Here's what we liked about All-Star Saturday:
Chase Budinger taking a feed from Puff Daddy and flying over him to flush it to open the Slam Dunk Contest and affirm that white men can jump...over short (not Jermaine Dupri short) rap impresarios. The only thing that would've made the jump better was if it was over Kriss Kross. Congratulations to another unexpected Jeremy - Jeremy Evans - who pleaded to be included by posting videos of himself hopping on YouTube, then proceeded to win it, Jazzing up a jump by donning a Karl Malone uniform, then hurdling Kevin Hart dressed as a mailman. Paul George glowed, but then he glowered in the days after, insulting the fans' intelligence - this from the guy who called Larry Bird "Larry Brown" before his last dunk - and criticized the competition. Well, Furious George, the weekend is for the fans and fans deserve to cast the deciding votes, which they did for the first time. Still, for a leap year, the Dunk Contest was a disappointment.
The elder statesman prevailing in the Skills Challenge. The third time was the charm for Tony Parker, who came in last the previous two times he participated. Kyrie Irving might've showed some of his fatigue from Friday, when he was the MVP of the Rising Stars game (swishing all 8 of the 3-point attempts), finishing at the back of the pack. We must point out that Parker is a decade older than Irving.
The trio of tie-breakers. There was one in the Skills Challenge and a duo of draws in the 3-point shooting contest, which prompted players to give a greater effort and made the events more competitive. Anthony Morrow's retro Nets jersey wasn't just a throwback, it was a tribute to the late Drazen Petrovic. There aren't a lot of Nets worthy of being honored, so kudos to Morrow for knowing the franchise's history. For older fans, it was a trip(le) down memory lane.
Showing posts with label Larry Brown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Larry Brown. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sunday, January 2, 2011
What Can Brown Do For You?
There was no Christmas bonus for Larry Brown. In fact, his stocking was stuffed with a pink slip. Over the holidays, Bobcats owner and noted tongue sticker-outer Michael Jordan parted ways with his Hall of Fame coach and fellow North Carolina alum, making the most itinerant coach in the league a free agent. Erik Spoelstra just started sweating profusely.
The question isn't why Brown left, since his stays are always short and the Bobcats are bad, but who Jordan will bring in to succeed him -- because you don't replace a HOF coach (Hubie Brown doesn't want that kind of headache; Memphis was enough of a migraine). At least temporarily, Paul Silas gets a second go-round with a Charlotte-based team, but what, exactly, is Jordan's long-term plan? He already bungled the departure of one other Tar Heel, Raymond Felton, who left as a free agent, is having the best statistical season of his career and couldn't be happier throwing lob passes to A'mare. Brown's whiny and wishy-washy ways can wear on a team, but keep in mind this is a man who managed to lead the Clippers to the playoffs, a feat amazing enough to qualify him for basketball sainthood. Does Jordan have intentions of stepping out of the owner's box and onto the sidelines a la Pat Riley? Or did Jordan really believe that Brown underachieved with a ragtag roster of players who seem more suited to rounding out a D-League squad? No coach has a better track record of converting losers into winners. Not even Emilio Estevez in The Mighty Ducks.
We don't see the Bobcats luring a coach anywhere near as accomplished and established, especially since they haven't even convinced a top-flight player to settle in Charlotte. Sure, the the Mike Browns of the world are available, but he still has much to prove (namely, 1. can he win games without LeBron? 2. can he wear the same pair of glasses more than once?) and is he any better than Paul Silas? The Bobcats couldn't afford to downgrade at another position.
Maybe Brown wasn't forced out, maybe he asked out. Even though he's not suiting up - as far as we know - Jordan is the indisputable face and leader of the franchise (even more so now), but currently this team is more painful to watch than his Hanes commercials.* We hope Jordan realizes that changing coaches isn't comparable to changing underwear (for starters, coaches seldom come in three-packs).
*Don't you sully the good name of bacon by using it to describe a wrinkled shirt collar.
The question isn't why Brown left, since his stays are always short and the Bobcats are bad, but who Jordan will bring in to succeed him -- because you don't replace a HOF coach (Hubie Brown doesn't want that kind of headache; Memphis was enough of a migraine). At least temporarily, Paul Silas gets a second go-round with a Charlotte-based team, but what, exactly, is Jordan's long-term plan? He already bungled the departure of one other Tar Heel, Raymond Felton, who left as a free agent, is having the best statistical season of his career and couldn't be happier throwing lob passes to A'mare. Brown's whiny and wishy-washy ways can wear on a team, but keep in mind this is a man who managed to lead the Clippers to the playoffs, a feat amazing enough to qualify him for basketball sainthood. Does Jordan have intentions of stepping out of the owner's box and onto the sidelines a la Pat Riley? Or did Jordan really believe that Brown underachieved with a ragtag roster of players who seem more suited to rounding out a D-League squad? No coach has a better track record of converting losers into winners. Not even Emilio Estevez in The Mighty Ducks.
We don't see the Bobcats luring a coach anywhere near as accomplished and established, especially since they haven't even convinced a top-flight player to settle in Charlotte. Sure, the the Mike Browns of the world are available, but he still has much to prove (namely, 1. can he win games without LeBron? 2. can he wear the same pair of glasses more than once?) and is he any better than Paul Silas? The Bobcats couldn't afford to downgrade at another position.
Maybe Brown wasn't forced out, maybe he asked out. Even though he's not suiting up - as far as we know - Jordan is the indisputable face and leader of the franchise (even more so now), but currently this team is more painful to watch than his Hanes commercials.* We hope Jordan realizes that changing coaches isn't comparable to changing underwear (for starters, coaches seldom come in three-packs).
*Don't you sully the good name of bacon by using it to describe a wrinkled shirt collar.
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