Isiah Thomas apparently still a bad coach

[popque]

FIU loses to NAIA team in first game....

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/12473592/thomas-loses-debut-in-florida-international-exhibition-game

[DeezleWildcats]

lol

[CalStateTempe]

Why did that recruit go there again?

[MTFC]

Have fun DFerg.

[Merkin]

Has Isiah done anything well since PG for the Pistons? Besides the Knicks, he killed the CBA.

[JMarkJohns]

Has Isiah done anything well since PG for the Pistons? Besides the Knicks, he killed the CBA.

His ability to identify talent at an elite level is as good as anybody the past 20 years.

PG: Damon Stoudamire; Nate Robinson
SG: Tracy McGrady; Wilson Chandler
SF: Trevor Ariza
PF: David Lee; Channing Frye
C: Marcus Camby

He had his misses (Balkman, Collins), but considering only three from that team are lottery picks, that's pretty solid. His success in the draft just makes his transactions including any trade of his own draft picks all that more stupid.

[UofAlum05]

There is still time DFerg......

[AZCoachB]

His ability to identify talent at an elite level is as good as anybody the past 20 years.

PG: Damon Stoudamire; Nate Robinson
SG: Tracy McGrady; Wilson Chandler
SF: Trevor Ariza
PF: David Lee; Channing Frye
C: Marcus Camby

Where is the elite level talent you are referring to?

[GlobalCat]

His ability to identify talent at an elite level is as good as anybody the past 20 years.

PG: Damon Stoudamire; Nate Robinson
SG: Tracy McGrady; Wilson Chandler
SF: Trevor Ariza
PF: David Lee; Channing Frye
C: Marcus Camby

He had his misses (Balkman, Collins), but considering only three from that team are lottery picks, that's pretty solid. His success in the draft just makes his transactions including any trade of his own draft picks all that more stupid.



McGrady and Camby were a no brainers, Stoudamire too given the draft pick. The remaining players were the best available at the time given the selection slot.

[catgrad97]

Thomas gagged on his opening opponent more than an ASSU cheerleader on a beer-soaked female marital aid.

Thank you, I'll be here all night.

[JMarkJohns]

I get the hate for Thomas as a coach, for Thomas as a GM with signings and trades. To diminish Thomas for his draft selections is all kinds of dumb. McGrady was far from a no-brainer, being selected after such unbelievable talents like Antonio Daniels, Tony Battie and Adonal Foyle. Many of his selections were considered reaches, McGrady included. Many of his late first-round picks (like Lee, Robinson, Chandler) were mocked by every draft site as second-rounders, yet he "reached" and they have proven to be very capable, if not very good players.

You'd be absolutely foolish to not want Thomas to be your head scout or head of the draft. There's maybe a handful of GMs I'd want over Thomas come making draft selections. Think of teams with perennial top-10 picks. Their GMs have had infinitely greater opportunity and yet fail...

[the real dill]

McGrady and Camby were a no brainers, Stoudamire too given the draft pick. The remaining players were the best available at the time given the selection slot.

Isn't what makes a GM good the ability to draft the best available at the given slot and not miss the no-brainers?

Aren't the bad GM's identified as guys who took Sam Bowie over no-brainer Hakeem and Darko over no-brainer Melo? I'm using obvious examples but I cheer for an organization that has used their first round picks on guys like Bryce Drew, Mike Dickerson, Mirsad Turkcan, Boštjan Nachbar, Luther Head, and drafted and traded Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon Armstrong for Eddie Griffen all in a span that left them out of the playoffs for ten years.

[AZCoachB]

and they have proven to be very capable, if not very good players.

"Very capable" and "elite level" are two entirely different things. Other than Ariza last year with the Lakers, have any of those players even been past the first round of the playoffs? Speaking of Ariza, didn't Thomas give up on him and trade him for Steve Francis? He's been solid as a college scout and making decisions during draft day but you can't ignore his knack for missing wildly on free-agents and trades. Also, while he deserves some recognition, he shouldn't be given complete credit for guys that didn't even develop until they were with different teams (Ariza, McGrady, Frye, Camby, etc.). Part of being a GM/scouting/evaluating isn't just identifying talent, it's identifying how that player will fit in with the organization, the coach, the team itself, etc. In fact, I would argue that's the true mark of a great GM. Square pegs, rounds holes and such.



You'd be absolutely foolish to not want Thomas to be your head scout or head of the draft. There's maybe a handful of GMs I'd want over Thomas come making draft selections. Think of teams with perennial top-10 picks. Their GMs have had infinitely greater opportunity and yet fail...

I don't think the failures of other GMs legitimizes Thomas. In fact, given his track record of leaving organizations needing help from FEMA to clean up his gigantic disasters, I wouldn't want to hire Thomas to clean the urinals! I don't want that guy anywhere close to being within ear-shot of coaches, players, VPs, marketing, and especially the cheerleaders!

[JMarkJohns]

McGrady and Camby have performed at elite levels for many seasons of their careers. Injuries did each in and cost them several prime years. Not Thomas' fault. How many superstars are selected outside of the lottery? Not too many. Thomas' has found a number of very good players #20 down in very limited opportunity.

And development is part of coaching, which I've clearly said he sucks at. The question was asked if Thomas has done anything well since being a PG for the Pistons. I said he's done a great job of identifying talent, including some elite level talent, including at positions that don't always yield such a high level of talent. Everything, he sucks at. If he can identify Ariza in the second round, and Lee, Chandler and Robinson late first (when each was mocked as a 2nd-rounder), then, if given the chance, you'd have to assume based on record, that he'd identify superstar talent in the lottery. McGrady (offense) and Camby (defense) bare this out.

[Chicat]

There's maybe a handful of GMs I'd want over Thomas come making draft selections.

You must have big hands. Sing it with me fellas...

He's got the whole world . . . in his hands
He's got the whole wide world, in his hands

[Chicat]

Isiah's comments about getting back to the Knicks are hilarious. If I were an FIU player, I'd transfer immediately.

[84Cat]

From Adam Zagoria twitter:

Donnie Walsh: "I have nothing to say about comments that were made today by Isiah. I have nothing to say."

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni sounded like he had absolutely no desire to discuss Thomas’ comments.

[Officer Craig]

At least he is a good person off the court. :rolleyes:

[ice]

How could Isiah recruit anyone when he is making it clear he doesn't want to stay at FIU for long?

And the idea of Isiah being GM of the Knicks again is, ummmmm, I don't even know how to describe it. I think it would cause mass suicide. But Dolan is so dumb and loves Isiah so much that while I don't expect it to happen, I wouldn't be completely shocked if it did.

[JMarkJohns]

Considering many of Thomas' comments could easily be considered tampering if'n he was associated with an NBA team, I'm not sure Walsh or D'Antoni could really discuss the comments even if they wanted to. Remember the wave of fines greeting anyone who uttered the name of LeBron before the official signing period began? Similar with openly discussing/wooing contracted players about early contract termination (which is what Thomas implies).

[CatPhanatic]

Fired today by FIU

[Main Event]

Forgot he was even still coaching

[UofAlum05]

Whatever happened to that Fergueson kid would have most likely been our starting 4 this year?

[scumdevils86]

26-65 record

[97cats]

:lol:

[Merkin]

Has he succeeded at anything outside of PG for the Pistons?

What or who does he know to keep getting hired?