It does? Head coaching? Assistant coaching? What about coaches that do well one place and struggle another? Is Lionel Hollins a good head coach? He struggled badly; then won in Memphis and then has been mediocre in NJ..... and the coach that replaced him in Memphis has not skipped a beat. I agree that coaching matters....... but I believe in MOST cases it is an entire foundation, not a single man.
Coaching matters a lot. BUT... you have to have the right players for your system or the right system for your players. When you possibly have 2 of the best shooters on the planet you don't post them up or run iso's all game long. You try to get them the best shot possible by moving the ball. Steve Kerr did what Mark Jackson wasn't willing to do and that was to set up a system that took advantage of his players skillset.
Would you have known that? Curry's individual improvement isn't just based on the coach, along with Klay's and Green's, and Bogut's health.
You saw the Spurs the year Robinson went down and they sucked to get the #1 pick. Then they drafted the best PF in the history of the game. It's not a coincidence that their success corresponds with Duncan's presence on the team. A great player allows you to build around that player, and Duncan allowed that. He allowed for great stability that allowed the Spurs to focus on building and developing players. And now it's a culture. The Spurs were competitive with Robinson, one of the best centers in the history of the league. And they are better with a better player in Duncan, the best PF in the history of the league. Again, I think having talent matters most, esp. having historic talents. You don't have that, I don't care what else you have. Popovich wouldn't do jack with the Lakers right now if he coached that team.
