Despite consecutive playoff appearances, Mark Jackson was relieved of his duties coaching Golden State following their first-round playoff exit to the Clippers, a move that followed multiple assistant coaches being dumped by the former St. John’s PG and widespread rumors of friction between Jackson and, well, every Warriors employee that didn’t wear a basketball uniform. Arguing that Jackson was merely “a decent coach”, the SF Chronicle’s Al Saracevic is very confident Golden State is better off without him.
— Jackson led the Warriors to the second round of the playoffs last year and to the first round this year. That’s what average NBA teams do most every year. Just because the Warriors have been horrible for the better part of 40 years doesn’t make this an astonishing feat. The team should have higher ambitions than first-round playoff exits. And it does.
— It’s a players’ league. If anything, Jackson proved that by trotting out a very stale offensive scheme and succeeding. The Warriors’ ship will rise and fall with Stephen Curry’s jump shot. A fresh offensive set and regular substitution pattern should do wonders for Curry – and the team.
— Jackson was a horrible fit in the Bay Area. He is a devout Christian who believes one should pray for homosexuals. Ask yourself: Would you want someone who believes that running your business? If we learned anything in the past few weeks, it’s that there is no room in the NBA for discrimination.