What's up with Doc's Clippers?

[footey]

Doc was a great coach here.  What's with all the bashing?

[Eja117]

I wonder if he plays head games with CP3 like he did with Rondo while coddling other guys like he did with Ray.

No Thibs and no KG and no Clifford Ray = no defense. Doc isn't going to come in anywhere and improve the defense of any team or the competitiveness. 

In 2007-08 he had some very hungry players. He has guys that like to make insurance and car commercials now.  They're very talented, but they aren't hungry like a Duncan or a Kobe or a Durant or even a Lebron. 

There's not much difference between them and the Blazers or the Warriors or the Griz.  They're good, not great, and don't have much idea about becoming great.

That's why I am loving the pick of Marcus Smart. I think he's hungry.

[slamtheking]

Doc was a great coach here.  What's with all the bashing?

because he wasn't a great coach.  he was a mediocre coach that had great players that wanted to win a title. 

He's still mediocre but he doesn't have players that are as good as what he had here.  he won't work the miracles in LA that would justify giving up their first rounder this year.  hoping they slide in the standings enough to make their pick a really nice one

[D.o.s.]

I'm curious -- where's the criteria for good/great/mediocre coach coming from?

[BballTim]

I'm curious -- where's the criteria for good/great/mediocre coach coming from?

  When Bobby Knight was at Indiana people said he could take his team and beat yours, then take your team and beat his. That's a good description of a good coach, although not really criteria you can apply in this discussion. It's worth pointing out that, while we're discussing whether someone's a good coach or not, people can't even agree about how much influence Doc had on his team, and how responsible he was for how well coached the team was.

[Quetzalcoatl]

The LA Clippers have just won 6 games in a row......and they're still in second to last place in the West.  That division is BONKERS right now, it's like 80% of the league's talent is in there.

Golden State     15-2
Memphis            15-3
Portland            14-4
Houston            14-4
Dallas                15-5
San Antonio       13-5
La Clippers        13-5
Phoenix             11-8
___________________

Sac Town            9-9
Denver                9-9
New Orleans       8-8
OKC                    5-13

Look at that nonsense!  If anything goes remotely wrong with Griffin or Paul, we're getting a second lotto pick.  Conversely, .500 Milwaukee is in 6th place in the East after being the worst team in the NBA last year.

[Boris Badenov]

I'm curious -- where's the criteria for good/great/mediocre coach coming from?

  When Bobby Knight was at Indiana people said he could take his team and beat yours, then take your team and beat his. That's a good description of a good coach, although not really criteria you can apply in this discussion. It's worth pointing out that, while we're discussing whether someone's a good coach or not, people can't even agree about how much influence Doc had on his team, and how responsible he was for how well coached the team was.

On a related point, a lot of people say that Thibodeau was a big reason for our success.

Does that mean that hiring good assistants doesn't count as part of being a good coach?

And back to D's question, I would submit that anyone who wins a championship qualifies as "good." Maybe not great, but certainly good. And doing it by beating peak Kobe with Phil Jackson on the other sideline doesn't hurt.