Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Honestly, Why Not Bill Laimbeer?

You don’t know, really, when a coach like John Kuester is hired whether it is the right decision or the wrong one.
He has been around a long time as an assistant for some of the best coaches. Long ago, he was a pretty good player at North Carolina. He did play in the NBA.
Maybe all Kuester has needed is the opportunity to prove he can be a successful NBA head coach. OK. From that standpoint, maybe the Pistons found something. Lets be fair. Lets give him a chance.
But why not Bill Laimbeer? That is the question a lot of people are asking about this. You get the sense, if given the choice, Joe Dumars would walk down the street and ask the first person he meets if they know anything about basketball. Even if they said, "No," he’d still hire that person as Pistons coach over Laimbeer.
Why?

Random Thoughts

- Good move by the Tigers bringing up Clete Thomas. He had slumped, but found his hitting stroke at Toledo. Get him back up and ship Donald Kelly, who lost his hitting stroke lately, back down. Keep riding the hot hand. The Tigers have done a good job of that with their fringe players. Thomas has more upside than Kelly, too.

- Trying to figure out who Fernando Rodney - 18-of-18 in save situations and jobbed when it comes down getting an All-Star berth - reminds more of: Goose Gossage or Rollie Fingers.

- And to think I can’t stand sarcastic people.

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6 Comments:

Blogger Detroit Sports Dork said...

Enjoy the baseball term you use, AAAA players, for the guys who are top minor league performers but not bona fide major leaguers. We need a similar "tweener" term for Kuester-- more than interim but less than permanent fixture as head coach. Joe certainly described a short term scenario for this guy, didn't he essentially saying team wasn't at point of contention for big time coach. Nice guy, cheap contract-- see ya after two years. Ticket sales folks must be dying with the worst p.r. approache to hiring a coach since Bill Martin.

3:23 PM 
Blogger Fred Brill said...

Pat,

Am I truly a homer, or do the Tigers dip into their farm system an awful lot more frequently than other teams? As I had to move around in my life I found myself also rooting for Twins, Braves, and Blue Jays before finally coming home, and I don't ever remember those teams dipping into the farm system like the Tigers do - spring training was their big shot and maybe one guy called up all season.

Am I not remembering right?

I must say it is one thing I love about the Tigers - their depth is deeper than their current roster. 4A players are a big part of this teams success - at least since Leyland came along.

As for Rodney not getting any all star attention - I think I speak for many when I say the stats are disguising Rodney's mediocrity.

7:54 PM 
Blogger maddog52 said...

It would be interesting to see if they would entertain the thought of allowing Bill Laimbeer become an assistant. I don't see how it would hurt at this point.. I don't care about kuester. I mean I said it last year I thought Curry would of been better to have a year or two more as an assistant. Which means I feel they should of kept Flip or gone after Avery last year... That said I think Joes biggest problem was keeping Rasheed around as long as he did. I think his lack luster attitude rubbed off the wrong way for the pistons..

I tell you if Dumars can some how muster up a deal of Maxiell/Kwame brown for a Tyson Chandler..Rip or I will say it stuckey.. for anotehr big man. Preferable Bosh.. or Boozer.. I bet you TP if he stays next year will finally step up.. I don't think there is many better in transition defense then him. He won't have the other bad attitudes in Rip and Sheed around. If you remember TP has his best part of the season when those two weren't arond.

Either way... bottom line is joe needs to make some moves.. Its what he does roster wise this year and next which will be his fate. So I will give him the benefit of the doubt this year and next. He brought a championship my mine he deserves it..


Speaking of championship.. What is on the Tigers mind.. have u heard any rumors besides Corey Hart? There are some solid pitchers out there to be had..as well as some descent bats.. also would you take a flier on B.J. Ryan.. sometimes a change of scenery can do wonders for a guy.. Just a thought.. Tigers have been so quiet on the rumor front.. just curious if you had any inside?

11:45 PM 
Blogger Pat Caputo said...

Larry Baker,
I think you're right about the ticket sales. Little marquee value to what the Pistons have done this off season. Kuester, even though he coached here under Brown, is hardly known.
Caputo

1:11 AM 
Blogger Pat Caputo said...

Fred Brill,
Not like the Tigers have this year. Thing is, they have been getting a lot out of players who aren't necessarily high-end prospects. Great job of mixing and matching by Leyland and Dombrowski.
Caputo

1:12 AM 
Blogger Pat Caputo said...

Maddog52,
They have entertained the thought, but that is going to be up to Kuester. I've been told it's his call. In the past, NBA coaches haven't been interested in Laimbeer as an assistant.
Caputo

1:14 AM 

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