Im sorry but this was a reclimation project he took over and its still not a good team. We have two very nice pieces but after that it gets sketchy.

MDA is proven to win with good players--that is an honest bottom line--you can agree or disagree but history does not lie.

loweyecue wrote:Unrealistic expectations: Lesson 1

You guys want to run MDA out of town when he can't win with 2 all-stars, fine.
Just remember Jerry Sloan couldn't win a chip with 2 HOF-ers (HOF-ers >> All-stars see?)
JVG couldn't win anything in Houston either
Skiles = No chip
POP - NOT AVAILABLE
PJAX - LOL, seriously?

It takes a lot more than coaching, it takes commitment and drive from the players. Phil Jax didn't motivate the Bulls, MJ did. Rivers didn't motivate the Celts, KG did and still does. The overpaid/underaceiving players that pass as professionals in the NBA today need that type of in-your-face motivation on a daily basis to be able to get up and play. But yeah let's fire another 4 or 5 coaches.

For all the love Skiles and Sloan get exactly how many Chips do they have between themselves? I agree they are great coaches, both better than MDA, but firing and hiring coaches does not magically solve problems.

Yeah Popovich would be nice, but last I checked he is coaching the best team in the league and I don't hink he is drooling for the Knicks job. This coach is what he is, not the best but better than most. Deal with it.

There is nothing to deal with. Your opinion is your opinion and is not a factual one. To try and pass it off as one is wrong.

Why are you bringing up other great coaches? Sloan's teams had tough competition (Seattle Sonics were amazing in the 90's) and came painstakingly close to a title but Michael Jordan did it again. Is Pat Riley a failure in NY because he couldn't win with Ewing and the crew against the Bulls too? Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy, Popovich, Jackson, Skiles, Sloan...what do all these successful (for the most part) coaches have in common? They were all defensive-oriented coaches who got the most defense out of their players. That is something Mike D'Antoni will never be.

The players can have commitment and drive, but the coach is still the guy who controls the team. He controls minutes. He controls many things. If he yells at a guy he should yell at all the guys. If he is upset about the defense he should hold guys accountable. If he is upset with a player he should bench him. He should not play favorites and pick and choose where/who/when he holds accountable. He should let go of his ego and bring in an effective assistant coach. Doc Rivers credited the Celtics great defense to Tom Thibodeau. He did not take credit for it. He did not gloat about it. But he had the balls to hire a defensive guy in the first place instead of stubbornly trying to do things his way (aka the wrong way).

If you want to show undying support for a coach who has accomplished very little in his career with AND without his gimmick offensive style then go ahead. But to act like whatever you say is a fact and we should accept it is wrong. It's not a fact. In fact it's completely false.

BRIGGS wrote:MDA did win 60 games twice and an a average of 58 games a year in Phoenxi--that is a LOT of winning even some of the best coaches you can name havent won that much. Van Gundy Adelman--nope NONE.

Im sorry but this was a reclimation project he took over and its still not a good team. We have two very nice pieces but after that it gets sketchy.

MDA is proven to win with good players--that is an honest bottom line--you can agree or disagree but history does not lie.

CrushAlot wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:MDA did win 60 games twice and an a average of 58 games a year in Phoenxi--that is a LOT of winning even some of the best coaches you can name havent won that much. Van Gundy Adelman--nope NONE.

Im sorry but this was a reclimation project he took over and its still not a good team. We have two very nice pieces but after that it gets sketchy.

MDA is proven to win with good players--that is an honest bottom line--you can agree or disagree but history does not lie.

I might not be remembering right but haven't you been posting this year that the Knicks need a new coach?

Yes. But Briggs can go from "DO NOT TRADE GALLO" posts to offering him up in a trade for Hasheem Thabeet.

CrushAlot wrote:

loweyecue wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

loweyecue wrote:Unrealistic expectations: Lesson 1

You guys want to run MDA out of town when he can't win with 2 all-stars, fine.
Just remember Jerry Sloan couldn't win a chip with 2 HOF-ers (HOF-ers >> All-stars see?)
JVG couldn't win anything in Houston either
Skiles = No chip
POP - NOT AVAILABLE
PJAX - LOL, seriously?

It takes a lot more than coaching, it takes commitment and drive from the players. Phil Jax didn't motivate the Bulls, MJ did. Rivers didn't motivate the Celts, KG did and still does. The overpaid/underaceiving players that pass as professionals in the NBA today need that type of in-your-face motivation on a daily basis to be able to get up and play. But yeah let's fire another 4 or 5 coaches.

For all the love Skiles and Sloan get exactly how many Chips do they have between themselves? I agree they are great coaches, both better than MDA, but firing and hiring coaches does not magically solve problems.

Yeah Popovich would be nice, but last I checked he is coaching the best team in the league and I don't hink he is drooling for the Knicks job. This coach is what he is, not the best but better than most. Deal with it.

I think the numbers TMS posted make it pretty clear that teams need to play good defense if they are going to win a championship. D'Antoni has not been a good defensive coach. If you support him you think he can change and get his team to play championship basketball. Looking at the numbers in the initial post, has there been any indication that he can get his team to play defense at that level?

Either you didn't understand what I posted or you ignored it completely. I didn't argue with the data. When you fire a coach you need to find someone better than him. So far the only option is Sloan and based on the FACT that he couldn't win one with Stockton/Malone despite his top 10 defense and whatever, he isn't going to be that much better with a bunch of zombies.

I read what you said. I don't think it takes a lot to recognize that defense is a crucial aspect of the game and that teams that win championships play good defense. I think there are guys out there that aren't hof coaches that would address defense and make this team a better contender. Two guys that come to mind are Lawerence Frank and JVG. I am sure there a lot of others and there are some assistants that might be good canidates. The Knicks job is a big job. However, I think the reason the dysfunction that was present prior to D'Antoni coaching that is gone now is related to Walsh and the stability he brings to the team. D'Antoni was involved in a bit of unneccesary drama his first two years he was here when it didn't matter what he did.

Now that I can agree with. As for other coaches that would make the team better this is just your opinion. We did try Larry Brown and Lenny Wilkens both are arguable HOF coaches in their own right and it went no-where. Much is wrong with this franchise, changing the coach will accomplish little in MY OPINION.

loweyecue wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:

loweyecue wrote:Unrealistic expectations: Lesson 1

You guys want to run MDA out of town when he can't win with 2 all-stars, fine.
Just remember Jerry Sloan couldn't win a chip with 2 HOF-ers (HOF-ers >> All-stars see?)
JVG couldn't win anything in Houston either
Skiles = No chip
POP - NOT AVAILABLE
PJAX - LOL, seriously?

It takes a lot more than coaching, it takes commitment and drive from the players. Phil Jax didn't motivate the Bulls, MJ did. Rivers didn't motivate the Celts, KG did and still does. The overpaid/underaceiving players that pass as professionals in the NBA today need that type of in-your-face motivation on a daily basis to be able to get up and play. But yeah let's fire another 4 or 5 coaches.

For all the love Skiles and Sloan get exactly how many Chips do they have between themselves? I agree they are great coaches, both better than MDA, but firing and hiring coaches does not magically solve problems.

Yeah Popovich would be nice, but last I checked he is coaching the best team in the league and I don't hink he is drooling for the Knicks job. This coach is what he is, not the best but better than most. Deal with it.

There is nothing to deal with. Your opinion is your opinion and is not a factual one. To try and pass it off as one is wrong.

Why are you bringing up other great coaches? Sloan's teams had tough competition (Seattle Sonics were amazing in the 90's) and came painstakingly close to a title but Michael Jordan did it again. Is Pat Riley a failure in NY because he couldn't win with Ewing and the crew against the Bulls too? Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy, Popovich, Jackson, Skiles, Sloan...what do all these successful (for the most part) coaches have in common? They were all defensive-oriented coaches who got the most defense out of their players. That is something Mike D'Antoni will never be.

The players can have commitment and drive, but the coach is still the guy who controls the team. He controls minutes. He controls many things. If he yells at a guy he should yell at all the guys. If he is upset about the defense he should hold guys accountable. If he is upset with a player he should bench him. He should not play favorites and pick and choose where/who/when he holds accountable. He should let go of his ego and bring in an effective assistant coach. Doc Rivers credited the Celtics great defense to Tom Thibodeau. He did not take credit for it. He did not gloat about it. But he had the balls to hire a defensive guy in the first place instead of stubbornly trying to do things his way (aka the wrong way).

If you want to show undying support for a coach who has accomplished very little in his career with AND without his gimmick offensive style then go ahead. But to act like whatever you say is a fact and we should accept it is wrong. It's not a fact. In fact it's completely false.

Unrealistic Expectations: Lesson #2

Reading Comprehension is essential
Go back and read Lesson #1

I didn't support MDA anywhere on that post, I said no one better is avialble except Sloan. But you read what you wanted to. And Sloan couldn't win it despite being a "great defensive coach" AND "having to HOF-ers" and that's not my opinion, it's FACTORIAL.

How well did Kobe/Shaq motivate before Phil Jackson? MJ and Pippen under Doug Collins?

Did Jerry Sloan have his players playing hard every night or did they take nights off (ahem)?

Were Jerry Sloans HOFers anywhere close in talent to you know who and you know who?

Was he a huge underdog in the Finals? How did he do despite the odds?

Phil Jackson is coaching his last year (with the lakers). Not possible for Ego and offseason to mix?

loweyecue wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:

loweyecue wrote:Unrealistic expectations: Lesson 1

You guys want to run MDA out of town when he can't win with 2 all-stars, fine.
Just remember Jerry Sloan couldn't win a chip with 2 HOF-ers (HOF-ers >> All-stars see?)
JVG couldn't win anything in Houston either
Skiles = No chip
POP - NOT AVAILABLE
PJAX - LOL, seriously?

It takes a lot more than coaching, it takes commitment and drive from the players. Phil Jax didn't motivate the Bulls, MJ did. Rivers didn't motivate the Celts, KG did and still does. The overpaid/underaceiving players that pass as professionals in the NBA today need that type of in-your-face motivation on a daily basis to be able to get up and play. But yeah let's fire another 4 or 5 coaches.

For all the love Skiles and Sloan get exactly how many Chips do they have between themselves? I agree they are great coaches, both better than MDA, but firing and hiring coaches does not magically solve problems.

Yeah Popovich would be nice, but last I checked he is coaching the best team in the league and I don't hink he is drooling for the Knicks job. This coach is what he is, not the best but better than most. Deal with it.

There is nothing to deal with. Your opinion is your opinion and is not a factual one. To try and pass it off as one is wrong.

Why are you bringing up other great coaches? Sloan's teams had tough competition (Seattle Sonics were amazing in the 90's) and came painstakingly close to a title but Michael Jordan did it again. Is Pat Riley a failure in NY because he couldn't win with Ewing and the crew against the Bulls too? Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy, Popovich, Jackson, Skiles, Sloan...what do all these successful (for the most part) coaches have in common? They were all defensive-oriented coaches who got the most defense out of their players. That is something Mike D'Antoni will never be.

The players can have commitment and drive, but the coach is still the guy who controls the team. He controls minutes. He controls many things. If he yells at a guy he should yell at all the guys. If he is upset about the defense he should hold guys accountable. If he is upset with a player he should bench him. He should not play favorites and pick and choose where/who/when he holds accountable. He should let go of his ego and bring in an effective assistant coach. Doc Rivers credited the Celtics great defense to Tom Thibodeau. He did not take credit for it. He did not gloat about it. But he had the balls to hire a defensive guy in the first place instead of stubbornly trying to do things his way (aka the wrong way).

If you want to show undying support for a coach who has accomplished very little in his career with AND without his gimmick offensive style then go ahead. But to act like whatever you say is a fact and we should accept it is wrong. It's not a fact. In fact it's completely false.

Unrealistic Expectations: Lesson #2

Reading Comprehension is essential
Go back and read Lesson #1

I didn't support MDA anywhere on that post, I said no one better is avialble except Sloan. But you read what you wanted to. And Sloan couldn't win it despite being a "great defensive coach" AND "having to HOF-ers" and that's not my opinion, it's FACTORIAL.

You're getting angry. It's okay. I understand my post obliterated yours but no need for ferocity.

You clearly support Mike D'Antoni and you don't have to mention it to make that clear. That's fine. But your reasoning behind it is wrong.

Plenty of coaches are available that are better than D'Antoni. I wanted Tom Thibodeau first, then Scott Skiles, then Avery Johnson. They're all gone now unfortunately. Who are we left with? Jeff Van Gundy has little chance to return, Mark Jackson is an unknown. Then you start looking at defensive assistant coaches from other organizations. Brian Shaw - a great assistant and good defender in his career - is a guy we can and should sign immediately before any other team signs him. Let me also mention my affinity for Byron Scott and Rick Adelman. Should any of the above coaches become available I'd sign any one of them before Mike. I don't have an exact name in mind but I don't need one to want this one fired because I already know his limitations and have seen him coach over 150 games with this franchise and many more with another to know what he is. Phoenix Suns fans, for all his 50-win seasons, don't miss him one bit. We wont either when he's gone.

Amare Stoudemire is not a Hall of Fame player first and foremost. Not until he starts rebounding more. Let's make note of that by the way.

Belittling people and insulting them will not get your points across. Now please re-read what I wrote and understand it.

loweyecue wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

loweyecue wrote:Unrealistic expectations: Lesson 1

You guys want to run MDA out of town when he can't win with 2 all-stars, fine.
Just remember Jerry Sloan couldn't win a chip with 2 HOF-ers (HOF-ers >> All-stars see?)
JVG couldn't win anything in Houston either
Skiles = No chip
POP - NOT AVAILABLE
PJAX - LOL, seriously?

It takes a lot more than coaching, it takes commitment and drive from the players. Phil Jax didn't motivate the Bulls, MJ did. Rivers didn't motivate the Celts, KG did and still does. The overpaid/underaceiving players that pass as professionals in the NBA today need that type of in-your-face motivation on a daily basis to be able to get up and play. But yeah let's fire another 4 or 5 coaches.

For all the love Skiles and Sloan get exactly how many Chips do they have between themselves? I agree they are great coaches, both better than MDA, but firing and hiring coaches does not magically solve problems.

Yeah Popovich would be nice, but last I checked he is coaching the best team in the league and I don't hink he is drooling for the Knicks job. This coach is what he is, not the best but better than most. Deal with it.

I think the numbers TMS posted make it pretty clear that teams need to play good defense if they are going to win a cha it mpionship. D'Antoni has not been a good defensive coach. If you support him you think he can change and get his team to play championship basketball. Looking at the numbers in the initial post, has there been any indication that he can get his team to play defense at that level?

Either you didn't understand what I posted or you ignored it completely. I didn't argue with the data. When you fire a coach you need to find someone better than him. So far the only option is Sloan and based on the FACT that he couldn't win one with Stockton/Malone despite his top 10 defense and whatever, he isn't going to be that much better with a bunch of zombies.

The point of this thread wasn't to suggest that we need to fire this coach... it was to present an argument as to why people have legitimate concerns over this coach's philosophy... winning 60 games in the regular season is all well & good if you want to be forever known as the Seattle Mariners of basketball... most Knicks fans are aiming at higher goals, we want to win a championship regardless if it takes us winning 60 games or 45 games to get to the postseason the concern lies in how this team will perform in the postseason above all else... when you can't stop a team like the Pacers from scoring at will in your own house especially after a pathetic loss against the Mavs the game before i think it raises very legitimate concerns over whether this coach will ever be able to get these guys to put forth the type of defensive effort they're gonna need to get far in the playoffs, particularly when the team is lacking in the amount of depth his teams in Phoenix had around their 2 main stars.

mreinman wrote:

loweyecue wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:

loweyecue wrote:Unrealistic expectations: Lesson 1

You guys want to run MDA out of town when he can't win with 2 all-stars, fine.
Just remember Jerry Sloan couldn't win a chip with 2 HOF-ers (HOF-ers >> All-stars see?)
JVG couldn't win anything in Houston either
Skiles = No chip
POP - NOT AVAILABLE
PJAX - LOL, seriously?

It takes a lot more than coaching, it takes commitment and drive from the players. Phil Jax didn't motivate the Bulls, MJ did. Rivers didn't motivate the Celts, KG did and still does. The overpaid/underaceiving players that pass as professionals in the NBA today need that type of in-your-face motivation on a daily basis to be able to get up and play. But yeah let's fire another 4 or 5 coaches.

For all the love Skiles and Sloan get exactly how many Chips do they have between themselves? I agree they are great coaches, both better than MDA, but firing and hiring coaches does not magically solve problems.

Yeah Popovich would be nice, but last I checked he is coaching the best team in the league and I don't hink he is drooling for the Knicks job. This coach is what he is, not the best but better than most. Deal with it.

There is nothing to deal with. Your opinion is your opinion and is not a factual one. To try and pass it off as one is wrong.

Why are you bringing up other great coaches? Sloan's teams had tough competition (Seattle Sonics were amazing in the 90's) and came painstakingly close to a title but Michael Jordan did it again. Is Pat Riley a failure in NY because he couldn't win with Ewing and the crew against the Bulls too? Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy, Popovich, Jackson, Skiles, Sloan...what do all these successful (for the most part) coaches have in common? They were all defensive-oriented coaches who got the most defense out of their players. That is something Mike D'Antoni will never be.

The players can have commitment and drive, but the coach is still the guy who controls the team. He controls minutes. He controls many things. If he yells at a guy he should yell at all the guys. If he is upset about the defense he should hold guys accountable. If he is upset with a player he should bench him. He should not play favorites and pick and choose where/who/when he holds accountable. He should let go of his ego and bring in an effective assistant coach. Doc Rivers credited the Celtics great defense to Tom Thibodeau. He did not take credit for it. He did not gloat about it. But he had the balls to hire a defensive guy in the first place instead of stubbornly trying to do things his way (aka the wrong way).

If you want to show undying support for a coach who has accomplished very little in his career with AND without his gimmick offensive style then go ahead. But to act like whatever you say is a fact and we should accept it is wrong. It's not a fact. In fact it's completely false.

Unrealistic Expectations: Lesson #2

Reading Comprehension is essential
Go back and read Lesson #1

I didn't support MDA anywhere on that post, I said no one better is avialble except Sloan. But you read what you wanted to. And Sloan couldn't win it despite being a "great defensive coach" AND "having to HOF-ers" and that's not my opinion, it's FACTORIAL.

How well did Kobe/Shaq motivate before Phil Jackson? MJ and Pippen under Doug Collins? Shaq, MJ and Pippen, motivated just fine.

Did Jerry Sloan have his players playing hard every night or did they take nights off (ahem)? No and that's why they are HOF-ers, his current team took plenty of nights off.

Were Jerry Sloans HOFers anywhere close in talent to you know who and you know who? - Now that's funny

Was he a huge underdog in the Finals? How did he do despite the odds? - I guess that explains why he didn't win anything the year the bulls got dismantled and Utah was intact.

Phil Jackson is coaching his last year (with the lakers). Not possible for Ego and offseason to mix? I have no issues with him coming here in the off season, but I doubt he has the balls to accept a job like this.

TMS wrote:

loweyecue wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

loweyecue wrote:Unrealistic expectations: Lesson 1

You guys want to run MDA out of town when he can't win with 2 all-stars, fine.
Just remember Jerry Sloan couldn't win a chip with 2 HOF-ers (HOF-ers >> All-stars see?)
JVG couldn't win anything in Houston either
Skiles = No chip
POP - NOT AVAILABLE
PJAX - LOL, seriously?

It takes a lot more than coaching, it takes commitment and drive from the players. Phil Jax didn't motivate the Bulls, MJ did. Rivers didn't motivate the Celts, KG did and still does. The overpaid/underaceiving players that pass as professionals in the NBA today need that type of in-your-face motivation on a daily basis to be able to get up and play. But yeah let's fire another 4 or 5 coaches.

For all the love Skiles and Sloan get exactly how many Chips do they have between themselves? I agree they are great coaches, both better than MDA, but firing and hiring coaches does not magically solve problems.

Yeah Popovich would be nice, but last I checked he is coaching the best team in the league and I don't hink he is drooling for the Knicks job. This coach is what he is, not the best but better than most. Deal with it.

I think the numbers TMS posted make it pretty clear that teams need to play good defense if they are going to win a cha it mpionship. D'Antoni has not been a good defensive coach. If you support him you think he can change and get his team to play championship basketball. Looking at the numbers in the initial post, has there been any indication that he can get his team to play defense at that level?

Either you didn't understand what I posted or you ignored it completely. I didn't argue with the data. When you fire a coach you need to find someone better than him. So far the only option is Sloan and based on the FACT that he couldn't win one with Stockton/Malone despite his top 10 defense and whatever, he isn't going to be that much better with a bunch of zombies.

The point of this thread wasn't to suggest that we need to fire this coach... it was to present an argument as to why people have legitimate concerns over this coach's philosophy... winning 60 games in the regular season is all well & good if you want to be forever known as the Seattle Mariners of basketball... most Knicks fans are aiming at higher goals, we want to win a championship regardless if it takes us winning 60 games or 45 games to get to the postseason the concern lies in how this team will perform in the postseason above all else... when you can't stop a team like the Pacers from scoring at will in your own house especially after a pathetic loss against the Mavs the game before i think it raises very legitimate concerns over whether this coach will ever be able to get these guys to put forth the type of defensive effort they're gonna need to get far in the playoffs, particularly when the team is lacking in the amount of depth his teams in Phoenix had around their 2 main stars.

And the point of my post was there aren't any coaches availables right now (Except Sloan) that can get them to provide that type of effort. I have the same long term goals you do and I doubt Sloan could win a championship with the team as it's currently constructed.

loweyecue wrote:

mreinman wrote:

loweyecue wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:

loweyecue wrote:Unrealistic expectations: Lesson 1

You guys want to run MDA out of town when he can't win with 2 all-stars, fine.
Just remember Jerry Sloan couldn't win a chip with 2 HOF-ers (HOF-ers >> All-stars see?)
JVG couldn't win anything in Houston either
Skiles = No chip
POP - NOT AVAILABLE
PJAX - LOL, seriously?

It takes a lot more than coaching, it takes commitment and drive from the players. Phil Jax didn't motivate the Bulls, MJ did. Rivers didn't motivate the Celts, KG did and still does. The overpaid/underaceiving players that pass as professionals in the NBA today need that type of in-your-face motivation on a daily basis to be able to get up and play. But yeah let's fire another 4 or 5 coaches.

For all the love Skiles and Sloan get exactly how many Chips do they have between themselves? I agree they are great coaches, both better than MDA, but firing and hiring coaches does not magically solve problems.

Yeah Popovich would be nice, but last I checked he is coaching the best team in the league and I don't hink he is drooling for the Knicks job. This coach is what he is, not the best but better than most. Deal with it.

There is nothing to deal with. Your opinion is your opinion and is not a factual one. To try and pass it off as one is wrong.

Why are you bringing up other great coaches? Sloan's teams had tough competition (Seattle Sonics were amazing in the 90's) and came painstakingly close to a title but Michael Jordan did it again. Is Pat Riley a failure in NY because he couldn't win with Ewing and the crew against the Bulls too? Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy, Popovich, Jackson, Skiles, Sloan...what do all these successful (for the most part) coaches have in common? They were all defensive-oriented coaches who got the most defense out of their players. That is something Mike D'Antoni will never be.

The players can have commitment and drive, but the coach is still the guy who controls the team. He controls minutes. He controls many things. If he yells at a guy he should yell at all the guys. If he is upset about the defense he should hold guys accountable. If he is upset with a player he should bench him. He should not play favorites and pick and choose where/who/when he holds accountable. He should let go of his ego and bring in an effective assistant coach. Doc Rivers credited the Celtics great defense to Tom Thibodeau. He did not take credit for it. He did not gloat about it. But he had the balls to hire a defensive guy in the first place instead of stubbornly trying to do things his way (aka the wrong way).

If you want to show undying support for a coach who has accomplished very little in his career with AND without his gimmick offensive style then go ahead. But to act like whatever you say is a fact and we should accept it is wrong. It's not a fact. In fact it's completely false.

Unrealistic Expectations: Lesson #2

Reading Comprehension is essential
Go back and read Lesson #1

I didn't support MDA anywhere on that post, I said no one better is avialble except Sloan. But you read what you wanted to. And Sloan couldn't win it despite being a "great defensive coach" AND "having to HOF-ers" and that's not my opinion, it's FACTORIAL.

How well did Kobe/Shaq motivate before Phil Jackson? MJ and Pippen under Doug Collins? Shaq, MJ and Pippen, motivated just fine. Then how did they do without Phil?

Did Jerry Sloan have his players playing hard every night or did they take nights off (ahem)? No and that's why they are HOF-ers, his current team took plenty of nights off. Huh?

Were Jerry Sloans HOFers anywhere close in talent to you know who and you know who? - Now that's funny ===== Let me further clarify, can you compare Malone/Stockton to MJ/Pippen? There is nothing wrong with losing as an underdog if the effort was there.

Was he a huge underdog in the Finals? How did he do despite the odds? - I guess that explains why he didn't win anything the year the bulls got dismantled and Utah was intact. That is a weak argument, anything can happen any year and if I remember, Malone/Stokton were grand papa's

Phil Jackson is coaching his last year (with the lakers). Not possible for Ego and offseason to mix? I have no issues with him coming here in the off season, but I doubt he has the balls to accept a job like this. Oh hes got BALLS alright