Lazar preseason news...

[Hards Alumni]

In four exhibition games for Minnesota, Marquette University's Lazar Hayward has averaged 4.3 points and 4.8 minutes per game.

"He's received very little playing time but that's not because he hasn't played well," said Rambis. "Everyone else has been playing well too (at that shooting guard and small forward position) where we have a lot of players. But he's played well since camp..

"I first saw him play in the NBA combine in Chicago....his instincts (were impressive) and his shooting and his hustle, his conditioning and his effort and his intensity and his competitiveness. He was one of the first guys I kind of zeroed in on. I don't watch a lot of college ball so I had no idea who he was, so watching him and talking to our scoring staff...it was like, 'Who is that guy? What's his story?' So I wanted to find out more about him.

"I was very pleased when he was available to us."

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/bucks.html

I wish they would give him more minutes :-x

[Canadian Dimes]

I don't watch a lot of college ball so I had no idea who he was, so watching him and talking to our scoring staff...it was like, 'Who is that guy? What's his story?' So I wanted to find out more about him.


Maybe that is why the Wolves suck so bad....u would hope that a guy would base his decisons or at least have seen a player before a few days of combines.

[Jacks DC]

Nice feedback for Lazar.

"I had no idea who he was" - embarrassing for Rambis.

[martyconlonontherun]

I love Jon McGlocklin for the Bucks but I was talking to him once with a friend 2 years ago and he asked if Rubio was white or black. Not in a way where he cared, just curious. I couldn't believe he didn't know about one of the top prospects in the draft. It amazes me how some coaches and broadcasters only care about the pro game. To be fair to Rambus though, he is working during the college season pretty much 24/7. It's not like MU would be on top of his DVR for the limited games he can watch. Nor was Lazar a big time pro prospect until late.

[Markusquette]

Lazar playing a little more tonight...6pts so far

[Ron Paul]

Seems to me that Rambis may not be a big fan of rookie contributions this season.  Wesley Johnson is only averaging 20 minutes/game and he was the 4th overall pick.  Maybe Kurt should watch more college basketball so he knows what his talent can do.

[Ron Paul]

Also these guys have to pick up the triangle offense, some players have a harder time than others.

[Steve Buscemi]

... isn't that in Rambis' job requirements to at least know a little about the players drafted?  He sounds like an idiot.  With just a couple draft picks a year, you'd think he'd have done his homework.

[77ncaachamps]

I love Jon McGlocklin for the Bucks but I was talking to him once with a friend 2 years ago and he asked if Rubio was white or black. Not in a way where he cared, just curious. I couldn't believe he didn't know about one of the top prospects in the draft. It amazes me how some coaches and broadcasters only care about the pro game. To be fair to Rambus though, he is working during the college season pretty much 24/7. It's not like MU would be on top of his DVR for the limited games he can watch. Nor was Lazar a big time pro prospect until late.

Sorry.

Had to chuckle at that.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Rambis learned under Phil Jackson. Phil is notorious for having no confidence in Rookies.

[Steve Buscemi]

Rambis learned under Phil Jackson. Phil is notorious for having no confidence in Rookies.

That goes without saying... Phil follows the talent and rides comfortably on their shoulders.

[mviale]

college basketball is clearly overrated.  What could rambis learn from those guys.

[HoopsMalone]

Rambis is getting head coaching experience running the triangle.  Jackson has three years tops left with the lakers.   This is a stepping stone job for rambis in his mind I think.  He will be looking at signing free agents more than draft picks in Hollywood so learning to scout college Os of little importance to him.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Phil hardly rides on players shoulders. They play his system and win. That's why stars are willing to take a pay cut and play for him. They know where the best chance to win a ring lies.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Phil hardly rides on players shoulders. They play his system and win. That's why stars are willing to take a pay cut and play for him. They know where the best chance to win a ring lies.

Not so sure about this.  No doubt "his" system is a great one but you can't honestly believe he wins as many titles as he's won without having the Jordan/Pippen/Shaq/Kobe level of superstar talent he's been smart enough to agree to coach. 

Insert him as the head coach of a team that doesn't have two of the top ten players in the league (or of all time) on it...see how he does.  He'd certainly have them playing at a higher level and winning more, but winning titles...don't think so. 

Of course, that's just my opinion.  I'm sure there are those that would disagree.  It is a fun subject to talk about. 

[MUBurrow]

i just dont know what coaches win any other way - Larry Brown maybe?

[GGGG]

No coach wins titles without good players.  However bad coaches can only take good players so far.

Phil is a great coach because he does one thing better than almost all others do in today's NBA - control egos.  He knows how to motivate and utlize the skills of every player on his roster.  Futhermore, he has always had a knack for getting his teams to perform exceedingly well on the road and late in games.

[T-Bone]

Let's not forget it's former MU head coach Tex Winter's triangle system.  Though he adopted it from some dude Sam Barry.

Phil is one of the best at controlling egos. 

[Fullodds]

Phil Jackson had great talent but he also was a master at getting great players to play together.  Pippen and Grant accepted lesser roles allowing Jordan to be Jordan.  Rodman was traded for Will Perdue and under Jackson played his ass off for the second 3-peat.  You can argue that Jackson was the first coach to put together a system around a guard to win multiple Championships.  Jackson won with Bill Cartwright, Luc Longley and Will Purdue playing the 5 (don't forget about Ed Nealy!).  Sure that guard happened to be the best basketball player ever but Jackson made it work.

[GGGG]

Not to nitpick here...surprise, surprise...but I think it would be better to say that "Jackson was the first coach to win championships without a dominant big man."  It could certainly be argued that the Lakers' system was centered around Magic Johnson.

[BrewCity83]

Lazar is playing on his old college homecourt tonight at the BC with the T-Wolves.  Hope he gets some extended PT.  I will be at the game.

[Fullodds]

Not to nitpick here...surprise, surprise...but I think it would be better to say that "Jackson was the first coach to win championships without a dominant big man."  It could certainly be argued that the Lakers' system was centered around Magic Johnson.

Magic joined a Lakers team that had the reigning MVP of the league in Kareem Abdul Jabbar.  Jabbar also led the Lakers in scoring the year Magic came and won his first title.  Jabbar was first or second team all NBA for the next few years during the Lakers run.  I agree that Magic was great and ran the Lakers but it is hard to argue that Jabbar was not a dominant big man.

[GGGG]

Magic joined a Lakers team that had the reigning MVP of the league in Kareem Abdul Jabbar.  Jabbar also led the Lakers in scoring the year Magic came and won his first title.  Jabbar was first or second team all NBA for the next few years during the Lakers run.  I agree that Magic was great and ran the Lakers but it is hard to argue that Jabbar was not a dominant big man.

I think you are missing my point.

Kareem was definately a dominant big man, but I think the Lakers were built more around Magic (especially later on in the 80s) than they were around Kareem.   So therefore the Lakers were also built around a guard.

But Jackson is the first coach to win multiple NBA titles without a dominant big man. 

[tower912]

Chuck Daly was the first coach to win multiple championships without a dominant big man.   Unless you are saying that the combination of Laimbeer, Edwards, Mahorn, and Salley equalled a dominant big man.   Phil is a legend, but first is first, and Daly with the Pistons was first.  

[Fullodds]

I think we are all right.

Lakers were run through Magic although he was not your protypical guard and he had Jabbar.

Detroit won without a dominant center but their calling card was defense.  Isaiah was the leader but he would defer to Dumars and Vinnie Johnson from time to time.

Bulls won around Jordan.  Period.

Maybe the more correct statment is Jackson was the first to win by having a centered around a 2 guard?  Good 80's-90's NBA talk!