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The Portland Trail Blazers’ two most senior teaching additions have elicited polarizing opinions from followers. We’ve litigated Chauncey Billups’ inexperience and that 1997 incident, however what to make of Scott Brooks?
On paper, Brooks has each attainable credential wanted to be a lead assistant, as he was a head coach for 12 of the previous 13 years, first with the Oklahoma City Thunder after which the Washington Wizards. Eight of these years featured playoff runs, together with one Finals look, two Convention Finals berths, two Convention Semifinals and three first-round exits.
If we’re getting the pink marker out, we are able to confidently tick just a few classes: (1) managing MVP-level egos, (2) playoff success, and (3) greater than a decade main NBA groups. However how good a coach is he and the way will he assist transition Billups into the highest job?
Previous to teaching, the journeyman level guard was a part of the Houston Rockets’ 1994 championship squad whereas additionally spending time with the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers between 1988 and 1998.
Following stints as an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Seattle SuperSonics/Thunder, Brooks obtained his shot on the large chair 13 video games into the 2008-09 season after PJ Carlesimo was proven the door. That season, Brooks led Oklahoma Metropolis to a 23-59 document and thirteenth within the West with a second-year Kevin Durant and a rookie Russell Westbrook. With James Harden added the next season, the Thunder may need been destined for greatness.
He guided this mouth-wateringly proficient trio over the subsequent three seasons, culminating in a disappointing 4-1 loss to the Miami Heat within the 2012 Finals. Harden was subsequently traded to the Houston Rockets earlier than the beginning of the 2012-13 season, Brooks was sacked three years later, and Durant left in free company the next 12 months.
Possibly that talent-filled workforce was too younger to knock off the Warmth — possibly they might have ultimately received all of it if Harden had been paid and retained. However what if one other coach with playoff expertise and extra savvy had been teaching that loaded 2011-12 workforce? Do the Thunder get to carry up the Larry O’Brien Trophy, maybe a number of instances? We’ll by no means know.
Brooks has spent the previous 5 years in Washington, through which Bradley Beal made All-Star groups 3 times with John Wall nominated for 2. He was additionally re-united with Westbrook in DC this previous season. Sure, the rosters have been flawed, however he’s nonetheless had star-level expertise, regardless of Wall’s prolonged harm spells.
With a purpose to illuminate Brooks’ teaching efficacy in Portland we would must look to his Washington tenure with groups that didn’t embrace three MVP-calibre gamers making him look good.
In Washington, Brooks completed with a 183-207 document (nearly 47 p.c) with the final three seasons leading to dropping information. His greatest season was his first (2016-17) taking a Wall-Beal-led workforce to a Recreation Seven Convention Semifinals thriller towards the Boston Celtics.
Nevertheless, since then, the Wizards’ model has been eerily much like current Blazers groups. Protection hasn’t gave the impression to be a precedence with the 2018-19 incarnation of the Wizards ending third final in protection and the 2019-20 workforce lifeless final.
That 2018-19 workforce wasn’t full of defensive sieves both. Bradley Beal performed all 82 video games, Tomas Satoransky performed 80, Thomas Bryant performed 72 and Tory Brown Jr. performed 52. In 2019-20 Beal performed 57 of 72 video games, Brown Jr. performed 69, Isaac Bonga performed 66 — all common sufficient defenders and absolutely in a position to keep away from a league-worse protection. Offense has been much less of a difficulty with the Wizards ending seventh, 14th, 14th, fifteenth and seventeenth beneath Brooks’ tutelage.
In his telling post-season press convention, Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey preached the new regime would focus on defense beneath an skilled coach.
“We need to enhance on the defensive finish of the ground, robust management qualities, somebody that’s going to carry gamers accountable on each ends of the ground.
Hopefully any person with teaching expertise who has hit sure benchmarks.”
Clearly, Billups doesn’t meet the second standards and Brooks doesn’t meet the primary standards. Oh boy. However Brooks is probably not solely accountable for defensive schemes beneath Billups, particularly with defensive guru Roy Rogers recruited from the Los Angeles Clippers to assist plug holes on that finish of the ground.
In the end, Brooks might be introduced in to assist Billups run the day-to-day and supply an skilled voice and security internet when issues aren’t going as deliberate. He’s additionally a reputation that Damian Lillard is aware of has had expertise working with the Durants, Westbrooks, Hardens, Beals and Partitions of this world. Westbrook himself referred to as for Brooks to be retained at the end of Washington’s disappointing season.
Absolutely with all of the backlash Lillard has skilled throughout the hiring of Billups, Brooks could be the regular and revered voice wanted. However we don’t know something about their relationship, if there may be one.
Alternate options
Sure, there have been alternate options. Blazers championship level guard Lionel Hollins, Philadelphia 76ers assistant Dave Joerger and recently-named Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson may need all been higher choices. Hollins oversaw the grit and grind Memphis Grizzlies period, guiding disciplined groups to playoff success, together with a Convention Finals berth in 2013.
Joerger took over from Hollins in Memphis to proceed that period, together with the primary spherical demolition of Portland in 2015, ending the Blazers’ LaMarcus Aldridge period. Atkinson nurtured a younger Brooklyn Nets workforce to the purpose the place stars like Durant and Kyrie Irving have been lured to Barclays Middle.
After all, there was Vinny Del Negro talked about in that Shams Charania tweet however let’s simply go away that one alone.
Sources: Candidates for lead assistant position for Portland Path Blazers and new head coach Chauncey Billups: Former Bulls/Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, ex-Wizards/Thunder coach Scott Brooks and Lakers assistant Lionel Hollins.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2021
Conclusion
Sure, there have been higher choices at lead assistant on the market and sure, Brooks involves Portland together with his flaws.
By no means would I would like him as head coach however he has the expertise to provide Billups the security internet he wants because the coaching wheels begin to come off. Not often is the phrase “meh” used to explain a basketball rent, however I’d relatively “meh” than “oh no.”
Let’s hope Brooks can take the teachings discovered all through his intensive teaching profession to provide Billups the most effective likelihood he must succeed.
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