Coaches can’t not coach.
English teachers and comment-section commenters, please excuse the double negative, but it’s perhaps the best way to capture a coach’s way of life and deal with the devil (Blue, Sun, New Jersey or otherwise). Obsessively, coaches prepare and preach and teach and study and stay up later than late, because even when they win, they could’ve won “better.” And when they lose, my goodness, the day of the week is Doomsday.
With this now out of my system, the late-in-game, in-huddle dichotomy is just so fascinating. The veteran player is aware of the coach’s knowledge, but the player’s personal confidence supersedes strategy. We saw it Sunday, , and LeBron James essentially said, “Nah coach, just get me the ball.”
And we saw it here in Denver a couple years ago, when the Nuggets’ Andre Miller, playing the playoff game of his life, called an audible on George Karl’s play call. Both players won the game at the buzzer, and the coaches were reduced to spectators with the best views.
This illuminates the sometimes rocky, other times complementary marriage of head coach and a headstrong player. We as fans seldom know the give-and-take in these marriages during the course of a game, but in a spotlight moment like a final shot, we get a glimpse.
Other buzzer-beater thoughts and tidbits:
- James’ jumper on Sunday tied the Cavs-Bulls series at two, a game after Chicago’s hometown star, . In fact, there have been four NBA playoff buzzer-beaters in 2015, twice as many, according to ESPN, as in the past five NCAA tournaments.
-
Per Rose and Paul Pierce … I get pushback for this mindset, but I’ll share it anyway. Clearly, if a guy makes a game-winning basket off a bank-shot, it’s exciting. It went in! We won! He did it!
But in a weird way, didn’t he fail to do what he was trying to do? He was trying to shoot the ball to land within the cylinder — but instead, the ball sailed a good foot beyond the player’s target. If he had done that from the baseline, it would’ve just been a soaring, embarrassing air ball. But because of the angle, this amiss miss became a make — bouncing off the backboard and in.
Of course, even though the player didn’t purposely bounce it off the backboard, there’s something to be said for his feel of the moment. And his quiet understanding of — even if I push the shot too hard, at least there’s some help with the backboard.
CHEW ON THIS
- Was ?
- Looks like Peyton Manning’s old buddy D.J. Swearinger is no longer on the Houston Texans. D.J. (or, as the kids might say, “Grammed this on Insta.”) — “I appreciate everything and the opportunity and memories!! It’s time for a new chapter and the defining moment of my career!! So long #HOUSTONTEXANS.”
- On Sunday, DeAndre Jordan attempted 28 first-half free throws, the most in a half in any NBA game ever. So let’s revisit about a way to end the Hack-A-____ in basketball.
- In case you missed it, The Post’s Christopher Dempsey . I say — GET SCOTT BROOKS!
- ESPN’S Mike and Mike are to their morning radio show. It’s the talented NFL Network host Molly Qerim. Where’s the U, though?
- Because, the Internet. of Owen Wilson saying “wow” in movies.
- And finally, today is the birth date of two legendary Spaniards – Salvador Dali (1904-1989) and soccer’s Andres Iniesta (31, though he looks 51).
Benjamin Hochman: bhochman@denverpost.com or
