Sources: Erik Spoelstra frustrating Heat

[joeybee12]

The Miami Heat's players are frustrated with Erik Spoelstra and some are questioning whether he is the right coach for their team, according to people close to the situation. With the ballyhooed Heat losing four of their last five games and sporting a mediocre 9-8 record, the players are privately grumbling about Spoelstra on several fronts.

Sources say the players believe he is not letting them be themselves, that they are questioning his offensive strategies, and that they think he is panicking because he fears losing his job.

We've heard all kinds of reasons why Miami is mediocre. Put the Heat under the microscope, and you'll be amazed with how many factors aren't to blame, writes ESPN.com's John Hollinger. Story

"Right now, in my opinion, no one is doing a good job," said Heat guard Dwyane Wade, asked Monday about Spoelstra's performance. "We're 9-and-8. We're all in this together. The players are not doing a good job. The coach is not doing a good job."

In contrast to the popular view that Spoelstra has been hesitant to jump on Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, sources say the Heat coach has shown no fear in criticizing them.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/news/story?id=5862172

"Sources," i.e., Crybaby James

[Kingofalldems]

1. There's a video of LeBron James bumping into him

Looked like it was on purpose to me.

[joeybee12]

3. I'm surprised...

surprised there's only ONE video of that.

[joeybee12]

5. Here's the video...yeah, intentional, yeah, NBA's biggest asshole...

http://thedailyheat.com/video-heat%e2%80%99s-lebron-james-bumps-coach-erik-spoelstra/

[Kingofalldems]

12. Why hasn't he been fined and suspended?

More jock sniffing from the fans and media. If you can play with a ball, anything goes.

[madinmaryland]

2. Funny how the Heat fans can only whine about the season The Dallas Cowboys are having.

:rofl:

I was going to post this earlier, but I expected the whining about the Cowboys, rather than what is actually going on in Miami.

[joeybee12]

4. ESPN was on this this morning...

and no one posted before moi!

[trumad]

6. Nice deflection...

I just find it hilarious that a Cowboy fan is dissing the Heat...

I'm perfectly happy with what is going on in Miami... are you happy with what is going on in Dallas?

I fully expected the Heat to have a tough go at it in the beginning until they get some decent support players.

You see---the Heat have terrific upside while the Cowboy's have Jerry Jones....

nuff said.

[madinmaryland]

7. Do you understand the word "irony"?

If you did, you would probably not be posting what you just did.

Classic!

[trumad]

8. Again---

the Heat have amazing upside---the Cowboy's... not so much.

The Boy's season is over---the Heat's season has just begun.

[madinmaryland]

9. I think you are mixing your sports up, tru.

The Celtics have humiliated the Heat TWICE this year.

I have not seen the Heat on the Cowboy's schedule.

[trumad]

11. First game they lost by 8...

Second---they lost by 5.

That is not humiliation.... The Celt's are a championship caliber team who have played together for the last couple of years.

Humiliation is having a 3-8 record and getting beat by Green Bay 45-7.

[hughee99]

10. As I said in another thread,

Pat Riley knew when he put this team together that he was going to end up coaching them, he's just treating the regular season like Favre treats the pre-season. He'll take over post all-star break. He knew when he coached his last team to 15 wins (for a whole season) that he'd be back, and they had been targeting last years free agent crowd for years. Spolestra never had a chance at controlling this "team".

[Scurrilous]

13. Luther Campbell - No Love Spoelstra Long Time

Erik Spoelstra must go - By Luther Campbell

<snip>

"Pat Riley needs to stop wasting time writing love poems to his wife Christine during games and get back on the sidelines. Erik Spoelstra is a nice guy, and one day he might even be a great head coach. But right now, he is not the guy who can lead the Dwyane Wade-LeBron James-Chris Bosh troika to an NBA title. Riley needs to take over as head coach of the Miami Heat again, even if it means he gets criticized for repeating the morass of replacing Stan Van Gundy in 2006. Remember that one? That's when Riley fired the coach and then led the Heat to its first championship.

Riley is like the rich-ass dad who has been letting his young son drive his $1 million Bugatti Veyron. He wants to see if Spoelstra is mature enough to pilot the luxury ride. Based on the way the Heat has played during its losing games, the team's former video guy does not command the respect of his players. After the second loss to the Boston Celtics, James complained Spoelstra is playing him and D-Wade too much. Bosh, after scoring 35 points against a depleted Phoenix Suns team, groused that guys on the team just want to chill while Spoelstra wants them to work hard in practice. You better believe the Heat's power forward, whose play has been atrocious so far, would not be making stupid comments if Riley were coaching the team.

Spoelstra might be D-Wade's guy, but he is certainly not a James or a Bosh guy. So far, the players' roles are still undefined. Bosh is not getting the ball enough. Wade is still taking acrobatic shots as if he has no teammates. And what was the point of having Wade, James, and Bosh share the stage at the American Airlines Arena this past summer if you are drawing up plays for Eddie House to take the last shot in a close game? The money guys should take the money shots.

There are only four men in the NBA capable of coaching this group of All-Stars: Larry Brown, Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, and Riley. Of those coaches, only the Heat's president is available. This team needs a leader it can respect. That is not the case with Spoelstra. He is a good assistant. To develop into a top-tier coach, he needs to be in charge of a low-end NBA team or maybe a small school vying for a berth in the NCAA tournament. Giving Spoelstra the keys to the Bugatti was a mistake.

Make the change now. Riley, you can't wait until the All-Star break. Give the Heat fans their money's worth."

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-12-02/news/erik-spoelstra-must-go/

[joeybee12]

16. Yup, it's tough to coach primadonnas and stay in control...always tough...

especially when a player is ceaselessly trying to undermind you...think Childress and Favor.

[TZ]

14. Well hey, they beat a John Wall less Wizards team

last night, looks like all is well in Heat land...:crazy:
Although how they didn't beat maybe the worst team in the land by about 40 points is a little funny to me.

[dakota_democrat]

15. As a fan of the "local" basketball team (Timberwolves)

The Heat did beat us by about 40 points. :(

[trumad]

20. You mean like they did the Timberwolves

[joeybee12]

17. Here's an article about hoe LeBron is trying to undermine Spoelstra

King James wants Spoelstra to bow to him

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-lebronspoelstra112910

[TZ]

18. "hoe LeBron"? I assume thats a typo for HOW LeBron is trying to undermine

the coach. But that has to be the BEST.FREUDIAN.TYPO.EVER.....:rofl:

[joeybee12]

19. I thought about editing it but then I said...

NO FREAKING WAY!!!!

[RockaFowler]

21. What a crappy article

I watched the entire game last night and the post-game. None of this crap ever happened. it's nice that Yahoo can make up shit and have people believe it.

[Awsi Dooger]

22. Riley won't coach this team

He yearned for one validating title post-Showtime, and got it. Riley's older and trusts Spoelstra. The past 3 years were blueprinted with acquiring a roster and allowing Spoelstra to coach it. Riley prides loyalty above all. He made that point constantly during negotiations with Lebron and Bosh, that top people in the organization had been there for a decade or more.

From afar it may seem comparable to the 2006 situation. As a Heat fan, it's not remotely close. The roster needs mending from the middle outward. The coach is in place.