Coaches Random Thoughts
- It’s early in the season and you don’t want to see coaches on the hot seat losing their jobs but two situations are worth watching.
- J. B. Bickerstaff is coaching a Cleveland team with high expectations. After last years disaster in the playoffs the organization, after improving their depth in the offseason, expects to see their team be at least one of the top four teams in the Eastern Division. Though there were early season injuries the team is now healthy and is 3 – 5.
- Wes Unseld Jr, his team is 2 – 5 to start the season. With new management in Washington and the team playing absolutely no defense allowing 126.9 points per game Unseld may be in trouble especially after preaching defense when he was hired.
Eastern Conference
- Cam Thomas is an offensive machine. Last year he exploded offensively over a a short span and then went back on the bench seeing limited time because of weak defense with teams picking on him. My question if he is getting you twenty five points a night and guarding the worst player on the opposition it would take some good offense by the opposition to be negative points in the matchup. I understand teams force Thomas on pick and roll switches to guard good offensive players but an offensive threat like this belongs on the court.
- On the In-season tournament basketball court of the Miami Heat they have written about the hardest working team in the NBA. I agree Heat Culture is real but part of that culture is that the management team has been in tact for a long time. Pat Riley has run the show since 1995. Andy Elisburg, the General Manager, has been with the organization since its inception. Erik Spoelstra, the coach, has been in that position since 2008. The players brought in understand management isn’t going anywhere and this is a key reason they buy into that culture.
- I know Milwaukee has struggled a bit but I think people are paying to much attention to Dame and Giannis and how the mesh together. Nobody is paying attention to Khris Middleton. He is being minutes restricted right now playing about twenty one minutes a night. But as he gets healthier his play will be a key to Milwaukee’s title hopes.
Western Conference
- Bradley Beal played his first game after missing the first seven games this year. He is a very talented offensive player that would be a plus to any team. His injuries have been a problem though. Over the last four years prior to this season he has averaged 51.4 games played per season. When you look at that you realize Phoenix took a big risk trading for him.
- Let’s begin to pay attention to the Minnesota Timberwolves. They have beaten the Celtics and Nuggets at home. Boston and Denver were the preseason favorites to get to the Finals this year. The Wolves have become a good defensive team with a top five rating in the league defensively. The defense and Anthony Edwards becoming one of the top players in the league have fueled their rise.
- Speaking of the Wolves the one thing that doesn’t appear to fit is Karl Anthony Towns. With his huge salary it may be time to move him.
