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Players Don't Deserve a Free Pass

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  • Players Don't Deserve a Free Pass

    So I've been preaching that it's the players fault just as much as it's the coach or the GM. The players are talented even if there are some holes. The talent on paper should represent more wins than we see. Next in the blame game would have to be the coaches. Well, they've been pleading with the players to do something. If the problems on defense were solely due to coaching decisions and execution I would put it all on Jay but overall the problem looks like its not the calls, it's the effort. Effort is something that the coaches are responsible to motivate from their players. Well, the coaches look like they care and they look like they're trying to get the guys hustling but it's falling on deaf ears. The players don't seem to care and have no sense of pride on D. They just want the ball back as fast as possible so that they can take another shot...

    Let's recap:

    - The team has talent but there are holes. GM's FAULT
    - The coaches make some bad play calls and substitutions. COACHES' FAULT
    - The players don't seem to give a damn and nothing seems to work in getting them to snap out of it and show some pride. PLAYERS' FAULT

    One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just isn't the same. Now its time to play our game.

    - GM: Showing effort, taking accountability and has a desire to achieve results.
    - Coaches: Showing effort, taking accountability and has a desire to achieve results.
    - Players: NOT showing effort, NOT taking accountability and NOT showing desire to achieve results.

    Seems to me that the GM, coaches and players have made mistakes but only the GM and coach are being mature and professional.

    In closing a little something fro Doug Smith which helps support this opinion:

    I went to three players whose opinions I truly respect and who have been honest and forthright with me every time I’ve asked them a question about anything.

    I’m not going to tell you who they are because I asked them on the condition of anonymity so they wouldn’t worry about having to sugarcoat any answer. But, trust me, I trust them to tell me the truth.
    They agree that losses make it hard to feel all sweetness and light but the issues is more of performance than personality. As one of them said:
    “It’s like we’ve got a switch and we leave it in the ‘off’ position too much and when it gets hard, we don’t know how to turn it on. If we do, we can be good. Really good. But we have to do it. It’s not coaches, it’s not management, it’s us. We have to know how good we can be and just do it.”
    Doug Smith's Toronto Raptors blog
    Last edited by Apollo; Thu Apr 1, 2010, 08:19 AM.

  • #2
    Apollo wrote: View Post
    So I've been preaching that it's the players fault just as much as it's the coach or the GM. The players are talented even if there are some holes. The talent on paper should represent more wins than we see.
    On paper, I thought the Raptors were a .500 team. A very good offensive squad but a very poor defensive team.

    On paper, how many games do you think the Raptors should have won this season?
    nbaroundtable

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    • #3
      45 wins accomplished though effort and class.

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      • #4
        I am in general agreement with the assessment. However what jumps out at me is:

        “It’s like we’ve got a switch and we leave it in the ‘off’ position too much..."

        If we were to accept this malady as a congenital problem, then it is upto a higher authority to remedy the matter. Moreso because on established teams there is an internal compass/leader who takes care of matters in the locker room. Example: anyone have any doubts what would have happened if Hedo pulled this crap if he played on the Celtics? Dont know who would have have been first...Garnett or Rivers.

        This is to me where the coaches are falling short. I dont know if it is recognition when this is happening (not calling time-outs), changing/benching personnel after multiple errors (accountability), or changing lineups. Probably a combo. Some of these things have improved but it took so loooong...and probably was because of non-experience as a head coach in the nba.

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        • #5
          Bendit, the coach can't do much when the guy sitting on the bench isn't going to give any more effort than the guy dogging it on the court. It's like replacing a flat tire with a flat tire. You're still on the side of the road looking like an ass.

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