Pelicans fire Monty Williams

[Andrew]

New Orleans Pelicans fire head coach Monty Williams

The New Orleans Pelicans fired head coach Monty Williams on Tuesday, parting ways with a coach who has a strong relationship with the franchise's marquee player, Anthony Davis.

General manager Dell Demps, who'll lead the search for a new coach, said he informed Davis of the decision in a one-on-one meeting after the move was made. When asked about Davis' reaction, Demps said, ''That'll stay between us.''

According to Woj, it's a power play by Dell Demps behind the scenes. I thought he deserved a chance to remain at the helm of the Pelicans as they continued to grow and improve, but it sounds like politics and ego got in the way of that opportunity.

[shadowgrin]

Monty Williams to the Bulls when Thibs is done with the team.

[mp3]

I really do feel sorry for coaches in the nba because they can do there job well like George Karl did with the Nuggets and Avery Johnson with the Nets then get fired the next day because either management has an issue with you or a star player does.

Back in the day it was lottery team coaches that faced the chop now you could get to the conference finals and that still might not be enough to save your job.

[Andrew]

Monty Williams to the Bulls when Thibs is done with the team.

That may indeed come to pass. Of course, he'd be entering another situation where the front office has a tendency to push out coaches.

I really do feel sorry for coaches in the nba because they can do there job well like George Karl did with the Nuggets and Avery Johnson with the Nets then get fired the next day because either management has an issue with you or a star player does.

Back in the day it was lottery team coaches that faced the chop now you could get to the conference finals and that still might not be enough to save your job.

There are probably examples of it happening back in the day; Phil Jackson being forced out of Chicago would be one of them, though the situation was admittedly different. Their era was coming to an end, and Jerry Krause wanted to avoid a painful transition into a new era and lengthy fall from gace, which of course ended up happening anyway. It does seem to be becoming more commonplace these days, but we're still seeing the same sort of rifts between coaches and executives. I guess executives feel like they don't get enough credit, what with Krause's "organisations win championships" declaration and whatnot. Ego and a desire to assert a pecking order gets in the way of the fact the guy on the sidelines is doing a good job.

[NovU]

Similarly Mark Jackson has done arguably decent job raising his star players right in absence of their most important big(Bogut Injured). The Warriors gradually became good each year but the club fired him just before they became uber good. Steve Kerr took over just at the right time becoming a benefactor.

Perhaps the Pelicans think a different approach would bring new fire/looks to the team.

[Andrew]

It's been suggested that Jackson kind of brought it on himself, that he conducted himself in a way that alienated key people in the front office. It remains to be seen whether more details emerge that will reveal a similar situation went down in New Orleans.

[mp3]

I think what the Bulls are doing to TT is a disgrace I mean he turned things around for them and has being delt so many injuries to key players but managed to get wins regardless but each year he still has this cloud hanging over his head.

As for Mark Jackson he made all kind of comments behind closed doors that leaked including commenting on gay players playing in the nba he replied "Not in my lockeroom"

Pretty stupid comment regardless but when you coach a team in San Francisco...

Also he clashed with management and it was said that he didn't have a single person in front office that he hadn't pissed off.

[Andrew]

It is a tremendous shame what the Bulls - or more specifically, Gar Forman - are doing to Thibs, especially as it feels like history repeating itself, only with fewer championships before parting ways. Like I said, I believe it comes down to executives feeling like they don't get enough credit, or getting their pride hurt when a coach dares to call them out on their BS because they're the ones in the trenches who, along with the players, have to get the job done game in, game out.

From these early reports, it sounds like that's what's happened with Monty Williams in New Orleans. Maybe Dell Demps' pride is still hurting a bit from when the NBA vetoed the original Chris Paul trade, and wants to assert himself as a powerful figure in the Pelicans' hierarchy. Perhaps there are philosophical or personal differences, and Demps finally got enough support and an opportune moment (eliminated from the Playoffs, "we want to move on") to oust Williams.

[mp3]

Also regarding coaches I think players have far to much pulling power over if a coach stays or goes with the team scared of that player bolting.

Take SVG with the Magic and then Deron Williams throwing his weight around that lead to Jerry Sloan walking from the Jazz after so many years there in Utah.

[Andrew]

I agree, but it's arguably easier to find a good coach (not necessarily an all-time great one, mind you) than it is a star player, or especially a franchise player. You know the old saying; you can't fire the players, but you can fire the coach. A coaching change is much easier to make when things aren't working out, and going out and hiring a competent replacement is easier than trading for or signing a great player. A decent roster with potential and a fair contract offer will entice most coaches who want to nab one of 30 head coaching spots in the league; getting a great player means having the assets to make a deal happen (and thus losing those assets to get the player), cap space, and a strong enough pitch to a player with a lot more options of where they want to go (fifteen roster spots per team, as opposed to one head coaching position) and how much money they want.

[Jeffx]

Despite the many injuries, Monty Williams gets his young team to 45 wins in a brutal conference, makes the playoffs, loses to a 60+ win team and loses his job????? Does not compute.

[benji]

Hornets think they can move up and get Thibs, more enticing than some of the other options like Orlando, a generational superstar surrounded by decent talent he can run into the ground for 40+ minutes a game.

There were rumors the Bulls wanted to talk to Dave Joerger which is kinda an out of nowhere thing. I've heard for a while the real plan is Fred Hoiberg. Which might lead to Jeff Hornacek bolting Phoenix to replace Hoiberg at Iowa State.

Steve Kerr's done a lot more than Mark Jackson, he wasn't afraid to put in a strong staff with experience, meanwhile Jackson was banishing all his to the bowels of Oracle Arena. (Notably Del Negro refused to do something similar. Scott Brooks on the other hand wasn't afraid to surround himself with experienced people.) He also couldn't squeeze the offense out of the same team Kerr has because he was tight with who he played and how they were to play. It's the difference between somebody whose entire career was predicated on dominating the ball and one whose career was about watching how superstars operate and putting themselves in places to help.

Coaches can also burn out on players and the organizations. Doug Collins and Scott Skiles being the most famous examples of where players just won't listen to them anymore. Avery Johnson supposedly was of the same mold. Jackson was obviously getting there. Rick Carlisle destubbornized as he got further in his career and got a ring out of it.

Doc Rivers has kinda gone in the opposite direction, especially since he now has GM powers he's pulling a Pat Riley.

[NovU]

Speaking of coaches...

Doc Rivers doesn't seem to have analytic mindset but somehow lucked into prime Blake/Jordan and best PGCP3. Come on, since he's got there he's got Rivers, Glen Davis, Hawes, Hedo, you kidding me? Pat Riley's Whiteside this year alone out-do all that junks.

It looks like the Raptors are keeping their coach but shaking up core assistants. I wouldn't have been surprised if they didn't after failure to meet the expectations this year.
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/05/12/ra ... head-coach

As for McHale, someone posted:

I kind of think they have McHale as coach because he's willing to follow whatever game-plan Morey and his team draw up. They are probably also hoping that he can make Dwight better offensively and I bet they assume Harden is fine on his own.

[Andrew]

Interesting statistics shown during the Bulls/Cavs game, as they were discussing Thibs' future:

[benji]

Come on, since he's got there he's got Rivers, Glen Davis, Hawes, Hedo, you kidding me? Pat Riley's Whiteside this year alone out-do all that junks.

Riley hasn't been the coach in seven years. I'm talking about when he was coach/GM and drove the Heat into the ground by taking on every veteran on the downward slide of his career in sight and dumping any young or cheap talent along with draft picks in a desperate attempt to win 36 games.

Rivers is doing the same thing. It's an inherent conflict for coach/GMs, and most of the time the "win now, trust veterans" coach wins over the GM. (As Riley showed when he stepped away from the sidelines and immediately made bold moves and stocked up on young talent both times.)

Flip Saunders notably kept his GM hat on this season playing his youngins quite a lot, letting them play through mistakes, etc. Doing deals like moving Thaddeus Young who wouldn't still be "good" when the Wolves "project" to be good again.

[NovU]

That's just a bad defense for Rivers. Leave Riley alone, hater. Rivers simply is bad at talent evaluation/acquisition as a GM. The Clippers got top 2 players at 2 positions and another top 5 player at PF. I don't care how strong your conference or schedule is. It's still crazy thing that the Clippers didn't run away with 60 wins with three top 5 players on their roster, says a lot about the rest of the roster Rivers put together.

[benji]

That's just a bad defense for Rivers.

sigh...

[Andrew]

Speaking of individuals who have donned the coach and GM hats simultaneously, what about Gregg Popovich and Don Nelson?

[NovU]

Greg Pop's obviously legendary, can't comment on Don Nelson but perhaps benji can.

I'm more interested how Kidd will turn out to be though. He lacks the experience but made a couple bold moves as a GM already. Both Rivers and Kidd are in their rookie career as decision makers but it seems they've got the contrasting style. Sure it has a lot to do with situation difference but Kidd pretty much shook up the playoffs team right in the middle of the season and it was surprising.

[mp3]

Kidd didn't make any trades he's just the coach, John Hammond is Milwaukee's GM and therefore calls the shots.

[Corymach7]

Guessing that George Karl is going to be replaced by Monty Williams then (since DeMarcus Cousins has problems with George Karl).

[Andrew]

Williams is currently the associate head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and while there have been rumblings about Karl being fired, it hasn't happened yet. It's a feasible scenario, I suppose, but no signs of it being likely or imminent at this juncture.