Originally Posted by
NMThreeMVP
This is crap. Monty hasn't had the depth or longevity to handle the situation the way either of those coaches would be allowed to. Carlisle just banished Rondo. Do you think Monty could do the same with any of his players? Or bench one of his top guys?
He neither has the gravitas or the depth to pull that off, and the players know it. When Jrue was healthy, there were games this year and last when Monty was able to bench Tyreke. Minutes are the only way to get through to some of these players in the league. Monty hasn't had the depth on the wing this season to allow him to "punish" guys for failing to execute. It's not like this team had a comfortable margin to play with in terms of getting into the post season; every game mattered and needed all hands on deck. There wasn't the flexibility to send a message that could've cost them a game for the greater good.
Players weren't given discretion to asses the situation and act as they saw fit. They were told to execute a call, and took it upon themselves to call an audible, or they're situational basketball comprehension is so low that they really didn't understand what they were being told to do and why.
The only way this is on Monty is if Monty doesn't recognize his players low IQ and puts them in a situation where they are required to make the right decision. It doesn't sound like this is the case at all. It sounds like Monty gave them a specific task and a player didn't do what he was told.
This is a young, flawed team. We're contemplating paying Asik over $10m a year, because of the value he brings as a rebounder, yet your team gets crushed on the boards in an epic 4th quarter collapse, partially because you can't play Asik at all. Same thing happened in game two, only to a lesser degree. Like Monty says, the guys have to be accountable and professional, and just be men. It's not the coaches fault we got killed on the boards, that's on the guys and on the makeup of the roster.
In game 2 AD was gassed down the stretch, so Monty gives him an extended breather while RA is hot and we've got a 20 point lead. The thought being AD, our MVP candidate, would come back fresh and be able to close out the 4th quarter with a double digit lead. That obviously didn't happen, and today I've heard folks bashing Monty for leaving AD on the bench too long in the 4th. Seriously? C'mon people.
Has anybody killed Kerr this morning for that off ball foul Klay Thompson committed? I mean seriously, that Steve Kerr is an itiot! That could have cost them the game had Monty not erred in getting AD matched up one on one with Bogut and forced AD to throw up a brick.
I know I'm coming off as a Monty apologist. Honestly, at this point with these players you either have to fire Monty or extend him. This hot seat on the bubble stuff doesn't allow him to utilize the tools an NBA coach needs to use to get through to players in the modern NBA.
I think if Monty threw a public tirade and threw his players under the bus for not rebounding, some of you would be happy. But that's not necessarily good coaching. Monty didn't allow Harrison Barnes to run down the court without being bumped or blocked out to get a put back dunk. That was AD and 4 other guys. Monty needs to correct this in the film room and in practice.
Hopefully whoever is running the Pelicans (Loomis, Dell, Benson) can differentiate between a coach that can't get his players to execute and therefore needs to be relieved, and players who can't or won't execute and therefore need to be moved. Regardless of which approach they decide to take, this off season is critical, and I'm OK with the decision as long as one or the other is changed. Status quo or blowing it all up seem to both be equally unappealing options.
And just to continue what has become a rant... If Tyreke's brothers are close to him and some of the other players, is the organization aware of how he's potentially poisoning the well with his public comments on social media? I remember teams not wanting anything to do with Doug Christie back in the day because of his wife. Can't imagine Tyreke's brother is a welcome addition to the Pelican's extended family.
The end.