nate33 wrote:Ivan Carter wrote:As with everything else involving Abe Pollin's franchise, the choice of the new coach will likely revolve around Arenas, the mercurial star who is armed with a $111 million contract and a mixture of talent and personality that can alternately make a coach look like a genius or make him want to jump off the Key Bridge.
"Bottom line: Whoever gets that job -- and it's a good job if Gilbert is right and you come back with Butler and Jamison -- priority one is handling" Arenas, said a rival front-office executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he did not want to hamper future dealings with the Wizards. "The thing you had to appreciate about Eddie Jordan was that he had a system that made the kid a star but he also handled all of his quirks. That's a rare combination and, now, the guy has that contract. There are some coaches who flat out could not deal with a player like that. So, whoever Ernie chooses, that coach is going to have to be able to work around Arenas. How that plays out is going to determine the direction of that franchise."
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Wow, those are pretty strong words. Is Arenas that difficult to deal with? Is his presence going to drive away potential candidates? Will Arenas' "quirks" be less of an issue now that he's had an additional 2 years of maturation while watching from the sidelines?
Arenas might be that difficult for Ivan to deal with (or interview) but honestly its a load of crap to me. Is Gil quirky? Absolutely but I have a hard time believing he's a real problem child on the court and in the locker room. Sure he's had some bouts of immaturity but I don't see him as some uncontrollable ego that needs to be "managed'. If anything, I think that players coach mentality of EJ created abit of a monster b/c he gave so much freedom to a guy like Gilbert who honestly took advantage of it in terms of his shot selection & dedication to defense. Also at some point over the last year or so I think Gil lost respect for EJ and recognized that EJ really didn't have control of things and he could run right over him. I think a huge mistake would be to get another players coach.
That's why I'd prefer a tough minded coach that will demand accountability. A coach that's not afraid to hold players responsible and not afraid to discipline the veterans as well as the young guys. Heck, I remember reading an article (it may have been SI) a few years back where Gil's father stated that Gil responds better to disciplined leadership and how a guy like Lute Olson at Arizona was the perfect coach for Gilbert.
This is just more garbage spewed by Ivan. Anything he puts out nowadays should be taken with a grain of salt.
