Larry Bird is looking for a new coach who will have the Pacers play small and carry a big stick.
On the first score, Indiana’s team president reiterated Thursday, when he announced Frank Vogel would not be returning as head coach, that Vogel’s offensive system just didn’t cut it in today’s NBA. Seeing the Pacers move up one place in offensive efficiency, from 24th last season to 23rd this season, when he was operating under an edict to move the offense into the 21st century, told Bird that he needed to make a change.
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“I don’t know about losing the locker room — I wouldn’t go that far,’’ Bird said about Vogel, whose contract was not renewed after 5½ seasons as head coach. “I just came to the conclusion that it was necessary for these guys to hear a new voice.’’
Here’s what Bird didn’t say about the new voice, but what became crystal clear to the NBA legend and even some players as the Pacers lost in the first round to the Raptors after finishing seventh in the East: The new coach’s voice will need to have an edge and he has to hold the players responsible for their mistakes.
That’s the big stick part.
Vogel’s downfall, according to one NBA insider with knowledge of the team’s locker room dynamics, was that he always bent over backwards to be nice to his players and never demanded accountability when they messed up.
“Frank never wanted to hurt anyone’s feelings,’’ the person said. “But Larry knows, and some of the players also know, that there should be consequences to your actions when you do something wrong. When you take a bad shot or don’t do what’s expected of you, then there has to be a consequence. Like getting pulled out of the game. But with Frank there were never any consequences when you did something wrong. He never had those because he felt it would hurt guys’ confidence. He always was looking to keep guys happy.’’
Vogel got away with that style of coaching when he had David West controlling the locker room and the Pacers went to the Eastern Conference finals. But once West left for San Antonio and the Pacers revamped their roster, the lack of accountability was telling.
In the playoffs the 45-win Pacers had a chance to knock off a vulnerable 56-win Raptors team that was primed for another first-round exit, with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan underperforming again in the postseason. In fact, the Pacers had a golden chance to win Game 5 in Toronto and go up 3-2. They controlled the game through three quarters, as Paul George again showed he was the best player on the court, scoring 37 points in the first 36 minutes.
DECOURCY: Bird felt Vogel could do better
But then Vogel stuck too long with his reserves at the start of the fourth quarter, George scored only two points over the final 7:00 once he was re-inserted and the Pacers were done. Vogel never embraced Bird’s plans to play small and that’s when Bird knew he had to make a change that, he admitted Thursday, he had first thought about back at the All-Star break.
“I know it’s not 100 percent a popular move,’’ he said.
It won’t be because while Bird sees this roster as being better than it showed at the offensive end, he might just be over-rating his talent.
Then he talked about finding a new coach who can “keep ‘em mentally focused. I’ll be looking at someone who motivates and leads and gets the respect of the players.’’
Bird’s next coach needs to be able to get Monta Ellis to change, or he will have to reinstate George Hill as the primary playmaker after the veteran spent most of the season playing off the ball. Too many times in the regular season Vogel put up with Ellis controlling the ball deep into the shot clock, then passing off only because he couldn’t get his shot. That rubbed some the wrong way.
“Frank allowed Monta to walk all over him,’’ the NBA insider said.
In the players’ exit interviews earlier this week, Bird and general manager Kevin Pritchard basically told everyone that Vogel was out, without openly saying it. They told players that next season they want to play more up-tempo, score more, use fewer sets and play more like Golden State, with an emphasis on more ball movement and teamwork.
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So who will get Ellis, and even George, who has sticky fingers at times, to play the Warrior way, while also carrying the big stick? It’s not going to be easy.
Nobody can coach speed ball better than Mike D’Antoni, the Sixers assistant who has a relationship with Donnie Walsh. The Pacers’ long-time executive hired D’Antoni to coach the Knicks in New York in 2010. But D’Antoni is well known for not holding anyone accountable.
Bird spoke highly of Mark Jackson, who started at point guard for the Pacers during their 2000 NBA Finals run with Bird as coach. “I think he did excellent job,” Bird said in a brief endorsement at the end of his news conference. “He helped Golden State get to where they’re at today.’’
Bird probably will look at Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, who was reported to be high on the Lakers’ list if Luke Walton had turned down their head coaching job. Messina has been a highly successful head coach overseas and has been mentioned for NBA head coaching positions in recent seasons. According to one Western Conference GM, “He’s got some hard-ass in him and he can teach an up-tempo offense. The only concern is how he’d relate to stars as a head coach.’’
On that last point, the Pacers have only one: Paul George. So while Bird wants the new coach to play more like Golden State, his roster is a long way from what they have out in Oakland.
