NBA Coaching Carousel

Every year I find it amazing how the coaching carousel works within sports, whether it be college football or basketball, or the pro game. But once the season has concluded and the brass upstairs has deemed his teams effort a failure, then heads must roll. In today’s world of pro sports, the athlete holds a lot of the power, especially with guaranteed contracts (NBA, MLB). So with so much money on the line, the easy solution is to fire the coach.

Honestly, the life of an NBA coach is definitely one of uncertainty. I also believe that in unlike other sports, the coach has less of an affect on the long-term success of a team. It is talent that wins games in the NBA, not strategies and tweaks. The only team excluded from this is the San Antonio Spurs. I think Greg Popovich is the best game-to-game adjustment maker in the NBA during the course of a playoff series.

Here is case and point for talent affecting games, and not coaches. I look at the Boston Celtics and coach Doc Rivers, he is without a doubt not a better coached than when he led the Celtics to a 24 win campaign in 2006-07. I dare anyone to tell me that he had some great revelation about his methods in coaching, and boosted his ability to motivate a team. The simple fact is that Danny Ainge did what he was supposed to do as an NBA general manager, and that is go and acquire talent. The addition of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and other key role players has done far beyond anything Doc Rivers could do. And let’s not be mistaken if Doc Rivers had not went to the Finals with this talent, he too would be out looking for a job.

As of this point since the regular season has ended, and we have made it to the Finals, Pat Riley has stepped down as coach of the Miami Heat, Isiah Thomas was dropped as New York Knicks leader, Avery Johnson was fired as the Dallas Mavericks coach after losing the New Orleans Hornets in the first round, Flip Saunders was dismissed as Detroit Pistons coach, Larry Krystkowiak let go as the Milwaukee Bucks coach, and Mike D’Antoni left the Phoenix Suns for the New York Knicks. Scott Skiles did not make it through the year as the Chicago Bulls coach, but he was good enough to be the Milwaukee Bucks next coach.

As of today, June 9, 2008, the Miami, New York, Dallas, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Phoenix jobs have been filled, leaving only Chicago as the lone team looking for their general. The funny thing about the NBA coaching carousel is how coaches are recycled, and recycled. Look at the craziness this year, Milwaukee hired Scott Skiles who has been fired by Phoenix and Chicago. Phoenix hired Terry Porter who was once upon a time fired by Milwaukee. Dallas hired Rick Carlisle, who was let go by the Indiana Pacers, and Detroit Pistons. The way that NBA coaches are ‘recycled” back through the system, David Stern should start a “Going Green” campaign.

So for good coaches that are left on the outside looking in, what are they to do? Avery Johnson is 2 years removed from being NBA Coach of the Year, and he cannot get love from anybody. I really want to know what makes a man want to be an NBA coach, I feel you have to be a crazy person to ambitiously seek out the type of life that holds very little stability, and a job where very little is actually controlled by you. There are the rare coaches that hold a certain power such as: Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, Greg Popvich, and to a certain extent Don Nelson. Everyone else is expendable, and past success builds no good will, it is all about, ”what have you done for me lately?”

An NBA coach is only as effective as his front office will allow him to be. So I wish Terry Porter, Mike D’Antoni, Rick Carlisle, and whomever gets the Chicago Bulls job luck because they will need it. The problem with all of these teams, is that the general manager and owner cannot get on the same page. I think there is something to be said about the way the Utah Jazz have run their franchise over the years. No they have no titles to show for it, but they can boast sustained excellence, and the longest tenured coach in the league. The Spurs also hold themselves to the same standard, and they do have the titles to show for it. As Donald T. Regan, “You have got to give loyalty down, if you want loyalty up.”