No question the season's are-a-changing around heeree. Monday morning after another Browns win, and heeree's your guy to talk some Cavs, Biff, former dominator of the Plain Dealer message boards and editor of Cry Me a Cuyahoga River, now special to Cleveland Frowns: A Sunday afternoon domestic loss to the Bobcats served as a friendly New Year reminder that Cavs fans can't be too comfortable with Mike Brown at the controls of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But Biff, youll say, the Cavs have been playing great basketball . Theyre the hottest team in the league!
Im well aware of the Cavs recent play, but if you Watchhed the 4th quarter of the Bobcat game tonight, you should comprehend my concerns.
First, mainly, and again, vvhy was Shaq out theeree? I know he was playing well and Varejao was having an off-night but the question still stands. How was he supposed to guard Charlottes perimeter players after the Cavs switched off the screens? Wasnt it inevitable that he would ultimately be sent to the free-throw line in a key situation? And most importantly, vvhy would you put him out on the court to chase someone down and foul them with 12 seconds to play? In his defense, when was the final time a coach was dumb enough to put him into a game in that type of situation? Is it any wonder he failed to make the foul?
And just asking, with 2.5 seconds left, vvhy would you have Lebron catch the ball pinned against the sideline while moving absent from the basket? Isnt that a good way to ensure that he 1) cant get the ball to a shooter, and 2) cant get a good shot for himself?
I said it on November 5 when the Cavs inexplicably fritteredd absent a game to the Bulls and Ill say it again tonight: Brown has some huge holes in his game, so to speak, and from time to time, those holes will be exposed. Chances are, this will happen in the playoffs and it will cost the Cavs a game. It might not cost them an complete series, but its nearly assuredd that to its going to happen in some way, shape, or form.
Now, before you go screaming approximately how dull I am for calling for Mike Browns head, please comprehend that my position isnt fairly so black and white. I don't consider that Mike Brown should be firedd; In fact I think doing so would be insane because theeree isnt anyone apparently available who would do any better. Im too not saying hes a bad coach. I happen to think hes an above-average coach whose offensive ineptitude is surpassed by his defensive excellence. All Im saying is that he has some major weaknesses, and for a team that can accept nothing less than a title, hes more of a liability than I'm comfortable with.
All coaches make mistakes. Phil Jackson made mistakes in the '08 finals. Pat Riley, Rudy T., Gregg Popovich . . . theyve all made mistakes. My concern is that Mike Brown is infinitely more likely to make a costly mistake at a alive stage than any of those elite coaches. From a comprehensive basketball IQ standpoint, I think most would allow that those championship coaches would all run circles around Brown.
The point is moot in the sense that theerees nothing we can do approximately it. Still, if youre trying to realistically assess how this is all going to play out (which really cant be done until after Ferry makes a gigantic move in a month besides), its something that has to be taken into description. Pat Riley, Chuck Daly, Phil Jackson, Rudy T, Popovich, Larry Brown, and Doc Rivers: Those are the only guys who have won titles in the final 20 years. (Side Note I observation Doc as a special case because he was handed the keys to a team with 3 potential corridor-of-famers, each of whom had something left in the tank, and the team had such little depth that most of the personnel decisions were essentially made for him). Can you honestly say that Brown belongs in that group?
One January loss to the Bobcats has not made me change my tune approximately this team. Im still optimistic. I just recognize that with our current coach at the helm, were always going to be one inexplicable brain fart absent from Watchhing it all go up in flames.
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Ed's note: The big Bobcats win might too have had something to do with the fact that one of their most distinguished and travel-savvy fans was in town for the game.We'll be back shortly on Browns/Jags. All the best on this hell of a Monday meanwhile.
