We’re pretty big on the Race for Eight around here, the battle for the East’s eight playoff spot. Not just because it conveniently worked out that we each have a horse in the race, but because all of the teams are flawed in really interesting ways and most are actually playing some of their best ball this season. Add in the fact that none of this matters because they’re gettting obliterated by the 1 seed and that there are six teams within 3.5 games of each other, and we’ve decided to put some extra effort into covering this race for you. And since there’s really no telling who’s going to win the thing (our money’s on the Bulls, which means our money’s on Vinny Del Negro, which means our money might as well be on Puff the Magic Dragon, who lives by the sea), we thought we’d put together a little tournament to determine who SHOULD win this thing, based on nine factors. Today’s factor is: COACHING!
Everyone had pretty much made up their minds about Larry Brown before this season started. Codger. Emotionally brutal. Curmudgeon. A torture artist to the youth. An old fashioned guy who road the coattails of the Pistons’ special brand of chemistry to a championship (their only one). The guy who was so acerbic, he helped tear apart the Knicks locker room (even if it’s become clear that locker room was a disaster area to start). There was no way he would be able to grow the young Bobcats into anything worthwhile. And for a while, it seemed that way. Then things started to click. And when the pieces didn’t click, the Bobcats abandoned the youth movement for players who could actually, you know, play.
As a general rule, I always reward youth movements and tend to look down on sacrificing long-term potential for a quick fix with veterans. But when you saw this team post-Diaw and Bell’s arrival, you saw a remarkably different club. A team that got what Brown was selling. The fundamentals. Crisp passing. Active defense without gambling. Smart fouls. Doing the things that get you wins. Brown’s entire philosophy depends on a high level of basketball IQ. A lot of this comes from his time, oddly, in the ABA. Even though that was a pretty reckless and out there league, the talent distribution wasn’t as even as it is in the NBA. There was a bigger gap between your average star and your average bench player than there is in the NBA. So if you’re going to win, everybody’s got to know what they’re doing. That’s the theory, anyway.
And it’s not like Brown hasn’t done anything inventive. Think about the fact that in essence, he’s starting three forwards. Emeka Okafor is pretty close to a true center, but I wouldn’t call him an absolute center. Gerald Wallace has been saved from having to play the power forward spot (and still got himself seriously injured, but I digress). And Diaw is fluttering in between the 3 and 5, mixing in and at times, running focal point for the offense from the elbow. Diaw’s become largely everything you wanted to see from him in Phoenix. But instead of other players who plummetted once they were removed from 7SOL, Diaw has flourished, and his inside passing is a huge reason for the Cats’ success. And that’s a system to credit Brown with.
Furthermore, when I asked DJ Augustin at Summer League if he was worried about Brown and his reputation on young point guards, he didn’t express anything but excitement at the challenge. I thought the kid was either feeding me stock answers or in denial. But Augustin has flourished, alongside Raymond Felton, who no one thought Brown could reach. Augustin is not only showing the flashes of a talented rookie, but doing the things on the floor that Brown wants him to in order to gain minutes. Throw in the fact that Brown has turned a phenomenally shallow team with sub-par starters into a well-rounded team with at least adequate depth,and the fact that this team knows what it’s doing on inbound plays and when it should foul,and Brown’s got the edge in this matchup for the Playoff Paroxysm.
Skiles and D’Antoni are the other candidates, but as much fun as the Bucks have been, it’s been a complete antithesis of “The Skiles Way.” Porous defense. Insufficient fundamentals. Technicals. Highlight reels. Skiles still has not fully committed to Ramon Sessions, despite his brilliant play. Ridnour has been great at times, and runs the offense well, but there’s simply no reason for him to take Sessions’ minutes. His greatest accomplishment may have been what he’s managed to pull out of V-Nuv. But then, that’s always been there, and it may have simply been V-Nuv getting it. Skiles deserves credit,but not enough to overtake Brown.
D’Antoni is a stronger challenge. The Knicks are not a good basketball team, talent-wise. What’s always been incredible about D’Antoni (and by always, I mean the last five years) is that he’s able to take guys who’s deficiencies would glare out at you, and turn them into players you say “You know, he’s really good at X.” He puts players in positions to showcase their strengths. And he’s done that. Nate Robinson. David Lee. Earlier in the season it was Crawford. Now it’s Harrington. And the fact that they’re able to pull it enough together to even be in on this race, with the cap-saving moves they’ve put in place? That’s a pretty phenomenal job. But up against Brown’s defense and fundamentals, with a superior roster, who’s got the edge, really? As good as Mike is, he works exponentially with talent. Start low and he’ll finish strong. Start strong, and he’ll get jobbed by Steve Kerr. But with these matchups, not enough to overtake Brown.
Jim O’Brien’s been really good in Indiana, when you consider the injuries. And really, he’s put together some phenomenal accomplishments given that roster. But at some point, you have to look at how disorganized they look on offense sometimes, at how much time certain players get, and about their defensive inability to get stops when they need them. Good, not great, not enough to get the W here. Lawrence Frank, same kind of deal. He’s operating with the most talent of any of these teams, and they’re still not getting anywhere. They can’t get any momentum. And too often, his out of bounds last second plays consist of “get that guy the ball.” So though Frank has certainly proven that with top level talent he can take them to the top, I don’t think necessarily with this crew he’s got what it takes to edge the rest.
Then there’s Vinny Del Negro.
…
And that’ll do it! Bobcats take the W and jump out to a lead. We’ll bring you continuing coverage of the Playoff Paroxysm for the next nine days, and then throughout as the ACTUAL race sorts itself out. Stay tuned.
MARK IT ZERO!
