Coach Carlesimo

So, yes…I realize that while I am not a huge Sonics fan (actually, that’s a huge understatement) or a fan of the NBA in particular, there are quite a few of both residing in my hometown of Seattle. And I’ve had some folks ask for an astrological update of our current Sonics roster.

I’m not doing that today.

Really, it’s just too chaotic. However, I CAN discuss our new head coach, Peter “P.J.” Carlesimo. Mr. Carlesimo is not particularly well known for his head coaching ability…in fact, he’s never made it past the first round of the play-offs in any series as head coach (and he only went to the play-offs as a head coach with Portland…at Golden State, he was more famous for being literally throttled by his own players). Whether or not his reputation for “negative rapport” with his players is deserved, I’m not inclined to comment. Astrologers tend to look at the chemistry between folks (have I said that before?)…perhaps Mr. Sprewell and Mr. Carlesimo had some astrological challenges to their compatibility.

But, hey, no one’s strangled P.J. while he’s been assisting for the Spurs. In fact, the Spurs have done pretty well of late (um…didn’t they just win the NBA Championship? Again?). But being an assistant coach on a Championship team does not indicate potential greatness as a head coach (call Exhibit 1 Buddy Ryan, and Exhibit 2 Norv Turner). It’s not just brains and experience. Heck, it may not even be “only” charisma and leadership…but I’m guessing those are more likely ingredients for success as a head coach (um…in any sport).

There are LOTS of “intangibles” necessary to lead a team to the next level, and I would assert that for different teams, these intangibles change. First there’s the relationship of the coach to his (or her) players, second the relationship of the coach to management, third the relationship of the coach to the city/fans (I would lump media in this latter group…they’re not important enough to merit their own category). These three things – players, organization, city – are not listed in order of impact; they are ALL necessary for success.

And so I think it’s valuable to ask: from an astrology perspective, what has been successful in the past for the Seattle SuperSonics. What kind of coaching style has been appreciated in Seattle? What has worked for the players? What has earned the love/respect of the fans?

(admittedly, it’s difficult to talk about the relationship of coach and ownership in this day and age when teams are so readily swapped between investor coalitions)

Okay, so nothing says success to me like play-off wins. Unlike most sports, where only the top teams go to post-season play, in the NBA more than half of the teams get into the play-offs. As such, just making the post-season isn’t a spectacular accomplishment (even a mediocre team can make it as a #8 candidate). For real success, I look at passing through to the next round of the play-offs. Here’s how that breaks down for the Supes:

1974-75 Coach Bill Russell (first season Sonics in the play-offs)
1975-76 Coach Bill Russell
1977-78 Coach Lenny Wilkins (Lost NBA Finals)
1978-79 Coach Lenny Wilkins (Won NBA Finals)
1979-1980 Coach Lenny Wilkins (Lost Conference Finals)
1981-1982 Coach Lenny Wilkins
1986-1987 Coach Bernie Bickerstaff (Lost Conference Finals)
1988-1989 Coach Bernie Bickerstaff
1991-1992 Coach George Karl
1992-1993 Coach George Karl (Lost Conference Finals)
1995-1996 Coach George Karl (Lost NBA Finals)
1996-1997 Coach George Karl
1997-1998 Coach George Karl
2004-2005 Coach Nate McMillan

Interestingly, if one looks at ALL the years the Sonics made the play-offs (not just the seasons they passed through to the second round), you only add 6 more years, and only two more coaches (K.C. Jones in 1991 and Paul Westphal in 2000). The Sonics’ other eight head coaches never even made the play-offs.

So let’s just look at the “good ones:”

Bill Russell – Aquarius
Lenny Wilkins – Scorpio
Bernie Bickerstaff – Scorpio
George Karl – Taurus
Nate McMillan – Leo

Anyone see a pattern here? All the astrologers in the room are raising their hands. All of these men are FIXED signs. Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius are the four, Fixed signs of the zodiac. Fixed signs are the ORGANIZERS, they are the one’s most prone to inertia (good and bad). They don’t put new things in place, and they aren’t adaptors. They take what’s already there and mold it into something cohesive. They provide DISCIPLINE. In Seattle, our basketball team seems to thrive when it has discipline and organization.

This is not the case with every basketball team. Phil Jackson, for example, is a Virgo (a Mutable, adaptable sign). Chuck Daly is a Cancer (a Cardinal, leadership sign). Pat Riley is a Pisces (another Mutable sign). These folks all won multiple championships for the Bulls, Pistons, and Lakers respectively.

Different teams thrive on different styles of leadership. Coach Popovich of the Spurs is a Fixed sign himself (Aquarius), but he didn’t arrive on the scene in San Antonio till 1996. Prior to his arrival, the Spurs failed to win a single championship, despite the presence of Big Leo David Robinson (1989-1997). During Mr. Robinson’s eight-year stint, the Spurs had five different coaches, none of whom stuck despite the team’s perennial play-off contention: Bob Hill (Sagittarius), John Lucas (Scorpio), Jerry Tarkanian (Leo), Bob Bass, and Larry Brown (Virgo). Popovich has been with the organization more than a decade, and has since given the Spurs consistent leadership.

The Boston Celtics won championships under five separate head coaches:
Red Auerbach (Virgo – 4 titles)
Bill Russell (Aquarius – 2 titles)
Tom Heinsohn (Virgo – 2 titles)
K.C. Jones (Gemini – 2 titles)
Bill Fitch (Taurus – 1 title)

Seven of eleven titles were won by Earth signs (64%), eight of eleven titles were won by Mutable signs (73%). No Boston Celtic team has won a title with a Fire or Water sign head coach; no Boston Celtic team ever won a championship with a Cardinal sign head coach.

Of all the head coaches that have won NBA Championships (27 different coaches), every sign is represented except for Libra and Capricorn (one would suspect that these signs can still coach NBA basketball but multiple-championship teams like the Celtics, the Bulls, and the Lakers have skewed results one way or another). The point is that as most every sign is represented, most every sign can be a championship head coach…if they have the right chemistry for the team they’re on. For the Celtics, I’d put money down on any Virgo (Mutable Earth) taking the reins. Unfortunately, current Celtics’ coach “Doc” Rivers is a Libra.

So anyway…by now Sonics fans are probably slavering for me to get to the point and talk about P.J. Carelsimo (“The Peej,” we can call him). Unfortunately for the Sonics, Mr. Carlesimo is a Sun Sign Gemini, meaning The Peej may not be the best fit for the Sonics. Let’s see…the last Gemini head coach the Sonics had was K.C. Jones. (1990-1992). Mr. Jones has the distinction of being the last African-American head coach to lead an NBA team to a Championship (1986). At the time, he was with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics do all right with Gemini head coaches (Mutable, Air). The Sonics don’t, and K.C. was replaced by George Karl shortly.

We’ll have to see how Carlesimo shapes up. While Gemini may not be the best fit for a team in Seattle, it may be an excellent fit for a team duplicitously moved to Oklahoma (Gemini being the two-faced ruler of bi-polar disorder and willful deception).

Oh...and about Carlesimo and Sprewell: Mr. Sprewell is a Virgo. Virgo is square to Gemini (it shows up at a 90 degree angle), which in astrology terms means there are some "challenges" there. They do not harmonize well, there is no easy understanding between them. This is a combative aspect.

So who on the Sonics current team has a similar aspect to The Peej? Well, new recruit Jeff Green (Virgo) for one. Walter Szczerbiak (Pisces) for another.

Kevin Durant is a Libra and so should get along fine with the new coach.