I expect us to win the title this year, and for anyone who actually believes that thinking or discussing otherwise somehow affects the outcome of a game played by millionaire freaks of nature, you should stop reading......
I also expect, that if we don't, Doc will be back.....
But if we don't, and he isn't, and Avery is available, or Mark Jackson, or JVG, wouldn't we have to go after one of those three guys (particularly the last two)?
This is the era of parity in the NBA, and coaches are as much of an X-factor now as they ever have been, in my opinion. Just look at the list of coaches in the NBA Finals in the post-MJ era, the evidence is pretty clear...
98-99:
Pop (no explanation needed) v. JVG (excellent defensive mind/motivator).
99-00
Phil (no explanation needed) v. Larry Bird (knew when/how to delegate, total respect of his players)
00-01
Phil (see above) v. Larry Brown (no explanation needed)
01-02
Phil (see above) v. Byron Scott (really, really underrated coach/motivator until this year's Coach of the Year Award. Will be coaching and winning in the NBA for decades).
02-03
Pop (see above) v. Scott (see above)
03-04
Larry Brown (see above) v. Phil (see above)
04-05
Pop (see above) v. Larry Brown (see above)
05-06
Riley (no explanation needed) v. Avery Johnson (strong presence, motivator (at first), still working with leftovers of Don Nelson's gameplan, kind of like the Gruden-Dungy sitch that won the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a Super Bowl in 2003).
06-07
Pop v. Mike Brown (the anomaly on this list, weak Eastern Conference, LeBron took over, etc...and the Cavs were never really in any of the 4 games, in my opinion, everybody knows the real Finals was between Pop v. D'Antoni and Pop v. Sloan).
You really do need an excellent coach to win in this era...and so far, Doc has been far from excellent this playoffs. What should we do?