Take to the bank: Spoelstra will be fired in off-season

[Tgro]

Spo's safe.

There is no way he gets fired.

He's made a ton of mistakes and he still has the job because he has done a great job.

In the Finals, he got out coached and his players got out played.

TP

I thought for what the guy was up against, I hate to admit it, but I thought he did an admirable job. He was really in a no win situation unless he did win the championship and if they do it, he wouldn't get any credit for it because of the big 3 there. He's a non-factor if they win it and a scapegoat if they lose. I think he's earned his spot on next years team, but I could easily see him getting rode out of town due to the scrutiny put on him. I think the guy has a bright future and will get better as he goes, but I almost think it'll be somewhere else before he finally gets respected. He put up with some of the biggest prima donnas to ever play the game. That's bound to be great experience down the road for when you finally have a team buying totally into your system.

[manl_lui]

why he took them to the finals

they knocked us off and the bulls and played 6 games with the Mavs, thats a pretty good run in my opinion

[chambers]

Pay Riley's ego is too big to fire Spoelstra.
Spoelstra is Riley's understudy, he's giving the kid another 1 or 2 chances at least.

He did an excellent job this season.
They had no true center and they made the NBA finals with what is arguably the best defense the NBA has seen for a long time.

Few more pieces at the right positions and these guys are going to be real tough- much tougher than this season.
Lets just hope that the competition steps it up and more elite players join forces to stop these guys from getting 4-5 in a row.

But I would bet my life savings that Spoelstra is NOT fired.

[PortCelt]

I just don't see Riley ever hiring Phil Jackson and taking the luster of credit for a championship away from Riley. Hire Jackson and it's his great zen coaching that gets the credit for the championship and not Riley's management.

I think it more likely to see a Byron Scott, Jeff Van Gundy or some other Riley disciple become coach there than Phil Jackson ever coaching the Heat.

Be fascinating to watch JVG match wits his brother in the same division. Anybody call out JVG for his outrageous predictions? Heat will win 72 games or more, go undefeated at home ... probably water under the bridge. Nevertheless is there any human aside from Maverick Carter that's more infatuated with Lebron? Coach Spo perhaps gets one more year should they tank again. Then his tenure will be akin to Mike Brown. One would think these spoiled crybabies need him around to deflect attention off them. One more year tops ... then JVG or Larry Brown. ZenMaster won't be back ... has nothing to prove.

[footey]

I think Spo will go because Wade and Lebron will pressure Riley to get rid of him, kind of like what Shaq did to Stan Van Gundy.  Riley listens to his superstars. That is how he got his first coaching job in LA. Westhead, who won showtime's first NBA championship, did not please Magic, and he was gone, and Riles stepped in to win 4 more in LA. That is the way this league works. 

I don't think there is going to be too much patience. These guys are in the prime of their careers. They expect to win 5 or 6 championships. They can't afford to wait around for another 1 or 2 years of Spo getting to learn how to coach them.  The guy is a nice guy, but everytime there is a time out, I just think he does not have the gravitas to get those players to do what he wants them to do.

Larry Brown, anyone?

[Cman]

Larry Brown, anyone?

LOL.
Or Phil Jackson?
(I'm only half-kidding).

[BballTim]

He did an excellent job this season.
They had no true center and they made the NBA finals with what is arguably the best defense the NBA has seen for a long time.

  There's no argument. The 07-08 Celts were the best defense the NBA has seen in a long time.

[twinbree]

He's lasted way longer than I expected and now I wonder if he'll be fired this season. It depends on who they sign and what skills their not so big 3 add in the offseason I think. Because a coaching change on it's own will not fix the issues with this roster.   

[Finkelskyhook]

Which 16 year old figurehead will they get to replace Spoelstra?
El Heat has two co head coaches and an assistant.


Spoelstra is essentially the Robert Gibbs of the Miami Heat.

[footey]

Spoelstra is essentially the Robert Gibbs of the Miami Heat.

TP

[nickagneta]

He did an excellent job this season.
They had no true center and they made the NBA finals with what is arguably the best defense the NBA has seen for a long time.

  There's no argument. The 07-08 Celts were the best defense the NBA has seen in a long time.

TP...read this and thought the same thing

[PortCelt]

Spoelstra is essentially the Robert Gibbs of the Miami Heat.

TP

... only more he's more believable, and a lot smarter

[Fafnir]

He did an excellent job this season.
They had no true center and they made the NBA finals with what is arguably the best defense the NBA has seen for a long time.

  There's no argument. The 07-08 Celts were the best defense the NBA has seen in a long time.

TP...read this and thought the same thing

I think the only recent team that has an argument was one of the Tim Duncan lead Spurs teams. They had a similar defensive rating gap with the rest of the league or something like that iirc from articles from after the 07-08 run.

[BballTim]

He did an excellent job this season.
They had no true center and they made the NBA finals with what is arguably the best defense the NBA has seen for a long time.

  There's no argument. The 07-08 Celts were the best defense the NBA has seen in a long time.

TP...read this and thought the same thing

I think the only recent team that has an argument was one of the Tim Duncan lead Spurs teams. They had a similar defensive rating gap with the rest of the league or something like that iirc from articles from after the 07-08 run.

  I think you mean the first Spurs title team, not the last.

[PAOBoston]

i think spoelstra gets a bad rap sometimes. i dont think he's that great of a coach but when it comes down to it, is it really his fault lebron shrunk from the moment like he did?

i actually feel kinda bad for him. coaching lebron must suck. it's like dealing with a child it seems.