Coach Laettner?

[jimsumner]

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1600685.html

Read the last few paragraphs

[airowe]

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1600685.html

Read the last few paragraphs

Hed be a welcome addition, especially to our bigs.

[Duke of Nashville]

Hed be a welcome addition, especially to our bigs.

Interesting...those photos of him working with the bigs makes my heart beat even harder now. No offense to what Wojo has done for Duke but... it does look a whole lot better to see one of the best big men to ever play the college game to be working out with them.

[Edouble]

Interesting...those photos of him working with the bigs makes my heart beat even harder now. No offense to what Wojo has done for Duke but... it does look a whole lot better to see one of the best big men to ever play the college game to be working out with them.

Where are these pictures you speak of?

[johaad]

As I recall, he said in an interview that he doesn't want to be an assistant and that if someone gave him the opportunity he'd take it. I think (key word here) his words were along the lines of "I don't want to pay my dues".

[CDu]

Where are these pictures you speak of?

Someone posted pictures in one of the threads a week or so (maybe longer) ago of several of the big men playing/practicing together. Since coaches are allowed very limited (if any) contact with the players during the summer, former players like Laettner work out with them instead. Laettner was in many of the pictures banging with them in the post.

[johaad]

I believe these are those pics.

http://www.blueplanetshots.com/galle...59556202_aiMXX

[CDu]

I believe these are those pics.

http://www.blueplanetshots.com/galle...59556202_aiMXX

Close, but those appear to just be pickup game pictures. Here is the link (from the same site) to Laettner working with the bigs:

http://www.blueplanetshots.com/galle...61216545_DNSXv[/QUOTE]

That said, it was neat to see picks of Hill, Hill, Laettner, Williams, and others playing pickup with the current guys.

[roywhite]

Close, but those appear to just be pickup game pictures. Here is the link (from the same site) to Laettner working with the bigs:

http://www.blueplanetshots.com/galle...61216545_DNSXv

I've always supported Coach Wojo, and never thought much of the argument that a much smaller guy couldn't coach the "bigs". But I must say that Laettner appears to bring great experience and credibility to such a role.

Christian on the Duke staff? I guess it depends on other changes and then on how interested he really would be.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I believe these are those pics.

http://www.blueplanetshots.com/galle...59556202_aiMXX

I don't recognize the guy in last picture on the first page. Who is he?

[yancem]

I don't recognize the guy in last picture on the first page. Who is he?

Thomas Hill.

[CDu]

I don't recognize the guy in last picture on the first page. Who is he?

The last guy on the first page (who appears to be in the process of dunking on/around Miles Plumlee) is Grant Hill.

It appears from other photos that Thomas Hill and Sean Dockery, Chris Duhon, and Jason Williams were there as well.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Thomas Hill.

The chunky guy with the fluffy hair? Wow.

[CDu]

The chunky guy with the fluffy hair? Wow.

Well, he IS 38 years old.

Unless you're still playing competitively, it's hard to keep in game shape at that age...

[roywhite]

The last guy on the first page (who appears to be in the process of dunking on/around Miles Plumlee) is Grant Hill.

It appears from other photos that Thomas Hill and Sean Dockery, Chris Duhon, and Jason Williams were there as well.

On a slightly related note, it appears the new practice facility is exactly meeting one of it's purposes---that of providing an attractive, comfortable place for ex-players to return, work out, and mingle.

[airowe]

Well, he IS 38 years old.

Unless you're still playing competitively, it's hard to keep in game shape at that age...

He's really let that Kid 'N Play flat top go hasn't he?

[Greg_Newton]

I've always supported Coach Wojo, and never thought much of the argument that a much smaller guy couldn't coach the "bigs". But I must say that Laettner appears to bring great experience and credibility to such a role.

That sure would be great. I have to admit... while I have stayed out of the Wojo-as-big-man-coach debate thus far, I really don't understand the argument that a lifelong guard can coach big men every bit as well as a lifelong big man. I'm sure Wojo does a fine job, but if you've spent your whole life learning what works and what doesn't work in the post, it has to make some difference. For example, the difference between teaching the footwork of a drop step and teaching the little tricks that make your drop stop a killer move (i.e. when and how much to bump your opponent, the most effective but subtle way to use your elbows, how to use your body to create content and shield the defender when finishing, etc, etc...). Little tricks that you might not know unless you've been battling in the trenches your whole life.

I would say it's almost insulting to a career big man like Chistian to say you can pick up [i]every little[/] subtlety the he's learned about post play from just outside analysis. Personal experience is big, big, big when it comes to that kind of stuff, and I would absolutely love to see him on our bench.

[NSDukeFan]

That sure would be great. I have to admit... while I have stayed out of the Wojo-as-big-man-coach debate thus far, I really don't understand the argument that a lifelong guard can coach big men every bit as well as a lifelong big man. I'm sure Wojo does a fine job, but if you've spent your whole life learning what works and what doesn't work in the post, it has to make some difference. For example, the difference between teaching the footwork of a drop step and teaching the little tricks that make your drop stop a killer move (i.e. when and how much to bump your opponent, the most effective but subtle way to use your elbows, how to use your body to create content and shield the defender when finishing, etc, etc...). Little tricks that you might not know unless you've been battling in the trenches your whole life.

I would say it's almost insulting to a career big man like Chistian to say you can pick up [i]every little[/] subtlety the he's learned about post play from just outside analysis. Personal experience is big, big, big when it comes to that kind of stuff, and I would absolutely love to see him on our bench.

I would think it would be great to have Laettner on the staff (though I believe an earlier poster indicated he wasn't interested in an assistant's position) and he may add great credibility in some recruits eyes.

But I think the reverse of your point is actually more true. I think it's almost insulting to a several year coach like Wojo to say you can coach every little subtlety that he's used to coach big men from just playing. Coaching is big, big, big when it comes to that kind of stuff.

What big man doesn't dream of being a guard and what guard doesn't want to be a post player? Just because you may not be able to do it at a high level, does not mean you can't teach it. The best players aren't always the best coaches and vice versa. Again, I have no idea how good a big man coach Wojo is, but his size and college position don't have everything to do with it. I also think K can coach big guys even though I don't believe he played center or forward in college (I know he was just a player and wasn't a numbered position )

[Greg_Newton]

...But I think the reverse of your point is actually more true. I think it's almost insulting to a several year coach like Wojo to say you can coach every little subtlety that he's used to coach big men from just playing. Coaching is big, big, big when it comes to that kind of stuff...

I personally would weigh a successful career of in-the-trenches experience playing big man for Duke/NBA much higher than several years of coaching the position. I would also argue that it's a pretty commonly accepted principle in life that there is no excuse for hands-on, trial-and-error personal experience, and that there are some things that you're not going to learn from the "textbook" or simply studying. Sure, great coaches can coach big men even if they've never played in the post, but there are certain invaluable subtleties that you're just not going to pick up if you haven't spent years actually doing it yourself. Plus, I'm sure Laettner has studied his share film share during his time, rather than "just playing." Just my two cents...

[Devilsfan]

He might just see eye to eye with our new abundance of bigs.