After just 30 games, the head coach for last year's Northwest division winner has been fired. Bob Weis went 13-17 in his short-lived tenure as Sonics coach. His exit doesn't sit well with superstar Ray Allen which should be concerning for Sonics management.
The reason this move is so surprising is that Ray Allen practically handpicked Bob Weis to coach the team after Nate McMillan left. It's dubious that Allen would've stayed aboard the Sonics franchise had he known a coach not of his choosing would be managing him. We last saw this bait and switch maneuver in Indiana, where Donnie Walsh kept Isaiah Thomas just long enough to get Jermaine O'Neal to sign a 6-yr contract, only to oust Thomas a few weeks later.
For Weis to be fired this early in the season leads me to suspect that team President Wally Walker didn't want him to coach the squad to begin with. Sure 13-17 isn't the best record to have, but they aren't that far out of the division lead. Truthfully it's partially Walker's fault the team isn't as good as last year.
With Danny Fortson injured and Antonio Daniels and Jerome James gone, the team has absolutely no defensive intensity. To this point they allow over 100 a game and are dead last in the NBA in rebounding; that's not getting it done in the Western Conference.
It's understandable why Weis was fired. Yet, it seems that chemistry problems that could occur weren't anticipated in the decision. Ray Allen is the one guy you want to stay happy. Seattle may not be the cream of the crop, but they're a lottery team without Allen. We saw from the Gary Payton/Ray Allen trade that the Sonics don't mind trading franchise players because of chemistry issues. With players like Flip Murray and Reggie Evans probably out the door within the next year, conflicts could from the decision.
Replacing Weis is a coach who for a while has been equally as removed from a head coaching spot: Bob Hill. You may remember Bob Hill as the Spurs coach in the mid-90's who didn't exactly tolerate Dennis Rodman. So while he didn't manage the chemistry perfectly he did get San Antonio within a few games of the Finals. Personally I don't think he'll do much better than Weis but will at least keep his job until the end of the year. |
