Generally speaking yes. Would like to give benefit of the doubt and time. However, it's difficult to find any redeeming qualities of the direction of the program. We hear from a veteran player that they aren't practicing appropriately. I mean if there weren't enough red flags already. That's not on the players - that is directly on the coaches.
I hate to bring up Kermit again, but for a point of reference did you ever watch a Kermit practice? They brought it every day. If you didn't bring your best every day and have the mental toughness to do it your ass would be playing pick up games in the rec center while you awaited your transfer options.
There has been so much overlooking what are clear problems with the actual competitiveness of the team - as we have seen poster after poster give a pass, because he's only in his second season. But IMO that's BS. He was hired to keep the ball rolling not oversee a complete cluster f***. So, everyone overlooks that and wants to give a pass. And now we have what otherwise seems like a really insignificant comment by a player on the team. Except I don't believe it's insignificant. I see it as more as evidence to the culture of the program under this regime's leadership. Every thing is laissez-faire. There is no fire in their bellies. There is no intensity. No one has the guts to play tough defense. No one wants to take the body shots to pick up the tough rebounds or the 50/50 balls. Just about everyone who handles the ball is careless at best. Instead of playing tough defense everyone just wants to get back to the other end of the floor to throw up wild shots that virtually have no prayer going in most of the time. Meanwhile the head coach just sits back and watches it all play out and claps his hands every once and while and gives them a keep up the good work hand shake.
All of these issues are a direct reflection of the head coach. And y'all or going to tell me this is all going to be fixed just because he's going to recruit some absolute ballers who are going to come in and take us back to the top?? I'm sorry. That's pie in the sky. I just don't see it. We aren't recruiting elite talent 4* players to the Boro. We have to recruit in a blue collar way, develop them, and coach them up to success The question I ask myself is if another coach had these exact same players could he win with them? I don't think there is a championship capability in this group, but I do believe a coach who utilized a different style could get this group above .500. We had teams with a lot less talent under Kermit that still won 18-19 games.
We can go into a whole host of reasons in why he was able to win at Asheville. I think we've talked about a good number of them before, so I'm not going to belabor that point. But what I have been trying to say since day one is this style of play, this type of coaching, the way he goes about his business can be successful in some places. It is highly unlikely it can be successful here - and again - I have laid out those reason numerous times before. So, I'm waiting for someone to tell me what evidence indicates what I just stated is wrong. Other than the proverbial "hey man just wait. Gotta give more time." Sorry, that's not going to cut it. Rather than hoping things get better, I would not be opposed to finding a way to cut the tether and starting over. Honestly, it can't get any worse than it is, and it appears both parties would be more successful with different arrangements.
I don't have any big arguments with the points you are making. You're making reasoned arguments supporting your view.
For me, I have been trying to toe that fine line between what you are talking about in regards to demanding hard work and effort while at the same time extending some patience for the coaches and team to figure and/or work it out. Admittedly, I may not have successfully conveyed those thoughts in an effective manner as I know I tend to ramble.
I want the coaches and players to succeed here. I'm willing to practice some patience while the team works to improve and develop. One of the fastest ways to lose me is to slack off on effort, attitude, fight, and heart. You have to consistently practice those core elements in order to compete at a high level in most any competitive sport. At this level, you are going nowhere without those key traits. I also think that those traits and hard work are strong predictors of possible future success. I also think a lot of fans will be reasonably patient if they are witnessing tremendous effort even if they are losing games.
I don't think the coach has lost the team at this point. I don't think they have given up in general, but there have been more than a few stretches of various games where it appeared to me that the team was slacking in effort on the court. While I have been a pretty big advocate for CNM to have some time to form and develop his team, I've tried to make it abundantly clear anything short of great effort is totally unacceptable to me. And the team has flirted with that lack of effort a few times in my opinion.
Ultimately, I would hope the coaches and players would see their fans stance on effort and fight as a challenge. Frankly, the issue is still in doubt. I'm not sure if CNM is going to be able to mold this team into an elite fighting machine. At the same time, I'm not sure he won't. Admittedly, I've having some doubts. All things considered, I'm hoping CNM can start turning things around, and I'm hoping he can show some tangible improvements this season. Because of the stretches of questionable fight and effort, I'm wanting to start to see some of these improvements immediately.
So I think CNM has a little more time, in my book, but they really need to start exhibiting consistently some great effort, attitude, and fight.
