Open season on Mike Brown
Posted March 15th, 2006 by Brian Windhorst
Based on my e-mail and what I heard on talk radio once I returned to Cleveland from Dallas today, the Cavaliers fan base is discharging what I can only assume was some pent up anger at Mike Brown for his performance during the losses in Miami and Dallas.
Someone who left a comment on one of my stories recently on Ohio.com said Brown’s performance is the "elephant in the room" when it comes to the Cavs troubles, meaning no one really wants to talk about it. That moratorium, it seems, has been lifted.
During the road trip I had several conversations with Coach Brown about how he’s evaluated himself so far this season for this story which is in Thursday’s Beacon Journal.
Brown’s style isn’t classic, he isn’t fiery or stately in his mannerisms, which is what public sees. His treatment of players is almost always positive and supportive, though not particularly inspiring. He has excellent theory on the game and experience to back it up but thus far his results have been inconsistent. He’s really tried to stick to his plan and his principles. He’s stressed defense and tried to get a rotation going. Then again, he can’t make shots for Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall.
For all the talk about offensive issues and overall team softness, the Cavs are going to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years. For a rookie coach, Brown is going to post a solid record despite having to go through much of the year without Larry Hughes. He’s going to have the second-best record for a Cavs first-year head coach.
There is a lot of room for improvement on the bench for the Cavs, I’ve suggested they hire an offensive coordinator in the off-season. The anger now is understandable, but I will suggest giving a rookie more time and to keep perspective for the time being.
March 15th, 2006 at 8:06 pm
I just hope that Danny Ferry and Dan Gilbert realize now that Mike Brown is not cut out for for this coaching job. A coach’s role is not only to draw plays (at which aspect he miserably fails understandably so being a novice) but should be able to incite and instill passion on his troops that winning at every step (or taking comfort that win or lose, they’ve given their 100%) is bigger that any of them. The bosses should demand more and lend out the voice of reason and passion to mold the personality that they and we cav fans desperately desire when the team is out there in the court - we want an aggressive, combative assembly of warriors and not a bunch of scumbags sitting in thier fa(r)t contracts - and this starts in the locker rooms, in the coaches actions on how he use his personel, personally (and publicly) embarssing and benching those underperfoming and play those who play to win. How I wish that at this time while we’re waiting for Larry to come back that Mike Brown tinkers with the team and start playing who have come out playing with heart - Flip at PG, Sasha/Graham, James, AV/Gooden (at times, you still suck and I picture you at times with a pacifier and a bib),Z. Let those bust outs sit in the bench for a while and practice on thier shooting (300 shots please at least per day and a visit to an opthalmologist should do it)and drives to the basket. Please Danny, bring in Charles Barkley to put mettle into this team.
March 15th, 2006 at 8:10 pm
I can take the rotation being screwy and the x-and-o stuff being messed up. That all comes with a first year coach.
What I have a hard time justifying is when the team just doesn’t work hard, Lebron included.
March 15th, 2006 at 8:18 pm
I think you guys (Windhorst included) are all right. Part of Mike Brown’s development will involve finding ways to motivate multi-millionaires to do their collective best each and every night they play. But he is not alone. As we’re seeing in Minnesota, having your star player screaming at his teammates does not always work well. We need the coach, the star, and the well-respected people in the locker room to step up and get these guys fired up to play.
March 15th, 2006 at 9:21 pm
Dear Brian,
When you were on Blogger, I used to love reading your blog from my RSS reader, but ever since you moved to ohio.com, which provides 1.5 sentences in the RSS feed, I stopped, because it’s too much of a pain to have to read the rest of your entries from the website.
I suppose ohio.com thinks that by only providing a tiny snippet of your article, people will be more likely to come to the site and generate ad revenue. Well I don’t know about everyone else, but it has proved to be just the opposite.
A better way to drive traffic to the site for ad revenue is to give the whole article in the RSS feed and make it more open to discussion so that people will visit the site to comment.
Just a suggestion.
March 16th, 2006 at 1:11 am
Carlo, I’m a Filipino and yes, being of a different race and culture definitely don’t alter percetion of the obvious…I once was a fanatic of Brian’s articles in the Blogger and the difference is quite unmistakable…what you were writing before were raw and brutally honest but wonderfully and masterfully done…you’re reading as if you were there right in the smack of the action…this is a blog right? and i don’t see any reason why your articles here could be so timid and tame…hope you can get back to your roots where you have started your writing success anyway…just a suggestion from a good fan out here in the far east…
March 16th, 2006 at 4:36 am
Hey, Carlo, you’ll get your wish soon enough. Brian’s newspaper is on the auction block, so once again he’s probably going to have to take his blog elsewhere next season. Three seasons, three different blog sites, and no defense, strength or power to prevent it. To put it another way, if this blog was a Cavalier, Jim Paxson and Danny Ferry would ink Brian’s blog to a guaranteed five-year, $300 million contract.
March 16th, 2006 at 4:39 am
Mike Brown isn’t the problem, just as any single player on the roster isn’t the problem. The problem is the disfunctional mix of having both a player like LeBron James and a slavish devotion to modeling the franchise after Detroit and San Antonio.
The Detroit and San Antonio organizations are the best in the NBA right now, but there’s more than one way to build a championship club. While both teams have great players, neither has a groundbreaking talent like LeBron. The Cavs should look to past champions constructed around the talents of a similarly groundbreaking player. Chicago, with Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson’s Lakers would have been better models for Dan Gilbert.
As Cavs’ apologists often like to point out, the Bulls’ prospects for a championship seemed remote during Jordan’s first few years. At the time, the team had solid but uninspiring coaches (sound familiar?)in Stan Albeck and Doug Collins.
It was only after obtaining a couple athletic players in Grant and Pippen, then scrapping prevailing models, that the team’s, and Jordan’s, full potential became clear. Rather than copy the Celtics, Lakers or Pistons, the Bulls promoted a creative coach who installed an eccentric offense perfectly suited to Jordan.
Similarly, the Lakers won a championship in Magic’s first year under the eccentric coaching of Paul Westhead, of all people. Who knows if they would have won if Jack McKinney (was that his name?) hadn’t fallen off his bike about ten games into the season. But Westhead’s personality and philosophy were perfect for the launch of Showtime. He was, I believe, a rookie coach at the time and almost a crackpot, really. Pat Riley was obviously an improvement, partly because he was smart enough to adjust his philosophy to fit Magic’s game.
In any case, the NBA is still a players league and the Pistons and Spurs are exceptions to the rule. With his size and youth, LeBron James could play 20 more years. He’s more important to the franchise than any particular system, no matter how solid in theory or traditionally accepted. Gilbert needs to scrap his devotion to the Pistons Way, and Ferry needs to start finding some athletes who can develop their talent around LeBron’s game. Then we could see if Brown is smart and creative enough to adjust.
March 16th, 2006 at 5:53 am
Someone is a little too close with his RSS reader.
I thought Larry d. made some good points, so if you’re just scanning the comments for Alan Tucker’s name, go back and look at his take.
March 16th, 2006 at 7:21 am
The problem with Brown is that it doesn’t seem like he is in control of the team. True he can’t make Larry health, Jones & Marshall shoot straight, or LeBron more consistent down the stretch, but consistency, motivation, and giving the ball to your big guy are all things the Coach should have a handle on. We could hire an offensive coordinator, but that doesn’t seem like its the problem. It might well help and is a good idea, but it seems like the problem is that Brown might be the best Assistant Coach in the league, but thus far doesn’t seem to have his head coach shoes on right. Its hard to judge from the outside, but this is the image he presents thus far. Brian or someone else closer to the situation, please weigh in and correct if I’m wrong.
March 16th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
What I don’t understand is how Cavaliers apologists have suddenly morphed Larry Hughes into some kind of a superstar. The guy is supposed to be a scoring guard. He was averaging 16 points per game in 38 minutes a game. Whoopie. Other than his Ron Murray-like speed and ball-handling ability, precisely how would Hughes have altered the Cavaliers’ record for the better? He played 28 games, and they were one single game over .500 in the last 17. Again, whoopie.
Also, what is the point of hiring an “offensive coordinator” to coordinate LeBron James with Fashion Designer Ferry’s roster of Bobby Knight’s old plaid jackets? If a chess expert is going to teach chess strategy, then it would be prudent to have something more than checkers to play with. Because it’s going to look pretty stupid on game day while you’re busy pretending the navy blue circular things are some tough crafty knights doing a complicated rap-nu metal polka with rooks and bishops.
You know, I really don’t get it. Does the guy have incriminating photos on everybody within a 120-mile radius, or what? When will a sports guy finally have the courage to stand up and scream that Ferry completely blew the one opportunity to build a true contender? Until all those bad contracts finally expire, this franchise will be bobbing for apples. It’s deja vous all over again, like waiting and waiting and waiting for Ferry’s own 10-year player contract to finally expire. Nobody has even implied that Ferry deserves a merciless thrashing, let alone said it. The Northeast Ohio sports media has a very long tradition of being toilet paper soft, but this is just spineless.
Where’s Howard Beale when you really need him?
March 16th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
Mr. Tucker is right and fans would be much more patient with Coach Brown if there was an indication that this team’s ceiling was higher than the second round of the playoffs.
Traditionally, a young, up-and-coming team waits its turn, learning to win in the playoffs while the current dominant team begins to age. Unfortunately, outside of LeBron, the Cavs are no younger than the Pistons or Spurs.
At the same time, the Cavs lack the number of young athletes a team like Atlanta boasts. What happens when Atlanta drafts Greg Oden, or Oden is paired with someone like Chris Bosh or that Howard guy in Orlando? Z will be about 33 years old by then and clowns like Marshall and Snow will still be milking their contracts.
Ferry tried to do too much in one year and missed the boat. It’s no surprise the local media is slow to react and hesitant to criticize. After all, I grew up thinking guys like Duane Kuiper and Rick Manning were great ballplayers, never suspecting a competent fielder could also hit over .235.
March 16th, 2006 at 6:02 pm
Mike Brown is not the problem with this team and under no uncertain terms should he be fired (nor will he be so, quit talking about it). He has done a pretty good job this year not great. Had Hughes not gotten hurt, his status would not even be questioned. The problems with this team are multiple. A) They don’t go Z consistently enough. They do it for a qtr and then they forget he’s on the roster. B) Marshall and Jones are struggling like no time in their careers. I would not play them together. C) Without Hughes (Flip is too inconsistent), they have no other explosive player on the roster that the team can go to. Everyone else needs help. Murray was a steal and I’m glad we have him, but we also see why he was available…
March 16th, 2006 at 8:43 pm
Jones is struggling like no time in his career? My father first told me when I was 5 not to believe everything I read. You should take my late dad’s advice. Many people should.
For example, Brian Windhorst himself stated in this past Sunday’s paper that Jones is actually the three-point shooter from two years ago with the Bucks, while almost in the same breath saying something to the effect he was shooting by far the worst in his career. As if the Cavaliers bad luck voodoo doll is again doing its nasty handiwork. The problem is, the actual underlying facts usually contradict a good Northeast Ohio sports media apologist story. Of course, being the lemmings many people are, little research to challenge baloney is ever done.
Indeed, the fact is Jones shoots the same percentage every season, except his O’Neal fake season. 36% every season. 37% in one Pistons season. But who’s counting.
Oh, and as for that Bucks season from two seasons ago…What did Jones shoot while with the Bucks? Well, Brian expressly printed it was 40%. “That’s a Big Fat Ton of Crapola for 800, Alex.” In fact, it was 35.9%. You want the Daily Double? O.K. What is Jones now shooting while with the Cavs? “What is 35.8%, Alex.” In other words, no difference. Once again, he is shooting 36%. In point of fact, Ferry acquired a guy that shoots a mediocre 36% every season. So contrary to the apologist lies you read here or elsewhere, Jones is not delivering anything less.
So let’s all blame Mike Brown.
March 17th, 2006 at 2:34 am
I can’t agree with you more Mr. Tucker. I really enjoy viewing your comments and views. Why not apply for this paper and put some sense to this blog? Seriously, Mike Brown is a greenhorn and Mr. Ferry and Mr. Gilbert all blew the chance of hiring an enigmatic and experienced coach with Cleveland roots, Mr. Saunders. But, yes, this is no time to cry over spilt milk. I just hope Mike Brown reasserts himself and take some constructive criticism and be consistent with what he says to what we would do with how he coaches and manipulates situation at the basketball floor. I just sense that he needs to bring out the leadership and the passion and take the mentality and communicate strongly to the team of “not affording to lose” and sending this message strongly. Bench who play without passion and play those who win; use the pieces you can use and let the players prove their mettle in the court. He needs to demand more from the players. Winning basketball games is not only drawing plays, atheleticism and youth but the will to win the ballgame. To win is now, and not wait to wait till the playoffs, and get blew off in the first round, if that is what the Cavs are aiming for the season. So, I if were him, he needs to hire not an offensive coordinator and but a psychological guru on warfare mindset; read a book like “sun tzu’s art of war” anything just to drop his good guy baloney.
March 17th, 2006 at 8:04 am
Terry Pluto has a good piece on Mike Brown today. He too was a big Flip Sauders (not Murray) fan. http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/14121111.htm
One question to those who critique Ferry’s offseason signings - who would you have brought in instead? I think its clear that in order to keep LeBron the team had to improve, so new players were necessary. Given that Ray Allen & Michael Redd passed, I’m not sure who would have been better options than those we got.
March 17th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
Brian, I LOVE the Cavaliers. Don’t miss a game. but when they are 19 points ahead and lose the game I have heart failure. Mike Brown what is his problem.
Why do he have Z away from the basket not protecting it?
LeBron cannot win by himself. Mike Brown need to light a fire under the other guys to help him. My worst fear is LeBron will leave Cleveland.
March 18th, 2006 at 3:35 am
We should blame Mike Brown. Every NBA roster is equipped with world-class talent.
The coaching is what seperates good teams from bad teams.
March 18th, 2006 at 6:16 am
I don’t want to appear that I’m sniping, but a couple comments for Alan regarding Hughes:
While I wouldn’t use the word superstar in regard to Larry Hughes, he didn’t need to be a superstar to improve this team. Frankly, you’re not even attempting to fairly appraise his impact on the Cavs.
For example, you mention that the Cavs were “only” 9-8 in his last 17 games. You’re using your facts very selectively and incredibly unfairly. Why wouldn’t you mention that Cleveland was 18-10 with him in the lineup? Because to fairly appraise the entirety of his season makes your argument look worse.
Okay, let’s look at the “Hughes Cavs” vs. the “non-Hughes Cavs”:
With Hughes, 18 -10; without 19 - 19.
You might argue that the schedule was easier, but you’d be wrong. Using the team’s records as of this morning (March 18), the Cavs first 28 opponents had won about 50.4% of their games (which would rank 8th toughest currently in the NBA). Since he went out, the Cavs opponents have won 49.9% of their games (about the 15th toughest in the NBA).
Before he went out, the Cavs had gone 8-6 against teams which as of this morning have a winning record. Since he went out, the Cavs are 5-11 against teams with a winning record (including six losses in a row).
Before he went out, they were 10-4 against sub-.500 teams (71.4 Win %), Since he went out, they are 14-8 (63.6 Win %).
So, to summarize, with Hughes the Cavs played much better against tougher competition, beating both poor opponents and especially tough opponents with greater regularity.
Doesn’t that seem like an impact player — someone who has been missed severely in the last 40 games?
March 18th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
For the record I never said in my comment, “Every NBA roster is equipped with world-class talent, so let’s all blame the bad coach.” Check my send: You won’t find it.
You write, “The first 11 games of a season means little. Bad teams sometimes look excellent, excellent teams sometimes look rotten.”
Maybe, but the first 11 games? Not the first 5 or the first 20, but the first 11? What a convenient coincidence that it just happens to be the first 11 games, and that the Cavs just happened to go 9-2 in those games. The span you selected to start counting Hughes “true effect” on the Cavs just happened (? to coincide with the start of an extended losing streak (seven of nine) by the Cavs, and by starting at that point, it just happened (?) to make Hughes look like a player who was little (if any) improvement over the non-Hughes Cavs.
You may be right that teams will settle into roles and best combinations as the season wears on (injuries notwithstanding), but couldn’t the Cavs have faced some teams that were playing very well at the time (and who aren’t playing as well now)? They played their home and road with the Clippers, for instance, in that 28-game span, and LA doesn’t look nearly as good right now as it did at that time. (Remember the Brand for MVP talk?) Playing New Orleans/Oklahoma City does affirm your point, but playing Memphis twice in the first 11 games doesn’t.
This is not to be nit picky, I just think you’re wrong on this point, and you haven’t used facts to support your opinion. On the other hand, you were, in retrospect, dead on regarding Damon Jones.
March 19th, 2006 at 3:55 am
Where did Alan’s response to my first comment go? It was there last night? Did he pull it, or did Brian?
March 19th, 2006 at 9:56 am
Kevin, the only thing I’ve ever pulled was a hamstring back in ‘82. I don’t know how to make a comment disappear.
March 20th, 2006 at 3:46 pm
I watched the last four minutes of the Cavs win over Los Angeles. To tell you the truth, I can only listen to Mike Bream that long. Does he still do the sports on the Imus show? Hubie is not one of may favorites, either. I can still remember when he coached the Hawks and could be heard in the far reaches of the arena out in Richfield berating John Drew for being all coked up.
But I digress.
It appeared on Sunday the game was setting up for Bron to finally sink a game-winning shot, but alas, instead it was Flip Murray who iced the contest, splitting a pair of free throws. Can you imagine the impact it would have had if Bron had drained a jumper on national tv to win the game over Kobe’s Lakers? For one thing, it would have become his ultimate highlight, which certainly would’ve pleased Nike. I dare say it would have been the launching pad he needed to become the next great winner. But it was not meant to be.
Certainly there will be other chances for him to knock down the game-winner and likely on much bigger stages. But it’s looking more and more like that ain’t gonna happen. Ever.
I am truly amazed at Bron’s talent, but there just seems to be something missing from his game. It’s not something you can put a finger on, but it’s just a nagging feeling that when it comes down to it this guy’s career is going to be more Barkley and Garnett than Magic, Bird and Jordan. I know LeBron has like 15 years left in his career, but the dies of those known as clutch are cast in the first three or four.
As far as Mike Brown goes, I’ll give him a pass for a couple of years. However, coach, maybe in the final two minutes of a close game you might want to consider taking your hands out of your pockets when stalking the sidelines.
March 20th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
If you’re gonna knock a guy, deserved or not (in this case, very much not), at least give him the respect to refer to the name on his birth certificate. As atrocious as he is, even I have the courtesy to write Reghi correctly. It’s not Mike Bream, it’s Mike Breen.
Anyway, if I was picking my team, even now at his age of 51, I’d choose a coked-up John Drew before selecting a majority of the Cavs’ current roster.