Here’s Kevin’s snarky semi-rebuttal to my call for Tom Izzo.
By: Kevin Sawyer
As any loyal Wolverine would, Matt has made the case that Tom Izzo should take over the Pistons head coaching job. Here is a pro/con response:
Pro: Going to Izzo proves to the fans that Detroit is genuinely concerned about getting this right. This search isn’t about cronyism, it’s about finding the best person for the job, and Izzo might well be that man. Even considering him instills confidence in the players and fan base.
Con: If he wants the gig, Izzo would need to initiate this dance. An overture from the Pistons would generate a news story, which could not possibly end well (see: Magic, Orlando).
Pro: Izzo’s presence would open the door to bringing in Zach Randolph for pennies on the dollar and maximizing his top-20 potential. Maybe he’ll save Stuckey and Tay in a shootout. Who knows?
Con: Randolph could just as likely get Stuckey and Tay killed in a shootout.
Pro: Izzo shares Dumars’ ability to authentically relate to the press without tipping his hand. With Dumars, it’s just a nice hors d’oeuvres to his entree. Izzo, on the other hand, has a knack for leveraging the media to motivate players without throwing them (the players) under the bus.
Con: I suspect a Tayshaun Prince will be able to read between the lines better than a Goran Suton or Paul Davis.
Pro: Izzo! We all love Tom Izzo! Michigan (state) Pride! Woo!
Con: Mateen Cleaves.
Pro: Tom Izzo is great at pushing the tempo, leveraging his defensive emphasis to get his teams moving on the open court.
Con: Nobody on our team was in the top 20 in steals per game.
Pro: Tom Izzo is a strong recruiter, who can help bring fresh faces to the Pistons organization.
Con: This is a great skill to have at the college level.
Pro: Izzo is a proven winner, especially at the playoff level.
Con: Derrick Rose is headed for our division.
He had me @ the con of “Mateen Cleaves.” Win.
Tell me nobody’s seriously considering Zach Randolph. He should chew up the East offensively, but his defense is atrocious. The pairing of Randolph and the similarly defense-deficient Curry is a big reason the Knicks were victimized every night. With dribble-penetration being the silver bullet that slays us year after year, Zach Randolph directing traffic to the rack is not the answer.
I also vote no to Izzo.
Con: All the trailer park Wolverine fans wouldn’t know whether to cheer or boo. It’d be too confusing.
Pro: Mitch Albom’s head might explode, after spending the whole weekend pre-writing his articles for the upcoming season.
Has anyone heard Laimbeers’s name thrown into the mix? He seems to get mentioned every once in a while in the League when there are jobs open but no one really seems to want to give him a chance. He Might be worth a shot.
@E. Martin:
“after spending the whole weekend pre-writing his articles for the upcoming season.”
The hardest part for all that pre-writing is for Albom to plan all of those cheap paragraph breaks that are intended to be dramatic.
That’s not easy.
Not easy at all…