Mike Brown Has Maxed Out
I know the series isn’t over yet, but I am going to take this opportunity to talk about Mike Brown. Brown has drawn a lot of criticism on these pages for what I perceive to be bad coaching. This series with the Celtics is even more proof that Mike Brown needs to go as he was outcoached by another coach with a horrible reputation, Doc Rivers, in game 5. Mike Brown has done all he can with this Cavaliers team and it is time to find someone else to take them to the next level.
Mike Brown does some things well. He has turned the Cavaliers into one hell of a defensive team. He turned Zydrunas Ilgauskas into a serviceable defensive player, when he has never shined defensively for any other coach. Brown has helped develop LeBron James into a guy who plays solid help defense. His defensive schemes have forced many teams out of their offensive rhythm and forced them to play the Cavs’ tempo on many many occasions.
Unfortunately for Mike Brown, being a one-dimensional coach is not good enough in this day and age in the NBA. Mike D’Antoni could only get Phoenix to play offense and he was fired. Avery Johnson couldn’t seem to get his troops in Dallas to play with consistent effort on the defensive end and he got fired. And these were coaches for decent caliber playoff teams who were relatively successful, and yet their management chose to cut the cord.
I hope that the Cavaliers’ management will do the same with Mike Brown this off-season. I know he has a good record, but it just isn’t good enough. This Cavs team has one of the top two or three players in the league in LeBron James and while some of the rest of the personnel leaves something to be desired, they need a coach who makes them better on both sides of the ball. Mike Brown coaches defense very well, but he can’t scheme offense and his player rotations are mind-boggling.
I won’t run through the laundry list of complaints again, but the highlights include:
- Guys get in bad favor inexplicably and never see the floor again (Devin Brown, Damon Jones)
- End of quarter plays have LeBron dribble 30 feet from the basket with no movement of the other players on the court
- LeBron runs the pick and roll with non-offensive threats like Ben Wallace that guarantee he will be double-teamed (shoutout to Dan Labbe)
These are just a couple of things, but trust me there are more.
So, even if the Cavs miraculously pull off a series victory over Boston by winning tonight in Cleveland and again on Sunday in Boston, I can’t possibly support the continuation of Mike Brown as the Cavs’ head coach. I have been saying it since last season. I have said it since day one this season. I am saying it now. This guy should be done. Cleveland can’t waste any more of LeBron’s guaranteed years here in Cleveland. They have next season and the one after that to win a championship before LeBron becomes a free agent. That is an opportunity of a lifetime and I don’t trust Mike Brown to make it happen.
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I was thinking the same thing. I’m not sure if I envision the Cavs as a champion under Mike Brown. Too bad he got that extension…
It’s going to take a super awesome assistant coach to raise up the Cavs’ offense.
Either that or a coup like the Gasol trade or the lining up of the Big Three- Never -Won -Anythings.
They were colder than cold and inepter than inept in game 2 and Damon Jones and Devin Brown just sat on the bench
What would Coach K do? Put in 5 reserves, that’s what he would do. I saw him do it against Kentucky ( I think) about 5 years back. The reserves actually kept it close until Coach K subbed his 5 starters back in. Do something!
And who decided to let Daniel Gibson drive to the basket? Keep the kid on the perimeter where he can stretch a defense. We know he can handle the rock and take it to the hole. He doesn’t need to show us. He was more effective as a perimeter shooter.