Playoff success not enough to keep NBA coaching jobs

How much is enough? In recent years, successful NBA coaches have been terminated despite having winning records. Even playoff appearances have proven not to be sufficient for NBA owners. The latest fatality of the NBA's coaching fraternity was Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt.

David Blatt / Wikimedia Commons

Blatt, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA finals in his first year in the league, was relieved of his coaching duties on January 23, 2016. He led the Cavaliers to a 30-11 start before he was let go by the Cavaliers.

A main reason for Blatt’s release was his tumultuous relationship with Cavaliers’ superstar LeBron James. In many situations throughout Blatt’s time in Cleveland, James would override his decisions, most notably in Game Four of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Blatt called a late-game play that had James pass the ball, but James decided to take the shot.

“When that play was drawn up, I scratched it,” James said during the postgame conference. “I just told coach, ‘Give me the ball. We’re either going to go to overtime or I’m going to win it for us.’ It was that simple.”

Another major problem during Blatt’s stint as head coach in Cleveland was the disconnect in the clubhouse. Blatt regarded himself as a veteran coach, as he coached in Europe since 1993; however, the team viewed him as a rookie, as this was Blatt’s first season as an NBA head coach. Former Cavalier and current New York Knick Lou Amundson saw the tension in the clubhouse first hand.

“It didn’t feel like it should feel,” he told the New York Post. “I just think the atmosphere and energy wasn’t there. It wasn’t a healthy atmosphere.”

Blatt’s inability to control the clubhouse atmosphere was likely a large factor in his firing.

David Blatt is not the only coach to be fired after an excellent season. Tom Thibodeau coached the Chicago Bulls for five season before his firing at the end of the 2014-15. Thibodeau won the Coach of the Year award in his first year as head coach, where he led the Bulls to a combined 255-139 record during his tenure.

He got the most out of his Bulls teams, leading them to the playoffs in all of his five years as head coach, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Many of their wins came without star player Derrick Rose, who was marred by injuries while Thibodeau coached the Bulls.

Thibodeau’s accomplishments, however, were ultimately not enough for him to keep his job. The Bulls fired him, citing a lack of communication between him and the Bulls front office.

“Obviously there was a break down,” Bulls’ executive vice president John Paxson said in a conference announcing the firing. "It is our strong belief that there needs to be a culture of communication that builds a trust throughout this organization. … When that culture becomes sacrificed, it becomes very difficult to evolve and grow. And [Thibodeau’s firing] was about giving this team an opportunity to grow into the future.”

Stan van Gundy’s conflict with his star player was the reason he was fired despite a successful record. Van Gundy converted the Orlando Magic from a mediocre team to championship contenders. The year prior to his hiring, the Orlando Magic finished with a sub .500 record; however, in the first year under him, Orlando immediately made a jump to 52 wins, a 10 win difference from the prior season.

The Orlando Magic made several playoff runs throughout van Gundy’s five year tenure with the team, making the playoffs ever year van Gundy’s leadership. Van Gundy’s playoff success included a trip to the NBA finals as Eastern Conference Champions. Van Gundy references his relationship with Dwight Howard, then Orlando’s star player, for his firing.

"I think [Magic CEO Alex Martin’s] comments are based on the fact that Dwight and maybe others didn't like me…and thinking somehow that's important," van Gundy said.

Although there are different circumstance surrounding these three firings, they all have one thing in common: each of these coaches conflicted with a star player or the front office. In the NBA, where stars control the market, coaches may never get the benefit of the doubt, no matter how successful they are.

By: Bruce Mayfield and Michael Stern

The disappointing trade

Mike D'Antoni / C.J. / Wikimedia Commons

The hottest news for the New York Knicks is the trade that landed Carmelo Anthony  in the Big Apple. It all started with superstar Amar’e Stoudemire joining the Knicks at the beginning of the 2011 season. With Stoudemire leading the Knicks in points, rebounds, and blocks; the Knicks went on 13-1  run to get in playoff position. Everyone was looking forward to the Anthony trade, but rather than helping the Knicks, it appears he's been a negative influence on them.

At the time of this writing, the Knicks are 7-11 ever since Carmelo Anthony started wearing blue and orange. The Knicks lost to teams that they should have beat, such as the Cavaliers, Pacers, and the Bucks. On March 18th the Knicks lost to the Pistons in which Carmelo Anthony only scored six points. The Knicks did not give up Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, and Danilo Gallinari for a player who scores only six points. Although Carmelo averages 25 ppg, the shots he takes are not very smart. In a recent interview Amar’e Stoudemire implied that Melo does not follow the D’Antoni system. He stated that the Mike D’Antoni system works; they just have to buy into it and get it done like they did before the trade.

However, Anthony isn’t the only one to blame for the Knicks poor performance. In the recent loss to the Orlando Magic, Anthony seemed to mature and correct his mistakes; instead of throwing up bad shots, he gave out nine assists. The problem for their loss to the Magic was Stoudemire’s performance, in which he scored 13 points, his fewest as a Knick. It is reasonable for Stoudemire to have one bad day because he plays a lot of minutes back to back. If the Knicks want to get back on top, their defense will have to improve, Anthony will have to take smarter shots, and Jared Jeffries would have to further contribute to their offense and be an efficient player. The Knicks are falling, but hopefully they can pick themselves up and get back on top.

Trading for Carmelo ... bad decision?

The New York Knicks are not doing as well as they believed they would this current season. Trades, for the most part, are supposed to help both sides of the deal. But, after the mid-season trade for Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets went in completely opposite directions. The Knicks lost to Orlando Magic, dropping them below .500. On the other side, the Nuggets were able to rise to 43-29 after the trade. This brings up an important question. Were the Knicks smart in trading for Carmelo?

The Knicks believe themselves to be a dominant force, since the Anthony and Amare Stoudemire are together. They are the leading shooters on the Knicks. However, the team needs to get adjusted to playing with Anthony. Many people believe that the Knicks took a huge risk in trading for Anthony. Trading players mid-season is a risky, but Donnie Walsh was thinking about the Knicks future. Walsh was quoted, in an NBC Sports article, as saying, “I take more responsibility than the players or the coaches because I made a monumental trade in the middle of the season, and it appears to me they’re having a hard time getting together, which is understandable,” Walsh said "That's why I don’t like to do it in the middle of the season,” Walsh added. “We gave up a lot. We got back a lot. But I do think this trade is going to make us better in the future. In the long run, this trade will make us a better franchise.” The Nuggets are prospering now, but will that continue next season? 
Walsh is ensuring the Knicks prosperity farther in the future. Next season, when the Knicks' players improve their chemistry, they will be the dominant force they believe themselves to be. Trading for Carmelo Anthony was a great investment for the Knicks.