Erik Spoelstra Is Too Busy Chasing Genius To Help Miami Heat
By Richard Nurse
@blackirishpr
Getty Images
Often times critics point to Erik Spoelstra’s career with the Miami Heat and figure that he cannot coach. People believe that he was simply blessed to be gifted Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James all in their primes and hungry for multiple NBA championships.
They forget that he guided two years worth of pre-Big Three teams that probably should not have been in the playoffs to 43-plus win seasons. That’s because of the innovative spread offensive work that won Miami their first title has him chasing genius, a label he received when his inverted style saw his wings post up while his bigs flourished from behind the three-point line.
Too bad the last two years have been full of moves that have been anything but genius. Take last night for example, when coach Spo decided to start Chris “Birdman” Andersen at power forward and relegate Shawne Williams to on-again, off-again spot duty as if he was an aging Shane Battier. This is the same guy who sat comfortably in the starting lineup and shot lights out at from behind the arc (49 percent) with Josh McRoberts out. So why not go back to him now?
I get that he may have turned to Bird for rebounding purposes against the size of the Utah Jazz, but at the age of 36, his energy and lack of offensive skill are better served coming off of the bench. This type of tinkering and brilliant thinking is also what made Spoelstra send Shabazz Napier to the D-League when the team was short in the backcourt and only had 10 players available against the Chicago Bulls.
Doing things the opposite way may not have guaranteed the Heat a win, but why shoot yourself in the foot before giving yourself the slightest chance at success? I guess that’s what happens when you go to four straight NBA Finals, grab the league’s second longest win-streak and have unlimited job security because Pat Riley handpicked you to be his successor long before he gave up his coaching seat.
Richard Nurse is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @blackirishpr or add him to your network on Google.
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