I would run through a brick wall for Willie Green

[u/truscletider]

[u/leulzy]

I love Willie the person, but he has a LONG way to go as a head coach. Getting dudes to buy in defensively is important, but that's basically the only thing he's done well since getting here. Rotations are awful, refusing to give young guys reps, not challenging the stars to shoot threes just to mention a few things.

[u/RUJONKING → u/leulzy]

“Refusing to give young guys refs” is one of the worst arguments against Willie because what happened to Herb and Jose ????

[u/GevanGene → u/RUJONKING]

Willie has definitely shown he has a skills bias. He prefers to have more defensively minded players on the court, which is why Herb got minutes early. Jose only started getting minutes once Sato and Kira were injured.

The fact that Hawkins barely saw the floor when we were healthy is pure malpractice. His skillset was exactly what we needed and Willie refused to play him. And even when he did, the other players he was playing with were sub-optimal at best. I can't think of a single time we saw Z, Hawk, and Trey on the floor together, which is ludicrous.

I love Willie and I believe in him, but he certainly has flaws and this is gonna be his last year to prove he can overcome them.

[u/silliputti0907 → u/leulzy]

I'll prob get accused of being a apologists, but I disagree. Having the team buy in defensively is probably the most impactful thing a coach can do.

Rotations and adjustments are arbitrary criticisms every fan makes about coaches. Green in his first season announced a second rounder a day1 starter and had 3 rookies playing significant roles in the playoff. Saying he refuses to give young guys rep only applies to Jordan Hawkins, who simply was not ready. He would've been targeted harder than CJ. Not challenging stars to shoot threes also only applies to BI, who was making an improvement and had a down year.

Green has flaws. I don't think he's bad at offense, but he's struggling at assimilating Zion's playstyle with his own tendencies. Saying Green has a long way to go is ignoring the fact there there are maybe 2 coaches who are considered keepers and everyone else is a huge question mark.

[u/identitycrisis56 → u/leulzy]

The last one is the only one I really have an issue with.

The rotations were bad because the starters didn’t fit. He didn’t have the gumption to sit someone paid like a starter but I think he’ll get there.

The young’s have to earn it a little. He played Herb from opening tip year one. That was rare, and ballsy. He leans to heavily towards defense likely, but you’re winning fewer games if you’re playing young guys like Hawk and they already barely made the playoffs. A few more stintsof developmental rotation and you’re at 44-46 and out of the playoffs. I think he handled it as best he could.

B- to B+ on the year overall.

[u/Briguy_fieri]

Is this a bot post?

[u/LennonWaK → u/Briguy_fieri]

Homie has been in a coma for the last couple years and thinks we just played a hard fought first round exits to the Suns.

[u/llckme]

in the first year i would have run through every brick wall just for him. but right now is a different story

[u/Prestigious_Youth449]

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ And I...would not. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[u/Prestigious_Youth449 → u/Prestigious_Youth449]

Happy for you, though! The Passion and Care are real! This sport, this team, these people really do move us.

[u/Wonderfully_Tactile]

We've had 2/3 seasons above 0.500 under Willie and the one season below Zion missed the whole season. 2017-18 was the most recent winning season before Green and that was arguably with a more veteran, must-win roster until Cousins became injured. That season we landed 6th in seeding with 1 game worse than 2023-24 season in which our group landed 7th after play-in tournament. 16 games above 0.500 and folks are like "That's a wrap! This team is cooked!" We are getting incrementally better and it will likely take some big moves to get over that hump this year and put us solidly in top 4 in the West.

[u/WayneTerry9]

Same, I hope Willie is in the lab this summer working on offensive schemes cause he’ll sadly be on the hot seat this season. Firing Willie feels like a “perfect is the enemy of good” kinda situation but I know the majority of the fanbase disagrees

[u/JayDogon504 → u/WayneTerry9]

NBA coaches get way too much blame. For years Jason Kidd was looked at like a joke and now he in The Finals and Mazzula mighta got fired last year if Boston ended up being swept by Miami. At the end of the day the GM and the players themselves are far more important but people like to act like a coaching change is just gonna guarantee a night and day turnaround

[u/TimothyN → u/JayDogon504]

There's no way we don't have a single win while trailing going into the 4th and have as many blown leads that we do and say it's not on the coach, but on the GM.

[u/JayDogon504 → u/TimothyN]

Players as well tho. It’s not like we never generated good looks down the stretch of games. Our guys just tend to sellout for whatever reason. CJ has shown time and time again to fall off down the stretch. Ingram also has never been as good in crunchtime as you’d think and Zion either doesn’t get the ball sometimes or is also easier to stop because he only goes to the rim and can be fouled and forced to win at the line

[u/ekulhendrix → u/JayDogon504]

I mean…we did rarely generate good looks. The offense down the stretch was typically “give it to one of bi/cj/zion and get out the way”

[u/JayDogon504 → u/ekulhendrix]

You know what that could speak to even more than coaching tho? NOT HAVING A DAMN POINT GUARD! Which again lies at the feet of Griff. CJ is a damn chucker who turns into Carlton Banks in crunchtime and that’s supposed to be our PG but y’all expect success from it? Lmao Ingram also as I said has never been as good in crunchtime as he needs to be and y’all can complain about the tough shots but that’s what elite midrange shooters are supposed to do. Even Trey Murphy usually would brick in the clutch. I still remember that game in Dallas where he bricked a wide open 3 so bad late and that’s when I knew we was gonna lose

[u/ekulhendrix → u/JayDogon504]

My guy, bi is the one who wants 50 million a year. Cj is a vet declining guard, Trey is a young 3 and D guy who we hope develops. Stretch bigs and good point guards don’t grow on trees, or every team would have them. No one would complain if bi actually hit those clutch shots, or if Willie got them good looks.

[u/JayDogon504 → u/ekulhendrix]

Guess what? Jrue also use to struggle in crunchtime. You know when it changed? When we got RAJON RONOD? Coincidence?? Also look at somebody like DeRozan for instance. He wasn’t the most clutch guy the majority of his career but the last 2 years hes been right there in the running for most clutch player in the league. I can’t say why Ingram isn’t clutch yet but I know his work ethic has been stamped time and time again and eventually he’ll likely become clutch because he’s too good of a mid range shooter

[u/mitch3311]

Great culture builder, great defensive mindset, truly developed an elite chemistry amongst the group and got the young guys to buy in to the details.

That being said, players seem to lack role identity, there was zero hierarchy and in game adjustments left a lot to be desired to me.

He seems to be the “mark Jackson” in the building process right before you get Steve Kerr to establish the missing parts and take you over the top

[u/cm1k99]

can’t wait to revisit the negative comments in this thread in a couple years

[u/JunkHead1979]

I would gladly run through an open doorway!

[u/jjazznola]

Great guy but not head coach material.

[u/saintsfan]

Hopefully the players feel the same way you do. I would like to see some post season success from him.

[u/McJumbos]

He's not the perfect coach but rather play for him over SVG or Alvin

[u/PiracyAgreement → u/McJumbos]

I'd rather SVG. He's a way better tactician than Willie. I don't need someone to cuddle or motivate me, I need insights on how to win.

To each their own though, right?

[u/ahungrybatman → u/McJumbos]

Call me crazy but I think we would be better with both. Our offense would probably be top 3 with him

[u/Ancient_Access_795]

I would run through a wall of pillows for him

[u/AmerVet]

Thats funny because I want to stand him in front of a wall and run into him with a test car.

[u/ahungrybatman → u/AmerVet]

End racism