[dude1394]

I happen to agree with your statements about seeing how nellie progresses with this team. If they are every bit as competitive in the finals as their regular season record shows I see nothing but downside in replacing him.

And in all fairness some of my comments about little whistle were tongue in cheek. I actually like little whistle a lot, but there is a risky element to hiring donnie over don. And I think fairly because he hasn't even been a head coach anywhere that I know of.

Since I didn't know Jackson's history I looked it up. As far as experience in being a head coach he really has a lot more than little whistle, at least 5 full years of head-coaching experience including a championship. Here's some tidbits I got off the web somewhere:

After a year he rejoined the Nets and did some television commentary on television, then he returned to coaching with the Albany Patroons of the Continental Basketball Association, also coaching summers in Puerto Rico. In five seasons in Albany, Jackson steered the Patroons to a league title and won a CBA Coach of the Year Award.

Jackson left the Patroons after the 1986-87 season with a 117-90 career record and landed a job as an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan had just won his first of seven straight scoring titles in 1986-87, but under Collins the Bulls had gone 40-42. Jordan averaged 35.0 points in 1987-88 and Chicago improved to 50 wins, but was ousted in the playoffs.