1980 LA Lakers - Paul Westhead - career winning percentage .450 1978 Washington Bullets - Dick Motta - career winning percentage .479 The problem with your statement is that many people will justify a coach as top tier just because they won a title.
GSW doesn't have the talent OKC does. Also GSW doesn't seem to be the same team, maybe for several different reasons (OKC's length, their nightmare matchups are naturalized, Maybe tired, and less hungry). Talent is the most important thing in basketball, but don't undervalue great coaching. GSW is so great cause they combined good talent (Not other worldly) with great coaching. Top four talented teams 1. Cavs 2. OKC 3. GSW 4. Clips Top four coaches 1. Pop 2. Kerr 3. Bud 4. Stevens
Look how far you had to reach back to find a coach, 30+ years! In the modern era you don't have anyone that has won a title without a top tier head coach. It just doesn't work like that anymore. And by NBA standards I'm pretty sure Doc Rivers is considered a top tier HC.
You said to "name one team". I named two. It's like I said, your statement is a self fulfilling prophecy because no matter who anybody names, the argument will be that they are a top tier coach because they won a title. Eric Spoelstra isn't a top tier coach. But he must be because he won two titles. Doc Rivers is a perfect example too. What has he done other than when he had a loaded Celtics team? His Clippers teams are incredibly talented and they consistently underperform in the playoffs. Is Billy Donovan now a top tier coach if he wins a title? He got a single third place vote for coach of the year and that vote came from a Fox Sports Oklahoma writer. Even McHale got 13 third place coach of the year votes last year. Donovan got 55 wins out of a loaded roster so does that make him top tier? If Cleveland wins the title this year then is Tyrone Lue a top tier coach? The top coach in the league today, an all-time great, has won a single playoff series the last two seasons despite having a stacked roster.
Donovan was a master at controlling the pace and making sure WB and Durant remain under control. That was absolutely...masterful. Vs Pop and now Kerr.
#MidRangeShotsMatters #EffortOnDefenseMatters #TransistionDefenseMatters #MakingYourFreeThrowsMatters
Durant is actually struggling this series but to your point, yes, Donovan has done several things well. But that doesn't make him a top tier coach. Last year at this time we could have said that McHale made several good moves too. That didn't make him a top tier coach.
Obviously you need elite talents to win. But once you get those talents, you need coaching to make them work. Someone once said that offense needs talents. Defense needs coaching. It's a bit simplistic. But I think there's some truth to it. Just see how OKC's defense is neutralizing one of the best offenses in the history of the NBA. And OKC isn't even a top 10 defensive team in the regular season. It is obviously coaching adjustment that tailors the defense against GSW's game.
eh, I'm inclined to agree with you, but the stage for playing chess is now. You play for upto 7 games and both you and your opponent learn each other's weaknesses and strengths and adjust accordingly. I think that beating the two best coaches (one all time level coach I may add..) certainly thrusts you into the conversation. If he gets a ring out of it, for this playoff run alone he should be in the convo. Also, I really like his hands on approach. I know guys like PJ get flattered with letting things play out, but Donovan knows just how much to but in. And that is something you have to be careful with guys like WB, but he is doing it.
True, he has pulled Westbrook when he started to get out of control and taking too many shots, sat him down for a minute talked to him and put him back in with great results. This is the same thing Harden needed, someone to explain the team is better with him doing a bit less. DD
Yeah you named two from the 1980s. And you act as if no one was all over Spoelstra's dick about how innovative his offense was because he brought over Chip Kelly's spread style to the NBA. He pushed an (apparently) formidable Raptors team without his best player and other injuries. You could also argue that Rivers has been dealt some bad luck. This year seemed like a good year for them until injuries hit. My point was that you can't win in the NBA without having a good ass head coach. Did David Blatt win it all last year despite having a loaded Cleveland roster? Is Steve Kerr top tier now that he won just one title? Your questions are all two fold, so stop trying to be a smart ass about the current coaches left in the conference finals.
Did you watch last game? Ibaka had 17pts, Waiters, Adams and pretty much everybody that played contributed. Coaching has mattered
The Narrative Crew doesn't touch that with a 10 foot pole as you've been ignored so far. Don't worry, I saw your rational and even headed thinking amidst the usual rubble. Morey does believe coaching matters and you're a fool to believe otherwise.
Everyone is praising Donovan but during the regular season he had been quite awful. So at least we all have to agree that coaches, especially rookie nba coaches, also need time to grow and improve. Who knows? It's very possible if we had hired Donovan this year, we may already have fired him.
