Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Cavaliers fire Mike Brown-Now who?

The expected (if you had any basketball IQ at all) end of the second term with Mike Brown as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers ended yesterday after one losing season as Cleveland decided to retain interim general manager David Griffin,who then made the call to fire Mike Brown.

I didn't renew the NBA league pass package this year-mainly because of the hiring of Mike Brown.
Nothing against Brown personally,I could just see what was going to happen-boring basketball,unhappy young players and lots of losses.

Brown,who was brought in to shore the Cavalier defense,did manage to do that,however his deficiencies as an offensive coach came to haunt him once again and this time he did not have a Lebron James or Kobe Bryant to bail him out somewhat.
The NBA has become an offensive league and the dull,one dimensional offense that Browns used in Cleveland and Los Angeles just isn't going to cut it in today's game.
I like defense and it wins games,but players will play defense to win games,but not at the expense of a stale offensive system and to deny that NBA players are stifled in a time that creativity is prized more than anything else that a coach can do in this era usually dooms you to failure.
Mike Brown,who almost certainly will never get another NBA head coaching job,has now run the same system three times in two cities and discouraged three stars in doing so-Lebron James,Kobe Bryant and Kyrie Irving.
Mike Brown will be a solid assistant coach with some NBA team and I have a feeling that he might be a good college coach in the situation (although I think recruiting will be a chore for him),but he is not suited for the professionals as a head coach.

The Cavaliers now have to hire another coach and to me there a few acceptable choices ranging from veteran to less experienced.
Mark Jackson was loved by his players in Golden State,won 51 games in taking the Clippers to seven games in the first round and then was fired.
George Karl wants to get back into the game and it would be full circle for Karl,who started his career in Cleveland,30 years ago and Karl might be a strong choice.
USA Today says that Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin is high on the list and there is always the big names that the Cleveland media and Dan Gilbert likes to toss around in John Calipari and Tom Izzo.
However,the two names that make the most sense to me are Alvin Gentry and Vinny Del Negro.
Both worked with David Griffin in his time with the Suns,both will play the up tempo offense that David Griffin prefers and will building his team for and both don't have the high ego of needing the spotlight .
Either Gentry or Del Negro seem to be a good fit for the Cavaliers,although I wouldn't mind seeing Mark Jackson get a chance or longtime favorite of mine Larry Brown get a call either.

If I had to put together a top three list (minus Larry Brown of course),it would read (in order of preference) Jackson,Gentry,Del Negro.
Perhaps even I could consider a league pass renewal for next season....

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