How many more seasons does Sarge get (poll)?

by BaylessFace on Jan 18, 2012 11:41 PM PST

With players, we often talk about the importance of showing one "NBA skill"--something a player does at a consistently high level that all but guarantees he'll stick around in the league. Now, I didn't follow McMillan when he coached the Sonics, but in his Blazers tenure I just haven't seen that one NBA coaching skill that convinces me he's up for this.

The statistics seem to support this conclusion. Only three current head coaches have been with their current team longer than Sarge (Popovich, Rivers, and Karl), and each of those three has been to the conference finals or beyond. Among the twelve active coaches who've been with their team more than two seasons, only Skiles, D'Antoni, and McMillan haven't made it out of the first round. I think most would agree that Skiles and D'Antoni will be on the hot seat if they don't improve this season. Meanwhile, McMillan's folding chair seems as cool as ever.

This is not a "Fire Nate!" rant by any means. I'm honestly perplexed by our coach. Like most of our rookies lately, it feels like McMillan always ends the season with an "Incomplete" due to injuries or disadvantageous playoff matchups. When will it be fair to grade him, and what does he need to do to pass? Does he have an "NBA coaching skill" that forces other coaches to adjust to his teams? Poll after the jump.

Poll

How many more first round exits before Sarge is gone?

1

44 votes

2

44 votes

3

10 votes

4+

19 votes

As long as Allen owns the team

25 votes

142 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 21 comments | 2 recs |

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Comments

as you say his 'folding chair' is cool...

I say his job seems very safe. it’s hard to fire a perennial coach of the year candidate for making the playoffs, especially when the reason you don’t get to the second round is due to injuries.

by mynamehere1212 on Jan 19, 2012 12:11 AM PST reply actions

Nate looks really bad in the playoffs every year.

We lose because the other team finds something that works and Nate can’t figure out how to stop it. Our players have never played to their potential in the last 3 playoffs, either. I think Nate is slowly learning, but another first round exit wouldn’t surprise any of us, would it?

I’m not buying the injury excuse and I think Nate needs results this year or he’s done.

by manfredi on Jan 19, 2012 7:55 AM PST up reply actions

the blazers are the most unlucky team in the League in past couple of season

but one thing stays the same, we a good team that comes to play night in and night out, you can credit this to Nate. my question is who do you really replace him with. the only guy i would think about is Brad Stevens but he is basically Nate.

by Daddygr33nJeans on Jan 19, 2012 12:40 AM PST reply actions

Past couple of seasons, yes

Go a few years further and the Rockets are just as unlucky.

i like it here, there, everywhere.

by Name's Ash on Jan 19, 2012 7:54 AM PST up reply actions

Question for you:

Who would you hire? I guarantee McMillan would get another job as soon as we fired him, likely in a premium location. I wouldn’t put it past Miami to replace Spoelstra with him, an ISO offense is perfect when you have two of the most dominant isolation players in the NBA ! You would be amazed how good a coach Nate would look like with Miami’s roster.

He adjusted to Felton’s up-tempo style. Which is out of Nate’s comfort zone but it was really successful early, however Ray hasn’t proved he can run it in an efficient manner. So he has resorted back to his standard ISO Offense. Both are complimented nicely by Aldridge in the post, but he needs help. If we had PG capable of efficiently running a fast break & could make defenses pay for sagging off, we would be dominant on offense. I wasn’t sold on Nate, until he made the adjustment this year.

A big problem with his SOS defense is you need great perimeter defenders, in addition to a good center. That may be his biggest problem, but we can work around it.

"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil

by 420Phenom on Jan 19, 2012 12:52 AM PST reply actions

the defense was working pretty well this year when the team worked harder to close out on shooters

but then we sort of lost that.

by YoniRap on Jan 19, 2012 11:15 AM PST up reply actions

Miami would be stupid to fire Spoelstra for McMillan.

Besides, Pat Riley never makes outside hires for coach.

"I Am Mine"

by AK1984 on Jan 19, 2012 2:24 PM PST up reply actions

Instead of isolating that, break down the rest of my post, please sir.

Because I do value your opinion more then most on this here website.

"We gotta get this $#!^ together guys!" - Phil

by 420Phenom on Jan 19, 2012 10:41 PM PST up reply actions

I would hire Mike Budenholzer or another assistant coach who has been with the Spurs

for any amount of time…doubt they keep coaches who aren’t good around..
I would re-hire Monty Williams.

by Natsthecat on Jan 20, 2012 11:10 AM PST up reply actions

People said the same thing about KP...did they not.

by OmoriumVerum on Jan 20, 2012 1:04 PM PST up reply actions

Easy

I’d take Spoelstra. I think Nate would get destroyed by those two stars. I’d love to hear him, oh they have to play harder, guys have to make shots. James will love those excuses. :)

by Cabbol on Jan 19, 2012 7:35 AM PST reply actions

I dunno. it is so hard to predict what Nate will do :p

i like it here, there, everywhere.

by Name's Ash on Jan 19, 2012 7:55 AM PST reply actions

are you being sarcastic?

because it seems McMillan is one of the easiest people around to predict. He won’t play rookies. He will play LaMarcus into the ground. He will take the hot player out of the game if a certain amt of minutes has passed. He will put the starting line up in to start the 3rd quarter even if another player has been making the opposing team pay.
He will go with a player he knows even if it’s not that player’s natural position..in order to avoid putting a rookie on the floor..even if said rookie player for 4 yrs in college.
He won’t play rookies unless he has absolutely no other choice…Pendergraph and Cunningham…

by Natsthecat on Jan 20, 2012 10:54 AM PST up reply actions

he took the sonics to the conference finals

its about talent and ours has been middling since Roys injuries started piling up

by skott75 on Jan 19, 2012 2:01 PM PST reply actions

"he took the sonics to the conference finals"

When? Was I asleep? What happened again?

You meant to say conference semifinals, right? Okay, good …

"I Am Mine"

by AK1984 on Jan 19, 2012 2:26 PM PST up reply actions

Nates ok at checkers

Sucks bad at chess.

Just wait till the playoffs. This team has enough talent to go to the 2nd round, but a startegic deficiency is a strategic deficiency. It’ll show up sometime.

by loyal_blazer on Jan 19, 2012 2:10 PM PST reply actions

If no one else will do it, I'll light the fire under his folding chair

If he can’t get out of the first round, then he has to be on the hot seat. For all we know, Nate is one of the reasons we can’t get a superstar, because they don’t want to play for him. And I hate to bring up Oden, but if I were the GM I would ask Greg (off the record) if he would be more likely to sign with Portland if they had a different coach. Ask Crash, too.

When people ask me for directions to the Rose Garden, I tell them that if they want to find the Blazers, just take the first (round) exit. :)

by unblindloyalty on Jan 19, 2012 3:40 PM PST reply actions

When has Wallace

even hinted at not liking Nate. I don’t remember anyone other then Dre have an issue with him. Dre is anything but a Star.

by AR-15 on Jan 19, 2012 6:01 PM PST up reply actions

whatever Dre is, I wish he was a member of the Blazers this year..

by Natsthecat on Jan 20, 2012 11:08 AM PST up reply actions

i just realized that i will miss nate when he's gone

i’m not a huge nate mcmillan fan or anything, but he’s been the one constant over the last few years. i am just not looking forward to reading about nate being fired. i will understand trying a new direction, etc. etc. but i will definitely be sad when that happens.

by permaswoon on Jan 20, 2012 11:15 PM PST reply actions