the one big concern is guys like Frye and Lee will sit for guys like JYD and Rose. He will teach defense first and rookies earning p/t isnt a bad thing. It will certainly be interesting... the thing is he's always liked lunch pail type guys like Kenny Thomas, Eric Snow, McKey. He would rather play McDyess over Darko and thats a concern.

Either way its got to happen... I just hope Larry and Isiah can forge a good relationship where Isiah scouts talent (his strong point) and Larry teaches it. If we get that I do believe this thing will turn around and FAST.

Posted by fishmike:

the one big concern is guys like Frye and Lee will sit for guys like JYD and Rose. He will teach defense first and rookies earning p/t isnt a bad thing. It will certainly be interesting... the thing is he's always liked lunch pail type guys like Kenny Thomas, Eric Snow, McKey. He would rather play McDyess over Darko and thats a concern.

Either way its got to happen... I just hope Larry and Isiah can forge a good relationship where Isiah scouts talent (his strong point) and Larry teaches it. If we get that I do believe this thing will turn around and FAST.

old school coaches usually don't give all the rooks full playing time if there is vets in that positions

LB will play the best players on the team because his job is to win games. The only way the rooks get playing time is if they are better than the players ahead of them on the depth chart--we'll see how good they turn out to be.

One thing to consider is that our rooks are not completely green. Frye and Lee played all 4 years in college and Nate played 3, so they're relatively seasoned for rookie players. By comparison, Darko had the dual drawbacks of being an 18 year old and coming from Europe. Lee will probably ride the pine behind JYD and Rose, but I can see Nate and Frye earning minutes in the regular rotation.

Posted by tomverve:

The bigger concern I'd have-- and it's a big one-- is that LB pushes Zeke (either directly or indirectly) to convert to more of a 'win now' mode, perhaps trading some of our rooks our younger guys for more seasoned vets who could make us better in the short term. I highly doubt we'll win a championship in the immediate future, so I'd rather take a bit of a hit in the short term and let our young guys grow into the rotation over the long haul.

Now that's a good point.

Posted by djsunyc:

Posted by tomverve:

The bigger concern I'd have-- and it's a big one-- is that LB pushes Zeke (either directly or indirectly) to convert to more of a 'win now' mode, perhaps trading some of our rooks our younger guys for more seasoned vets who could make us better in the short term. I highly doubt we'll win a championship in the immediate future, so I'd rather take a bit of a hit in the short term and let our young guys grow into the rotation over the long haul.

well, i'm hoping that brown also knows the situation he's walking into. that it's one that's a TRUE reclamation project and will take a few years.

With LB's health deteriorating why would he take this job knowing that? If he's just taking it for the money then his coming here is doomed to failure.

LB would be the biggest splash but it wouldn't be the best fit. The same way getting Phil Jackson wouldn't have been. It's just another example of going for the name with complete disregard of how that person fits. A "win now" type doesn't fit in our current situation.

Posted by Killa4luv:

A coach doesn't push a president, the pushing, if any would work the other way. I don't there will be much pushing at all. LB is being hired to do what he does, and Isiah has waited this long for that, he will respect the decisions that LB makes, but may make a gentle suggestion or two.

Brown apparently had a fair bit of say with what the Sixers did when he was their coach. In any case, it doesn't even necessarily have to be that LB explicitly asks Isiah to make certain trades. There's still the danger lurking that with LB we will become competetive enough to seduce Isiah away from his more recent, balanced approach and into full-bore 'win now' mode, future be damned.

Not that I'm against getting Brown, of course. I want him here a lot, and I think he'll be great for developing our youngsters in the long run. And Isiah very well might resist temptation and stick to his guns with the youth movement. But there is at least a chance that that mentality could fly out the door in a year or two.

Larry stayed witht the sixers for SIX years!

Iverson was 22 years old!

They won 31 games his first year coaching.

Its possible the stays, teaches, and eventually wins!

Posted by Killa4luv:

Posted by tomverve:

The bigger concern I'd have-- and it's a big one-- is that LB pushes Zeke (either directly or indirectly) to convert to more of a 'win now' mode, perhaps trading some of our rooks our younger guys for more seasoned vets who could make us better in the short term. I highly doubt we'll win a championship in the immediate future, so I'd rather take a bit of a hit in the short term and let our young guys grow into the rotation over the long haul.

A coach doesn't push a president, the pushing, if any would work the other way. I don't there will be much pushing at all. LB is being hired to do what he does, and Isiah has waited this long for that, he will respect the decisions that LB makes, but may make a gentle suggestion or two.

When the coach has Larry's rep and makes twice as much as the GM/president, he often does push the coach.

Larry's old but not stupid. If the young guys can contribute they will be out there. Larry Brown's never been one to keep guys with the talent and heart of Nate or Lee on the bench. And Frye is the best center on the roster...he will play. Ariza is definitely an LB type.

Posted by tomverve:

One thing to consider is that our rooks are not completely green. Frye and Lee played all 4 years in college and Nate played 3, so they're relatively seasoned for rookie players. By comparison, Darko had the dual drawbacks of being an 18 year old and coming from Europe. Lee will probably ride the pine behind JYD and Rose, but I can see Nate and Frye earning minutes in the regular rotation.

Please add that Darko isn't as good as first advertised. Watch him in a couple of SL games, games late last season. Where is this excellent athlethicism? Where is the ball handling skill that Chad Ford was talking about? An older, injured McDyess is 50 times better than Darko at any age. There isn't even any comparison between a young McDyess and Darko. For LB to play him to justify Dumar's selection of him is ridculous. If Sweetney was on that team, I honestly think he would be ahead of Darko in the rotation too.