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jobu · 01-23-2004, 10:43 AM

I don’t think that the coaches suck in the NBA. They wouldn’t be there if they didn’t know how to coach. The real problem lies with the players that are coming into the league. Today’s player is usually out of H.S. or has 1-2 years of playing in college. Most are now H.S. players who lack the fundamentals to play in the NBA. I heard on the radio the other day that the top 5 prospects for this years draft are all in H.S. These guys have yet to refine their skills and really learn the game of basketball. NBA coaches are not there to teach the players the fundamentals. They are there to game plan and teach the intricacies of the game. NBA coaches expect their players to come in and do things that they have never been asked or shown how to do in the past. Because of this they usually end up failing. Also, with the addition of the zone defense, there has been more of an emphasis on shooting from the outside. I think this is why there has been an influx of European players in the league. I saw a special on how they train their players in Europe. They start when these kids are very young and they are sent to “basketball schools” where they are taught the fundamentals. They learn shooting, passing, free throws, blocking out, etc. American players don’t have the fundamentals that they used. People have become enamored with the dunk. They want to make the highlight films and they usually end up focusing on the areas that get them in the spotlight as opposed to the NBA finals. The other problem I see with the coach/player relationship is respect. Before Jackson, the Lakers couldn’t get it done. Jackson stepped in and immediately Kobe and Shaq gave him the respect that a coach needs to get the job done. The only reason he got the respect was that he had one before. With players being pampered and getting millions it is very hard for them to take orders from a guy that gets paid significantly less. A coach can’t cut a player if he feels players aren’t giving their all. The other problem is that with all this money is that they have no motivation to better themselves. No matter what a coach says or does he can’t make these guys have heart. So to say that the coaching is poor in the NBA I think is an inaccurate statement. I think the quality of players in the NBA is poor.

01-23-2004, 10:43 AM	#27 (permalink)
jobu Crazy	I don’t think that the coaches suck in the NBA. They wouldn’t be there if they didn’t know how to coach. The real problem lies with the players that are coming into the league. Today’s player is usually out of H.S. or has 1-2 years of playing in college. Most are now H.S. players who lack the fundamentals to play in the NBA. I heard on the radio the other day that the top 5 prospects for this years draft are all in H.S. These guys have yet to refine their skills and really learn the game of basketball. NBA coaches are not there to teach the players the fundamentals. They are there to game plan and teach the intricacies of the game. NBA coaches expect their players to come in and do things that they have never been asked or shown how to do in the past. Because of this they usually end up failing. Also, with the addition of the zone defense, there has been more of an emphasis on shooting from the outside. I think this is why there has been an influx of European players in the league. I saw a special on how they train their players in Europe. They start when these kids are very young and they are sent to “basketball schools” where they are taught the fundamentals. They learn shooting, passing, free throws, blocking out, etc. American players don’t have the fundamentals that they used. People have become enamored with the dunk. They want to make the highlight films and they usually end up focusing on the areas that get them in the spotlight as opposed to the NBA finals. The other problem I see with the coach/player relationship is respect. Before Jackson, the Lakers couldn’t get it done. Jackson stepped in and immediately Kobe and Shaq gave him the respect that a coach needs to get the job done. The only reason he got the respect was that he had one before. With players being pampered and getting millions it is very hard for them to take orders from a guy that gets paid significantly less. A coach can’t cut a player if he feels players aren’t giving their all. The other problem is that with all this money is that they have no motivation to better themselves. No matter what a coach says or does he can’t make these guys have heart. So to say that the coaching is poor in the NBA I think is an inaccurate statement. I think the quality of players in the NBA is poor.