Let's echo Seth Myers for a minute here: "Really? Really, NBA coaches?" After today's announcement that Cavaliers coach Mike Brown has been chosen the 2008-2009 NBA Coach of the Year by his peers, I gawked and cried at the potential after-effects. Let's recap: four out of the five last COTY winners are NO LONGER WITH THEIR TEAMS. Forget winning in the playoffs; these guys didn't win AT ALL in the following years. These esteemed gentlemen include the likes of Hubie Brown (almost as bad a coach as he is an analyst), Mike D'Antoni (he of "Defense? Que?" fame), and Avery Johnson (good coach, stuck with some bad roster choices, but still not up to the task). This certainly does not bode well for the Cavaliers' chances in the playoffs: none of these coaches were able to translate their winning regular season styles into championships.
Is Mike Brown the exception to the rule or the example that proves it? I read the ESPN/AP article today which explained the following: "The 38-year-old coach also has given more authority to his assistants, a sign of his maturity as a coach and confidence as a leader." Wait a second. "Really?" You're telling me he was voted Coach of the Year because he did LESS coaching this year? I would argue vehemently in his defense as a good coach (we Cleveland fans will defend him to the death or the first-round exit, whichever comes first), but only because he has learned how to be hands-off in his development as a coach. Does that entitle him to win an award designed to celebrate the best in coaching, not the lack thereof?
This really boils down to one issue. Phil Jackson won COTY once, in 1995-1996, when he took a team adjusting to having the best player in the world back full-time to a win-loss record that may never be approached again. The 72-10 Bulls team dealt with huge expectations, and Jackson was able to manage them and let Jordan do his thing. This, to me, feels like the same situation. Mike Brown was gifted with the best player in the world (MJ/LBJ) complemented by another All-Star (Pippen/Mo Williams) with a surrounding cast that knew exactly what their roles were. Erik Spoelstra, on the other hand, has exactly one good player on his team (nay, great) but is unfortunately surrounded otherwise by bumbling rookies and overpaid veterans. He took a rag-tag bunch to the 5th seed in the East playoffs by actually making an effort as a coach. Does he deserve to be slighted when coaches such as Jackson and Brown (I feel like there's a clothing or band name in there somewhere...) merely "managed expectations"?
Let's just hope that the Cavs can break the COTY Curse and make a year of it. Cleveland has beeen waiting for awhile; I'm hedging my bet that this won't push us in the wrong direction, but I've been wrong before. Especially about my town.
Mike Brown as COTY - Really?
