If I were to fire Billy Donovan this would be the reason why– that being, his inability to deal with what Carmelo’s role on this team should have been way back in early December. With $134 million plus luxury tax on the table the Thunder are still fucking with this as tonight they enter Game 6 in Utah on the brink of elimination.
Are you kidding me?
This is why your coach has to have a strong coaching voice. It’s Rule No. 2 of Coaching. You coach thru your character, your personality, and your coaching voice. Not Sam Presti’s, not Troy Weaver’s, and not even ownership.
You coach thru your voice.
And that coaching voice has not been there this season for the Thunder.
You didn’t have to be John Wooden or Greg Popovich to see way back at the beginning of this team’s struggles the pieces weren’t fitting with Carmelo starting or his role as some sort of equal piece to Westbrook and Paul George.
Bring him off the bench or go with an extremely short leash if you start him, but for the love of God–do what good coaches do…namely, give your team the best chance possible to be successful.
Watching the way this team has been coached this season is almost as painful as watching the Oklahoma state legislature and Mary Fallin address education reform in Oklahoma.
Carmelo can still get 22 minutes and help the team, but it’s the way those 22 minutes are crafted into every unique game which the coach has to orchestrate.
Pray for Billy Donovan tonight. Pray for his coaching voice to be discovered. That’s what it’s come to for me with this team and coach…prayer.