I think you have to give the guy some credit for being a critical role player in a team that won an NBA championship. The overall record as a head coach isn't the entire story, and he didn't have great players with either the Bucks or the Hawks. Stotts with Canales as the defensive coordinator is an intriguing combo. I am reserving judgment on this one for the time being.

I just watched the Olympics. Is it too late to dump Batum on Minnesota? That was a disgraceful display of bad sportsmanship.
Batum looked like he was running for Mayor of Portland out there.

I'll take some of that up-and-down Dallas Mavericks action, thanks.

Tell me again what makes this team any diff from the ATL and MIL teams Stotts coached - And why I should expect diff results. RIght down to player make-up.

I think he's warming the seat for Canales to be honest - For whatever reason Allen must like him enough to keep him on the bench after he was running the team.

Jerry Sloan went 94-130 in his first 3 years in the league, so there's hope.

In the NBA it is all about talent, health, and somebody to keep the horses happy.

I think this year the team is going to be better than folks think. They should be a better offensive team and if they can rebound decently, might get 40 or so wins.

This team looks lost and adrift. No way I'd buy a season ticket to see this group. After the last couple of years, I'm firmly in the "show me first" camp.

The new coach just said the team will play "fast and free." At least they'll be "fast and free" when the Lakers are running them out of the building.

By the way, if you're not sick of the NBA yet, the new GM, new coach, 4 coaching candidates, as well as Pritchard, Penn, Demopoulos all represented by the same agent.

I'm totally sure that Phil Jackson's rings were the result of his basketball genius as opposed to the Jordan/Pippen & Bryant/O'Neil weapons at his disposal. Success in the NBA as a coach has absolutely NOTHING to do with the talent at your disposal. (snort) LeBron and D-Wade just happened to be on the 2012 NBA championship team by accident... don't ya know. I think a small handful of franchises in the NBA ever truly achieve above the cards/players dealt to them. Stotts had great success in a program that won a championship without a Jordan-Shaq-Kobe-LeBron, etc. and, face it, we blew our chance by picking Oden as opposed to Durant, so we have to do more with less. We might as well get real about things and play our cards as best as we can, and Stotts makes sense at this point in the game.

Usual Kevin: "Stotts makes sense at this point in the game."

Makes sense for what? The only thing this hire is doing is keeping my butt firmly entrenched on my couch.

As for the idea that Phil Jackson would have made no difference, I'd point out that Phil did quite well for himself in the CBA before coming to the NBA and having Jordan/Bryant at his disposal. His one full season without Jordan he went 55-27, but I'm sure that was pure coiCncidence and that team was riding on talent alone. And need I even bring up the names that have passed through here that have failed to inspire with buckets of talent.....Shuler, Carlesimo, or further down the road Ernie Kent.

Would Phil Jackson have made this team a title contender? No, they're not even in the top 4-5 in the division, even with the best coach on the planet. The problem here is the same one that's affecting the Mariners to the north. The "let's bring in fresh new players and do a lot of things on the cheap because the fans will still come" scam has run its course and the stadium is 80-90% empty most nights. Let's hope the Blazers aren't headed in the same direction.

"Ladies and gentlemen: let's have a lukewarm welcome for your 2012 PaulAllen TrailSchleppers."

With "fans" like you guys we might as well stick our heads in the proverbial oven and give up. The Blazers and the Mariners are similar franchises? Give me a break! Two totally different situations/leagues.