NBA News: Warriors go with Jackson
On Monday the Golden State Warriors announced that they hired Mark Jackson to be their new head coach replacing Keith Smart. It has been reported Jackson will get a 3-year $6 million dollar contract with a team option for a fourth year. Wow that is a real shock for someone who has no previous coaching experience.......Owner Joe Lacob, General Manager Larry Riley, and newly hired consultant Jerry West interviewed Jackson, and they came away overly impressed from the meeting.
“It was his analysis of the game and the way he sees the game overall in our discussions that really convinced me this guy has thought about the game of basketball,” Riley said.
So much for the in game coaching experience. As a player, Jackson had 17 years of experience running the point for various clubs and has been a NBA analyst for the ESPN/ABC networks. Riley feels Jackson's strong personality is the right mix for this Warriors team........Honestly how does that translate into the ability to coach this game? You want a coach not a motivational speaker.......I find this offensive to those guys who are currently assistants trying to get their shot. They have been paying their dues and Jackson swoops in and boom okay your the head honcho, now win us some games. Do you even remember when the last time the Warriors were even relevant? And this is what you do to get back there.......
I look at guys like Eric Spoelstra who coaches the Miami Heat, from the beginning of the season there were questions if he can handle the star power on his squad because he may look a little green. Did anybody really do their homework. Eric worked his way up in the ranks producing game tapes, to assistant, to finally being hand picked by Pat Riley himself to coach the Heat. Eric is making a fool out of all those doubters now right?? Just because he didn't have that style, that voice, that swagger everyone automatically thought Eric didn't know what he was doing, that he couldn't handle Lebron James.....Yes you have to be a leader of men, but as we know in this business your voice can wear very thin with players and if you don't have the know how to back it up you are definitely a fish out of water......I'm sorry Jackson as a player was great and incredible floor leader but this is like giving a sixteen year old (who just got their license) the keys to your new Lexus and letting them go out unsupervised........nuff said
