re: Bruce or Avery Johnson?

quote:

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Johnson knows next to nothing about the college game.


Well shite. I wish you would have told Battle this.

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well, the question was asked.

Bruce Pearl has built successful programs wherever he's been. Mid-major, Tennessee, etc- he has a system, he has been able to implement it, and his programs have succeeded. Downside is that he got caught cheating.

Avery Johnson was a quick, scrappy point guard who retired and became a pro head coach. He had short term success trying to maintain the prior coach's system (Don Nelson), but couldn't keep it up or build his own. Just like Byron Scott or Jason Kidd, he got the job because management thought the players would respect and listen to him. He has a good knowledge of NBA Xs and Os, but little to no real experience beyond that.
His own college experience was at a SWAC school that pressed and run'n'gunned (Southern). Never been involved in a bigtime program, little to no experience running college motion offenses or college defenses (zones, for example- those are "illegal defenses" in the NBA). Probably a good grasp of man-to-man defense, and the pick-and-roll on offense, and that's about it.

Avery is going to have to learn on the job. He might end up good, but it's a big gamble to take.