wildturkey
Well-Known Member
Yes, because after all, guys like Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Greg Popovich, etc. have all taken average/below average team to championships.
I'll bet Spoelstra still would have taken the Heat to 4 straight finals and won 2 if he didn't have Lebron, Wade and Bosh on the team.
It's amazing how good coaches look with guys like Magic, Kareem, Worthy, MJ, Pippen, Duncan, Robinson, Parker, Lebron and Wade isn't it?
I'll wait while you compile the list of coaches who have won titles without great players.
That's always been your only fall back and one that skirts the issue of actual coaching acumen. You can't look beyond a championship to see how a coach affects the game or you don't understand enough about the details of the game actually see the difference when its in front of you. Does he make his players better? How are his in game adjustments? Is what he's doing schematically make any sense overall or in the situation given time/score/etc? All are factors that are determine a coach's value and ability. But you just throw it all out. Championship or bust.
I don't care how bad this team is, they play hard every night. My co- worker and I joke all the time how a Lakers game will turn out. They will play hard and keep it close, but can't finish at the end.
Doesn't matter if you're playing hard if you're doing the wrong things. I can bust my ass all day with a baseball bat to chop down a tree but that doesn't mean that sumbitch is coming down. Carlos Boozer or Ed Davis using some extra hustle while chasing picks beyond 3 point line isn't going to win more games because its stupid to hedge that hard that far out from the start. Using a dummy action pick and roll that wastes 10 seconds of the clock to get into an Iso 18 footer for Jordan Hill doesn't start working with more effort.