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- Jul 4, 2006
Yeah I said it.
After watching this Laker team crumble before my very eyes this month, I can't help but to think, what did the coach do to allow this? Whatever the reason for the sweep, I saw the Lakers break down mentally, emotionally, and even defensively. I know this was his last season, but listening to him on the postgame interview, he sounded like he couldn't wait for the season to be over.
So everyone is looking back at his career and all the championships. No one can deny that, but look at the talent he's had in his career. He had Jordan, Pippen, Shaq and Kobe in their PRIMES when he won those rings, and three of those four players are in the top ten best players ever. He had Tex Winters, the guy who invented the triangle offense, next to him on the bench every year. Matter of fact, he passed last year and Jackson went this year without Winters, and we see how the season went without him, God rest his soul.
Despite the HOF players on his roster, he has made some dumb decisions with the players he's had on his teams. Remember when Scottie Pippen sat out the final play of the game vs. the Knicks because he ran a play for Toni Kukoc? Or how about his eye for hidden talent, guys like Smush Parker, Sasha Vujacic and Kwame Brown? These are guys Phil himself vouched for. Hell, he even called a guy from the NBDL for his playoff roster this year, Terrico Brown. He's never really developed any players that weren't eventual Hall of Famers in his career. Remember how Toni Kukoc was supposed to be the next great Euro player? Or who can forget the Luke Walton project? Hey, Phil drafted him so there must be some potential there!
This guy has openly thrown his players under the bus numerous times. I don't see how a coach and a leader can talk down on HIS OWN PLAYERS to the media, and people can be cool about it. I remember when Shaq and Kobe were going through it, Phil actually wrote a BOOK about how Kobe was a cancer to the team, and then tried to make amends after he rejoined the team in 2006. His team totally broke down this year in the playoffs, and while no one is defending Ron Artest and Andrew Bynum for their actions, it's up to the coach to discipline his players, if the players act up, that's a bad look on the coach.
I wrote this post because while Phil Jackson is leaving, I see the Celtics re-signed Doc Rivers. I think Doc Rivers is a helluva coach, and he has gotten the most out of his players, talent and effort-wise. You see one of his proteges, Tom Thibodeau, on his way to the finals. You even see Scott Brooks on the Thunder, Lionel Hollins almost make it to the West finals without their best player, and even Doug Collins, fresh off the broadcast booth, take a young team to the playoffs. None of these teams coasted to the playoffs, no "switch" needed to be turned on, just hard nosed basketball, night in and night out.
So I say all that to say this: Phil Jackson is overrated, and if he didn't take up teams with multiple Hall of Famers, I doubt he would have won a fraction of the rings he won. What do you think?
After watching this Laker team crumble before my very eyes this month, I can't help but to think, what did the coach do to allow this? Whatever the reason for the sweep, I saw the Lakers break down mentally, emotionally, and even defensively. I know this was his last season, but listening to him on the postgame interview, he sounded like he couldn't wait for the season to be over.
So everyone is looking back at his career and all the championships. No one can deny that, but look at the talent he's had in his career. He had Jordan, Pippen, Shaq and Kobe in their PRIMES when he won those rings, and three of those four players are in the top ten best players ever. He had Tex Winters, the guy who invented the triangle offense, next to him on the bench every year. Matter of fact, he passed last year and Jackson went this year without Winters, and we see how the season went without him, God rest his soul.
Despite the HOF players on his roster, he has made some dumb decisions with the players he's had on his teams. Remember when Scottie Pippen sat out the final play of the game vs. the Knicks because he ran a play for Toni Kukoc? Or how about his eye for hidden talent, guys like Smush Parker, Sasha Vujacic and Kwame Brown? These are guys Phil himself vouched for. Hell, he even called a guy from the NBDL for his playoff roster this year, Terrico Brown. He's never really developed any players that weren't eventual Hall of Famers in his career. Remember how Toni Kukoc was supposed to be the next great Euro player? Or who can forget the Luke Walton project? Hey, Phil drafted him so there must be some potential there!
This guy has openly thrown his players under the bus numerous times. I don't see how a coach and a leader can talk down on HIS OWN PLAYERS to the media, and people can be cool about it. I remember when Shaq and Kobe were going through it, Phil actually wrote a BOOK about how Kobe was a cancer to the team, and then tried to make amends after he rejoined the team in 2006. His team totally broke down this year in the playoffs, and while no one is defending Ron Artest and Andrew Bynum for their actions, it's up to the coach to discipline his players, if the players act up, that's a bad look on the coach.
I wrote this post because while Phil Jackson is leaving, I see the Celtics re-signed Doc Rivers. I think Doc Rivers is a helluva coach, and he has gotten the most out of his players, talent and effort-wise. You see one of his proteges, Tom Thibodeau, on his way to the finals. You even see Scott Brooks on the Thunder, Lionel Hollins almost make it to the West finals without their best player, and even Doug Collins, fresh off the broadcast booth, take a young team to the playoffs. None of these teams coasted to the playoffs, no "switch" needed to be turned on, just hard nosed basketball, night in and night out.
So I say all that to say this: Phil Jackson is overrated, and if he didn't take up teams with multiple Hall of Famers, I doubt he would have won a fraction of the rings he won. What do you think?
