A Brilliant Mind and the Courage to Speak It
by Net Income on Jun 13, 2010 9:36 AM EDT
in 2010 Coaching Search
Email
PrintDave D'Alessandro and Al Iannazzone spoke this week with Avery Johnson's mentor, Gregg Popovich, about a moment that for Pop defines the Nets' new coach. It's February 1999, the lockout season, and the Spurs are in trouble, opening the up 6-8, very un-Spur-like. The coach and his point guard are sitting at the coach's table, when Johnson launches.
"That night, Avery is in my living room," Popovich recalled in great detail...and with great flourish. "and he says with that voice of his, ‘Pop, we’ve got to peck and roooollll.’ Pick and roll. I was running all this motion stuff, the stuff that looks so pretty on paper. But Avery said, 'This is the NBAyyyyy, we have to play peck-and-roooollll, we have to use Tim like this, and David (Robinson) like this.'"
And so the coach, knowing of his point guard's brilliant mind and his courage to speak it, goes along and the Spurs go on a run that leads to the NBA championship. That's one side of Johnson. The other, Pop says, is something the Nets haven't seen in a while.
"If he has trouble with a player or if there is somebody who doesn’t buy in, it’s because the guy doesn’t have the character and mental toughness to persevere and understand that things don’t come easy," added Popovich. "If somebody is not willing to put in the time and the effort, that guy is not going to play for Avery. He’s looking for men."
- Popovich recognized 'strength, intellect' in Johnson years ago - Dave D'Alessandro - Star-Ledger
- Making of Nets’ Little General - Al Iannazzone - The Record
- Avery Johnson come very highly recommended... by Greg Popovich - Matt Moore - NBC Sports
39 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Love it
Wish we had him as our coach when we had great players.
by eLonepb on Jun 13, 2010 9:03 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
“If he has trouble with a player or if there is somebody who doesn’t buy in, it’s because the guy doesn’t have the character and mental toughness to persevere and understand that things don’t come easy,” added Popovich. “If somebody is not willing to put in the time and the effort, that guy is not going to play for Avery. He’s looking for men.”
This is why I wanted him here. It’s time to weed out the cowards who don’t want to win
"No one stands on the top of the world. Not you, not me, not even gods. But the unbearable vacancy of the throne in the sky is over. From now on...I will be sitting on it."
Favors is gonna be great under Avery
How’d the Cousins vs. Favors workout go?
by rundmc00 on Jun 13, 2010 9:18 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Petrie on Cousins:
“He’s got the size to play center,” Petrie noted. “He’s got a natural position, maybe two.”
Sounds like he believes he could play the 4.
Sac Bee’s Jason Jones on DC:
For those of you wondering, he still looks to be in good shape.
He’s still working out four times a day and on his seafood and salad diet.
On the workout:
Cousins (6-11, 290) and Favors (6-10, 245) worked out for the Kings today. I’ve heard Cousins’ shooting was impressive during the workout (heard since the workout was open for viewing). Favors athletic ability was evident when he showed off his leaping ability.
How about the excerpts on Favors?
by rundmc00 on Jun 13, 2010 9:35 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Selective editing
I like Cousins and do not want to highjack another thread to Favors-Cousins…..but….
The authors were more focused on Cousins because they think he might be available at #5 and have no hope that Favors will be available at #5. Cousins has lost 4-5 pounds and still has his inner tube – what you see is what you get.
I am very curious to see how Brook and perhaps T-Will, who both seem a bit sensitive, take to Avery. This makes Devin’s role more crucial because he has bought into the system and can convince the young guys that all of the lecturing and screaming has a purpose. Thrilled to have Avery on board.
by nynjlawyer on Jun 13, 2010 9:22 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
How can you not be excited to be a Nets fan...
It is all about basketball for the first time in years. And for all those saying Thorn wanted a coach he can control (where are you Gina?), AJ’s hiring completely kills that theory.
Frank was about money, not control.
by rundmc00 on Jun 13, 2010 9:27 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
all eyes on Harris...
….he has to become a leader now. Avery will put the pressure on him to lead by example on the floor and in the locker room.
I think Avery thinks highly of Harris, and that also comes with higher expectations and more demands.
Good.
"No one stands on the top of the world. Not you, not me, not even gods. But the unbearable vacancy of the throne in the sky is over. From now on...I will be sitting on it."
by MrDollarBills on Jun 13, 2010 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Which Harris was looking for last year
Harris wants this now and by all indications was looking for it last year when he blew up at Thorn over Kiki and started his regular contact with Avery.
Avery Johnson = right person, right place, right time.
TWill has already Tweeted. He likes Avery, even if he doesn't get PT.
I would mostly like to hear from Brook about playing with Cousins – maybe playing some PF.
Hope Brook could be there on Wednesday (as well as Tuesday).
Successul 7 foot tandems
1) The Dream (former soccer goalie) and Sampson
2) DRob and TD – Two of the all-time best defenders
3) Gasol and Bynum – Bynum is athletic and Gasol is a natural PF
4) Perkins and KG – KG can guard all 5 positions
5) Brook and Cousins – neither guy can jump
Which one is not like the others?
Isn't touching about 2 feet over the rim good enough?
Cousins can reach 11’ 8 1/2" by pre-draft measurements.
I think both are tall enough to block any shot.
What do you want them to do? Skip rope together?
But you are right, Gasol and Bynum proves Nets need Brook and Cousins to compete for championship.
Leaders
I think Brook and T-Will are willing to follow , a true leader(Avery). Real men, don’t buy into crap, and we all know, what happened last season.
Just read on this site, the nets were the best 12-70 team in history, why?
I’d sign off , on anything Pop says.
'the sky is the limit"
And Avery will get the full potential from each player, if they are willing to listen and learn from him. This team is so young, and the players themselves are not aware of what they are capable of achieving as a team. Coach Johnson will get this team back on the right path.
Side Note: Any word on when Avery will meet with the team?
Avery will be introduced on Tuesday. Only heard that Harris might be there with Proky.
Avery should be focused on being at draft workouts.
I hope they allow him to be present, even though he hasn’t signed a contract.
Maybe both Avery on Thorn will sign contracts by Tuesday, since Proky is in town, as we speak.
Sign and trade
Dan Fegan better quickly figure out a good sign & trade scenario for Yi this year, because Avery is gonna plant his butt at the end of the bench.
“Sometimes I wish we had communicated a little more,” Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki said the training camp following Johnson’s firing. “We all know Avery ran a little dictatorship here. I think this league is still a league of players, not a coaches’ league.”
After reading Dirks quote i no longer want the nets to seek him out and i hope he retires without a ring. Who is he to say something like this?? Avery got you as far as he has ever been in his career and then you throw him under the bus like this? That shows a lack of character and class.
Players need to humble themselves.
In part
Yes it is a players league from a marketing perspective. But it is much more a coaches league from a championship perspective. Look at the winning coaches of the past 25 years and you get strong leaders who get stars to accept their systems and work inside their teams. Phil Jackson, Pop, Riley, Daly even Larry Brown and Doc Rivers get stars/players to follow their lead.
Point being that reality suggests even the best players only get rings when they understand it is still a team game. And only the best coaches seem to be able to convince the stars of this reality.
I feel that......
The players effort on the court will determine how much respect they get from Avery……He is going to be looking for a court leader or two……I think that he will work wonders with Yi……And I feel that CLee and TWill will become on court leaders…..
Players around the league can sniff out who is a REAL coach and who is not
Meaning who is there putting in the work and know what there talking about rather than those who are the coach by name only, have no clue (Kiki) thats when players pretty much quit. Avery will definitely have their attention from day 1, don’t look at what happened last year all these guys CDR and T-Will played for great coaches in College, and were not problems. The nets did them and the team a disservice by firing Frank to early and not replacing him with a real coach.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
NBA Playoffs Content Module
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
