Laimbeer should stay in WNBA
Shock coach is better off where he is right now
Some pro basketball observers might think Bill Laimbeer would make a good NBA coach. That's not really true
Bill Laimbeer would seem to be a natural to be a coach in the National Basketball Association.
Forget it. It would never work. Besides, Laimbeer has found his spot with the Detroit Shock of the WNBA. It’s where he belongs.
Laimbeer came very close to winning back-to-back WNBA championships. His Detroit Shock had a 2-1 series lead against the Phoenix Mercury and needed one more victory to establish his franchise as a dynasty of sorts.
But the Shock ran out gas and lost the best of five series to a team that seemed hungrier. Laimbeer coached the Shock to a 24-10 regular-season record and two come-from-behind playoff victories over New York and Indiana. If he had a healthier Cheryl Ford and Deanna Nolan in his lineup, Laimbeer most likely would be celebrating the third title in his career as Shock coach.
A coach in the NBA?
If his team had won again, Detroit Free Press and News sportswriters would have suggested it was time for Laimbeer to try his skills with the NBA. They might say that anyhow because of the success he’s compiled in the WNBA. He’s proven he can be a coach on the professional level. There are plenty of NBA teams that could use a new coach who knows something about winning championships.
Laimbeer was obviously a successful NBA player, having played for two NBA championship squads in the era of The Bad Boys for the Detroit Pistons with Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. He has proven to be a successful coach on the WNBA level.
But handling NBA players is a far different challenge. Laimbeer is likely to have problems handling players of his own personality. With his own daughter having had a successful career in college hoops, Laimbeer is fond of the women’s game. The NBA is a far different beast.
A WNBA power
Even though the Shock did not win the title, it remains the WNBA’s most successful franchise. The fans who fill the Palace of Auburn Hills for Detroit Pistons games are now used to doing the same during the summer for the Shock.
The Shock is likely to have a solid team for a long time. The pieces are in place which is a tribute to Laimbeer and the organization. Detroit is likely to be in a situation next year where it could challenge for another title. Laimbeer seems to have a good rapport with women players and is likely to continue to have success. He has helped give the WNBA a good name and thanks to Laimbeer’s efforts, the WNBA should remain a successful organization for many years, as far as the Detroit sports media is concerned.
That’s why Laimbeer should resist any temptation to take any offer to coach in the NBA. If the Pistons’ job opens up, it’s possible the Detroit organization would be tempted to ask Laimbeer, a hometown favorite, to take the job. It’s probably the only coaching job other than his present position with the Shock that Laimbeer would consider taking. But he’s still likely to have personality conflicts with the likes of Rasheed Wallace and Chris Webber that would make it impossible for him to have success.
Security with the Shock
If Laimbeer wants to coach a successful franchise, he should commit himself indefinitely to the Shock and make it clear to all NBA teams that he has no interest in coaching the men. He told ESPN once in an interview that we was "into' the women's game, especially with a daughter, Keri, having played the sport collegiately at Syracuse. He’s on top of the world in the WNBA and Bill Laimbeer should stay there.
