Dallas, Phoenix, and Other Coaches

Unlike seemingly every sports writer, I was shocked at the firing of Dallas Mavericks Head Coach Avery Johnson. I was so shocked, I shit my pants last night while going for a run. Although in fairness, the shitting my pants episode probably had very little to do with Avery Johnson's firing.

The argument for firing Johnson rests on his recent playoff record. The Mavs are 3-12 since going up 2-0 in the 2006 NBA Finals. It's not a great record, but it is explainable and understandable. The skid started in Miami. The Heat won their three home games in the Finals and then stole one in Dallas to take the title. Frankly, Miami was just a better team than Dallas then. Last year, Dallas lost to Golden State in one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. Johnson was criticized for being out coached by his mentor, Don Nelson, but fundamentally, the Warriors matched up extremely well with the Mavs. The Warriors exposed the Mavs lack of flexibility due to a lack of foresight by the guy who brought the players to Dallas. That, by way, is Don Nelson's son.

This year's playoff run was doomed from the start. The Jason Kidd trade covered up the fact that no deals were made during the off season. It is nearly impossible for a point guard to come to a place towards the end of the season and run the team with precision. Kidd was also expected to lead the team, an unenviable task for someone in Kidd's position.

The fact is that Avery Johnson led the Mavs to the Finals in 2006, something no other Mavs coach has done. His overall regular season record is impeccable, winning 50 games again this season. Just two years ago he was the coach of the year. Last year, his team had one of the best records of all time. He went from being the best black coach in the game, to the best regular season black coach, to the second best black coach in the Western Conference. A drop sure, but enough to get fired?

Dallas needed to stand pat, give Kidd a full season to become the leader of the team, and make one of their customary trades. Instead, the question persists: will they even make the playoffs next season? The Phoenix Suns should do everything they can to keep their coach, but they need to change their team. They gave up the future for an aged center. Shaq won't have a resurgent year beginning in November. He has followed Patrick Ewing: from prime, to productive but oft injured, to a role player. Grant Hill is old and not the answer. Does Steve Kerr think it's 1996? Steve Nash probably has one more championship-caliber year in him.

With Marion, they would have needed someone like Shaq (or Dampier). A guy who could come in and rebound and change the tempo if need be. But they shouldn't have given up Marion for that guy. Now, they're an old team, who can't run like they used to. Stoudamire is not a half court player. The Suns need to keep the offensive innovative, Mike D'Antoni, and get some up-and-down wing players to compliment Stoudamire and Boris Diaw in the front court.

Sam Mitchell shouldn't be fired either. Why are black coaches who make the playoffs on the chopping block? He took a Toronto team that was going no where and made them a perennial playoff participant. Mike Woodson, another black coach who made the playoffs, also shouldn't be fired. He's pulled off the unthinkable, taking two games from the mighty Boston Celtics in the playoffs.

I'm amazed the Hawks even made the playoffs. His team is terrible. Joe Johnson is a nice scorer, but that team needs him to be Kobe or LeBron and he's not. I don't think he even should have been an all star this year. Josh Smith will be one of the game's best, but he's only 22. Horford is also a nice player and also only 22. Mike Bibby, a point guard thrown into the mix just like Kidd, is not the player he once was. The blame should go on the GM, who drafted Marvin Williams instead of Chris Paul or Deron Williams (AND THE HAWKS NEEDED A POINT GUARD!) and Sheldon Williams instead of Brandon Roy. Oops.

The NBA did this a few years ago, when the Eastern Conference had changed every single coach. Eddie Jordan was the longest tenured coach in his second season. Now the East is weak. Patience people. Patience.