Lebron will chew up Spoelstra

[footey]

I like Erik Spoelstra, and wish him great success as a coach somewhere someday.  He seems like a real nice guy, has paid his dues in the league, and I liked the way he complimented the Celtics after getting his touchas kicked last May.

 I just think he is about to get in over his head with the NBT (New Big Three).  After reading the article by Adrian Woj about Lebron's behind the scenes efforts to undermine Coach Brown in Cleveland, and replace him with a guy who has NBA playing experience, I have great doubts Erik can manage these egos and lay down the law with them. He comes across to me as a pretty mild mannered dude.

Doc Rivers had the NBA pedigree, as well as the strong personality, to get our Big Three to buy in to the program. It was not easy, and still is a challenge today-- see Ray Allen article in the local paper today. My point: Doc pulled it off, barely, with three guys who are more mature, physically and emotionally, than the NBT, and, as we all know, it was no picnic.  What are the chances that Erik can repeat what Doc did with his group, all the while with Pat (I have five rings, baby) Riley looking over his shoulder, and winking at Lebron. 

Talk about a train wreck.

[wdleehi]

It really depends. 



His keys, his two biggest fans seem to be Riley and Wade. 

[Birdbrain]

I like Erik Spoelstra, and wish him great success as a coach somewhere someday.  He seems like a real nice guy, has paid his dues in the league, and I liked the way he complimented the Celtics after getting his touchas kicked last May.

 I just think he is about to get in over his head with the NBT (New Big Three).  After reading the article by Adrian Woj about Lebron's behind the scenes efforts to undermine Coach Brown in Cleveland, and replace him with a guy who has NBA playing experience, I have great doubts Erik can manage these egos and lay down the law with them. He comes across to me as a pretty mild mannered dude.

Doc Rivers had the NBA pedigree, as well as the strong personality, to get our Big Three to buy in to the program. It was not easy, and still is a challenge today-- see Ray Allen article in the local paper today. My point: Doc pulled it off, barely, with three guys who are more mature, physically and emotionally, than the NBT, and, as we all know, it was no picnic.  What are the chances that Erik can repeat what Doc did with his group, all the while with Pat (I have five rings, baby) Riley looking over his shoulder, and winking at Lebron. 

Talk about a train wreck.

You make some very valid points the only thing I'll say is the fact that these guys are all in their primes (top of their games as opposed to the original big 3 being somewhat on the downside) might be enough to cover up some of the issues you bring up but, as you say that can be a double edged sword because I suspect there will be times where sacrificing will take a back seat to being the man. This is something I'm counting on as well if we meet them in the playoffs.  How will these guys react in a tough close down to the wire playoff game.  Wade should be the alpha in that situation but, I wouldn't past LJ to think he should be the shot caller so to speak.

[Fafnir]

It really depends. 



His keys, his two biggest fans seem to be Riley and Wade. 

Wades support for Spolestra could keep things under control, or creat even more conflict. We'll have to see what happens.

[pearljammer10]

It'll be a tough job but it all depends on how the season starts and how the chemistry kicks off. If the team starts playing under their expectations thats when we could start seeing some problems.

[Eddie20]

If things don't work out well maybe Spoelstra leaves "under his own terms", during the season,  like SVG did.   

[bdm860]

If things don't work out well maybe Spoelstra leaves "under his own terms", during the season,  like SVG did.   

Right, do people really think Riley isn't absolutely dying to step in and coach this team, you know it's going to happen.

Riley the executive seems like the ultimate glory hound to me.  If the team doesn't have championship potential, then he doesn't want to coach them and is happy to sit in the front office.  But when that team has series potential, he can't wait to get back on the sideline. 

It will probably go down like this (especially since this team is so young, and has a much longer window):  Spoelstra will get to coach this whole season, anything short of a championship, even if they lose in Game 7 of the Finals at the last second on a crap call with LeBron, Bosh, Wade being injured and they have to sign Antoine Walker to fill out the roster, even if that happens, Riley will fire Spoelstra and step in as coach.

[housecall]

Even though Riley still looks pretty sharp in those Armani suits,the guy is 65yrs.old.I don't think he's up for the traveling involved for a full season and the day to day crap NBA players put coaches thru.IMO

[Eddie20]

Even though Riley still looks pretty sharp in those Armani suits,the guy is 65yrs.old.I don't think he's up for the traveling involved for a full season and the day to day crap NBA players put coaches thru.IMO

Let's not forget Phil Jackson, who is turning 65 in a few months, is doing it. He also has medical issues that, as far as I know, Riley does not.

[bdm860]

Even though Riley still looks pretty sharp in those Armani suits,the guy is 65yrs.old.I don't think he's up for the traveling involved for a full season and the day to day crap NBA players put coaches thru.IMO

Let's not forget Phil Jackson, who is turning 65 in a few months, is doing it. He also has medical issues that, as far as I know, Riley does not.

Eh, but I think that's why Riley doesn't  to waste his time with anything but a super championship caliber squad.

I mean he built the Heat to contenders in the late 90's/early 2000's, then lost his franchise player Mourning to injury, another cornerstone Tim Hardaway got too old, and All-Star Anthony Mason left as a free agent, the Heat got bad, and Riley all the sudden doesn't want to coach anymore.  Then after a few years they draft Wade who quickly shows he's an emerging superstar, and they get a stacked roster with Shaq, Antoine, Payton, Posey, Jason Williams, and Mourning comes back, all the sudden he wants to be the coach again.  Then things fall apart again and he no longer wants to coach.  Do you see a pattern here?

[soap07]

"Riley the executive seems like the ultimate glory hound to me.  If the team doesn't have championship potential, then he doesn't want to coach them and is happy to sit in the front office.  But when that team has series potential, he can't wait to get back on the sideline.  "

Meh, does anyone see anything wrong with that? Riley is up there in age. He's already proved that he's a championship level coach. He's coached some of the best players in NBA history. He's won championships on multiple teams in multiple eras. Why should he want to coach anything less than championship material?

[mgent]

More likely he's just gonna stay out of LeBron's way.  I bet LeBron and Wade are gonna be the ones calling the shots.

[birdwatcher]

More likely he's just gonna stay out of LeBron's way.  I bet LeBron and Wade are gonna be the ones calling the shots.

Agreed. Spoelstra will be nothing more than a figurehead, unless they don't win the championship, then he'll just be the scapegoat. That's the reason he'll be in Miami for one more full season.

[bdm860]

"Riley the executive seems like the ultimate glory hound to me.  If the team doesn't have championship potential, then he doesn't want to coach them and is happy to sit in the front office.  But when that team has series potential, he can't wait to get back on the sideline.  "

Meh, does anyone see anything wrong with that? Riley is up there in age. He's already proved that he's a championship level coach. He's coached some of the best players in NBA history. He's won championships on multiple teams in multiple eras. Why should he want to coach anything less than championship material?

For the love of the game?

I see something wrong with this.  You can't just be there for the good times and leave during the bad times.  Let somebody else do the heavy lifting, and then you just come and try to take credit for it all (although it is a little different since he is the GM and is responsible for building the team so it's not like he hasn't done any work here).

It's like fans who don't cheer/follow/watch/go to games when the team is losing, but when they start winning then they become a fan again.  Then when the team starts rebuilding again, it's coincidentally the same time the fans start to lose interest again.

It would be like if Danny Ainge fired Doc (or convinced him to step down) in 2008 when he got Garnett and Ray Allen just so he could coach them, then in '09 when Garnett gets injured claims he's tired of coaching and hires Thibs fulltime.  Now say this year, we made some big trades or signed some big free agents, like say on top of JO, we got Mike Miller, Shane Battier, and Kirk Hinrich and everybody else (Perk, Garnett, Ray, etc.) are 100% healthy and Danny decides he wants to coach again.  You don't think there's anything wrong with this?

I think it would be one thing if he wasn't the GM, like if somebody else is the GM and reaches out to Riley and says we need a proven, championship caliber coach to come in and control the egos and guide these superstars to a championship and we just want you to coach for a couple of years, get us over the hump, and then you can retire again.  It's another thing, when you hire yourself to try and take the credit, but give the job to somebody else once things go bad so you get out of the blame, then things go good again and you re-hire yourself.  Doesn't rub me the right way at all.

[Snakehead]

I like Erik Spoelstra, and wish him great success as a coach somewhere someday.  He seems like a real nice guy, has paid his dues in the league, and I liked the way he complimented the Celtics after getting his touchas kicked last May.

 I just think he is about to get in over his head with the NBT (New Big Three).  After reading the article by Adrian Woj about Lebron's behind the scenes efforts to undermine Coach Brown in Cleveland, and replace him with a guy who has NBA playing experience, I have great doubts Erik can manage these egos and lay down the law with them. He comes across to me as a pretty mild mannered dude.

Doc Rivers had the NBA pedigree, as well as the strong personality, to get our Big Three to buy in to the program. It was not easy, and still is a challenge today-- see Ray Allen article in the local paper today. My point: Doc pulled it off, barely, with three guys who are more mature, physically and emotionally, than the NBT, and, as we all know, it was no picnic.  What are the chances that Erik can repeat what Doc did with his group, all the while with Pat (I have five rings, baby) Riley looking over his shoulder, and winking at Lebron. 

Talk about a train wreck.

I think Spolstra is a much better coach than Mike Brown.  Mike Brown was a terrible, terrible offensive coach and planner.  The Cavs teams played good defense but the offense was the worst in the league as far as scheming, running sets, and play calling.  Stand around and let LeBron iso is about the only set they had.

I see LeBron and Wade being the team leaders on the court and Spolstra with some solid play calling.  They will be fine.