Two Things the NBA Playoffs Have Taught Us
Story #1: Nobody cares about deadlines
Earlier this week the newest "controversy" emerged about whether or not children of NBA players should accompany then to the podium after the game. After the Warriors won on Tuesday night Stephen Curry decided to bring his two year old daughter Riley to the press conference. Considering she's two, it was understandable when she wasn't too excited about staying in one place the entire time. She hid under the table and talked to Steph over and over again about whatever popped into her mind. (Again, she's two)
Afterwards, as a surprise to everyone, Brian Windhorst decided to take the unpopular stance that kids shouldn't be there because it makes it harder for the writers because they have deadlines. Afterward the collective masses decided to laugh him, and anyone who agrees, out of the room. The media makes for horrible martyrs in the first place and when the media decided to use the excuse of deadlines the fans didn't care. You can write about Riley and what she's doing or about Steph's reactions when she played peek-a-boo under the table.
Is it a little unprofessional? Yes. Then again, have you seen an NBA post-game press conference that was any sort of interesting? Outside of Rasheed Wallace saying, "Both teams played hard," over and over again and Allen Iverson saying the word practice 14 times I dare you to find an interesting and memorable one. Every answer is a cliché and something the players only do because the league mandates it. Does Riley Curry have to be there? No, but it made people care about the press conference much more than they ever had before and people are going to care about that more than deadlines.
Story #2: The NBA Doesn't Care About Coaches
Sports is a bottom line business. We only care if you won the title. Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, Tracy McGrady and Dominique Wilkins would beat nearly any team you can think of but all of them aren't as great in fans' minds because they never won a title. Anything else is look at as a failure… unless you're the 76ers. The 76ers view losing as a success and making the 8th seed is a failure.
Transitioning to the coaches it seems like, unless you make it to the NBA Finals and lose in game 7 you may lose your job.
It started in 2013 when the Denver Nuggets fired George Karl after a first round loss to the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies fired Lionel Hollins after making it to the conference finals to the San Antonio Spurs. People were confused but people moved along with their days.
In 2014 the Golden State Warriors decided to fire Mark Jackson after winning the most games since the 1991-92 season and bring in Steve Kerr. The confusion grew but people still didn't care.
Now, as it stands three more coaches are either fired or reportedly at odds with their front office. The Oklahoma City Thunder decided to go for big air and fire Scott Brooks, the New Orleans pelicans fired Monty Williams and the Bulls and Tom Thibodeau can't seem to get along.
Brooks made it farther than anyone mentioned above, making it to the NBA Finals in 2012 and even had the built in excuse that Kevin Durant wasn't healthy all year. It doesn't matter… FIRED! The Pelicans fired Monty Williams after making the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and every blog and website on Google is reporting that the Bulls want Tom Thibodeau gone. FIRED and probably fired.
If you assume that Thibodeau will be fired then the head coaches of the 2013 playoffs is frightening. Every year 16 teams make the playoffs. Of those 16 teams only four of them have the same coach now that they did two years ago. Only Gregg Popovich, Eric Spoelstra, Kevin McHale and Frank Vogel remain.
Good luck David Blatt. Hopefully you don't lose your job after this playoff ends. Then again, even if you do, odds are you won't be the only coach fired from a playoff team two years from now.