Wow! Would Michael Jordan seriously consider putting Patrick Ewing at the helm of the Bobcats?
Consider that Patrick Ewing's primary responsibility is to teach Dwight Howard how to play in the low post. He has held this assistant coaching gig since 2007. This past summer, Ewing's pupil, Dwight Howard, showed up in Houston to get tutored by Hakeem Olajuwon. Below is a video detailing some of the time they spent together:
Why is it, then, that at the outset of the video, Dwight looks as if he has never been introduced to the fundamentals of low-post footwork? For years, Howard has limited his low-post game to dunks, tip-ins, and an occasional dribble move. This year, partly due to maturity and partly due to Olajuwon's tutelage having taken effect, Howard is averaging career-high numbers in field goals, field goals attempted and points. Prior to this season, Howard had languished in creating shots in the half-court offense. Now, when the ball comes to him in the low post, he has enough variety in his pivot moves to create a decent shot attempt -- a direct result of his time with Hakeem. Olajuwon was a better center than Ewing back in the 90's. Now, as the result of a single contact and a week of tutoring, Hakeem is a better coach than Pat, too.
Take it back to Charlotte. If Patrick Ewing cannot succeed in his main responsibility -- the one area of expertise that he brought to the job -- then can we reasonably expect him to succeed as a head coach in the NBA, with all manner of extra duties and nuances that accompany such a job? Hiring Ewing would be a one-act summary of 'everything' Michael Jordan has accomplished as GM of Charlotte.
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Two interesting links:
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