Spurs Still Half-Way to a Sweep

[andyfox]

Can you spell m-i-s-m-a-t-c-h?

The Spurs won 57 games on the bases of their defense, but they didn't play 57 games against the Lakers. They have only one person other than Duncan who can create his own shots, and he can't make any of 'em when they count. Pop did a great job with a completely remade team from last year's championship squad. A team that relies on the 2004 version of Robert Horry down the stretch simply isn't a champion caliber squad.

The Lakers are a thoroughly obnoxious bunch, non more so than Gary Payton. Feh.

I'm still sticking with Minnesota to suprise 'em and win it all. Provided they don't blow it against Sacramento. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Clarkmeister]

I knew there was a reason I thought Phil was the greatest coach ever. I can't believe I lost faith in the Zenmaster.

[jdl22]

Right, it's all about Phil. Having virtually no clue what your qualifications are other than your posts indicate you are skilled at poker, Clarkmeister I'm pretty sure you could lead that team at least to the Conference Finals.

[rtrombone]

The importance of coaching in the NBA is vastly overrated. Talent is what counts.

Hence, Phil Jackson is the most overrated coach ever.

[Josh W]

[ QUOTE ]

I'm still sticking with Minnesota to suprise 'em and win it all. Provided they don't blow it against Sacramento. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I was hoping beyond hope that clark was right when he predicted the Spurs beating the Lakers. Now, as desperation sets in, I'm hoping beyond hope that you are right.

The article on espn.com page 2 by jason whitlock regarding how kobe should stop being treated like a hero was amazingly accurate. oh how i wish...


Josh

[andyfox]

I think there are indeed examples of where coaching didn't matter, uch as Paul Westhead's championship with the Magic Johnson lead Lakers before Pat Riley took over.

But nine championships is a lot of overratedness. The Lakers had essentially the same team the year before Phil took over. I don't think a coach can make a bad team into a good one. But he can make a good team into a winner.

[banditbdl]

As a bit T-wolves fan I'm really hoping we can close out the Kings and play in the Western Conference Finals on the truly national stage the Lakers bring with them. That said, the one mismatch that scares me the most about playing the Lakers is at head coach.

[adios]

Nice to be out of the political realm for awhile /images/graemlins/smile.gif. FWIW I think Andy's points are spot on. As Shaq said after the Lakers won their first championship, no coach ever won an NBA championship without superior talent. The Lakers do play consistently well on defense. Tony Parker seems to shoot well off the dribble but can't "throw it in the ocean" when spotting up. I think Jackson realized this and set up his defense against the Spurs accordingly. Lakers have more depth in talent than the Spurs have.

[IrishHand]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't think a coach can make a bad team into a good one.

[/ QUOTE ]
I trust you're not a big basketball fan, 'cause that's a flagrantly ignorant statement. Every season, there are several teams which dramatically overachieve their talent level. You can, of course, argue about why, but the most obvious (and accurate) conclusion is that it has a lot to do with coaching.

Some examples from just the past few seasons: Doc Rivers took four Orlando teams with 20-30 win talent and won 40+ games each season. Jim O'Brien took two marginal Celtics teams to 49 and 44 win seasons in 00/01 and 01/02. Jerry Sloan took arguably the most talent-deprived team in the NBA to the doorstep of the playoffs - in the Western conference! Rick Carlisle took two average Pistons squads to 50-win seasons and the Central division title. Now, he's leading the same Pacers team that lived in the 35-50 win area under Isiah "Couldn't Coach a Crap Out of My Azz" Thomas into the dominant team in the East (61-21, despite playoff issues with Miami). Gregg Popovich, much as I dislike him personally, is probably among the top 5 coaches in the NBA - all he does every season is take a one-trick pony to the upper echelons of the league.

As for Phil Jackson, he is undeniably the greatest coach in basketball history. Only two things matter in that analysis - championships and wins relative to losses. Phil Jackson is tied for the most championships in history, and has the highest regular-season winning percentage by a large margin. He also has the highest winning percentage in history in the playoffs. Has he had talented teams? Absolutely. In the NBA, you cannot win championships without talent. However, there were nearly always more talented teams out there - Dallas and Sacramento the past couple seasons being the easiest examples. However, winning championships - once you have a basic amount of talent - comes down to defense (largely coaching) and execution (largely coaching).

The facts bear out a striking difference in both regular- and post-season performance depending on the coach. If anything, coaching in the NBA is underrated - how else could all these coaches who've proven their mediocrity (or outright brutality) time and again be given head coaching positions? (See eg. Don Nelson, Lenny Wilkens of late, Tim Floyd.)

[andyfox]

I don't think winning 40+ games qualifies as a good team. I agree that Pop is a good coach, but that one-trick pony he has is one helluva pony. He also had a HOFer playing with him (albeit at about half the speed he was in his prim) up until this year. Jerry Sloan did a great job this year, but he didn't turn his team into a good team. It was less bad that in probably would have been with a less talented coach. If Carlisle's current Indiana team is indeed a bad team, and he turned it into a 61-game winner, than he's the exception that proves the rule.

I agree with your assessment of Phil Jackson.

Other sports are similar to basketball. The same old war-horses, for example, seem to also get baseball managing and general mangaing jobs despite proving that they have the greatest minds of the 1910s.

[Vehn]

Anyone else notice the sick mugging of KG by peeler today? What a joke this league is.

[banditbdl]

The real question is whether Peeler is suspended for Game 7. The elbows and cheap shots have been going on with both sides, but with Peeler throwing it out there at KG's jaw he sure as hell better be outta there for Game 7. Oh, and Brad Miller is just a big dumb idiot, talented player, but just a total moron.