Meet our new coach next year: Billy Donovan

[Phenom]

How long till Becky Hammon is on head coaching radars?

When pigs fly.

Chauvinistic pilots?

[Lipoli390]

Interesting supposedly Flip offered a top assistant coach position to Billups last year with the understanding he takes over next year but turned it down.

http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla/ci_27915458/kiszla-nuggets-need-chauncey-billups-but-management-role

Good find, monster. So we now know that Flip offered the job to Joerger and Billups, and there are also reports that the Wolves actively pursued Donovan. Since reports like this are coming out of the woodwork, it's logical to assume there were other candidates that the Wolves also went after. Can we finally put to bed the narrative that Flip wanted the head coach job from the start, and didn't put much effort into finding an alternative? It's clear to me that the Kevin Love uncertainty made it impossible for Flip to get the right guy to commit...only washed-up candidates like George Karl were interested.

On the positive side, the Wolves have to be a much better coaching job now than they were prior to the Love/Wiggins deal. More reason to believe that we may have a new coach next year.

The report on Billups is false. Nor was Joerger actually offered the job here. There were only discussions with him. The head coaching position was actually offered to one guy who turned it down before Flip finally named himself to the position.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Interesting supposedly Flip offered a top assistant coach position to Billups last year with the understanding he takes over next year but turned it down.

http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla/ci_27915458/kiszla-nuggets-need-chauncey-billups-but-management-role

Good find, monster. So we now know that Flip offered the job to Joerger and Billups, and there are also reports that the Wolves actively pursued Donovan. Since reports like this are coming out of the woodwork, it's logical to assume there were other candidates that the Wolves also went after. Can we finally put to bed the narrative that Flip wanted the head coach job from the start, and didn't put much effort into finding an alternative? It's clear to me that the Kevin Love uncertainty made it impossible for Flip to get the right guy to commit...only washed-up candidates like George Karl were interested.

On the positive side, the Wolves have to be a much better coaching job now than they were prior to the Love/Wiggins deal. More reason to believe that we may have a new coach next year.

The report on Billups is false. Nor was Joerger actually offered the job here. There were only discussions with him. The head coaching position was actually offered to one guy who turned it down before Flip finally named himself to the position.

George Karl is washed up? Depends on your definition, I guess.

He went 57 - 25 in his last full season as a coach, only 2 years ago.
That would be the 2nd best mark in Timberwolves history... only topped by the 58 - 24 mark in 2004. Until taking over the lousy Kings franchise with its horrible ownership team... Karl hadn't had a losing season since before the Wolves entered the league (1988).



[Note: I've said it before, I'd actually be worried about Flip Saunders if he did NOT angle for the coaching job. You want a guy in charge with confidence and smarts. I'd like to think he had enough foresight to see that if he put himself in as coach, he instantly becomes one of the 5 most "powerful" executives in the NBA. Heck, some of us saw it and we're random dudes posting anonymously online.]

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Interesting supposedly Flip offered a top assistant coach position to Billups last year with the understanding he takes over next year but turned it down.

http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla/ci_27915458/kiszla-nuggets-need-chauncey-billups-but-management-role

Good find, monster. So we now know that Flip offered the job to Joerger and Billups, and there are also reports that the Wolves actively pursued Donovan. Since reports like this are coming out of the woodwork, it's logical to assume there were other candidates that the Wolves also went after. Can we finally put to bed the narrative that Flip wanted the head coach job from the start, and didn't put much effort into finding an alternative? It's clear to me that the Kevin Love uncertainty made it impossible for Flip to get the right guy to commit...only washed-up candidates like George Karl were interested.

On the positive side, the Wolves have to be a much better coaching job now than they were prior to the Love/Wiggins deal. More reason to believe that we may have a new coach next year.

The report on Billups is false. Nor was Joerger actually offered the job here. There were only discussions with him. The head coaching position was actually offered to one guy who turned it down before Flip finally named himself to the position.

George Karl is washed up? Depends on your definition, I guess.

He went 57 - 25 in his last full season as a coach, only 2 years ago.
That would be the 2nd best mark in Timberwolves history... only topped by the 58 - 24 mark in 2004. Until taking over the lousy Kings franchise with its horrible ownership team... Karl hadn't had a losing season since before the Wolves entered the league (1988).



[Note: I've said it before, I'd actually be worried about Flip Saunders if he did NOT angle for the coaching job. You want a guy in charge with confidence and smarts. I'd like to think he had enough foresight to see that if he put himself in as coach, he instantly becomes one of the 5 most "powerful" executives in the NBA. Heck, some of us saw it and we're random dudes posting anonymously online.]

What's Karl's playoff record? 80-105. We need more than a great regular season coach.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Interesting supposedly Flip offered a top assistant coach position to Billups last year with the understanding he takes over next year but turned it down.

http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla/ci_27915458/kiszla-nuggets-need-chauncey-billups-but-management-role

Good find, monster. So we now know that Flip offered the job to Joerger and Billups, and there are also reports that the Wolves actively pursued Donovan. Since reports like this are coming out of the woodwork, it's logical to assume there were other candidates that the Wolves also went after. Can we finally put to bed the narrative that Flip wanted the head coach job from the start, and didn't put much effort into finding an alternative? It's clear to me that the Kevin Love uncertainty made it impossible for Flip to get the right guy to commit...only washed-up candidates like George Karl were interested.

On the positive side, the Wolves have to be a much better coaching job now than they were prior to the Love/Wiggins deal. More reason to believe that we may have a new coach next year.

The report on Billups is false. Nor was Joerger actually offered the job here. There were only discussions with him. The head coaching position was actually offered to one guy who turned it down before Flip finally named himself to the position.

George Karl is washed up? Depends on your definition, I guess.

He went 57 - 25 in his last full season as a coach, only 2 years ago.
That would be the 2nd best mark in Timberwolves history... only topped by the 58 - 24 mark in 2004. Until taking over the lousy Kings franchise with its horrible ownership team... Karl hadn't had a losing season since before the Wolves entered the league (1988).



[Note: I've said it before, I'd actually be worried about Flip Saunders if he did NOT angle for the coaching job. You want a guy in charge with confidence and smarts. I'd like to think he had enough foresight to see that if he put himself in as coach, he instantly becomes one of the 5 most "powerful" executives in the NBA. Heck, some of us saw it and we're random dudes posting anonymously online.]

What's Karl's playoff record? 80-105. We need more than a great regular season coach.

The Wolves are coming off 66 losses. The Wolves haven't made the playoffs in more than a decade. The Wolves haven't even reached .500 since 2005.

I'd like to shoot for the proverbial moon, but I'm willing to take it one step at a time with this perpetual rebuilding thing.

[Note: Karl's playoff winning percentage is almost identical to Dr. Jack Ramsay's winning percentage. One title can change the narrative quickly, apparently. I loved Dr. Jack by the way...]

[bleedspeed]

We will see how smart Flip is this year. Last year it made perfect sense for him to coach the team with all of the uncertainty going on. I would have been fine with him stepping down or delegating the duties after the all-star break to focus on scouting. That should be his top priority moving forward. Building this roster and finding the right coach. I am not fine with him not looking or a coach this offseason. I think we will get more interested options this year.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Bring Bickerstaff back.

[Volans19]

Five year deal for Donovan to OKC.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Five year deal for Donovan to OKC.

Shocked he took that deal over Minnesota.




[Note: To be fair, that job looks great NOW. But what happens if they struggle for whatever reason next year? If Durant leaves? Granted, why look a gift horse in the mouth, right? It's a guaranteed money deal. Run with it... and hope for the best... which could be incredible.]

[bleedspeed]

Good for Billy. Thunder is about as good a job as you can get in the NBA. I don't see him being one of the best coaches in the league, but he should be solid and a slight upgrade over Brooks.