Minnesota Sports Forum

Abe brought it up in the other thread and wild wolf wondered also. These questions on my mind too.

To me going forward Glen is back in charge of this team. Everyone is in place to do day to day stuff for now but what does Glen see going forward?

Sam is a guy he knows well and it has been reported Glen had interest in coaching this team when they were looking before Flip took over.

How does Glen feel about Milt? What conversations did Glen have with Flip about various basketball minds that would influence him making a decision about bringing someone in? There are some interesting names out there with connections to Flip and or the franchise. Obviously he could go outside of all that too.

There is so much we don't know and it's hard to speculate right now too much considering everything but it's hard not to wonder what happens next as Flip was the guy doing so much.

The PBO job should be as attractive as any given the young talented roster. Its a huge concern given Glen was the guy who thought Khan was the answer. Don't screw up the legacy Flip left you with Glen!

I brought up JVG in the other thread, and I'll even add this.

Could you see JVG as the POBO and maybe bringing in a guy like Thibs to be HC, if not coach the team himself? It's an interesting scenario. The two have a relationship from their days in New York/Houston.

Also, read this article discussing JVG and what it could mean for the Pelicans, but instead of Anthony Davis, think about Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2479306-jeff-van-gundy-emerging-as-best-coaching-candidate-for-anthony-davis-pelicans

There's two options. Find a normal PBO who will then hire his own coach or use the opportunity to hire another dual role person. I'm not sure who the top GM talents are out there, but Izzo and JVG are the first that come to mind for option 2. I don't see Glenn as the type of owner who would go for a Ujiri type of GM either. I think the Kahn (this is how you spell it; stop killing me off piece by piece everytime you spell it Khan) experience really broke Glenn's POV on new blood in the league. I really think JVG will be the target as a friend of Flip's who can do both jobs and he has league experience.

Interesting thoughts on JVG AND Thibs Cam. I don't know if I see JVG getting back into the game and not coaching but that's an interesting take though.

What this franchise is missing with Flip passing more than anyone is a face of the franchise someone that can actually sell the franchise. Sam isn't that type of coach. Milt is a year removed from looking like a deer in the headlights speaking publically as the GM. He looks confident enough now to get the job done till someone else takes over now but I don't think he can sell. I just don't see anyone in the organization that can do that.

khans2k5 wrote:There's two options. Find a normal PBO who will then hire his own coach or use the opportunity to hire another dual role person. I'm not sure who the top GM talents are out there, but Izzo and JVG are the first that come to mind for option 2. I don't see Glenn as the type of owner who would go for a Ujiri type of GM either. I think the Kahn (this is how you spell it; stop killing me off piece by piece everytime you spell it Khan) experience really broke Glenn's POV on new blood in the league. I really think JVG will be the target as a friend of Flip's who can do both jobs and he has league experience.

Yep. I feel confident that JVG will be the new man in charge in Minnesota when it's all said and done, especially when you factor in his "talent trumps all" mentality that he's been so open about. What more could he want here? We have talent by the truckloads and three big-time defensive pieces to build around in Towns, Wiggins and Rubio.

Van Gundy's 9 Full Seasons as an NBA Head Coach

Year Team ORtg (NBA Rank) DRtg (NBA Rank)
1996-97 Knicks 104.4 (25) 101.0 (2)
1997-98 Knicks 103.0 (20) 100.3 (4)
1998-99 Knicks 98.6 (26) 97.5 (4)
1999-00 Knicks 102.5 (21) 100.9 (6)
2000-01 Knicks 101.2 (19) 98.2 (3)
2003-04 Rockets 100.9 (24) 99.0 (5)
2004-05 Rockets 106.2 (14) 101.7 (4)
2005-06 Rockets 101.6 (29) 103.3 (6)
2006-07 Rockets 106.0 (15) 100.7 (3)

First of all, no more guys who assume every role. Let's assemble a staff. Even if the guy who gets hired is experienced, let's get some young, hungry minds who could one day take over.

Not to sound morbid but Glen's not exactly a spring chicken either. If nothing else, let's have something in place just so this organization can be at ease moving forward because that kind of instability sours on everyone. In the short term, Milt and Sam will get a chance to earn their keep, and I'm sure the players can and will get their say.

Remember, Glen was ready to sell the team. It wasn't until Flip entered the picture, expressed interest in being a minority owner, and gave Glen a renewed vigor that he decided to keep the team.

It is hard to know whether Flip's passing will sap that vigor, or whether the promising team that Flip has built will keep Glen engaged. I suspect it will, especially with pieces of the country club still in place. The whole KG as part of a future ownership group is also a factor. Wouldn't he want a say in the POBO, etc.?

I don't think anything will happen too quickly. Milt and Sam might be the ones to make any sort of trade deadline decisions...

Chauncey Billups has expressed interest in being in the front office and he has said Flip had talked to him about the coaching job. Whoever takes over the top decision making of this team scares me the most. I had just learned to feel like Flip had done enough to trust he actually knew what he was doing when it came to talent and then...