I honestly do not believe Terry is the problem. He is a fine coach when given a good roster, and at times can even succeed with a crappy roster (last year). He is not a miracle worker. This year is basically last-year's roster with more injuries.
This years roster also seems less motivated or less focused. I think some of that can be attributed to the coaching staff. Hard to say.
Not being close to the team, I can not tell. But, if the options are between the coaching stuff somehow losing their mojo or the players feeling comfortable after they got giant contracts and an injury bug - I am going with #2.
Totally reasonable. Even if there is some blame that can be laid on the staff for the teams lack of motivation or focus, hard to say if it is enough to require a staffing change.
Let's dissect this a bit. I think it has alot more with how the league is built. Radio guys they other day touched upon it I think Isaaac and Zuke. In Baseball and Football, when a rookie is brought in from college or the minors, there is only one thing. How can that player make the team better. If that player doesn't make the team better, he doesn't play. It's very much a team first thing and not about number's and selfish play. If you are in it for yourself, you wont go far. You need to invest in a team and then the numbers will come. In Basketball, it is 100% opposite entering the league. It's all about the big payday and defense doesn't earn that. SO players come in knowing they need to put up numbers to get paid. Players come into this league way more selfish than in other sports...and that makes them MUCH harder to control. More often than not players in the NBA don't come to understand what it takes to win until well into their first big contract and sometimes into their second. Only after they have the money and their priorities are focused on winning do they understand the individual sacrifices team ball requires. So with this league being so player powerful with their needs to put up numbers, it takes a "I don't give a shit if you are the MVP of the league, you will do what I say or sit!" type of coach who can truly make an impact. The reason why most coaches are not noticed, average, meh, is because they lack the balls, the mental sternness and firmness to stand up to the stars/leaders on their teams. Most coaches are afraid of laying into their star and thus, never make an impact. Look at some of the best coaches out there. POP, Riley, Jackson, Thibs... all coaches who don't give a shit who you are. its their way or the highway. Yes you adapt to the strengths of the team, but you call the shots. Cleveland is an anomaly because they have the best overall player on the planet. and surrounded him with a bunch of lottery picks. And even then, when Lou came in he put LBJ in his place at one point. A strong coach can be a difference maker if he has a good plan, but a good plan will never make it without a strong coach. If you can't get the players to buy into YOUR system, then you are just a puppet to the leader of the team. Fortunately Stotts has stars that are good natured guys who actually want to win and trust and listen to him. All that's left is Stotts having the right plan. And it start with.... BIG MAN COACH BIG MAN COACH BIG MAN COACH
Stotts has no need for such a coach. In the Stotts system, big men play like small forwards. As the video in the other threads shows, Nurkic is being groomed the same as all other Stotts big men.
In another thread, I called it the self-destructive Stotts system. I'll copy your word choice in future posts.
It's the current state of the league. Big men shoot threes. In the case of Nurkic, we hope he spends the majority of his time in the post, passing and scoring around the basket, and is effective with the occasional outside shot when the opposing big forgets to come out on him. Think Sabas.
I've made it no secret my disdain for Stotts. I think he's a mediocre coach at best. A bit like Jim Harbaugh when he coached the 49ers: he did outstanding when he had an All-Pro Defense, and All-Pro O-Line, and a HOF-bound Running Back putting up record numbers. But once injuries came and people left, he was average at best, and didn't adjust his playbook accordingly. Refused to, in fact. And his plays became predictable and one-dimensional. That's what Stotts is: average. Never calls the appropriate time outs, never adjust plays after half-time, and never adjusts to the opposing team's Defense. That being said.....I'm willing to back off my criticisms of him with Nurkic playing now. I got to see just how badly this team has needed a post scorer since Aldridge left when Nurkic played in that Utah game, and I remembered how well we played when we DID have a post scorer. If we can establish similar consistency, and if Stotts develops his schemes around post-plays, then we'll definitely start winning more games in time. The other part of that equation is....who would take his place if he got canned? Pretty much all the good coaches who are worth a damn are already under good contracts with other teams. And expecting a college-level coach to come in and take us to 50-something wins is asinine. So....I guess we're stuck with him. Until a legit better option presents itself.
My friend moved to Lithuania a few years ago with his new Vilnius-raised wife. He told me that a bio-epic about Aryvdis life was released over there in the local theaters. I forgot to ask him if it was any good. Maybe he will send me a DVD of it.... And I wonder what retread American actors they dug up to play his team mates?
Damn. Thanks for the tip. Hadn't heard of it before. 8.8 out of 10. Made in 2014. Some of the cast-Arvydas, David Robinson, Dameon, Hakeem, David Stern, Marcilious(sp?).....