The Next Ten Years

by tssbro on May 1, 2008 7:23 PM PDT

Reading the comments on Dave's post regarding Avery Johnson and Mike D'Antoni got me thinking about expectations we have for the future and what would satisfy us as fans, as far as Nate's legacy is concerned.

Jerry Sloan has had a fantastic run in Utah. They have won way more regular season games than they have lost, the team seems to have a healthy relationship with its fan base, they have made the playoffs most of his years, they have seen some great players come through who played the game at a high enough level to elevate the games of their teammates, and they had a legitmate shot at winning a championship maybe five of his 20 seasons coaching there. But of course, they have never won it all under Sloan and there have been down times where the fans were calling for his head.

Is this a legacy that you could accept from Nate? Obviously every fan wants their team to win a championhip (or a string of them for all time), but there is only one championship awarded every year, and they are a tad more difficult to come by than we like to think.

Poll

I could accept this type of legacy from Nate.

Yes

54 votes

No

48 votes

102 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

ROy, Aldridge, Oden, Pritchard and PAul Allen

With all of these things working for Nate I think I would be not satisfied with a semi successful team. I would need at least one ring to keep me happy.

by Garden of ODEN on May 1, 2008 7:52 PM PDT reply actions

Agreed

You don’t play to win most of the games. You play to win em’ all. Championship or bust. Good thing I think Nate gives us the best shot at that. For now.

Obama, Outlaw '08

by Sabonis4Ever on May 1, 2008 8:02 PM PDT up reply actions

I was going to say the same thing.

With the pieces we have, it’s title or bust.

Most of those good Jazz teams had the Jordan Bulls to play spoiler. If we had such a foil, I’d give Nate a longer leash. But I don’t see any teams shaping up to be head and shoulders tougher or better than us when we’re peaking. It won’t be a cakewalk, but if we don’t win it’ll be a disappointment. From what I’ve seen Nate understands this. I’d love to see him in Blazer uni for a LONG time, ala Jerry Sloan, but only if that length of time includes plural titles.

by bfan on May 1, 2008 10:50 PM PDT up reply actions

A ring would be great

But I guess I am a bit envious of the longevity that Sloan has had in Utah. You have to think that the fans that stuck with the team for the past twenty years would feel pretty good seeing Sloan bring home a ring after that long of a wait.
I mean was Adleman any worse of a coach because the window was closing for that group of guys in the early 90s?

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on May 1, 2008 11:02 PM PDT up reply actions

Well, maybe he shouldn't have gone.

It’s to the credit of Sloan AND the organization that they’ve never held the fire sale we did in 93-96.
And maybe, just maybe, a dozen years down the road, when these current Blazers are in their mid-30’s,
we’d be wise to hold similar continuity and transition rather than blow-it-up-ness-osity.

Blazers have a five-on-three...and they pull it back and wait for help.

by QualityPie on May 2, 2008 8:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Killer Instinct

The one thing I’m afraid of with Nate is the lack of a killer instinct. You can’t argue with success, 41 wins with this team shows he’s got something going for him. But the Phil Jackson / Gregg Popovich “Win First, Win More Later, then Win all over their defeated bodies” mentality may be missing.

Though there’s something to be said for having a likeable coach too…

by rmcdougall on May 1, 2008 8:10 PM PDT reply actions

I vote "yes" because I thought it would be funny

as I should be the only one. Oooooppppssss.

Diputado A: Su Señoría da una en clavo y cien en herradura.
Diputado B: porque su Señoría no se está quieto.

by amlmart1 on May 1, 2008 8:31 PM PDT reply actions

A translation seems appropros, Am.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

by Ojala John on May 1, 2008 10:45 PM PDT up reply actions

I thoutght nobody, absolutly nobody, would accept

that Nate coaches this team during the next decade like a semi successful team. When the travel begins with the pieces we have I hope the best and only the best, and I can´t imagine satisfaction if we don´t take at least one ring.

Diputado A: Su Señoría da una en clavo y cien en herradura.
Diputado B: porque su Señoría no se está quieto.

by amlmart1 on May 2, 2008 12:40 AM PDT up reply actions

Exactly!

I love having Nate here, he’s a great coach and I think he has a chance to do much better than Sloan. I’d like to see longevity but I NEED to see chamionships. Anything less is not good enough with this team.

by BlazerD on May 2, 2008 1:25 AM PDT up reply actions

How long does he have?

He has two years left on his contract. Do you give him a four or five year extension if the team makes the playoffs next year and then give him two to three years to win one and then move on?

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on May 2, 2008 6:06 PM PDT up reply actions

That is what I was interested in

of course we all want to win one but what is the threshhold of acceptability? How long does he have to win one before we move on?

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on May 2, 2008 6:04 PM PDT up reply actions

we should all be so lucky to have a coach that represents our community as well as sloan has. and we may have better pieces to work with. remember that winning a championship has a lot to do with luck as well. if we can keep the continuity with our current group as long as the jazz were able to with stocton/malone there will be nothing to complain about, we will get ours.
besides our guys are cooler than stockton/malone.

by styrfri on May 1, 2008 10:16 PM PDT reply actions

No Way

If the Blazers don’t win a title in 3 years, then I want a new coach. It’s as simple as that.

Mahna mahna, (ba dee bedebe), mahna mahna, (ba debe dee), mahna mahna, (ba dee bedebe badebe badebe dee dee de-de de-de-de)

by tominhawaii on May 1, 2008 10:21 PM PDT reply actions

Maybe Larry Brown will be available...

when he leaves the team he will be coaching after he leaves Charlotte.

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on May 1, 2008 10:49 PM PDT up reply actions

You are very wise

Mahna mahna, (ba dee bedebe), mahna mahna, (ba debe dee), mahna mahna, (ba dee bedebe badebe badebe dee dee de-de de-de-de)

by tominhawaii on May 2, 2008 1:07 AM PDT up reply actions

While yes I'd be happy with nate if...

He won with poor talent or average talent, with the talent we have currently and no new additions, there’s no way I’d be satisfied. A bad coach should be able to take these guys to the next level.

Luckily I don’t think Nate will not take us there.

"No way. I love this town. We're gonna bring back the glory years. These boys are my boys. This is my team and my town." - Greg Oden when asked about leaving.

by ratbastird on May 1, 2008 11:31 PM PDT reply actions

I'd like to agree

I think Nate will take this group of guys to a place where they will contend, like Sloan has done with his teams. But a championship is far from a sure thing. If he doesn’t win one will we see him as worth sticking with for all the other reasons or is he gone in 3 years because of no championship?

I know this is early. If the team moves backwards over the next two years he obviously will not be here but if the progress continues and he gets another 4-5 year deal and towards the end of that contract they make the conference finals a couple times and maybe a finals but no championship is that enough?

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on May 2, 2008 6:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Our team hasn't proved anything yet

We’ll see when we get to the playoffs.

BINGO, BANGO, BONGO

by blzrfan on May 2, 2008 12:57 AM PDT reply actions

Good Point

Greg Oden’s stats from his rookie years, 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0.
Yeah, I know next year will count as his rookie year, but I know the truth.

Mahna mahna, (ba dee bedebe), mahna mahna, (ba debe dee), mahna mahna, (ba dee bedebe badebe badebe dee dee de-de de-de-de)

by tominhawaii on May 2, 2008 1:08 AM PDT up reply actions

What about summer league?

19 fouls in 2 games!

Wooo-hoooo!

Ball Don't Lie

by bothteamsplayedhard on May 2, 2008 2:06 PM PDT up reply actions

Hey

He did have zero turnovers. You gotta like that.

Signatures? We ain't got no signatures. We don't need no signatures! I don't have to show you any stinkin' signatures!

by tominhawaii on May 2, 2008 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions

Cart before the Horse...

Too early to be talking “legacy”. I like the way this franchise has rebounded. I love the direction we are heading in and clearly on paper we have great potential. Why should anyone be tying a future legacy to Nate McMillan? The future has too many unknown variables. This team is being assembled with the ultimate goal of being a championship winning team. Isn’t that the justification KP used when explaining why we took Oden over Durant?
I loved the Drexler, Porter, Buck, Duck and Kersey teams of the 90’s. They were a joy to watch. If this current incarnation of The Blazers were succesful but not championship, I guess I could enjoy them as well. But it’s been a long time, I think this fan base is hungry for a championship, hungrier than most. I’m a Blazer fan, so I’ll enjoy The Blazers regardless but I’m looking at Oden, Brandon, LA and Fernandez and hoping it is a championship run or multiple championship runs.

"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"

by Krang on May 2, 2008 10:15 AM PDT reply actions

I think that is what I am getting at

Winning a championship isn’t as easy as many seem to be expressing. Maybe a better way to say it is do you think Nate is good enough to stick with if we don’t win a championship in a year or two when his contract is up? I know there a way too many factors to actually answer that with any certainty, but I think Nate is doing a fantastic job of developing a foundation for this team to be succesful in the long term. Will we become, or more importantly will KP become, impatient if the “playing the right way” doesn’t quickly transform into winning?

PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04

by tssbro on May 2, 2008 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions