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Big blunder League made major mistake with microphone madness
Posted: Thursday March 16, 2000 12:19 AM
It's a good thing the NBA and the coaches have reached a compromise on the microphone issue. The league made a major mistake to ask the coaches at this point in the year to be miked. The league doesn't make many mistakes, but this was a blunder. I understand that if it weren't for the TV market, coaches would be making $200,000 a year instead of $2 million, but it would have inhibited the coaches from doing the job they're paid to do. Sometimes you have to really get on certain players or you have to get on your team, and it could have subdued coaches. Players expect a certain amount of emotion from the coaches, and if a coach gave them something different, players might respond differently. Also, if you get to a strategic point in the game when you have to draw up a significant play, the other team could actually be watching what you're doing. And the teams you'll be playing in the future could be watching. Personally, I couldn't have handled it -- I was a very emotional coach. But I don't think they would have miked me; I would not have been a candidate for that.
Mavs pull off another surprise moveIt surprised me that Dallas hired Del Harris as an assistant coach before they got a new head coach -- unless, of course, they're bringing him in as a trial situation to become the head coach. He's a terrific basketball man.I do think his appointment as "defensive coordinator" is a trend we'll see more of in the NBA. Eventually, you'll have a head coach and a head of defense, a head of offense -- a little bit like Larry Bird is doing in Indiana and the way that football does it. The head coach will be more of a coordinator and will coach the game. I think it's heading toward that, because there's so much pressure associated with the head-coaching job. I was more hands-on, but I'm not so sure that's a good idea. Coach's breakdownSean Elliott's return to the Spurs could be a tremendous boost for that club. The big key will be to have him ready to give at least 15 to 20 minutes in the stretch of games, particularly 10 minutes toward the end. He really helps that team defensively. That's where they miss him most, because he's a very good defensive player. He also can make the 3-point shot.If he can come back and be in the games the last five or six minutes, that's where he'll make a difference for them. If he can do that, I wouldn't discount San Antonio. Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN/Sports Illustrated's "This Week in the NBA."
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