Rajon Rondo
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A few quotes from Rondo:
and from Boogie:
Their respect for each other is mutual and reading some articles I got a notion that Rondo's decision to sign with the Kings was Boogie and he would stay, if things work out next season. I'm becoming more and more intrigued by their games how they would sync. Having high IQ and playmaking, I think Rondo would tailor his game to Boogie's strengths and vice versa. If they click together, the Kings will be a force to be reckoned with in the West.
and from Boogie:
Their respect for each other is mutual and reading some articles I got a notion that Rondo's decision to sign with the Kings was Boogie and he would stay, if things work out next season. I'm becoming more and more intrigued by their games how they would sync. Having high IQ and playmaking, I think Rondo would tailor his game to Boogie's strengths and vice versa. If they click together, the Kings will be a force to be reckoned with in the West.
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Remember when JT said, that it's difficult to play alongside a guy who wants to lead the league in rebounds?
It will be interesting to see, how DMC reacts to a PG, who is trying to grab every rebound himself to lead the break and who will get upset, when DMC brings the ball up the floor, instead of trusting his PG.
Talking to the media is one thing. Holding back throughout the game and sacrificing personal statlines to benefit the team is much more difficult, when you have a chip on your shoulder and want to be recognized as the best player in the league.
It will be interesting to see, how DMC reacts to a PG, who is trying to grab every rebound himself to lead the break and who will get upset, when DMC brings the ball up the floor, instead of trusting his PG.
Talking to the media is one thing. Holding back throughout the game and sacrificing personal statlines to benefit the team is much more difficult, when you have a chip on your shoulder and want to be recognized as the best player in the league.
I would take another human nature into account. You see, Rondo was a big Pumbaa there in Boston, it was his and Pierce’s house when Garnet and Allen, who were past their primes joined them, so dictating his pace comes in naturally being an alpha male.
Now, this is Boogie’s house, who is just entering his prime and the best big in the league. Rondo admits that, perhaps he mentally prepared to be Timon or hybrid of them, if he wants to be welcomed here, because stat padding is going to be only measuring stick neither for him nor for Boogie, winning is everything at this stage. He can’t alone bring it and he needs Boogie to be on the same page, so gotta make certain sacrifices from both to be successful.
The margin for error is so small this season for him that having DC, who is a very solid starter on his heels is another burden. Rondo would lose his leading role if his production doesn’t translate in more wins and he should be well aware of it.
Now, this is Boogie’s house, who is just entering his prime and the best big in the league. Rondo admits that, perhaps he mentally prepared to be Timon or hybrid of them, if he wants to be welcomed here, because stat padding is going to be only measuring stick neither for him nor for Boogie, winning is everything at this stage. He can’t alone bring it and he needs Boogie to be on the same page, so gotta make certain sacrifices from both to be successful.
The margin for error is so small this season for him that having DC, who is a very solid starter on his heels is another burden. Rondo would lose his leading role if his production doesn’t translate in more wins and he should be well aware of it.
There are three things that jump out to me about this:
(1) I am a JT fan. I've always maintained that he'd be solid 3rd or 4th big on a playoff team. That said, when he's in interviews Thompson talks a LOT about stats. His stats. How his first year he got 6 pts a game just from running the floor. And when he was first dealt to Philly he talked about getting back to racking up double doubles. His shooting percentages. His number of touches. His minutes. Is leading the league in rebounds an actual goal for Cousins and one that he's going out of his way to try to acheive? Or is it just something that may happen because he's a phenomenal rebounder who sees that as a way he can be helping his team? I don't know.
(2) For his career Rondo averages 5.2 rebounds per 36 minutes and Collison averages 3.7 rebounds per 36. Rondo is a very good rebounder for a guard but realistically he'd only be taking one rebound from Cousins. Likely less than that since it isn't as if Rondo is going to be boxing out and snatching boards off the glass. He gets rebounds by tracking the ball and darting in to get rebounds. I could see his rebounding numbers not effecting Cousins' numbers at all. In fact, given Karl's emphasis on pushing the ball I think it's conceivable that Boogie puts up career rebounding numbers even with a slightly lower rebounding percentage just because of increased opportunities.
(3) I don't think Cousins' biggest goal is to put up big stats on a losing team. He's already put up better stats than the first team all-NBA center (Gasol) in pretty much every category. And yet he doesn't get the same level of recognition - in part likely because of his perception around the league - but primarily because he plays for a losing team. Cousins could put up slightly lower numbers across the board (hopefully with greater efficiency on offense and less turnovers though) and be viewed as a much better player IF the Kings have success as a team. And after six years I'm pretty sure that's what he wants.
(1) I am a JT fan. I've always maintained that he'd be solid 3rd or 4th big on a playoff team. That said, when he's in interviews Thompson talks a LOT about stats. His stats. How his first year he got 6 pts a game just from running the floor. And when he was first dealt to Philly he talked about getting back to racking up double doubles. His shooting percentages. His number of touches. His minutes. Is leading the league in rebounds an actual goal for Cousins and one that he's going out of his way to try to acheive? Or is it just something that may happen because he's a phenomenal rebounder who sees that as a way he can be helping his team? I don't know.
(2) For his career Rondo averages 5.2 rebounds per 36 minutes and Collison averages 3.7 rebounds per 36. Rondo is a very good rebounder for a guard but realistically he'd only be taking one rebound from Cousins. Likely less than that since it isn't as if Rondo is going to be boxing out and snatching boards off the glass. He gets rebounds by tracking the ball and darting in to get rebounds. I could see his rebounding numbers not effecting Cousins' numbers at all. In fact, given Karl's emphasis on pushing the ball I think it's conceivable that Boogie puts up career rebounding numbers even with a slightly lower rebounding percentage just because of increased opportunities.
(3) I don't think Cousins' biggest goal is to put up big stats on a losing team. He's already put up better stats than the first team all-NBA center (Gasol) in pretty much every category. And yet he doesn't get the same level of recognition - in part likely because of his perception around the league - but primarily because he plays for a losing team. Cousins could put up slightly lower numbers across the board (hopefully with greater efficiency on offense and less turnovers though) and be viewed as a much better player IF the Kings have success as a team. And after six years I'm pretty sure that's what he wants.
VF, you don't think he is one of the elite HCs? That surprises me. .590 win % and a ring spanning 15 years and 3 teams. He's about as good as it gets IMO 
After that, you get the small tier of really good coaches in the league, and I think Rick Carlisle belongs in that group. Historically, I would put him at about the Jerry Sloan level. Looking at current coaches in the league, Doc Rivers and George Karl are the only two who are arguably better, and Karl has never hoisted a trophy.
I'm sorry - WHAT?!?
Rick Carlisle..... equal to Jerry f-ing Sloan?!
Rick lucked into a championship with a fluke shooting team, and has had excellent players the rest of his tenures.
The Pistons won their championship the year AFTER he left.
Where is this current canonization of Carlisle coming from?
Rick Carlisle..... equal to Jerry f-ing Sloan?!
Rick lucked into a championship with a fluke shooting team, and has had excellent players the rest of his tenures.
The Pistons won their championship the year AFTER he left.
Where is this current canonization of Carlisle coming from?
There's an easy way to solve this.
Imagine the NBA gutted every team of its players and coaches. First thing teams do is select a new coach. Where does Carlisle go?
After Pop, I think there's an argument he could go #2, along with Thibs and Doc. Guy is flat out a winning coach and has a long track history of doing so. Just because it didn't work out with Rondo, doesn't diminish his stature as a coach in the slightest.
Imagine the NBA gutted every team of its players and coaches. First thing teams do is select a new coach. Where does Carlisle go?
After Pop, I think there's an argument he could go #2, along with Thibs and Doc. Guy is flat out a winning coach and has a long track history of doing so. Just because it didn't work out with Rondo, doesn't diminish his stature as a coach in the slightest.
Doc was Coach of the Year in his first season in Orlando after nearly taking a relatively weak roster to the playoffs.
Carlisle is a great coach. That doesn't make him infallible. Some coaches excel at getting guys to buy into their system. Some coaches excel at tailoring their system to fit their personnel. Carlisle is definitely more of the former. So was Sloan. So is Thibs.
I don't think Rondo is the "alpha dog" that some in this thread have painted him to be. But I DO think he absolutely bristles at someone trying to break him or force him to do things he doesn't want to. We can argue about whether that's a good or bad personality trait to have as an NBA player but either way it made Rondo and Carlisle a poor fit.
Carlisle is a great coach. That doesn't make him infallible. Some coaches excel at getting guys to buy into their system. Some coaches excel at tailoring their system to fit their personnel. Carlisle is definitely more of the former. So was Sloan. So is Thibs.
I don't think Rondo is the "alpha dog" that some in this thread have painted him to be. But I DO think he absolutely bristles at someone trying to break him or force him to do things he doesn't want to. We can argue about whether that's a good or bad personality trait to have as an NBA player but either way it made Rondo and Carlisle a poor fit.
I don't have a top ten, but there are some coaches that leap out at me as being some of the top coaches to grace the NBA. In no particular order, because I don't want to argue over it, these are the guys that I think are very good, or elite if you will.
Popovich
Red Auerbach
Phil Jackaon
Pat Riley
Don Nelson
Rick Adelman
Jerry Sloan
George Karl
Rick Carlisle
I throw Carlisle in there because he's had a lot of change over on a yearly basis, and he still manages to find a way into the playoffs. Some of the coaches I listed haven't won a title, but if winning a title is what automatically makes you a great coach, then I'd have to throw Bill Russell in there, and I'm sorry, I don't think Russell was that good of a head coach. He just had great players in Boston. Whether you liked Don Nelsons style or not, he managed to win, and that's what it's all about.
Edit: Well when I don't look something up, I usually get it wrong, and I was wrong about Russell. He never won a championship as Boston's head coach. Came close, but didn't win. However, Tommy Heinson managed to win five championships back to back to back to back to back. Pretty impressive. So maybe I need to add him to my elite group.
Popovich
Red Auerbach
Phil Jackaon
Pat Riley
Don Nelson
Rick Adelman
Jerry Sloan
George Karl
Rick Carlisle
I throw Carlisle in there because he's had a lot of change over on a yearly basis, and he still manages to find a way into the playoffs. Some of the coaches I listed haven't won a title, but if winning a title is what automatically makes you a great coach, then I'd have to throw Bill Russell in there, and I'm sorry, I don't think Russell was that good of a head coach. He just had great players in Boston. Whether you liked Don Nelsons style or not, he managed to win, and that's what it's all about.
Edit: Well when I don't look something up, I usually get it wrong, and I was wrong about Russell. He never won a championship as Boston's head coach. Came close, but didn't win. However, Tommy Heinson managed to win five championships back to back to back to back to back. Pretty impressive. So maybe I need to add him to my elite group.
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K
I completely agree with that and it's exactly why I have a hard time writing off Dallas in terms of a playoffs spot, if they are 80% healthy imo they could easily sneak into 8th seed this is a guy who had OJ Mayo as his best player in 2012-2013 (Dirk missed 30+ games and came back slowly into form) and still went 41-41 in the West all while DC (partly cause of Carlisie) had one of the worst seasons of his career.
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