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Get Phil Jackson to save team before a move to KC; from the Sentinel
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Topic Started: Mar 18 2005, 12:39 PM (196 Views)
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NYCMagicFan
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Mar 18 2005, 12:39 PM
Post #1
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Old School
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Check the part I put in BOLD. We were in SERIOUS talks with Jackson when we signed CHUCK DALY!?!?! WTF!!!!
But It's still not out of the question for Jackson to come to Orlando!!
This article is by Bianchi
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Win with Zen.
Orlando Magic General Manager John Weisbrod has gone the cheap route with one coaching search and failed. Now it's time to open the Amway vault and save the franchise.
Go get Phil Jackson.
At any cost.
NBA insiders say it probably will take $10 million a year to lure Jackson back into coaching. If that's the case, then that's what the Magic should offer. They paid $5 million a year for Doc Rivers, and he'd never won anything. Phil has nine rings, which means the Magic would be getting a bargain by paying him only twice Doc's salary.
And don't think the Zen Master wouldn't at least consider Orlando. Todd Musburger, Jackson's agent, confirmed Thursday that Phil was in "serious conversations" with the Magic several years ago before Orlando ended up hiring Chuck Daly. Although Musburger said Jackson wouldn't discuss any openings until after the season, he didn't rule out Orlando.
"Phil is very neutral right now," Musburger said. "If the Magic call him, I'm sure he would listen."
Then call him.
Now.
Right now.
Memo to Weisbrod: Put your ego aside, and do this for the future of the franchise. I tried to tell you before the season to go after Shaq, but -- NO! -- you had to build the team your way. Sure, it would have been a long shot to get Shaq back home to Orlando, but shouldn't Weisbrod have done everything possible -- including beg, plead and pray -- to try?
Instead, the Magic sat back while the Miami Heat stole Shaq for next to nothing. The Heat are now the front-runners to win the NBA championship; the Magic are the front-runners to move to Kansas City.
Weisbrod has done it his way, and his way isn't working so well right now. Otherwise, why would he ditch Davis after saying before the season, "Johnny will be our coach every game, regardless of what happens."? Weisbrod broke his word because Davis couldn't break his fall.
Davis is simply a convenient, inexpensive fall guy. Weisbrod either had to fire Davis or fire himself -- and, naturally, himself won. Besides, is there anything easier than axing Davis -- an unpopular choice who had a job nobody thought he deserved?
"The goal before the season was to make the playoffs," Davis said in a phone interview Thursday. " . . . But somewhere along the line, the expectation went from making the playoffs to becoming a No. 3 seed and going deep into the playoffs. It became unrealistic.
"To say I'm disappointed would be a huge understatement."
The fact is Weisbrod put Davis in an unwinnable, untenable situation. Weisbrod -- as he should -- is making deals for the future, but he unrealistically expected Davis to mold a serious playoff contender now.
Weisbrod made no secret of the fact that he wanted to put rookie Jameer Nelson at point guard and switch Steve Francis to shooting guard. The result: The Magic are now starting two rookies -- Nelson and Dwight Howard. History tells us that there hasn't been a serious playoff contender in years that had two rookies in the starting lineup.
It was also Weisbrod's decision to trade a good player (Cuttino Mobley) for damaged goods (Doug Christie). When it was learned last week that Christie would miss the remainder of the season with bone spurs, Weisbrod admitted that the trade had little to do with what happened on the court. He said he acquired Christie, in part, because Christie's contract expires next summer, which will give the Magic additional cap space to spend on a big-time free agent.
Translation: Weisbrod sacrificed immediate success for long-term stability. And if long-term success is the goal, then the Magic must go out and try to hire the only coach who will guarantee the team will be in Orlando long term: And, no, we're not talking about interim coach Chris Jent.
Even though Weisbrod hinted that Jent could be a candidate for the permanent job, he's not -- he can't be. Weisbrod absolutely cannot follow up unproven Johnny Davis with more unproven Chris Jent. You cannot fire Coach Cheap and Available and replace him with Coach Cheaper and Available.
There should be only one name on the Magic's coaching wish list:
Phil Jackson.
Jackson's agent refutes the popular notion that his client is only interested in taking over a ready-made champion. After all, the one thing Jackson never has done is mold a young team into a contender.
"I think one of the things that people forget about Phil is that, first and foremost, he is a teacher," Musburger said.
In Dwight Howard, Jackson has the perfect pupil and the future superstar to build a championship around. And think about it: If Jackson were to bring a title to Orlando, he'd finally be rid of the reputation that he's only capable of winning when he inherits the greatest players in the game (Shaq and Michael Jordan).
If Jackson is looking for the piece de resistance to a magnificent career, what better place to accomplish it than Orlando? Sure, he's won championships before, but has he ever saved a franchise? He's built winners before, but has he ever single-handedly built an arena?
With one hire, the Magic can galvanize the city and get it behind the franchise. With one hire, the Magic can send the message to politicians to loosen their grip on the tourist tax because a championship is on the way.
Make Jackson an offer he can't refuse.
If replacing Coach Johnny Davis isn't enough, tell him he can replace Mayor Buddy Dyer, too.
The campaign platform is simple:
Win with Zen.
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MagicMadness
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Mar 18 2005, 02:37 PM
Post #2
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Ok, I don't care what people say. Go after Jackson. While we probably don't have too much of a shot, there's no reason why Weisbrod should not be in talks with him and his agent this offseason.
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Black and Blue
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Mar 18 2005, 03:47 PM
Post #3
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Have You Hugged Your Van Gundy Today?
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That is an AWESOME article, NYC Magic Fan. Great job posting it! I love Phil Jackson, and he would be everything this article states and more. I dont see us getting him (cuz that would just be too wonderful) but if Phil can even advise JW it would help us. Here's to hoping that we talk to him.
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Black and Blue
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Mar 18 2005, 03:49 PM
Post #4
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Have You Hugged Your Van Gundy Today?
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Oh and also, that part about JD being the fall guy is bogus. Can't a guy get fired because of his lack of passion, idiotic substitutions, and inability to control players anymore? Everyone is too eager to make a fired guy a fallen hero nowadays.
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gomagic33
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Mar 18 2005, 08:08 PM
Post #5
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Mr. Anderson
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I seriously doubt that we can get Jackson, but we should at least try.
It won't hurt to give it a shot. Go JW!
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dhoward541524
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Mar 19 2005, 02:55 PM
Post #6
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Love_Is_The_Movement
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You know if the magic get JAckson in the offseason...... Then(this is a big like what if kind of thing) Shaq may come to orlando to play for Jackson. Cuz you no shaq loves Jackson. Then We would have Nelson SG Hill Howard Shaq
And a coach who knows how to guide a team to win NBA championships. LOL. Man rember this is a big WHat if thery!
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