe 104 PPG or something similar.

Do you see a Western Conference Pattern here. Since you can't keep all those teams from scoring when you slow the game down, you might as well outscore them all be the highest scoring team in the NBA when you have all the pieces to do so. The highest scoring team in the NBA always makes the playoffs. And the team is capable of scoring around 111 PPG actually. I predict 101 PPG this year. It's all indicative of the type of system. What I'm getting at is the pace is too slow and the offense has more room for improvement than the defense does. So the offense is what needs work.

You are in love with offense huh?

[Kurgan]

And reading this thread i found out that some people can actually read coaches' minds! No idea why they're not employed by teams so that they can guess the other team's coach's thoughts and beat them that way. Befuddling.

[billfromfinance]

I don't understand all the MM hate...I love his coverage of the roster.

haha from what I have seen, the MM heat comes from people being out-debated. "what? you want me to provide facts to back my points? get out of here, who do you think you are, getting all in my face with your knowledge stemmed from countless hours of research, clearly you must be paid for it, therefore, your argument is not valid".

[MichaelMcNamara]

You are in love with offense huh?

I know. Pretty convenient that he doesn't mention the Grizzlies, one of the most successful WC teams over the last few years.

[Noggy]

Maybe we should just hire Sean Payton as head coach.

[Kurgan]

No difference from monty...he never runs the ball anyway

[504ever]

I'll give you all the proof I need and the eye test backs this up. 2012-2013 the team scored 94.1 PPG and allowed 97.9 PPG in the regular season. You can't stop or shut down good NBA teams from scoring in the NBA. Now that year was a real joke, they had no chance at all scoring 94.1 PPG and trying to keep teams under that.

2012-2013

Denver did 106.1
Houston did 106
OKC did 105.7
San Antonio did 103
Miami did 102.9
Lakers 102.2
Warriors 101.2
Dallas 101.1
Clippers 101.1


Now look at last season, even more scoring. You will see a pattern here, and it doesn't matter about the injuries and of course we don't make playoffs last year with the injuries, but it is the system that is also a problem. The Timberwolves didn't make the playoffs but at least they had a fighting chance because they had an offense that could keep up. If their defense or offense was a little better they could have made the playoffs. But our offense is so bad, it doesn't matter how good the defense is, you can't stop NBA teams. And even the Lakers scored more points per game than us, which is a total disgrace, because that was a truly awful NBA team.

2013-2014
Clippers 107.9
Houston 107.7
Minnesota 106.9
Portland 106.7
OKC 106.2
San Antonio 105.4
Suns 105.2
Dallas 104.8
Denver 104.4
Warriors 104.3
Lakers 103

Guess what the Pelicans were? #18 at 99.7 PPG and allowed 102.4 PPG. So lucky us, we got a 5.6 point increase from 94.1 PPG to 99.7 PPG from one year to the next. Not going to get in done in the Western Conference. Does Monty Williams know what conference the team plays in? The team obviously plays in slow motion.

The Lakers put up 103 but allowed 109.2, if Mike D'Antoni was coaching our healthy team this year I predict we would score 110 PPG and allow maybe 104 PPG or something similar.

Do you see a Western Conference Pattern here. Since you can't keep all those teams from scoring when you slow the game down, you might as well outscore them all be the highest scoring team in the NBA when you have all the pieces to do so. The highest scoring team in the NBA always makes the playoffs. And the team is capable of scoring around 111 PPG actually. I predict 101 PPG this year. It's all indicative of the type of system. What I'm getting at is the pace is too slow and the offense has more room for improvement than the defense does. So the offense is what needs work.

Right. And this is all Monty's fault. It's not about the low talent level in 12-13 or the injuries in 13-14 because ... you say so?! This isn't a fact based argument; this is an opinion.

[NOLa.]

What I got from that lengthy explanation is that Monty is a nonconformist.

[ItIsRynosTime]

Welcome back, Ryno

Thanks!

Yep. I am a full time Philosophy and Law teacher who also coaches the Football, Basketball, and Soccer teams at the High School. About 60+ hrs a week. Never made a dime at BSS. Never will in all likelihood. I got a $25 gift card for appearing on a Sports Talk show to talk Pels once thought!

Most High School coaches take on two sports max. Well done being able to handle that load.

You are in love with offense huh?

I prefer watching offensive minded basketball. It is the Western Conference style. I'm in love with winning. Offense wins games. Offense makes the playoffs. Offense wins Championships. The Spurs are are one of the best offensive basketball teams.

I know. Pretty convenient that he doesn't mention the Grizzlies, one of the most successful WC teams over the last few years.

Why would I mention the Grizzlies, they aren't one of the highest scoring teams in the NBA. They're the only exception of a playoff team in the Western Conference that doesn't score as high as the other teams. We are much more athletic than the Grizzlies, we are younger than the Grizzlies, we aren't a half court team, trying to make the Pelicans into a half court team is really dumb with this young athletic team, we have better shooters than the Grizzlies. We are not as adept scoring in the post as the Grizzlies. We are not the Memphis Grizzlies and we do not want to be a boring team to watch like the Memphis Grizzlies. All the highest scoring teams play in the Western Conference. We have a bunch of players who are better offensively than defensively. This is not rocket science.

Another thing about Memphis is that they play a lot of close games. They don't get easy wins because they don't score a lot of points. Memphis never blows the doors off opponents, their road like Chicago is a very tough one. Memphis is lucky to get the 8th seed and even make the playoffs. Memphis got the 7th seed last year but they were in a huge battle at the end of the year and they were fortune to make it in. They had to basically play playoff games the last month of the season. Not the ideal position you want to be in, fighting for the last playoff spot(s) in the West like Memphis. It is very unlikely the Pelicans could play the same style as the Memphis Grizzlies and make the playoffs.

This team would be much more successful in an offensive minded system. That doesn't mean you don't play defense. It is simply using all the firepower that the team has. I feel like the Pelicans have wasted their potential the last couple years. Would like to see the Pelicans win the amount of games they are capable of winning. I know it would work under the right offensive system, like my former team the Nuggets when they made the playoffs every single year with Melo and Karl, they were arguably a couple in-bounds passes and plays going right away from going to the Finals, and the Lakers squeaked by them and went on to win it all. Melo, Billups, Nene, Kenyon Martin, JR Smith, Chris Anderson, and the rest of the team wasn't that good. The Pelicans could eventually go as far or farther than those Nuggets. The Nuggets were one of the top three teams in the NBA in 2009 and they were every bit good enough to win the Finals that year. Just having the right coach with the right offense can get you pretty far. George Karl did what he could with the players he had. I would say George Karl got the most out of those Nuggets teams. I would say the say about D'Antoni with the Suns. D'Antoni got the most out of his teams. Some coaches can bring out the best a team has to offer.

[tyler]

Just wanted put in my 2 cents in before I hit the Z's... Lol well from reading from your post it seems like the only reason why you want AD to be a 3 is because you want Ryno to start... And to me that seems selfish... It's not about how you want Ryno to avg 34-36 points, it's about what's best for the team... And if that mean coming in off the bench and lighting up the second unit then so be it.. Answer this if ryno starts where will our bench points come from? Tyreke can't do it by himself you know? Second offense don't win championships defense does...I hope you know that the spurs locked up the heat... It's not all about offense you need defensive stops to win a game and it's not boring... Watching the spurs lock down the heat was the best part.

[bojangles837]

Can we trade ryno so this guy can leave. My god


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[bojangles837]

He's almost on the level of the guy from the name change thread who thought the New Orleans voodoo was the work of the devil


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[ItIsRynosTime]

Just wanted put in my 2 cents in before I hit the Z's... Lol well from reading from your post it seems like the only reason why you want AD to be a 3 is because you want Ryno to start... And to me that seems selfish... It's not about how you want Ryno to avg 34-36 points, it's about what's best for the team... And if that mean coming in off the bench and lighting up the second unit then so be it.. Answer this if ryno starts where will our bench points come from? Tyreke can't do it by himself you know? Second offense don't win championships defense does...I hope you know that the spurs locked up the heat... It's not all about offense you need defensive stops to win a game and it's not boring... Watching the spurs lock down the heat was the best part.

What is best for the team is Ryno starting, getting 35+ minutes and proper rest. That is the best thing for the team. Whether he starts at the 3, or 4, or 5 is better than him not starting. One of this teams biggest weaknesses is its long ball. We couldn't even find a way to use Anthony Morrow last year. This team isn't going to be able to space the floor effectively with the starters. You're starting Asik now who has to be close to the basket. Who is going to shoot? If Tyreke starts he won't be shooting 3's. Jrue and Gordon only? Well I hope they can take enough and make enough. This starting unit is going to have trouble if what most on here want to happen, happens.

Your comment that "offense doesn't win championships, defense does" is factually devoid. Your statement is simply incorrect, okay. You need to have both to win multiple championships, but if you're going to be excellent at one and average at the other I'd rather be excellent on offense. Defense is more effort than anything. Everyone knows great offense beats great defense. Watch any NBA game, listen to any NBA analyst and they will say that a million times.

I think the bottom line is, when have the Pelicans ever been great defensively? This team isn't great defensively and they're not great offensively and the coach plays a big role in that. The Pelicans are good enough to make the playoffs with any coach in the NBA. But don't think for a second that this team is getting out of the 1st round over the next 4 years if Monty is the coach. With that said, I'm hoping for the best this season and hope Monty changes his style drastically.

[ItIsRynosTime]

Right. And this is all Monty's fault. It's not about the low talent level in 12-13 or the injuries in 13-14 because ... you say so?! This isn't a fact based argument; this is an opinion.

Yes the 94.1 PPG and the 99.7 PPG were Monty's fault. They should have been at least 98 PPG and at least 102 PPG the last two years. This year with a healthy team, it should be at least 105 PPG. Under a full court, running, dunking, and gunning offense that goes on a fast break at every glimpse of an opportunity, the team could reach 111 PPG which I think is optimal for this team.

[ItIsRynosTime]

Can we trade ryno so this guy can leave. My god

He's almost on the level of the guy from the name change thread who thought the New Orleans voodoo was the work of the devil

bojangles837, why are you being a jerk and wasting everyone's time? Why are you posting on this thread? Do your posts on this thread serve any purpose at all? You could at least post a funny picture or something. You're just bashing and saying ludicrous things. You look like a fool and I feel sorry for you. I'm not going to respond to this kind of behavior again. I'll let you waste your own time and that of the readers if that is what you're set on doing. Please find something better to do for you own well being.

[NOEngineer]

Point differential is more important than points scored for most of us. I love watching great defense, and most teams that win championships still play great defense. The Spurs killed the Heat on both ends of the floor this year.

Monty seems to be respected by his players and to obtain exceptional effort level from most of them and improved results from most of them. His drawn-up plays have been average and occasionally outstanding. His personal character seems beyond reproach. Those qualities are enough to earn from me this entire season as an opportunity to prove whether his system works when he has the players healthy to execute it. Changing coaches could have disastrous unintended consequences if AD or lesser starters dislike the new guy.....

[ItIsRynosTime]

Point differential is more important than points scored for most of us. I love watching great defense, and most teams that win championships still play great defense. The Spurs killed the Heat on both ends of the floor this year.

Monty seems to be respected by his players and to obtain exceptional effort level from most of them and improved results from most of them. His drawn-up plays have been average and occasionally outstanding. His personal character seems beyond reproach. Those qualities are enough to earn from me this entire season as an opportunity to prove whether his system works when he has the players healthy to execute it. Changing coaches could have disastrous unintended consequences if AD or lesser starters dislike the new guy.....

Here are the top teams in Point Differential over the last 8 years:

2013-14 (Notice all WC teams and tougher conference by far and last years data is the most important)
1 San Antonio 105.4 and 97.6
2 LA Clippers 107.9 and 101.0
3 Oklahoma City 106.2 and 99.8
4 Golden State 104.3 and 99.5

2012-13
1 Oklahoma City 105.7 and 96.5
2 Miami 102.9 and 95.0 (We do not play in the easier EC)
3 LA Clippers 101.1 and 94.6
4 San Antonio 103.0 and 96.6

2011-12
1 Chicago 96.3 and 88.2 (We do not play in the easier EC)
2 San Antonio 103.7 and 96.5
3 Oklahoma City 103.1 and 96.9
4 Miami 98.5 and 92.5 (We do not play in the easier EC)

2010-11
1 Miami 102.1 and 94.6 (We do not play in the easier EC)
2 Chicago 98.6 and 91.3 (We do not play in the easier EC)
3 LA Lakers 101.5 and 95.4
4 San Antonio 103.7 and 98.0

2009-10
1 Orlando 102.8 and 95.3 (We do not play in the easier EC)
2 Cleveland 102.1 and 95.6 (We do not play in the easier EC)
3 Utah 104.2 and 98.9
4 San Antonio 101.4 and 96.3
5 Phoenix 110.2 and 105.3 (This is how I think the Pelicans should play)

2008-09
Cleveland 100.3 and 91.4 (We do not play in the easier EC)
LA Lakers 106.9 and 99.3
Boston 100.9 and 93.4 (We do not play in the easier EC)
Orlando 101.0 and 94.4 (we do not play in the easier EC)

2007-08
Boston 100.5 and 90.3 (We do not play in the easier EC)
Detroit 97.5 and 90.1 (We do not play in the easier EC)
LA Lakers 108.6 and 101.3
Utah 106.2 and 99.3

2006-07
1 San Antonio 98.5 and 90.1
2 Phoenix 110.2 and 102.9 (This is how I think the Pelicans should play)
3 Dallas 100.0 and 92.8
4 Chicago 98.8 and 93.8 (We do not play in the easier EC)

All you need to do is look at last year to see this team needs to score at least 104 PPG. Btw, the Suns in 2004-05 scored 110.4, and allowed 103.3 for 2nd best Point Differential in the league. Also in 2005-06 they scored 108.4 and allowed 102.8 and had the 4th best Point Differential in the league. New Orleans has yet to score 101 PPG in the last 7 years. In 2007-08 New Orleans scored 100.9 PPG and allowed 95.6 for the 6th best Point Differential. Time for something different? I think so.

[Kurgan]

He's a bit like swimmer and tommy parsons though, doesn't he?

[billfromfinance]

New Orleans has yet to score 101 PPG in the last 7 years. In 2007-08 New Orleans scored 100.9 PPG and allowed 95.6 for the 6th best Point Differential in the league. Time for something different? I think so.

the way you have worded all of this, you make it sound as if Monty has been the only coach we've ever had. I don't think we need a new coach (yet). Look at the massive roster changes since 2010. it's basically an entirely new roster. I don't see how anyone can have such high expectations on the coach or team, when they have barely had 5 minutes together. then add to this major injuries to what we the jury have defined as the core players in the first year of playing together.

I think the last thing this team needs is something majorly different, how about relaxing, leaving things be, and letting the chemistry build (both coach and players).

[WhoDatPelican]

this thread

[ItIsRynosTime]

the way you have worded all of this, you make it sound as if Monty has been the only coach we've ever had. I don't think we need a new coach (yet). Look at the massive roster changes since 2010. it's basically an entirely new roster. I don't see how anyone can have such high expectations on the coach or team, when they have barely had 5 minutes together. then add to this major injuries to what we the jury have defined as the core players in the first year of playing together.

I think the last thing this team needs is something majorly different, how about relaxing, leaving things be, and letting the chemistry build (both coach and players).

How can I have high expectations of a newer team with younger players and a newer coach that hasn't had much time together? The 2003-04 Denver Nuggets, that's how. The year before I moved to Colorado, the year before before 2003-04, and even that year for the most part, no one cared about the Denver Nuggets in Colorado. I cared. I cared enough to listen to games on the radio. In 2002-03 the Nuggets won 17 games and were tied with the Cavaliers for the worst record in the NBA. In 2003-04 enter Nuggets rookie 19 year old Carmelo Anthony, and along with a 27 Andre Miller, a 21 Nene Hilario, Voshon Lenard, Marcus Camby, a 27 Earl Boykins, Jon Berry, a 25 Chris Anderson, and under coach Jeff Bzdelik in his 2nd year, (after netting 17 wins the year before) the team won 43 games and made the playoffs as the 8th seed.

[Bongzilla]

I agree.

The "time to gel" is so overblown on this board. Each and every year you have at least one team with like a +15 win improvement, and guess what, typically that is the team with HUGE ROSTER TURNOVER, not a team gelling and playing together for an extra year.

It is the ultimate Monty defense. Guess what guys, we are going to have AT LEAST 3-4 new players on the team every year (and with an 8-9 man rotation, we are looking at close to 40% roster turnover annually),,,,, I guess we will never have time to gel, hmmmm this doesn't seem to affect other teams. Case in point, we are going to have 2 new starters this year (40% turnover.....) I guess this year doesn't count either since we need time to gel..............

And before anyone chimes in, I am not discrediting the need for a team to play together, and obviously teams get better the more they play together. My point is that, experience gives you that little extra boost, but it not the difference between a bad and a good team, gelling is the difference between a bad team becoming a mediocre team, or going from good to great. Playing together does not make a 30 win team, a 50 win team. - That would be coaching.

[Kurgan]

Yet you fail to mention that

A) that was the only time in the last 12 years that a team in the west made the playoffs with a meager 2 games over .500

B) that the nuggets were easily dispatched 4-1 by the t-wolves

So you're basing your single example (and possibly only i suppose) on a team that amounted to nothing in a conference that was way weaker than it is today.

Oooooook.

[billfromfinance]

and look at the minutes everyone of them played:
Anthony - 2995
Miller - 2838
Hilario - 2504
Lenard - 2233
Camby - 2162
Boykins - 1849

Davis was our highest for the season at 2358, followed by Gordon (2057) and Aminu (2045).

What exactly are you expecting? 8th seed with your top 5 for minutes going to Roberts, Gordon, Evans, Aminu, Davis?? in an extremely tough conference? that's going to be one super coach. jrue only played 34 games, Anderson 22. and we weren't exactly rolling deep with talent. you are kidding yourself. even if we had got 43 wins, we still would have finished 10th. a measly 2 positions higher than we actually finished, and still not in the playoffs.

[ItIsRynosTime]

Bongzilla, I agree with you. No one knows the exact number of wins the right coach for this team would get, but it would definitely be more wins.

Yet you fail to mention that

A) that was the only time in the last 12 years that a team in the west made the playoffs with a meager 2 games over .500

B) that the nuggets were easily dispatched 4-1 by the t-wolves

So you're basing your single example (and possibly only i suppose) on a team that amounted to nothing in a conference that was way weaker than it is today.

Oooooook.

The team had 17 wins the year before. So they won 26 more games than the year before and they didn't have the best team in the league. Look at that roster, I am very proud of that team. I am as proud of that team as any team I've ever rooted for. That team put Nuggets basketball on the map and are the reason many more people in Colorado started watching basketball. No one would have ever believed you if you said that 17 win team in the West would make the playoffs the next year. LeBron James didn't make the playoffs his rookie year, that year. LeBron took the 17 win Cavaliers to be a 35 win Cavaliers team that missed the playoffs in the East! So give some credit where credit is due!

Btw that T-wolves team had KG in his prime, Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell and Wally Szczerbiak.