Brown could use Moe by his side

Larry Brown offering Doug Moe a coaching job is about more than collecting a whole set of ex-Tar Heels.

In an "Odd Couple" kind of way, Moe on the bench would offer a healthy balance to Brown’s driven personality. He’d keep Brown loose and offer the kind of unfiltered advice you only get from a longtime friend.

Former Carolina Cougars general manager Carl Scheer told me a story that defines the Brown-Moe friendship. Back in the 1970s, not every American Basketball Association team had an assistant coach. Brown wanted Moe working with him, so Scheer sold ownership on the idea by saying Moe would also scout opponents.

That miscast Moe profoundly. He never had much use for scouting, later telling his Denver Nuggets to concentrate on what they do best and not fret over opponents’ strengths and weaknesses.

Back in Cougars days, Moe drove up to Virginia to scout a Squires team next on the schedule. When Brown asked Moe for the scouting report, Moe directed Brown to a single, crumpled sheet of paper.

Moe’s concise report on the Squires: "If you can’t beat that team, you stink!"