Posted by islesfan:
I have a huge problem with building a roster with such a myopic viewpoint. First, you put yourself in a position where you miss out on very good basketball players because you're so focused on a specific type. Secondly, what if it doesn't work out with that coach? You're left with a team filled with players better suited for their system and you likely need a roster overhaul for the next coach.
Please, Isiah's BS method for building a loser has nothing to do with this. He grabbed any player available, at any cost, as long as they had some talent and regardless of their questionable histories. That's hardly what I, nor any other sensible person, would advocate a rebuilding team to do.
It's funny, I'm getting killed on last night's game thread for being too positive about what I saw last night and you're killing me here for not being too negative. It's a good thing for me that I don't give a shit what you people think. I just call em as I see em.
If it's possible, and somehow I think you've found a way, you were being positive in a negative way, in that you were enjoying the win to try to prove a point you made earlier in the day, a point I feel did not have merit based on the timeline you applied it to, I think what you were calling for had been going on for quite some time. It just looked real good last night.
As to the building of this team I think it's imperative for the GM to work with the Coach. I brought up Isiah because he never did. Many lauded the hiring of Larry and then were upset when Isiah wouldn't give him the players that worked in his system (hard nosed defense, half court offense). For a change we have a GM that is willing to give the coach what he needs for that coach's system to succeed.
Now if you don't like the coach's philosophy I can understand that I am wary about how far it can take you. Yet it was successful. We can harp on the Suns' playoff oustings all we want but they were in it every year and a couple of bounces one way and they were probably reaching the Finals at least once. So you can't call it a complete failure.
Besides all that, whether anyone likes it or not, he is our coach and will be for years. So now it's time to give him "his" players and let him work his magic with them. There's a better chance than not we might be witnessing a 50 win season come 2011-2012 with several to follow that one. Is this a bad thing? No way...
In the meantime, it will still take 18 months to finish removing Isiah's crap, and another year or two to rebuild the team from those ashes. It sucks, but, it's not worth hammering them over.
Walsh is going to do whatever he can to give Mike what he needs to succeed. If Walsh can pull it off we WILL BE a VERY GOOD team for a good 4-5 years in the 2010s. I just don't have a problem with that.
If and when this occurs, and we're losing in the 2nd round or ECF playoffs? Then THAT is the time to question Mike's system, etc. Not today, not years before it's even instituted.
And, as to the system, I think my post in Bip's thread sums up what has transpired during the season very well. His system isn't completely set in stone and it has evolved over the course of the year - something you've been clamoring for - but again I feel your applied timeline (It just started last night!) is misguided. It's been unfolding for quite some time.
And, again, we know these players are very inconsistent. We could very well get blown out back to back to the Wizards and nobody would be surprised. So maybe we should shelve the optimism that comes out of last night's game until it's proven to be a trend and not just a fleeting moment - to go with the other fleeting moments so far this year (beating Boston, playing LA, PHO, DAL tough, etc...)
