Read the debate intro and Bleacher Fan’s argument here.
NBA coaches are as useless as a snooze button on a smoke alarm, right? That’s what some NBA writers would have you believe. No other media covering any other professional league treats coaches with the disrespect NBA media dish out to coaches. You’d think that coaches are a dime a dozen. After all, the NBA is a player’s league, right? That’s why Detroit Pistons General Manager Joe Dumars can sign two free agent players, guard Ben Gordon and power forward Charlie Villanueva, to five year contracts each without having a coach in place. But, Dumars has made a sad, stupid mistake that is going to put the city of Detroit through ever more tough times.
Long-tenured, successful NBA coaches are able to adjust their system and style – slightly – to the talent they have around them. This is due, in large part, to coaches having a close relationship with the General Manager so that the right talent is brought in to fit the coach’s system. That’s why you see coaches like the Utah Jazz’s Jerry Sloan, the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich, and the Los Angeles Lakers Phil Jackson become legendary coaches. They are able to influence the personnel decisions and construction of a team so only players suited to their style of coaching become members of their teams.
Dumars has set up his new coach, former Cleveland Cavs assistant John Kuester, for failure. How can Kuester be expected to come into Detroit with no say over the draft or the free agency period? Did Dumars deliberately seek out a coach who was able to manage these two types of players? Was he forced to because he signed them so quickly?
While Dumars has gaffed here, it’s also fair to question the rationale of the players involved. Why would Gordon and Villanueva sign a contract without knowing they’re going to like the man they’ll be playing for in 2009-2010? It’s simple – money. And, that reason isn’t good, it’s dumb. The investment Dumars has made in these two players is considerable compared to the investment in the coach. Which do YOU think is expendable? Yup, it’s the coach, putting the players in a tough spot of coaching change, and further away from what SHOULD be their goal as professional athlete – a championship.
So, why does Dumars not get his coaching situation squared away earlier in the off-season? I have no idea. Do players who are serial money-chasers ever win several championships? Nope (though Latrell Sprewell was able to feed his children). Kind of makes you wonder whether the motivation for Gordon and Villanueva is money, or jewelry. My gut tells me it’s money, which will buy them all the jewelry they want, expect for one ring.
Bottom line, is it easier to find a coach than a player? No. It is MUCH easier to find a player to fit a coach’s system than a coach who can fit a player… let alone TWO players (two players not know for their defense). The timing of Dumars’ coaching hire is as dumb as the player’s decision to sign with a coachless team.
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