When a coach huddles his team in a pressure cooker of a game, looks into his players’ eyes and sees blank or indifferent stares in return, is the coach to blame?
What if that team has won 60 percent of its games? What if it has won 70 percent?
Is there something wrong with the situation?
The sobering reality to coaches in the NBA now is that it is reality. The downside to having a star player is getting on the bad side of him — or never connecting with him (or them) at all.
In Cleveland, David Blatt was fired Friday for a lack of connection, not for his record. General manager David Griffin said so.
“There’s just a disconnect right now,” Griffin told reporters. “A lack of spirit and disconnectedness I can’t accept.”
And, poof! Blatt’s gone.
These are the new rules for the coaching profession:
1. Win — a title, preferably.
2. Make sure everyone is happy along the way.
That used to be a bonus. It is now a prerequisite. Disconnectedness got Blatt fired. An inability to connect anymore to his star in Houston led to a rough start and, eventually, to Kevin McHale getting canned. George Karl was on the hottest of seats in Sacramento facing an owner who was most certainly going to choose DeMarcus Cousins over the coach who verbally sparred with the star center.
“It used to be you were judged on wins and losses,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Nowadays, in the NBA, it’s not just about wins and losses. You could be winning — 30-11 — and get fired, because, is your owner happy, are your fans happy, is your GM happy, are your players happy?”
Which is ridiculous, according to Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy, who zeroed in on the Blatt situation.
“We have no idea why it happened, but there’s no explanation that can include that he didn’t meet expectations in terms of winning,” Van Gundy said. “There’s absolutely no way to even make a flimsy case, let alone a solid one.
“None of us now has any clue whatsoever what the expectation for coaches are.”
Oh, but they do.
In April 2012, Van Gundy went through it himself. He and his star in Orlando, Dwight Howard, got crossways. Van Gundy publicly expressed his thoughts that Howard was trying to get him fired. And whether or not that was the case, a little more than a month later he was, in fact, fired.
Howard stayed.
That was back then, a precursor to what is now taking place. New on the list of reasons to be fired are a star’s happiness, style of play (see Malone with Sacramento circa 2014) and whatever else. The money is good, and for many that’s cause enough to dismiss any coach’s complaints, but the fine print on the contract might as well read: “Can be terminated for any reason.”
The new rules of coaching may well place relationship building at the top of the list, then winning right after that. And maybe that’s fine. Players have a right to like their workplace, right?
But perhaps the biggest cautionary tale is for the organization. Star players are great; you can’t win without them. Hometown stars are even better. But lines must be drawn. The people in power must retain the power. When those lines start to gray, when a player becomes bigger than the organization, very little good can come from it in the end.
Griffin was right. Blatt’s tale goes beyond wins and losses. The new rules call for the men in the profession to be equal parts winner and entertainer. Still, it would be prudent for one old thing to find its way back into the lexicon.
Common sense.
Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@ or @dempseypost
Spotlight on …
Stephen Curry, G, Golden State
Nothing could be more normal about the following statement: Stephen Curry was stellar last week. But he was. And because of an incredible week of performances, the reigning MVP is The Denver Post’s NBA player of the week.
What’s up: Curry averaged 34.3 points, 8.0 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals in four games. He shot 54.3 percent from the field and 49 percent from the 3-point line. The Warriors won three of the four games, including a blowout victory over the Cavaliers in Cleveland.
Background: Let’s start with the game against the Cavaliers. That was the most eye-opening victory of the season for any team in the league, and Curry was relentless in it. He scored 34 points, knocked down seven 3-pointers and made 12-of-18 shots from the field. His best all-around statistical game of the week came at home Friday night, when he torched Indiana for a triple-double of 39 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. The Warriors won on a night their coach, Steve Kerr, returned to the bench.
Dempsey’s take: Nothing can be written here that hasn’t already been said. Curry is the class of the NBA — and he is playing better this season than last season, when he won the MVP award. His play is exemplary, his poise is exemplary, his humble nature is exemplary. He is everything a star should be on and off the court, and his play is head and shoulders above the rest.
