Golden State Warriors: Mike Brown has chance at redemption
Golden State Warriors interim head coach Mike Brown has been one of the biggest winners of the playoffs. He has a chance for even more in the NBA Finals.
Far too quick in sports are people ready to throw away a head coach and move onto the next thing. Not often enough are organizations, championship ones, willing to bring that coach in and turn them into one of the most valuable assets they have. Thinking light years ahead per the norm in the bay area, the Golden State Warriors did just that with Mike Brown.
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After Luke Walton departed and became the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors were in need of a lead assistant to Steve Kerr. With the head coach still suffering from back ailments, which no one would have known his current state at the time, a veteran on the bench was necessary.
When Brown was the man brought in, it was a bit of a perplexing decision. The coach that was unfairly seen as the one that lost LeBron James and burned out with the Lakers would now be taking on a big role with a team that just won 73 games. The key word of course is unfairly.
While it’s easy to look at the shortcomings of the Cavaliers with Mike Brown at the helm, it’s important to remember the absolute garbage roster they had around James at the time. In fact, that might just be a tad bit unfair to garbage.
Then of course, the Lakers were a different mess as well. When it comes to teams like the Lakers and the New York Knicks, it takes a certain coach to lead the way and if the person doesn’t fit that mold, it could almost be career ending. Just look at Mike D’Antoni’s resurgence with the Houston Rockets this season.
Brown isn’t the head coach of the Warriors like D’Antoni is with Houston, but it’s certainly looking like there might just be something to the weight of the world he had to carry on his shoulder. With Kerr having to step aside during the playoffs, Brown has kept the ship more than steady.
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His fantastic rotations and the way the team has responded defensively has proven that he is more like the coach that helped lead an overachieving 2007 Cavaliers team to the NBA Finals. Sure, they were swept, but it’s the fact they did more with less that speaks to Brown’s ability as a coach.
With the upcoming NBA Finals, he has a chance if Kerr can’t return to coach the Warriors to an NBA Championship over his former team. Regardless of if he gets redemption or not, he’s earned his chance to be a head coach in this league again and some team will come calling sooner or later.