I'm not real crazy about Avery Johnson. He never really had to pay his dues like everyone else in the NBA, and some of his bad decisions cost the Dallas Mavericks the 2006 NBA Championship (won by Dwyane Wade and Miami). In fact, that 2006 NBA Final was a classic "choke job" by Avery Johnson.Originally Posted by Dixonfor6
Johnson got his first asst coaching job under Don Nelson in Dallas in late 2004, and 5 months later Nelson resigned. Essentially, Johnson was handed the keys to a brand new Ferrari, that he played no part in building. But the organization got behind him and propped him up. Obviously he won a lot of games, even being named NBA "Coach of the Year" in 2006. But YOU too could have done well coaching those Maverick teams from 2004 thru 2008.
Avery Johnson was a big time underachiever as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. He couldn't win playoff games. The longer Johnson stayed in Dallas, the worse his Maverick teams performed in the playoffs, despite have superior talent. (The Mavs eventually won the 2011 NBA title 3 years after Avery left.)
From Wikipedia:
That's right, his mentor big Daddy Don Nelson, took Johnson to the woodshed and reminded him who was boss. After that, it was all down hill until the Mavericks forced Johnson out."In the 2006–07 season, Avery Johnson's Mavericks had the best record in the NBA with 67 wins and entered the playoffs as the top seed. However, his Mavericks lost to the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors, led by former Mavericks head coach Don Nelson, in one of the biggest upsets in recent NBA history."
"Following the 2007–08 season, the Mavericks under Johnson were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row. A day later, on April 30, 2008, Johnson was dismissed as head coach of the Mavericks."
|
|
Reply With Quote