Official "Hire Avery Johnson" thread

[Obstructed_View]

It's now officially time. The Spurs need a shakeup, and they need defense.

[Bruno]

Johnson is even more stubborn and vet oriented than Pop.

Don't you remember Stackhouse or Devean George playing all these minutes with Mavs?

[z0sa]

Tough call on that one. AJ loves 'counter punching' just like Pop so it wouldn't be an end to small-ball...

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

AJ would present a chance for this board to discover a whole new level of meltdowns :tu

[21_Blessings]

and they need defense.

Getting rid of Pop won't fix that. San Antonio needs new players.

[ElNono]

I'm not sold on Avery... Honestly, I don't think Pop is going anywhere... not even upstairs...

[Brazil]

Johnson is even more stubborn and vet oriented than Pop.

Don't you remember Stackhouse or Devean George playing all these minutes with Mavs?

+1

AJ ? wtf ?

[Obstructed_View]

Johnson is even more stubborn and vet oriented than Pop.

Don't you remember Stackhouse or Devean George playing all these minutes with Mavs?

Umm...no, actually. Stackhouse was sixth on the team in minutes for both the 07 and 08 seasons, and George was ninth in the year the Mavs won 67 games, and 11th the following year.

In case you missed the important part above, I bolded it for ya.

[z0sa]

He's my favorite after Pop; but I don't want Pop to go anywhere, I just want a return to his usual self.

[Obstructed_View]

He's my favorite after Pop; but I don't want Pop to go anywhere, I just want a return to his usual self.

I don't want Pop to go anywhere, I just want him to sit somewhere else during basketball games.

[Slomo]

I'm willing to discuss coaching staff changes.

I'm not willing to discuss AJ. His CV so far doesn't impress me at all.

[SenorSpur]

Johnson is even more stubborn and vet oriented than Pop.

Don't you remember Stackhouse or Devean George playing all these minutes with Mavs?

Exactly. Remember that AJ studied at the alter of Pop. Plus, he's even more of an egotistical jerk.

No need to change the coach. The coach needs to change his philosophy and methodofogies regarding youth versus age. He needs to embrace youth, athleticism and talent, supplemented by veteran experience and re-embrace defense.

[Muser]

No to AJ.

[Slomo]

I have good memories of the Pop / PJ combo...

Where's PJ these days?

[Warlord23]

The problem with AJ is that he's quite the little control freak. Our core has been through multiple title runs and IMO wouldn't be receptive to any kind of crap from AJ. Also, I think AJ's coaching drastically loses effectiveness in 2-3 years when the players start tuning him out.

AJ would be good for a young, talented squad. Unless we're planning to go in a different direction personnel-wise (trade some of our big guns for youth), AJ is not the answer.

[SenorSpur]

Exactly. Remember that AJ studied at the alter of Pop. Plus, he's even more of an egotistical jerk.

No need to change the coach. The coach needs to change his philosophy and rethink the whole youth versus age thing. He needs to embrace youth, athleticism and talent, supplemented by veteran experience and re-embrace defense.

[Bruno]

Umm...no, actually. Stackhouse was sixth on the team in minutes for both the 07 and 08 seasons, and George was ninth in the year the Mavs won 67 games, and 11th the following year.

In case you missed the important part above, I bolded it for ya.

Check their playoff minutes. Both played too much minutes given their level.

And I've the ultimate argument specially made for you:

In 06-07, Mavs won 67 games with Dampier at starting center. He played a solid 25mpg, averages 7/7 and help Mavs being the 5th best defensive team in the NBA. Come playoffs time, Mavs played against Warriors. AJ decided to give away the way Mavs played for the whole season to play small ball. Mavs lost with Dampier playing only 6mpg.

I don't know who you are, but you're not Obstructed_View. You are some kind of internet hacker who has stolen his password.

[Big P]

Hell no! AJ is not welcomed here...period

[urunobili]

Pop only GM and AJ as the coach... I'm in... ALL THE WAY IN!

[Muser]

Bruno brings up a good point, He was at the helm during that 07 chokefest..

[SenorSpur]

The criticisms of AJ, at least here locally in Dallas, were that he was terrible at in-game adjustments. He stubbornly trusted his system, when it was obvious that it wasn't working. Example was the 2007 series between Warriors and Mavs. Despite the fact the Warriors continued to smother Dirk to force the ball away from him, AJ couldn't adjust and find ways to free him up or get other players involved.

Hated young players. Didn't trust vets - especially J-Kidd - by micromanaging him and demanding to call plays at ALL times. Always acted as though he was the "smartest guy in the room", didn't take input from assistants or players.

After a short time, his personality grated on players and eventually they tuned him out - especially the star player.

[Big P]

The criticisms of AJ, at least here locally in Dallas, were that he was terrible at in-game adjustments. He stubbornly trusted his system, when it was obvious that it wasn't working. Example was the 2007 series between Warriors and Mavs. Despite the fact the Warriors continued to smother Dirk to force the ball away from him, AJ couldn't adjust and find ways to free him up or get other players involved.

Hated young players. Didn't trust vets - especially J-Kidd - by micromanaging him and demanding to call plays at ALL times. Always acted as though he was the "smartest guy in the room", didn't take input from assistants or players.

After a short time, his personality grated on players and eventually they tuned him out - especially the star player.

happened when he was in SA also....TD got sick of listening to his big mouth & tuned him out...and we know what happened next...aj..theres the door

[bigdog]

Forget AJ. Bring back PJ. Since he left, Pop just hasn't been the same.

[Obstructed_View]

In 06-07, Mavs won 67 games with Dampier at starting center. He played a solid 25mpg, averages 7/7 and help Mavs being the 5th best defensive team in the NBA. Come playoffs time, Mavs played against Warriors. AJ decided to give away the way Mavs played for the whole season to play small ball. Mavs lost with Dampier playing only 6mpg.

Excellent point, and a disturbing similarity to Pop on the surface. AJ's biggest mistake, in my opinion, was passing up chances at the end of the regular season to change the standings and avoid Golden State in the first round altogether. AJ indeed made attempts to adjust to an inferior team, it's true, but that inferior team had won six of the last seven games against him since he'd been coaching the Mavs.

When Pop went small against Sacramento and Dallas the previous season he'd gone 10-5 against those two teams.

We all knew the marriage to Mark Cuban was going to end bloody. All of them do with him. None of that changes what AJ was able to do with a team that was known for not playing defense. The fact that it lasted as long as it did before those players went crying behind the coach's back to the owner is testament to the great job he did there.

And frankly, I don't give a shit if the players tune him out in two years. Salvaging this season is of paramount importance. Hell, there's a strong likelihood that there won't be more than one current player on the team in two years.

[dbestpro]

avery Johnson, Jeff Bzdelik, Mario Ellie, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Byron Scott, Tom Thibodeau, Terry Porter, just about any of these guys could do a better job than Pop right now.

My favorite would be Mario Ellie or Terry Porter.

[xtremesteven33]

Hell, just let Tim Duncan coach the team...

[Obstructed_View]

Hell, just let Tim Duncan coach the team...
Duncan's been coaching the team the last couple of years.