ESPN Insider -Bill Walton: Big Red's Big Picture

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Hailing Van Gundy's job in the Heat seat

By Bill Walton, ESPN Insider

After the upheaval, turmoil, beheadings and dismissals of far too many head coaches in the NBA this season, it would be hard to come to the conclusion that being a coach is a desirable or viable employment opportunity. While some of the deposed leaders certainly deserved their fate, a far greater number simply havebeen victims of times that are changing. Coaching is teaching – making students better at what they do – and where else can you find such splendid company? But like anything else, some are far better at it than others.

Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Van Gundy
The Heat may have a championship thanks to Van Gundy's excellent coaching and Shaq's strong play.
Many NBA coaches have done exemplary jobs this season, including but not limited to: the Seattle SuperSonics' Nate McMillan, who has shattered the theory that the revolving coaching door and long-term contracts are the paths to the Promised Land; the Chicago Bulls' Scott Skiles, whose tough-love approach with the Baby Bulls has paid off with not only an exciting present, but an even brighter future; the Boston Celtics' Doc Rivers, who has demanded more of Paul Pierce, while getting Antoine Walker to play the best team basketball of his career. The Washington Wizards' Eddie Jordan has created a positive work environment that encourages freedom, creativity and work ethic. Memphis Grizzlies' Mike Fratello has finally got another chance to display his overall brilliance.

And then there have been the jobs performed by the Phoenix Suns' Mike D'Antoni and San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich. D'Antoni has reinvigorated a dormant franchise overnight with daring insight and the most aesthetic style in the league, while Popovich has built the most successful franchise-model of the NBA's modern era

At the end of the day, people who have the privilege of learning under these master teachers can all say they are better off because of the experience and opportunity.

The best of the best coaching jobs this season has been delivered by the Miami Heat's Stan Van Gundy. He has made the recently moribund Heat the NBA's title favorites in less than two seasons. The Heat's level of professionalism, team play, physical fitness and skill development are all directly attributable to coach Van Gundy. While most of the Heat's players have made remarkable progress on many fronts, no one player has come farther this year than Shaquille O'Neal. Van Gundy has been able to do what even the legend, Phil Jackson, could not accomplish the last couple of years and that's to get the big man in shape and playing to his capabilities on a consistent basis.

It's often argued that some coaches have ridden the coattails of great talent to championship acclaim. While it is true that no coach has ever been able to win without talent, not all coaches can win with it. If you listen to the players proselytize about how good they themselves are, one would have to conclude that there is very little room at the top for those who can coach at all.

Shaq is back on top of all things and the credit is due to the coach because the head man gets his hat handed to him when things don't work out. In respect, admiration and appreciation for the ability to get Shaq back to work, Stan Van Gundy is this year's NBA Coach of the Year.

Nuggets can maintain their recent strong play

Carmelo Anthony
Coach Karl and Melo have found the same page in a hurry.

The Denver Nuggets have become one of this year's true success stories. It wasn't too long ago that they were stumbling, dazed and confused, in the wilderness. When general manager Kiki Vandeweghe rescued the expatriate George Karl from his isolation cell on January 27, it was with considerable risk. But things couldn't have gone any better for Denver, as the Nuggets now have to be considered a powerful force in a depleted Western Conference.

Is there anyone out there old enough to remember when the questions this year were about whether the Nuggets would even make the playoffs after last year's quantum leap from the grave? Today's questions are now only about whether Denver can win the championship this year, and whether or not George Karl has coached enough games to be considered this year's NBA Coach of the Year.

For a team now on its third coach this season George Karl has brought not only clarity to Nuggets, but accountability and most importantly overwhelming results.

Karl had to take an initial hard line in trying to instill concepts of discipline and conditioning when he was handed the job two months ago. Te players had abused their privileged position by laying down on former coaches Jeff Bzdelik and Michael Cooper. The winning is so contagious that the Nuggets actually believe they can take on all comers (i.e. the Spurs, the Suns and the Houston Rockets) come playoff time and why not?

The Nuggets' torrid pace under Karl has resulted in a 20-5 record (the best in the West during that stretch), pushing their overall mark to 38-30, their best since the 1987-88 season. Has any other team won 14 out of 15 games since the All-Star break?

Things are going so well in Denver that Carmelo Anthony has gone back to prognostications. After falling a bit short in his guarantee of Olympic Gold, Carmelo came back this week to tell us, "I don't think we know how to lose at this point, that's how fun it is."

The Nuggets can also take advantage of the major shrinkage of the Western Conference, where – in one year – three of the region's most dominant power forces have moved East. (Besides Shaq, Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber are the others).

What not too long ago seemed a pipe dream is now looking ever so promising. With major question marks surrounding many of the teams immediately above them in the West, it is quite conceivable, if not probable, that the Nuggets can finish the regular season fifth or sixth in the Western Conference playoff rankings. With the quicksand that is Dallas Mavericks' foundation, the sky might be the limit for the Nuggets. When you're already a mile high to begin with, that sky can be a lot closer than you think



Rockets blasting off?


Tracy McGrady could be at the beginning of something special in Houston.

They should be, but as the Rockets slink home Sunday from their 15th consecutive loss in San Antonio they can only ask themselves, "If we can't beat the Spurs now, without Tim Duncan, when are we ever going to beat them?

The Rockets can sometimes be the most frustrating of teams. Granted they have the NBA's second best record in the league since January 1, 2005 and it's accepted that Houston, in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, have the nucleus of what should be the NBA's next great team. Beautiful acquisitions of David Wesley, Jon Barry and Mike James have rounded out a roster that now compliments rather than contradicts the talents of McGrady and Ming.

But disappointing and distressing are once again the emotions of the day after watching the more-talented Rockets score only 70 points and get embarrassingly out-worked, out-hustled and beaten badly in the Alamo City by the injury depleted Spurs.

What and who will it take to unleash the power and capability that simmers untapped on a squad that too often leaves you wanting more? While that might be a good marketing strategy for an entertainment commodity, I'm old enough to remember a day when the result of the game was paramount; and fully-realized expectations were what ultimately satisfied the fans.

Growing up on the beaches of San Diego, I learned at an early age that it's generally desirable to be out in front of the next big wave. San Antonio, a whole lot farther from the ocean than Houston is, showed with its speed, quickness, skill and personal development, commitment to the team game and relentless attack that it has the team with the greater understanding of the incoming tide.

Revamped Bulls, Celtics talk of NBA

Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge has done a fabulous job this season reviving the Celtics.

With all the negativity, greed, selfishness, manipulation and exploitation of the Schiavo case these past few days, I prefer to focus on the positive rebirths of basketball in two very important NBA cities – Boston and Chicago.

The revamped Bulls are strikingly similar to the Memphis Grizzlies' model of success (young, hungry, deep and talented) yet pose a greater defensive challenge to opponents than the Grizzlies.

Grant Park, Michigan Avenue – let the celebration begin because the Bulls – who have averaged just 19 victories per year for the last six seasons since Michael Jordan retired – are on the cusp of snapping a seven-year playoff drought. The Chicago fans, who wisely avoided the United Center like the plague the last several years, have come storming back to the House That Jordan Built to watch the much-improved product. The Bulls are now fourth in the league in attendance, averaging almost 20,000 a night.

And with first year gem Ben Gordon, fresh off last year's NCAA championship under the guidance of Jim Calhoun, on the verge of becoming the first player in NBA history to win both the Rookie of the Year and the Sixth Man of the Year awards in the same season, everything is looking up.– only this time not from the cellar.

Attendance and interest, as well as productivity and efficiency, is also way up in Boston since Walker became an adult and was allowed to return to the party. The Celtics' attendance is up significantly since Walker completed Danny Ainge's re-education program. As an indication of just how far Walker had to come, it only took Rasheed Wallace one game playing in Atlanta to figure out life while it took Walker almost two-thirds of a whole season.

T-Wolves, Pacers are huge disappointments

While we try to always emphasize the positive here at ESPN, some of these sad stories are simply unavoidable.

The debacle that has become the Minnesota Timberwolves has been a blight on the league's good name. The Timberwolves were supposed to compete all the way to the end for the championship this year. The reality is they won't even make the playoffs. Poor decision-making in talent acquisition and the Disease of Conceit took over the team and is now causing the franchise's proud record of eight consecutive playoff appearances to come crashing down. In Minneapolis, everything is broken and this is one of sports' all-time collapses. Character does matter and the lack of it has ruined this once-promising team.

Hopefully the "Season That Wasn't" for the Indiana Pacers forever will debunk the already-flawed theory that organizations win championships, not players. At this point, the Pacers have no players, at least not ones who can win them a title. The next time those Pacers look in the mirror they should reflect at least one more time on how 15 minutes of shame and inexcusable behavior can ruin an entire season – and probably more – for this model franchise.

The New York Knicks, with the league's most-bloated payroll and underachieving roster, have left their fans high and dry once again. That's hard to do with how much it's been raining in New York lately. For a team that's invested so much to win only two road games this year (2005) is numbingly painful. Come on New York, if Boston and Chicago can do it, what seems to be your problem? But then again, with every victory scarce and far between as they are these days, I keep hearing the chants of playoffs, championships and legacies. Maybe I need to look at the bright side – if only somebody can show me where it is! By the way, how many sides are there here?

As the Los Angeles Lakers will fail to make the playoffs for only the fourth time since moving to California in 1960 and will become the first team in six years to miss the playoffs after reaching the NBA Finals the year before, I am becoming more perplexed by the day. As confusing and disappointing as the lack of progress, cohesiveness and player development that we were all promised has been, it has paled in comparison to the treatment of Kobe Bryant. It is mind-boggling to me why fans around the NBA are booing this now seemingly middle-aged man. I can understand why Lakers' fans might boo him, but the rest of the league should be cheering wildly for the guy. And in Miami, Kobe should be the guest of honor at the parade that the Heat can start scheduling right now.

Heat, Suns have best chance to win it all

The Heat and the Suns have the best chance to win it all this season. As of right now, it's looking like the defending champion Detroit Pistons and the Spurs are going to come up just short in the Conference Finals. Also, the Bulls and Rockets probably have the best chance of creating havoc and causing permanent damage to the universal order of things in their respective conferences. The SuperSonics and Celtics will need everything and more to go right for them to make real noise

NBA isn't raiding good college players

Besides UCLA losing in the first round to an exiled and defrocked warlord from West Texas, I was admittedly caught off guard by a statistical analysis that I stumbled across. The NBA gets regularly hammered in the court of public opinion for raiding the kids' game. There are cries about ow nobody who's any good goes to college anymore and how it's killing the college game! Then I saw that of the 360 players in the NBA (assuming 30 12-man rosters), 77 of them have played in the Final Four and 32 are NCAA champions! When you consider that more that 25-percent of the NBA comes from the international talent pool, the argument that the traditional path to the pros no longer runs through the college game seems to have less validity.

Bill Walton, an NBA analyst for ESPN, is a regular contributor to Insider.

 

I copied and pasted literally as soon as it came up on my ESPN Insider account--I bet the editors have fixed it by now.- (unless they used to work for MSNBC...)