Laimbeer quits as Shock coach . . .

Lou Stefanic · 06-15-2009, 11:44 AM

Ex-Bad Boy Laimbeer to quit as Shock coach | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Maybe he's going to be a part of Curry's bench?

Mainevent · 06-15-2009, 11:49 AM

There was a small blurb on CNNSI (I think) that Lambs is interested in the Minnesota job. I have a hard time seeing him as a Curry understudy.

Fool · 06-15-2009, 11:57 AM

It's well down on the "Don't Print That" section.

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_12585998

Quote:

A little birdie says former Detroit Pistons star Bill Laimbeer would love the Timberwolves' head-coaching job.

Lou Stefanic · 06-15-2009, 12:22 PM

Wow, that would make it fun to root for the T-Wolves next year.

Whitley · 06-15-2009, 12:24 PM

Probably means Rick Mahorn takes over as the Shock head coach?

Stefan S · 06-15-2009, 01:39 PM

I'm surprised that, seemingly, Dumars has not been interested in Laimbeer as the head coach for the Pistons.

Whiteman · 06-15-2009, 01:43 PM

Curry is best suited to Coach the WNBA then the NBA when you think about it.

Whitley · 06-15-2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefan S

I'm surprised that, seemingly, Dumars has not been interested in Laimbeer as the head coach for the Pistons.

Always thought it was pretty telling that Dumars and Zeke the two guys that knew him the best never had Lambs on their short list when the head coaching jobs opened up.

ghandi · 06-15-2009, 02:58 PM

For Joe not to consider Laimbeer, at least this last hire anyway, is certainly very telling....its hard to say if he has a personal vendetta or some other reason......Also for Laims to quit the Shock he must have something else lined up in the NBA, where he really wants to be a head coach someday......

hack · 06-15-2009, 03:08 PM

Maybe what's telling pertains to Joe and not to Laimbeer.

TJPiston · 06-15-2009, 03:14 PM

I'd like to see someone give Lambs a shot.

The King · 06-15-2009, 04:16 PM

Laimbeer now joins the other 50+ million people who have quit on the WNBA.

The King · 06-15-2009, 04:17 PM

The WNBA, the league where the best and most marketable player gets pregnant and misses the season.

bozo the clown · 06-15-2009, 04:28 PM

Well, it is better than the NBA, where the best and most marketable player makes someone else pregnant by force and then doesn't miss the season.

The King · 06-15-2009, 04:30 PM

Kobe?

He didn't get her pregnant because he did her in the butt.

Joe_Loco · 06-15-2009, 04:44 PM

The NBA is vindictive as hell, and though I'd love to blame Stern he's only part of it. Rarely is a guy who was unpopular as a player given much of a shot to coach. Laimbeer and Rick Barry are two examples, and Kareem is another (though I doubt he really has much commitment to doing what a head coach has to do).

If Mark Cuban was as ballsy as he says, he'd hire Laim.

bozo the clown · 06-15-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Kobe?

He didn't get her pregnant because he did her in the butt.

Ugh....

Jad64 · 06-15-2009, 04:51 PM

How shameful....

Hobbs · 06-15-2009, 05:02 PM

Laimbs doesn't really have anything left to prove in the WNBA. Hopefully he gets a look somewhere in the league. He should take an assistant gig, but it doesn't seem like he's interested in that.

Lou Stefanic · 06-15-2009, 06:58 PM

There have always been rumblings that Laimbeer didn't want to put forth the effort necessary to be a head coach. I don't know if that's true or not, but certainly he has had opportunities to be an assistant and has passed. And the WNBA job has to be like a part-time job compared to NBA head coaches.

I tend to think he'd have had his NBA head coaching gig by now if he'd done his time as an assistant or worked in a front office.

Or here's a thought -- maybe he's going to run for governor? He's always had some political ambition.

Laimbeer Returns · 06-15-2009, 08:51 PM

Its not like Laimbeer wasn't doing things that would put him in position to coach someday. He spent his time either broadcasting games or coaching in the WNBA. I think he has put in more 'time' than many other people who went on to become a head coach in the NBA.

Laimbeer Returns · 06-15-2009, 08:53 PM

Oh, and as for the timing of this announcement... I think Laimbeer did it specifically because it would increase the chances of Rick Mahorn getting the head coaching job. If he walks in the off season the Shock could have gone out and gotten a successor that he didn't like, wheras the way he left would almost ensure that Ricky gets his chance at the head gig first.

Joe_Loco · 06-15-2009, 09:13 PM

Great point.

TJPiston · 06-15-2009, 09:13 PM

Quote:

"It's time for me to be doing something else," he said at a news conference. "I want to coach in the NBA, and I think it was not fair to the Shock to try to coach them while my focus and passion were somewhere else. I don't have another job, but it is something I want to explore. Whether it is a head coaching job or something as an assistant, that's what I want to do."

Give Lambs 2 years as an asst. on a good staff and he could become a hot commodity.

Exec's have to get tired from seeing the same names recycled over and over again.

Seriously, if I was a GM I'd rather hire someone fresh like Lambs rather than Terry Stotts or someone like that.

Whitley · 06-15-2009, 09:18 PM

The question is would you give Lambs a shot as a head coach without that experience?

TJPiston · 06-15-2009, 09:20 PM

Well, I'd prefer him to have experience as an Assistant for 2 years first.

I imagine the grind of being an NBA coach to be insanely tough. I think he needs to be a part of that system before he jumps in head first.

Joe_Loco · 06-15-2009, 10:17 PM

Mike Montgomery. Reggie Theus. Eric Spoelstra. C'mon, heavy dues paying is NOT exactly a must.

TJPiston · 06-15-2009, 10:22 PM

Doesn't seem to be but it would advantageous to both parties if it was.

Lou Stefanic · 06-15-2009, 10:26 PM

Montgomery had a great coaching record in college. Spoelstra had been with the Heat in a variety of capacities since like the mid-90's, including assistant coach.

Mainevent · 06-15-2009, 10:30 PM

Spoelstra has been with The Heat for a long time in player development and has been an assistant coach for a number of years under SVG and Riley. He paid his dues.

Montgomery and Theus, well, they weren't successful, so that kind of supports not going that route.

Joe_Loco · 06-16-2009, 07:13 AM

Spoelstra was their head scout, and before that their video guy. Assistant coach was a paper title. If length of service in the organization is the criterion, Laimbeer's time as player/broadcaster/wnba coach more than satisfies the dues requirement. The converse to that is, all the assistant bench coaching time in the world didn't make Ron Rothstein or Richie Adubato successful head coaches.

Everybody gets really dogmatic about what qualifies a guy to be head coach, but nothing can tell you how he'll be until he actually does it. All we know is that Bill Laimbeer sat down on a WNBA bench one day, and took to it like he was born for the job.

Inbetweengame · 06-16-2009, 08:37 AM

Well Bill Laimbeer had a great run and congratulations to him and the Shock players for that. I hope he gets a shot somewhere. Now what I'd like to see is a bit of a switcheroo whereby we send Michael Curry to coach the Shock and bring Rick Mahorn over to coach the Pistons.

Get that done and it's a good off season even if we come back with the same roster.

Fool · 06-16-2009, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laimbeer Returns

Oh, and as for the timing of this announcement... I think Laimbeer did it specifically because it would increase the chances of Rick Mahorn getting the head coaching job. If he walks in the off season the Shock could have gone out and gotten a successor that he didn't like, wheras the way he left would almost ensure that Ricky gets his chance at the head gig first.

That is a very good observation. I hadn't thought of that at all.

hack · 06-16-2009, 11:38 AM

"I talked to (Pistons president) Joe Dumars, and it's more about opportunities elsewhere in the league, feeling out what he thought and what I might have to do to get an opportunity some place."

Great call, Joe. You know how to pick 'em...

Whitley · 06-16-2009, 12:52 PM

Something to consider as well. If Lambs puts in a couple years as an assistant coach, two years down the road Michael Curry's contract does come up. If the team is floundering, then perhaps, Laimbeer becomes the head coach. He would then have a couple years in the league and that has always been the biggest knock against him.

Billl · 06-16-2009, 12:59 PM

The biggest knock against lam is that he is an egomaniac attempting to coach in a players league. Sometimes that works out, but much of the time it doesn't. Being an assistant is unlikely to change that either way.

hack · 06-16-2009, 01:12 PM

Sounds like Joe's just not interested.

Stefan S · 06-16-2009, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billl

The biggest knock against lam is that he is an egomaniac attempting to coach in a players league. Sometimes that works out, but much of the time it doesn't. Being an assistant is unlikely to change that either way.

Being an assistant will not change it, but... is it really a fact that he is such a megalomaniac. I don't know. Women athlets have big egos, too. Yet Laimbeer was able to coach them just fine.

I think someone will give him a shot at the head-coach position. Iwish it was us.

hack · 06-16-2009, 01:19 PM

Me too.

Money23 · 06-16-2009, 01:26 PM

I just don't understand why it hasn't happened already.

Stefan S · 06-16-2009, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Money23

I just don't understand why it hasn't happened already.

Me neither.

I was thinking that, maybe, teh Shock's job was to give Laimbeer some coaching experience before bringing him on board. But, I guess, maybe it was not it (or, perhaps, Bill sees now better options elsewhere.) It's hard to read Dumars anout this matter.

Money23 · 06-16-2009, 01:40 PM

Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking. Heh, I listened to my dad rant about it for 15 minutes the other day. He thinks Curry should be fired RIGHT NOW and Lam hired.

hack · 06-16-2009, 01:44 PM

I think from that quote it's clear that it's not going to happen with the Pistons. Why? Well, spotting untapped coaching talent isn't exactly Joe's forte. Maybe he'll smarten up like he perhaps has with the draft. We can only hope.

rpmfla · 06-16-2009, 01:46 PM

Laimbeer was a great player who maximized his arguably limited skills and played with cunning and grit more than athletic prowess. Our current head coach maximized his unarguably limited skills and managed to survive in the NBA without ever accomplishing anything substantial as a player. Laimbeer sounds comparatively eloquent and shows a sense of humor in how he communicates. Curry sounds like an idiot when he speaks. Laimbeer has been a winner. Curry rode the coattails of more talented players. The one thing out of place was Curry being the head of the player's association. Maybe that was one of those deals where no ne else wanted to do it so the biggest suck-up volunteered.

Can you tell I m not a Curry fan?

hack · 06-16-2009, 01:50 PM

In retrospect, we should see if the minutes of those union meetings are available. Could be hilarious.

Srsly, the idea of Curry, based on what we knew last summer, is good. The reality -- well, you'd hope that Joe woulda spotted the red flags. At this point, maybe hopefully this will encourage him to actually do his fucking homework for once. I think Joe makes up his mind too fast, like he did with Darko and as he did last summer too. Wasn't going to even bother interviewing anyone else. Probably knew long in advance that Curry was the next coach, at whatever time that was gonna be. Not cool!

bozo the clown · 06-16-2009, 01:51 PM

Yes, he DID know in advance because Curry was being groomed as an assistant coach.

Money23 · 06-16-2009, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hack

In retrospect, we should see if the minutes of those union meetings are available. Could be hilarious.

Dude, I'd pay 20 bucks to see the highlights from those meetings. "We should get the NBA to do more good stuff."

Stefan S · 06-16-2009, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpmfla

Can you tell I m not a Curry fan?

W ehear you loud and clear.

Now, wha twas your point? ;)

hack · 06-16-2009, 01:56 PM

``OK, is there anymores to say in the done stuff section of the meeting? No? OK, now on to stuffs we're gonna do, and then we'll have a Status of toothpaste tubes report...''

Stefan S · 06-16-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hack

In retrospect, we should see if the minutes of those union meetings are available. Could be hilarious.

Srsly, the idea of Curry, based on what we knew last summer, is good. The reality -- well, you'd hope that Joe woulda spotted the red flags. At this point, maybe hopefully this will encourage him to actually do his fucking homework for once. I think Joe makes up his mind too fast, like he did with Darko and as he did last summer too. Wasn't going to even bother interviewing anyone else. Probably knew long in advance that Curry was the next coach, at whatever time that was gonna be. Not cool!

Lots of crap is on Joe, though (and not on Curry). In particular, he was forced to coach the most difficult guy in NBA to coach (without being given any time to prepare for it, not a single preseason game). That'san enormous burden on a rookie coach.

Also, I do not put much stack on Curry's ramblings.

Now, I maybe totally off base about it. But, perhaps, he might have been given too harsh a treatment by this forum.

06-15-2009, 11:44 AM	#1
Lou Stefanic Sixth Man Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3,576 : 0 For This Post 1 Total	Laimbeer quits as Shock coach . . . Ex-Bad Boy Laimbeer to quit as Shock coach \| Freep.com \| Detroit Free Press Maybe he's going to be a part of Curry's bench?

06-16-2009, 07:13 AM	#31
Joe_Loco Water Boy Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Nashua, NH Posts: 363 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Spoelstra was their head scout, and before that their video guy. Assistant coach was a paper title. If length of service in the organization is the criterion, Laimbeer's time as player/broadcaster/wnba coach more than satisfies the dues requirement. The converse to that is, all the assistant bench coaching time in the world didn't make Ron Rothstein or Richie Adubato successful head coaches. Everybody gets really dogmatic about what qualifies a guy to be head coach, but nothing can tell you how he'll be until he actually does it. All we know is that Bill Laimbeer sat down on a WNBA bench one day, and took to it like he was born for the job. Last edited by Joe_Loco; 06-16-2009 at 07:20 AM.

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06-15-2009, 11:49 AM	#2
Mainevent Bench Player Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 2,321 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	There was a small blurb on CNNSI (I think) that Lambs is interested in the Minnesota job. I have a hard time seeing him as a Curry understudy.

06-15-2009, 12:22 PM	#4
Lou Stefanic Sixth Man Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3,576 : 0 For This Post 1 Total	Wow, that would make it fun to root for the T-Wolves next year.

06-15-2009, 12:24 PM	#5
Whitley Water Boy Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 864 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	*Probably means Rick Mahorn takes over as the Shock head coach?*

06-15-2009, 01:39 PM	#6
Stefan S Starter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: South Texas Posts: 8,259 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	I'm surprised that, seemingly, Dumars has not been interested in Laimbeer as the head coach for the Pistons.

06-15-2009, 01:43 PM	#7
Whiteman Sixth Man Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,666 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Curry is best suited to Coach the WNBA then the NBA when you think about it.

06-15-2009, 02:58 PM	#9
ghandi Water Boy Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 878 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	For Joe not to consider Laimbeer, at least this last hire anyway, is certainly very telling....its hard to say if he has a personal vendetta or some other reason......Also for Laims to quit the Shock he must have something else lined up in the NBA, where he really wants to be a head coach someday......

06-15-2009, 03:08 PM	#10
hack Starter Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 11,065 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Maybe what's telling pertains to Joe and not to Laimbeer.

06-15-2009, 03:14 PM	#11
TJPiston Bench Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,636 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	I'd like to see someone give Lambs a shot.

06-15-2009, 04:16 PM	#12
The King Sixth Man Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,900 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Laimbeer now joins the other 50+ million people who have quit on the WNBA.

06-15-2009, 04:17 PM	#13
The King Sixth Man Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,900 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	The WNBA, the league where the best and most marketable player gets pregnant and misses the season.

06-15-2009, 04:28 PM	#14
bozo the clown Bench Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,145 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Well, it is better than the NBA, where the best and most marketable player makes someone else pregnant by force and then doesn't miss the season.

06-15-2009, 04:30 PM	#15
The King Sixth Man Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,900 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Kobe? He didn't get her pregnant because he did her in the butt.

06-15-2009, 04:44 PM	#16
Joe_Loco Water Boy Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Nashua, NH Posts: 363 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	The NBA is vindictive as hell, and though I'd love to blame Stern he's only part of it. Rarely is a guy who was unpopular as a player given much of a shot to coach. Laimbeer and Rick Barry are two examples, and Kareem is another (though I doubt he really has much commitment to doing what a head coach has to do). If Mark Cuban was as ballsy as he says, he'd hire Laim.

06-15-2009, 04:51 PM	#18
Jad64 Water Boy Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: in Hel_ Posts: 246 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	How shameful....

06-15-2009, 05:02 PM	#19
Hobbs Sixth Man Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3,006 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Laimbs doesn't really have anything left to prove in the WNBA. Hopefully he gets a look somewhere in the league. He should take an assistant gig, but it doesn't seem like he's interested in that.

06-15-2009, 06:58 PM	#20
Lou Stefanic Sixth Man Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3,576 : 0 For This Post 1 Total	There have always been rumblings that Laimbeer didn't want to put forth the effort necessary to be a head coach. I don't know if that's true or not, but certainly he has had opportunities to be an assistant and has passed. And the WNBA job has to be like a part-time job compared to NBA head coaches. I tend to think he'd have had his NBA head coaching gig by now if he'd done his time as an assistant or worked in a front office. Or here's a thought -- maybe he's going to run for governor? He's always had some political ambition.

06-15-2009, 08:51 PM	#21
Laimbeer Returns Water Boy Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 122 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Its not like Laimbeer wasn't doing things that would put him in position to coach someday. He spent his time either broadcasting games or coaching in the WNBA. I think he has put in more 'time' than many other people who went on to become a head coach in the NBA.

06-15-2009, 08:53 PM	#22
Laimbeer Returns Water Boy Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 122 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Oh, and as for the timing of this announcement... I think Laimbeer did it specifically because it would increase the chances of Rick Mahorn getting the head coaching job. If he walks in the off season the Shock could have gone out and gotten a successor that he didn't like, wheras the way he left would almost ensure that Ricky gets his chance at the head gig first.

06-15-2009, 09:13 PM	#23
Joe_Loco Water Boy Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Nashua, NH Posts: 363 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Great point.

06-15-2009, 09:18 PM	#25
Whitley Water Boy Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 864 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	*The question is would you give Lambs a shot as a head coach without that experience?*

06-15-2009, 09:20 PM	#26
TJPiston Bench Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,636 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Well, I'd prefer him to have experience as an Assistant for 2 years first. I imagine the grind of being an NBA coach to be insanely tough. I think he needs to be a part of that system before he jumps in head first.

06-15-2009, 10:17 PM	#27
Joe_Loco Water Boy Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Nashua, NH Posts: 363 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Mike Montgomery. Reggie Theus. Eric Spoelstra. C'mon, heavy dues paying is NOT exactly a must.

06-15-2009, 10:22 PM	#28
TJPiston Bench Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,636 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Doesn't seem to be but it would advantageous to both parties if it was.

06-15-2009, 10:26 PM	#29
Lou Stefanic Sixth Man Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3,576 : 0 For This Post 1 Total	Montgomery had a great coaching record in college. Spoelstra had been with the Heat in a variety of capacities since like the mid-90's, including assistant coach.

06-15-2009, 10:30 PM	#30
Mainevent Bench Player Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 2,321 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Spoelstra has been with The Heat for a long time in player development and has been an assistant coach for a number of years under SVG and Riley. He paid his dues. Montgomery and Theus, well, they weren't successful, so that kind of supports not going that route.

06-16-2009, 08:37 AM	#32
Inbetweengame Water Boy Join Date: May 2009 Location: Taichung, Taiwan Posts: 931 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Well Bill Laimbeer had a great run and congratulations to him and the Shock players for that. I hope he gets a shot somewhere. Now what I'd like to see is a bit of a switcheroo whereby we send Michael Curry to coach the Shock and bring Rick Mahorn over to coach the Pistons. Get that done and it's a good off season even if we come back with the same roster.

06-16-2009, 11:38 AM	#34
hack Starter Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 11,065 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	"I talked to (Pistons president) Joe Dumars, and it's more about opportunities elsewhere in the league, feeling out what he thought and what I might have to do to get an opportunity some place." Great call, Joe. You know how to pick 'em...

06-16-2009, 12:52 PM	#35
Whitley Water Boy Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 864 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Something to consider as well. If Lambs puts in a couple years as an assistant coach, two years down the road Michael Curry's contract does come up. If the team is floundering, then perhaps, Laimbeer becomes the head coach. He would then have a couple years in the league and that has always been the biggest knock against him.

06-16-2009, 12:59 PM	#36
Billl Bench Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 2,382 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	The biggest knock against lam is that he is an egomaniac attempting to coach in a players league. Sometimes that works out, but much of the time it doesn't. Being an assistant is unlikely to change that either way.

06-16-2009, 01:12 PM	#37
hack Starter Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 11,065 : 0 For This Post 0 Total	Sounds like Joe's just not interested.