Read Sports Geek’s argument and Loyal Homer’s arguments about which NBA head coach is under the most pressure to win the championship this season.
There are no more excuses allowed for Mike Brown, head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The only result that will be accepted in the city of Cleveland for the 2009-2010 season is the NBA Championship – anything less is failure.
Why does Brown face such lofty expectations, with virtually no room for error? For Brown, the pressure to win a championship is the result of undeniable talent on the team combined with previous letdowns, golden promises, and a sense that time is running out.
Undeniable talent
Last season, Mike Brown was recognized as the NBA’s Coach of the Year. His star forward, LeBron James, was recognized as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, and was named a starter for the 2008 All-Star Game. Along with James, guard Mo Williams was also named to the All Star team last season.
Under the guidance of the Coach of the Year, and with the support of the league’s MVP and a second All-Star player, the Cavaliers were able to prove over the course of the entire season that they were an elite team, going on to claim the league’s best regular season record at 66-16. Then in the offseason, general manager Danny Ferry added to the team through a “Shaq-uisition” that brought center (and future Hall of Famer) Shaquille O’Neal to the team.
The Cavaliers, a team that is already among the top teams in the NBA last season, have still managed to upgrade the team, and are definitely a favorite to win the NBA Championship in 2009.
Previous Letdowns
What if I told you that the team that claimed the Coach of the Year, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, the league’s best record in the regular season, and home court advantage throughout the playoffs (after losing only two home games during the entire season) would not even reach the NBA Finals? Would you consider that a failure?
That is exactly what happened to the Cavaliers last season, though. Despite a very impressive regular season performance, the Cavaliers lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Orlando Magic. The best team, with the best coach, the best player, and home-court advantage with nearly record-breaking home-court performance, lost in six games to the Magic (including two losses in Cleveland). The Cavaliers, during their series against Orlando, looked NOTHING like the Cavs of the regular season.
That disappointment came on the heels of the previous two seasons, which included getting swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2006-2007 Finals, and then losing in the second round of the playoffs against the eventual champion Boston Celtics of 2007-2008.
The resurgence of the Cavaliers in the NBA over the past few seasons has been primarily the result of adding LeBron James to the roster. James, who is arguably the best player in basketball, has been able to turn a Cavaliers team which won only 17 games in the season (and had not reached the playoffs for five years) prior to his arrival onto a team that has since reached the postseason four consecutive years (including the first Conference Championship in franchise history), and is poised to make another playoff run this season.
With the best player in the league on the court, the coaches and general managers of the Cavaliers have tried (so far in vain) to build a supporting cast around James that will help bring a title to Cleveland.
Golden promises
Last season, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert quite literally guaranteed a championship for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Promises do not get any grander. The owner of the team VOWED to bring a title to a city that has been starved for a championship in ANY sport for nearly 50 years. Now, the fans of the Cavaliers do not just WANT a championship, they actually EXPECT it!
The implied message to Mike Brown is that the owner is willing to do whatever it takes to win that championship. If Brown cannot do it, then Gilbert will find someone else who can.
Time is running out!
In not-so-breaking news – LeBron’s contract is up soon, and he may not stay in Cleveland!
A major factor that is causing much of the panic (and subsequent pressure) in the city of Cleveland is the threat of losing LeBron. The general consensus is that LeBron will be happy to stay in Cleveland, as long as he believes he can win a championship here. With the expiration of his current contract drawing ever closer, many believe that this will be the Cavs’ last chance to prove to LeBron that they can be a championship team.
For Mike Brown, that ticking clock could very well also be counting away his remaining time as head coach of the Cavaliers. With all of the talent, support, and resources at his disposal, in conjunction with the elevated expectations (and worries) of the fans in Cleveland, anything short of a title-run by Brown and his Cavaliers this season is a failure.
How is THAT for pressure?!
