Mike Brown is taking the Sacramento Kings to greater heights, while Doc Rivers leads Philadelphia to the promised land.
Written by illythehost,
Images: Shutterstock
Behind every successful team, there’s a coach who plans everything before the game and makes sure his players are mentally prepared and physically fit. And how coaches lead their teams in the current playoffs will naturally influence the behaviour of their players. Look at teams in the current NBA playoffs and their coaches: the Kings ran circles around the Warriors, and the Philadelphia 76ers are taking a 2-0 lead to game three.
Six years ago, Mike Brown was an assistant coach at the Golden State Warriors. Looking at his approach to the game, and what he has done in his first year as the head coach of the Kings, you can tell he was the brains behind the Golden State Warriors wins all along.
Brown started the game with Sabonis, Barnes, Murray, Fox and Huerter. Together they managed 78 points. The remaining 36 came from the bench (Monk, Mitchell and Len). The defending champions looked confused and weren’t the same Warriors we knew back when Mike Brown was part of the coaching staff there. Now the question remains: is Kerr a good coach or did he rely on Mike’s brain and knowledge regarding basketball and its tactics?
Playoff newcomers, the Kings won 114-106, walking over the Warriors to stretch the series to 2-0. Fox was the man of the show again, but this time he had Sabonis who made it hard for Green to even finish the game as he got ejected for stomping over Sabonis’s chest in the fourth quarter. Mike Brown said Sabonis was undergoing x-rays to check if there was any serious damage because they need his strength and play come game three. As it stands, the Sacramento Kings are the team most likely to win this series and progress to the next round.
The Philadelphia 76ers once again proved that they’re a great team, with exciting play and a good coach. Talking about coaches, you can easily tell that Doc Rivers and his boys’ relationship is based on trust, confidence, and communication. Their focus and determination throughout the game show how they listen to their coach. The 25th head coach in 76ers history, Glenn ‘Doc’ Rivers who took over the hot seat from Brett White in October 2022, is continuing to transfer his creative intelligence and experience to his players. The Brooklyn Nets shifted their focus on Embiid and Harden, but Rivers knew he had Maxey and Harris who could also deliver when it mattered. This is the coach I believe can take this team far in the playoffs if he doesn’t drop the ball (like he did back in Los Angeles). Maxey confidently dropped six 3-pointers and scored 33 points, Embiid and Harris had 20 with Harden managing eight. The Philadelphia 76ers trumped the Brooklyn Nets 96-84 taking the series lead to 2-0.
Keep on checking HYPE’s website and socials for more updates on the NBA playoffs. To suggest what you want to see in future regarding basketball email me at illythehost@hypemagazine.co.za!