People want Joe gone because he was wildly outcoached in the playoffs, and they expect he will be again.
I mean Spo is the best coach in the game, he wildly outcoaches pretty much everyone.
A couple of thoughts as we close out 2023:
First, Roy, who are these people that want Joe gone because he was wildly outcoached and what makes them so smart?
Second, Mo, I've been hearing all this praise about Spo for years about how he is the best and he "wildly" outcoaches pretty much everyone. I decided to look at his record...
He is currently in his 15th year as a head coach, with 2 NBA championships (2011/12 and 2012/13), both with James, Bosh, and Wade. Spo lost his first 3 attempts in the playoffs before he finally won in 2011/12. I remember there was a lot of chatter about how bad he was as a head coach and some of his players complained about his coaching style and there was talk about bringing Riley back as coach. Anyway, Spoelstra's record as the "best coach in the game" is the following:
2 NBA championships
4 losses in the NBA finals
1 loss in conference semis
1 loss in conference finals
4 losses in conference first round
3 missed playoffs
Let's give Joe a little more time before we bury him.
Happy New Year to all, and let's get #18.
Spo's record since Lebron has been awesome given the talent of his team. No clear cut top 10 player (Wade tailed off quickly and Butler has been borderline top 10), and no top 5 player. Since Butler joined, they've made the Finals twice with a just borderline top 10 player, a top 25 player, and a whole bunch of flawed mid-tier type players. That is an amazing record. Spo is a fantastic coach far exceeding reasonable expectations and creating a real culture where everyone buys in.
I won't argue with what he has done lately, however, it took him 4years to get his first championship. My point is Joe is not even half way through his 2nd season. Give the guy a break and let's see what happens this year in the playoffs.
Why should we judge him against other second year coaches, as opposed to all NBA coaches? Our window is now.
Joe has shown some growth this season. However, I'm skeptical that he'll be good enough for the playoffs. I would have hired Nick Nurse.
I do think this is the key point of the thread for most people - especially if we ignore the posts immediately after losses, which are necessarily reactions to, well, losing.
If you think the Celtics are making a mistake that will cost the team a championship by not hiring a "better" head coach, then 'Fire Joe!' is a logical stance. I don't know how many people are qualified to
prove that the C's are making this mistake, but I think it's fine to
feel that way. It made more sense over the end of last season, when the team was in a tailspin.