It’s funny how coaches can go from morons to geniuses practically overnight by putting together a great run. Think Sam Mitchell last season or even Tom Coughlin and the NY Giants this year. Both guys were about to be run out of town before their squads went streaking.
The latest coach getting that treatment is Rick Adelman for the amazing run of 20 straight wins his Rockets have put together. Peter Vecsey today says that Rick is the League’s most underrated coach and has been for a long time:
March 14, 2008 — LONG before Rick Adelman’s Yao Ming-less Rockets amassed the second longest winning streak in NBA history (The Bobcats are bound to become 21st straight victim tonight if the home team doesn’t get caught looking ahead to Sunday’s play date with the Lakers), he was by far the league’s all-time most underrated coach.
In 16 previous seasons Adelman’s three teams (Blazers, Warriors, Kings) were denied making the playoffs a total of zero times. Portland twice reached The Finals. Equally remarkable is his .610 winning percentage (752-481) and just three of those seasons were below .500, his first as a Blazer in 1989 (14-21) when Rick replaced Mike Schuler in mid-February and both years (36-46 and 30-52) with Golden State.
No wonder Kings president Geoff Petrie did everything in his power to keep the Maloof Brothers from cutting ties with Adelman.There are no secrets to Adelman’s success: He treats his players like men; shows no favorites; is disciplined within reason; operates an uninhibiting, free-flowing, back-cutting offensive style that’s enjoyable to play (and watch); and his fidelity is fearsome.
In three decades of covering Adelman as a player and a coach I have yet to hear him utter a disparaging word about any of his players; he always has had their back.
If pressed the length of the pool by CIA interrogators, I couldn’t come up with another name renowned for not cheating on someone close to him at one time or another.
Who have the Rockets beaten during their streak (eight minus Yao), you scoff? Only every team on their schedule.
Rick definitely deserves much praise for this run, there’s no doubt about that. But maybe this is a little much?
For Vecsey’s full column (which includes a suggestion for the Knicks to pick up Gerald Green) go HERE.
March 14th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Celts Fan says:
Tom Coughlin? I didn’t hear that, our 3 rings are blocking my ears (yup, still burns! If Favre had just done his job against them, we could’ve kept Brady upright and won #4 and shut Mercury Morris the hell up. God I hate that guy… great job by Coughlin and the GMen though, if our coach acted like that, maybe it would’ve been different.)
But yes, it’s funny what things like that can do for a coach. Guys like Tom Coughlin and Rick Adelman adapted their styles and deserve that label. Adelman did a hell of a job w/ the Kings, and were it not for CWebb’s terribly timed knee injury, I think they would’ve won that year. Coughlin turned from complete d-bag (my friend’s brother worked for the Jags when he was there and said the guy was the biggest asshole ever to EVERYONE) to a guy, that from day 1 this year, was relating to players and understanding, and is very happy-go-lucky. Sam Mitchell created an international style of offense in Toronto that won a division. We’d be mistaken not to mention Nate McMillan here too. What he’s put together in Portland is amazing, and the fact these guys all buy in and act mature beyond their years when their leader (Roy) is about 24, and yet still play within themselves and the framework of the offense speaks volumes to McMillan’s ability not only to teach/coach the game and offense, but his ability to reach the younger guys (for what could’ve happened had he not reached them, you only need to look a few miles down I-5 at the Sonics.) Those kind of adjustments deserve recognition.
March 14th, 2008 at 9:57 am
Prof. TX says:
Adelman’s real test will be how he handles this team in the playoffs. How he responds when facing a good team in a long series (and missing one of his two best players) will probably solidify alot of people’s opinion one way or the other about how well he fits with this group.
March 14th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Celts Fan says:
The 20 game win streak after (well, a good chunk after anyway) Yao’s injury should solidify peoples’ opinions on him when combined w/ the Kings teams he led. I don’t know that they owuld be favored to beat anyone in the Playoffs, but even if they lose in the first round again, anyone that knows anything about the game should have a better opinion of Rick than they had in November.
March 14th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Celts Fan says:
*and Rick’s the Coach of the Year to me assuming they don’t follow the streak up w/ a long losing streak
March 14th, 2008 at 10:09 am
YallAllReadyKnow says:
this is all bullshit. none of these guys are geniuses and none of them are assholes.
sports media writers are whores who are so desperate for stories, they jump on shit too quick.
they like to kick you when ur done, and suck you when ur up. real fans dont fall for that type of bullshit. we watch all the games. so we know the real truths about the coaches
March 14th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Prof. TX says:
Losing in the playoffs doesn’t make you a bad coach, but HOW you lose can hurt you. If your guys still go out and give their all, and you don’t blow up or blame them, then you still handled it the right way. There’s no shame in just being overmatched, so long as you keep coaching well and get your squad to play with heart.
It amazes me how many ‘great’ coaches will blame their players in press conferences or lose their temper at the wrong times or can’t get any kind of good response from their team.
March 14th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Celts Fan says:
that’s true too YAll, but the guys we kick when they’re down deserve the recognition when they’re doing a great job. I’m on record as saying I still think Doc Rivers’ substitution patterns may screw us in the playoffs, so I’m there w/ you, but these guys ahve earned the recognition they’re getting. Like you said, they’ll be kicked when they’re down, and Tom will be getting killed in NY if the Giants lose 3 straight next year, so it’s not like they’re permanently great, though they deserve the accolades when they do a good job.
March 14th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Myrie says:
As a NYG football fan (All Hail the Champs!!), I still don’t want Tom Coughlin.
I vote for Fox in Carolina. Bring him back or promote Spags.
and for you Celtsfan (I gotta do it)
“WE STOMPED YOU OOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTT!!”
March 14th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Brown says:
This all boils down to “what have you done for me lately.” Winning changes everyone’s perception of you, whether you’re deserving of the praise or not.
March 14th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Jim says:
16/16 though–with 3 teams–that’s nice.
March 14th, 2008 at 11:06 am
GEE...You thought I was play pimpin.. says:
Rick is the truth bottom line and yes he deserves all credit he is getting just as Pat Riley deserves all the bad words about him that he’s getting.
I don’t know about the Knicks picking up Gerald Green though. Hey Smush got picked up though, so it could happen.
March 14th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Kobeef says:
Here’s Battier’s way of giving the Coach credit for the wins…I think. Either that or its a huge jab at McGrady.
“I’m willing to concede we’re the worst team in NBA history to have a 20-game winning streak,” -Battier
March 14th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Prof. TX says:
Green needs a good coach that can turn athletic skill into basketball skill. Does anyone list Isiah as a candidate for a good coach?
March 14th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Celts Fan says:
sure Myrie, a 3pt. win that came on a miracle 3rd down conversion (great play, but if you do that 100 times, you maybe catch 3, and that’s why I’ll be subjected to that highlight for the rest of my friggin life) and subsequent TD w/ less than a minute left is getting stomped out, isn’t it? Strahan needs to be stomping out that gap in his teeth.
More to that point of the article and how things can change though, Belichik, a guy regarded as one of the best coaches ever and a guy who boasts the only 3 rings our franchise has ever won, has been getting KILLED here for being the reason we lost. Between his complete lack of extra blockers (extra TEs) to help w/ Osi and Strahan, refusal to use screens to RB’s to take advantage of your aggressive D, the lack of balls to Randy, and the 4th and 13 non-48yd. FG attempt (a what-if that will bug me until the day I die, you have to go out guns blazing, we left one in the holster) he is getting DESTROYED here. That’s not even to mention the black-eye his shenanigans have put on the franchise. Oh really, you’re a cheater (though let’s be real, even NFL teams have said we aren’t the only team that does it, just the only one to get caught. still though, cheating is cheating and we didn’t need to do it!) a cranky d-bag, you run up the scores on other teams, and you act like an annoyed 5 year old? great…
Not to mention: Why aren’t FA’s lining up to come here and play with the best QB and coach in the league? Oh right, we ran up the score on them and laughed as we did it last year so no one wants to come now. Pretty short-sighted and I remember thinking that at the time…
6 years ago, he was in the Adelman position as a guy who failed miserably in Cleveland and was viewed as a bad coach. Then he turned an ok team into a dynasty and he’s now a HOF’er as soon as he retires (assuming there isn’t more to Spygate, which if there is, I’m tracking him down myself and beating the piss out of him!) Now, he’s being brought down.
The point being, let guys get the credit when they deserve it, cuz no matter what you’ve done, as soon as you have a sub-par run, you will get killed. Hell, just look at the shameful treatment the Bronx Bitches gave Joe Torre…
March 14th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Celts Fan says:
Kobeef, there are only 2 other teams in NBA history that have ever won 20 straight, the Lakers that won 33 straight en route to a title and the Bucks the previous year w/ Oscar and Alcindor (I think Lew was still there, and went to LA after that season and was part of the 33 game streak.) I’m guessing it was a joke and somewhat sarcastic, but regardless Battier is right.
March 14th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Myrie says:
Still….
“WE STOMPED YOU OOOOUUTTTT!!”
Hahahaha.
Holding the highest scoring offense in league history to 14pts and sacking the (supposed) greatest QB 5 times, plus relentless pass rush defense….yes, I do call that a stomping!
…and who cares about baseball?
March 14th, 2008 at 11:38 am
GEE...You thought I was play pimpin.. says:
It is a trip considering all these other teams have 2 and 3 All-star and great players and out of them all Houston has the streak!
Houston Up!
However other teams still have a chance to make a big streak this year!
March 14th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Celts Fan says:
fair enough Myrie, and just making the point w/ Torre about how quickly the accolades change if you’re not delivering…
hell ya GEE, it’s infinitely more impressive for a team like Houston to run off this streak than it would if a legit title contender did it.
March 14th, 2008 at 11:54 am
JA says:
Just curious if anyone knows if this is truth …
Did records of 36-46 and 30-52 really make it to the playoffs?
March 14th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
JA says:
Anyone? … Anyone? … Bueller? … Bueller?
March 14th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Wyatt says:
“In 16 previous seasons Adelman’s three teams (Blazers, Warriors, Kings) were denied making the playoffs a total of zero times.”
He didn’t take the Warriors to the playoffs.
March 14th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
SWAT says:
battier was being sarcastic because of how the media looks at not only their streak but the team in general.