Golden State Warriors Head Coach Mark Jackson Unfortunately On The Hot Seat.
Throughout the duration of the 2014 season, Mark Jackson’s name has constantly been the topic of discussion, with questions regarding his future job security always showing up in the headlines. This has obviously been a major distraction to the entire franchise, more in particular for the veteran players on the team and golden boy Stephen Curry. Prior to his arrival, the Warriors had gone four consecutive seasons without an appearance in the playoffs and were still trying to decide whether Monta Ellis would continue leading the team as their number one option.
Monta would only play the first half of Mark’s debut season with the team, and Jackson would immediately make Curry their star player moving forward. With the emergence of Curry, the Warriors instantly became a destination for many veterans, including the re-signing of Andrew Bogut to a 3-year extension just last fall and landing star free agent swing-man Andre Iguodala over the summer. Along with helping develop Klay Thompson throughout his rookie season until now, the Warriors have one of the more intriguing situations in the entire league.
Why would the Warriors management even consider this?
Much like the Bulls management having internal problems with their head coach Tom Thibodeau, the Warriors are encountering that same issue with Jackson, for whatever reason. We mention Thibodeau because free agents and his current roster likes playing for him, which is very hard for most coaches (not named Gregg Popovich) to do.
Throughout the Warriors first round loss to the Clippers, many players and even the coach, felt like their core would not be back for another season; which put a huge hindrance on the team’s focus. Los Angeles had their own issues at the same time, and have been subsequently resolved somewhat, but it’s going to take a few months for management to decide what to do on the front office side of things.
So back to the question, should the Warriors fire their head coach Mark Jackson?
Well, if you’ve read any of what we’ve previously mentioned, then hell the fuck no. If your star player loves a head coach and other less talented players play well above their capabilities for him, then it’s obvious he’s doing something right. This season, Golden State obtained their first 50-win season in over 12 years and would’ve had a better chance of getting out of the 1st round again this year if their center Andrew Bogut wasn’t injured. It was unfortunate and really hindered their chances going into Game 7.
Golden State has to be careful in whether to fire Jackson or not, especially with a dry climate in the coaching department on the market. With a new stadium coming to San Francisco for the 2019 season, a team that’s not a contender in a few years will not be good for ticket sales and attracting free agents no matter how big the contract.
It wouldn’t make any sense to fire Mark Jackson. If anything, give him a bonus. He turned the team around and has made the city of Oakland proud. It’s up to the management to bring in more pieces for a championship team. They’re on the cusp. Mark Jackson has already turned a dollar out of 15 cents.