Nobody's talking about Coach K

[Football_Bat]

Hate to pile on to the post-mortem of the Olympics, but I haven't seen much of anything about Mike Krzyzewski's job coaching Team USA to gold.

Sure, you can say he just rolled 12 guys out there 5 at a time, and they balled their way to gold with no help from him. Didn't we say something similar before each of the last two times out?

Krzyzewski got this collection of prima donnas to play together and check their egos at the door. He proved he can coach pros, and not just intimidate wet-behind-the-ears college players to do it his way. He earned the respect of the best players in the world.

I used to be a K-hater too, but he earned my respect as a coach.

 

[JBHawkEye]

I've been thinking about this, too. He hasn't gotten that much credit for what happened.

I was impressed with how this team acted, on and off the court. They did check their egos at the door. And I thought it was good that a lot of those guys showed up to watch the other U.S. athletes in their events.

He deserves a lot of credit for the U.S. performance.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

LeBron James is no prima donna. He played and carried himself the same way in China that he does everywhere else.

I don't believe Dwyane Wade is a prima donna.

Chris Paul is not a prima donna.

 

[nafselon]

Meet Dwight Howard first and then tell me he's a prima donna. Same for Chris Bosh or Deron Williams or Chris Paul. The brilliant Coach K didn't have to transform some of these guys. They were good guys to begin with, guys who wanted to play for USA Basketball and win.

He did a great job of, however, role distribution for 12 guys who play in 12 different systems where they are the primary focal points. His job was complicated because he didn't just he to indentify their roles, but he had to make sure they achieved a level of comfort with them.

 

[Big Chee]

It's unfair to label these players in order to elevate Coach K's status.

I'll say this, Coach K was everything Larry Brown wasn't. He was flexible, coached the games to how they transpired, and didn't go out there trying to prove a point to his players. He also has the luxury of no other U.S. olympic coach before him of having over a year to work with his players.

He deserves all the props in the world, but it's not neccessary to throw the players under the bus.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I think Coach K deserves the most credit for being smart in which 12 he picked.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

LeBron James is no prima donna. He played and carried himself the same way in China that he does everywhere else.

I don't believe Dwyane Wade is a prima donna.

Chris Paul is not a prima donna.

Yeah, I'm curious which players from this team you think are prima donnas.

 

[Big Chee]

I think Coach K deserves the most credit for being smart in which 12 he picked.

Carlos Boozer had no reason being on that team.

 

[kingcreole]

Coach K of course deserves credit, but if you want to hear someone praise him for the job he did, just wait about two months. When college basketball starts, **** Vitale will probably shower Coach K with more praise than all of us put together.

 

[spnited]

K abd Colangelo did a great job putting this team together .. despite the original complaint of not enough big men ... and K did a very good job of coaching it.
I can't believe people still question K's coaching ability. You can say he acts like an ass in many ways but his track record is more than just getting players at Duke or having a great team to work with in Beijing.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Coach K is an ass.

He's also one of the best coaches of all-time.

 

[spnited]

My point exactly, mizzou.

 

[93Devil]

I think Coach K deserves the most credit for being smart in which 12 he picked.

Carlos Boozer had no reason being on that team.

If Boozer practiced hard and sat quietly on the bench waiting for his turn to play, then his role on this team should be appreciated.

Chee, what if they had a player instead of Boozer who cried to the media about not playing enough?

 

[Big Chee]

I think Coach K deserves the most credit for being smart in which 12 he picked.

Carlos Boozer had no reason being on that team.

If Boozer practiced hard and sat quietly on the bench waiting for his turn to play, then his role on this team should be appreciated.

Chee, what if they had a player instead of Boozer who cried to the media about not playing enough?

Listen...you dressing Boozer up as some choir boy, giving him props for something he SHOULD be doing in keeping quiet if receiving no playing time is pretty much useless.

He simply had no role on that team because he's an undersized big man....period. Giving him accolades for keeping quiet doesn't amount to much IMO. Luckily for the U.S., Bosh and Howard didn't play like Tim Duncan '04.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I think Coach K deserves the most credit for being smart in which 12 he picked.

Carlos Boozer had no reason being on that team.

Didn't watch much of it, but it seems like they never had much need for a half court offense. If they did, Boozer is the low post scorer with actual low post moves that Howard is not. He may be undersized inthe NBA, but not at the Olympics.

 

[Big Chee]

I think Coach K deserves the most credit for being smart in which 12 he picked.

Carlos Boozer had no reason being on that team.

Didn't watch much of it, but it seems like they never had much need for a half court offense. If they did, Boozer is the low post scorer with actual low post moves that Howard is not. He may be undersized inthe NBA, but not at the Olympics.

But low post play is negated in the international game. Ask Tim Duncan who discovered that in '04. It's of no use having a low post banger where the rules allow defensive players to anchor themselves in the paint without worrying about a 3 second violation.

He simply wasn't a fit for that team which I knew coming in.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I think Coach K deserves the most credit for being smart in which 12 he picked.

Carlos Boozer had no reason being on that team.

Didn't watch much of it, but it seems like they never had much need for a half court offense. If they did, Boozer is the low post scorer with actual low post moves that Howard is not. He may be undersized inthe NBA, but not at the Olympics.

But low post play is negated in the international game. Ask Tim Duncan who discovered that in '04. It's of no use having a low post banger where the rules allow defensive players to anchor themselves in the paint without worrying about a 3 second violation.

He simply wasn't a fit for that team which I knew coming in.

Probably, but why not have 1 guy out of 12 who can do it if it comes in handy? Who were they missing that you would have preferred in his spot?

 

[Big Chee]

I think Coach K deserves the most credit for being smart in which 12 he picked.

Carlos Boozer had no reason being on that team.

Didn't watch much of it, but it seems like they never had much need for a half court offense. If they did, Boozer is the low post scorer with actual low post moves that Howard is not. He may be undersized inthe NBA, but not at the Olympics.

But low post play is negated in the international game. Ask Tim Duncan who discovered that in '04. It's of no use having a low post banger where the rules allow defensive players to anchor themselves in the paint without worrying about a 3 second violation.

He simply wasn't a fit for that team which I knew coming in.

Probably, but why not have 1 guy out of 12 who can do it if it comes in handy? Who were they missing that you would have preferred in his spot?

It'll come in handy in 2012 when FIBA will adjust the rules to open up low post play.

 

[forever_town]

He deserves a lot of credit for the U.S. performance.

I hate him with a passion, but I give him a lot of credit for helping turn those 12 players into a team. And for supporting other U.S. athletes (see LeBron James watching swimming).

He did an outstanding job. Even as much as I hate him, I will say he's an excellent coach.

 

[beefncheddar]

I think Coach K deserves the most credit for being smart in which 12 he picked.

Carlos Boozer had no reason being on that team.

Didn't watch much of it, but it seems like they never had much need for a half court offense. If they did, Boozer is the low post scorer with actual low post moves that Howard is not. He may be undersized inthe NBA, but not at the Olympics.

But low post play is negated in the international game. Ask Tim Duncan who discovered that in '04. It's of no use having a low post banger where the rules allow defensive players to anchor themselves in the paint without worrying about a 3 second violation.

He simply wasn't a fit for that team which I knew coming in.

He fit his role perfectly. Good practice player who would STFU when he only played the final three minutes of asskickings.

I also wonder if he wasn't there to serve as some sort of bridge between the team and K. Having a guy that actually played for him could have been important behind the scenes.