It doesn’t matter if you think he’s a genius or just lucky. The fact is, Phil Jackson is the most successful NBA coach of all time…and I wish he was behind the bench for the Kings.
Regardless of the sport, Jackson’s coaching philosophy is the stuff of legend. I also think he is a perfect fit for puck. Calm, poised, prepared, ever-aware and unconventional. All the traits that helped make him, and every team he’s coached, successful.
The Lakers meditating...about 100 feet away from the Kings practice ice. So close, yet worlds apart.
Of all the traits that make him unique, he’s best known for being unconventional. Whether it’s splicing movie clips into game tape, posting eastern philosophy quotes to lockers, handing out reading assignments or having the entire team meditate, he has put a unique spin on what it means to be a head coach in sport. He’s unlike any other coach in this way. So much so that no other coach has even tried to emulate him. That doesn’t mean that other coaches, even from different sports, haven’t sought advice from him. Indeed, they have. Many times. Which makes me wonder…has Terry Murray? And if not, why not?
Murray shares the same training facility and home arena as a coach with 11 championship rings. So I don’t think it’s strange in anyway to think Murray might have reached out to the Zen Master for advice. It would seems strange if he hadn’t, right?
The way I look at it is, LA is the home of 2 storied franchises. LA expects greatness. LA welcomes eccentricity as an identity. For better or worse, this is much of what LA is known for. Which leads me to Dean Lombardi. In a nut shell, Lombardi has successfully re-launched the Kings franchise. It’s headed in the right direction. There is so much to be thankful for if you’re a fan.
That being said, what can be better?
To his credit, Lombardi recognized his error in hiring Crawford (maybe a little late, but better late than never) and instead hired Murray. I think it’s clear that the Kings are once again in a new phase. They are at a point where they need to switch gears. They’ve reached a certain level, and by all accounts, it seems painfully obvious they are stagnating.
Murray has done an admirable job. He has steadied a young core of players into recognizing the need for a defense-first attitude. But he’s missing that special something and I think we all know his style only goes so far. There’s a reason he was fired right after coaching a team to the finals. And there’s a reason he should be let go now. And if I could pinpoint it, I’d say it’s the way the team collapsed after leading 4-0 in Game 3.
To be clear, I don’t think there’s much the coach could have done at the time to stop the bleeding. Sure, “the timeout” could have been used. But ultimately, it’s what the coach didn’t do all year long that culminated into that catastrophic meltdown. And a similar situation occurred in last year’s playoffs too. It’s his job to prepare, teach, motivate a team into learning how to cope with critical situations. He has failed in this area and I don’t think he has it in him to change.
It’s time to bring in a coach who can bring a unique philosophy that the team needs and our city deserves.
It’s time for the Kings to bring someone in who can lead this perfectly-positioned franchise to the next level.
It’s time to let Terry Murray go.
I too believe that we are at an impass. TM was good at teaching defensive structure, but the team is ready to take the next step. The system we play is too simple and predictable now. I think to reach that next level we need a coach who will teach our guys to play a possesion game like all of the top offensive teams in the league play.
Opening up the game for Vancouver, Detroit, or even Pittsburg (with 2 healthy centers) does not mean they have to sacrifice defensively. Vancouver not only lead the league offensively, but defensively as well. How many times have the Red Wings done that in 10 years?
All valid and excellent points. The system can be upgraded, no doubt. I also believe, as is well known, that at this level it’s 90% mental. I just don’t see the progression happening with this group on mental side of the game. Game 3 was a watershed moment for me. I remember a year ago thinking 1 more year and these boys won’t allow that to happen very often, yet here we are in the same place, if not worse off. They must be taught how to deal with those situations other than TM’s “play the system” and Brown’s “put on your work boots.”
i’m starting to move closer to both yr sentiments regarding t.m…i think kopi’s injury has accelerated these calls for a change and, more so perhaps, further exploited certain weaknesses or flaws in t.m.’s ability to adapt his game plans accordingly…
t.m. is not going to change his ways…he is what he is – an excellent teacher to those whom are in need of learning the basics about winning…you are correct when you point out that t.m. was let go in philly right after their cup final loss because many people felt what you feel – there is something missing from t.m.’s persona or teaching that disables his teams from fully achieving their potential…
i remember watching that series back in ’97 when the red wings “upset” the flyers and their legion of doom line…and i was also shocked when they released t.m. right after the loss…
from wikipedia…”After beating three teams easily with 4-1 series wins, the Flyers were upset by the Detroit Red Wings in four games. Despite this accomplishment, Murray was fired after the end of the 1997 playoffs. One website had described Terry’s shuffling of goaltenders Ron Hextall and Garth Snow to be unprofessional, and he had described the 6-1 loss in Game 3 as a choking situation during a closed-door meeting with his players, which angered them since it “exposed and pulverized” the “fragility of the team’s confidence”.
obviously, t.m. has learned from that experience, as he was “tested” by the media when they addressed his mindset for a goalie change leading into game 5…there were no inappropriate words said about quick or his players in the aftermath of both game 3 and 4′s losses…and, to his credit, made the right choice in sticking with his guy…
but perhaps what still plagues him and his coaching identity is that he is otherwise unsympathetic to his players own shortcomings and too rigid in trying to force his own will into a player’s individual stance…in other words, i’m starting to believe that t.m. has issues with getting a player to play to his strengths because that player is so keen on trying to adhere to the coach’s demands, they often forget or are prohibited to utilize their own natural talent…his players tend to be consistently apprehensive as to when it’s okay to be creative inside the system…now i understand that this is not an easy thing to teach to a bunch of kids learning to be men and also being educated as to what it takes to be a winning professional in today’s nhl…but a player has a responsibility to make the necessary effort in getting to their own and team’s next level…
and maybe that’s where t.m.’s coaching roads divide – he is an old school coach who has problems adding to his repertoire in the modern era or his execution in delivering his next-level message gets mired or stymied by other peripheral matters…
whatever it is, t.m. might be running out of time with all the concerned parties – players, management and fans…