Ranking the Most Miserable Partnerships in the NBA
In the NBA, healthy partnerships are the key to long-term success.
Gregg Popovich wouldn't have won five championships without Tim Duncan. Kobe Bryant needed Phil Jackson's Zen teachings to push him over the title hump five times. Without Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, LeBron James could still be a zero-time NBA champion.
While Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal proved teammates don't always need to be BFFs off the court to succeed, a lack of synergy between players, coaches and the front office often dooms teams to failure in their pursuit of a Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Which partnerships rank among the league's most miserable today? Based on how public the acrimony is and the potential long-term ramifications for that particular franchise, 10 in particular stand out.
Honorable Mention: Mark Jackson and Warriors Broadcasts
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When ex-Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson made his return to Oracle Arena as a broadcaster on Jan. 9, awkwardness was bound to ensue.
The San Jose Mercury News' Jimmy Durkin highlighted a few of Jackson's most pointed comments from the broadcast, including this gem:
"I'll say this. Steve Kerr has done an outstanding job. They are the best team in basketball today. He deserves a lot of credit. And I think while giving him credit, there's no reason to take credit away from the past. You cannot disrespect the caterpillar while raving about the butterfly.
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Jackson continued firing salvos at the Dubs during a March 8 game against the Los Angeles Clippers, as Golden State of Mind's Andy Liu noted. "In another odd TV broadcast (why even have him on at this point?), Jackson trashed Curry by proclaiming him not good enough where he helps his teammates get better," Liu wrote.
Perhaps Jackson's comments were simply retaliation for the shots Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob took at him in December, via Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group. At this point, given the inherent conflict of interest, it might be best for ESPN/ABC to keep Jackson far away from any further Warriors broadcasts whenever possible.
10. Phil Jackson and James Dolan
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When New York Knicks owner James Dolan hired Phil Jackson as team president in mid-March 2014, the former promised a hands-off approach during the latter's introductory press conference.
"I am by no means an expert in basketball," Dolan said. "I'm a fan, but my expertise lies in managing companies and businesses. You know, I think I'm a little out of my element when it comes to the team."
One month later, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported that Dolan was back to his meddling ways. "According to a team source, Jackson is looking to remove several staff members, which is commonplace when a new administration takes over, but Dolan opposes removing certain employees," Isola wrote.
Jackson ultimately won that battle, and since then all has been quiet on the Dolan-Jackson front. In fact, while speaking at The New Yorker Festival in October, the legendary head coach revealed he has full say over personnel decisions, per ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley:
"I was point blank and honest with him and said, "If I walk into your office or call you up on the telephone and tell you that I want to trade X player who's an All-Star or Y player who's the fans' favorite, if I think it's the right move, I want you to feel confident that I can do this, will you give me the liberty to do this?" And he said yes, and that's really the key.
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With the Knicks mired in their worst season in franchise history, the question remains whether Jackson's free reign has an expiration date. Given his intention of rebuilding through free agency this summer, per ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne, the Jackson-Dolan dynamic bears watching over the next few months in particular.
9. Brook Lopez and Lionel Hollins
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During the preseason, new Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins didn't mince words when speaking about seventh-year center Brook Lopez, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. When asked how he'd like to see the big man improve, Hollins replied:
"Just being more aggressive, being tougher, rebounding better. Just being a force in the paint. When you're 7-feet and 260 pounds, I'd like for him to be a force. I want all our big guys to be like that — be tougher, be more aggressive, be an inside player. If you're an inside player, a big guy, control the paint and play outside last.
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A month-and-a-half later, Hollins continued with his verbal volleys, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. "He needs to be better defensively, he needs to be better rebounding, he needs to be better passing the ball to his teammates," the coach said.
Following a game against the Boston Celtics in early January—in which Lopez stopped running after a live ball at one point in the third quarter—Hollins tore into his big man once more during his postgame remarks, per Tom Lorenzo of NetsDaily. "When asked, Hollins said that Lopez was 'being lazy,'" reported Lorenzo.
Hollins had Lopez come off the bench for roughly two months in the middle of the season, telling reporters the team "started playing better" while he and Deron Williams missed time with injuries in December, according to ESPN.com's Mike Mazzeo. Though the two appear to have patched things up for now—Lopez has started the Nets' past five games—there's no telling how long that will last.
8. Lance Stephenson and the Charlotte Hornets
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When the Charlotte Hornets signed Lance Stephenson to a three-year, $27 million contract in the summer of 2014, he appeared to be one of free agency's biggest steals. Six months later, the team was reportedly shopping him in trade talks, per ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.
Brett Jensen of Fox Sports Carolinas highlighted where things have gone wrong for Stephenson in Charlotte:
"From game to game, Stephenson looks confused and lost to varying degrees. Some games he shoots a lot and is aggressive, while at other times he looks to pass first and be more of a facilitator. He's averaging a career-high 4.9 assists per game.
That was never more showcased than on Feb. 10, when Stephenson took only a single shot against Detroit in 20 minutes, but took 15 shots against Dallas two games later.
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Before a March 4 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, head coach Steve Clifford told reporters that "expectations were a little out of whack" in terms of what Stephenson would bring to the Hornets. "This is Lance's first time playing with new guys," he said. "His attitude has been fine."
There's still time for Stephenson to salvage this lost season, especially as the Hornets make a final playoff push. However, after a breakout 2013-14 in which he averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 35.3 minutes per game, Born Ready's performance in Charlotte this year has been a resounding disappointment.
7. Kirk Hinrich and Chicago Bulls Fans
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If you've ever been on Twitter during a Chicago Bulls game, you've likely seen someone fill your timeline with hate screed directed at Kirk Hinrich.
With Carlos Boozer now a Los Angeles Laker, the 12-year guard has become head coach Tom Thibodeau's new token "veteran who plays far more minutes than he otherwise deserves." Blog a Bull's Jason Patt summed up the general consensus among Bulls fans regarding Hinrich:
"You've all seen the screenshots of Hinrich standing in the corner with not a defender in sight, and it doesn't take a basketball savant to figure out how much that hurts an offense. Hinrich's man often sags into the paint, which kills spacing and driving lines, especially with Noah out there as well.
Hinrich can occasionally beat you by knocking down open threes, but his three-point shooting has steadily gotten worse as the year has gone on. And if he's not hitting open threes, he's just not giving you much (or anything) on offense as a 2-guard. You can't really run plays for him, and he's not effective off the bounce or in the paint. Even his assists have gone way down.
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Chicago fans' rage is rather justified, given Hinrich's on/off splits. His net rating of plus-1.1 is the worst of any regular rotation member, while the Bulls' net rating of plus-3.5 with him on the bench is the third highest of any player, trailing just Doug McDermott and Pau Gasol.
The recent emergence of Tony Snell and E'Twaun Moore should give Thibodeau more flexibility in the backcourt, especially once Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler return from their respective injuries. Knowing Thibs, however, Hinrich will still play 20-plus minutes per game even with Rose and Butler back in the fold, which could lead to an earlier-than-expected playoff demise.
6. Byron Scott and Jeremy Lin
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Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott and point guard Jeremy Lin haven't seen eye to eye very much this season. Ever since describing himself as a "Jeremy Lin fan" during an appearance on Time Warner Cable SportsNet last summer, the Lakers coach hasn't pulled punches when speaking about his floor general.
In January, Scott lamented Lin's lack of consistency, telling reporters, "The effort has been great. That hasn't been a problem with Jeremy. It's just a matter of being consistent each and every night, trying to get into a flow each and every night."
Just weeks later, the Lakers coach harped on Lin for attempting to do too much during his time on the court, per Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "Get everybody in their sets and take care of the ball," he said. "Just run the show. You don't have to do too much. Just run the show."
In early March, Scott conceded his floor general is "more comfortable" and "not thinking so much out there," per Medina, which Lin largely attributed to an increase in pick-and-rolls." However, the Lakers coach said he "didn't like" to start games with pick-and-rolls because "everybody is stationary and it's easy to guard."
With Lin set to become a free agent in July, it's almost impossible to imagine him re-signing in L.A., given his philosophical differences with Scott. While the two haven't come to blows publicly—and their frayed relationship doesn't greatly threaten the long-term health of the franchise—they're one of the league's most dysfunctional couples at the moment.
5. Coach Doc Rivers and Team President Doc Rivers
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Doc Rivers is a walking example of why the dual head coach-team president role might sound good in theory but rarely works in practice.
As Seth Partnow explained on BBALLBREAKDOWN, the Los Angeles Clippers have been hamstrung all year because of Rivers playing double duty:
"The Clippers lurching personnel moves this season all stem from the short time horizon characteristic of a coach's viewpoint, but were devastating to proper personnel management. Untangling all the deals L.A. has made, the opportunity cost of signing Spencer Hawes to the Mid-Level Exception this past offseason has been Jared Dudley, a future first rounder, a future second rounder, [Reggie] Bullock and the use of the Bi-Annual Exception until 2016. Not fully understanding the implications of a pending move beyond the immediate need for front line depth, the team thundered forward before realizing the predicament.
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Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times believes "the best grade you could give Rivers for his roster management is an incomplete," noting, "Rivers signed enough busts last summer to fill a wing of the Smithsonian." Sports on Earth's Michael Pina saw this train wreck coming, writing last September, "This is a humongous, important job; hiring Rivers to fill it may be a mistake."
Head coaches are too inundated with day-to-day details to concern themselves with long-reaching roster machinations. Rivers stripped the Clippers of attractive assets through a series of misguided moves, leaving them to scrounge around the buyout market instead of making a splash at the trade deadline.
Nate Robinson wasn't a terrible late-season signing, but trading for Austin Rivers in mid-January likely sealed the team's fate this season. Until (unless?) Doc Rivers realizes he needs more help in his front-office role, the Clippers figure to fall a few steps short of legitimate title contention.
4. Kobe Bryant and His Lakers Teammates
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On Feb. 22, the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a seven-game losing streak with an overtime victory over longtime rivals the Boston Celtics. After the game, Nick Young, Jordan Hill, Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer expressed their elation in an interview with Mike Trudell of Time Warner Cable SportsNet.
When late-night host Jimmy Kimmel showed Kobe Bryant that clip two days later, the look on Kobe's face said it all.
"Would that happen if you were there?" Kimmel asked Bryant. "Would there be a celebration?"
Again, Bryant remained speechless, instead choosing to shoot daggers from his eyes.
Back in mid-December, before his season-ending rotator cuff tear, Bryant was more vocal with his displeasure, telling his teammates during a scrimmage, "You m-----f------ are soft like Charmin in this m-----f-----," per ESPNLosAngeles.com's Arash Markazi.
"Now I see why we've lost 20 f---ing games," he reportedly exclaimed.
Suffice it to say, if Kobe gets his way, next year's Lakers will need to win a whole lot more before they celebrate.
3. Kevin Love and His Role in Cleveland
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Before the season, Chris Bosh told Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick that Kevin Love's acclimation process with the Cleveland Cavaliers would be "extremely difficult and extremely frustrating."
Months later, Bosh's comments continue to ring prescient. While speaking with Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group in February, Love described his time with Cleveland as "one of the toughest situations I've had to deal with," saying, "Right now, I'm trying to find my way."
One month later, following a 106-97 loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Atlanta Hawks, Love took umbrage with his role once more, telling Haynes:
"I heard some people calling me that but I know I'm not a stretch-four. I'm a post player who can shoot. Right now I'm just doing what I'm called to do. For good, bad or indifferent, I'm playing my role and doing what's asked of me. Tonight, I stayed out on the perimeter.
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On the year, Love is jacking up 5.2 three-pointers per game, which constitutes a career-high 40.5 percent of his field-goal attempts. Though he would clearly prefer "a better balance of touches around the basket and looks from three-point range," per ESPN.com's Michael Wallace, his floor-spacing ability is what helps open up driving lanes for LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Co.
As Bleacher Report's Howard Beck noted, Love is "the only one of the Big Three who still doesn't seem to exactly fit and have a carved-out role." Given the possibility of him opting out this summer and leaving Cleveland as a free agent—meaning the franchise would have shipped away Andrew Wiggins for a one-year rental—Love's ongoing issues with his role should have Cavs fans somewhat nervous.
2. Rajon Rondo and Rick Carlisle
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Just months after trading for point guard Rajon Rondo, the Dallas Mavericks could be afflicted with a severe case of buyer's remorse.
A shouting match between Rondo and head coach Rick Carlisle during a Feb. 24 win over the Toronto Raptors boiled over into the locker room, per ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon, leading to the team suspending the floor general for a game. Three days later, Rondo explained to reporters what led to the confrontation:
"I just got built-up frustration. I take a lot of the blame for what I've been doing on the court, but just a little frustrated. The most important thing is communication with Coach. I've talked to a lot of the coaches, I've talked to a lot of staff members.
Coach and I, when I first got here, we were talking a lot and watching film after every game. He's backed off a little bit with the addition of Amar'e Stoudemire, trying to help get him up to speed. Our communication was great at first. Not that it wasn't so great, but it's just that we weren't communicating enough. That shouldn't be the case the rest of the season.
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Despite his public comments, Rondo is "not a happy player" in Dallas, Richie Whitt of NBC Dallas-Fort Worth told Bleacher Report's Stephen Nelson. Given his impending date with unrestricted free agency in July, his long-term future with the franchise appears very much up in the air at the moment, which could put Dallas back to square one in terms of point guards.
1. Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls' Front Office
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When married couples file for divorce, they often cite "irreconcilable differences" as the cause. It appears as though the Chicago Bulls and head coach Tom Thibodeau could be months away from doing the same.
In late January, the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson cited several league sources who "believe Thibodeau's relationship with management is beyond repair." Though the Bulls had no plan to replace Thibs in the middle of the season, "a mutual parting of the ways after this season wouldn't surprise many league personnel familiar with the deteriorating dynamic," per Johnson.
In a March 2 appearance on ESPN's Waddle and Silvy radio show, ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell echoed Johnson's report, saying there was a 90 to 95 percent chance the Bulls either trade or fire Thibodeau during the offseason. According to Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher, "the expectation is he will be gone at the end of the year, regardless of how deep the Chicago Bulls go in the playoffs."
Bulls general manager Gar Forman downplayed any reports of a deteriorating relationship in late January, telling Johnson "there is absolutely no basis" to the rumors. However, citing people close to the team, the Chicago Sun Times' Rick Morrissey wrote "there is indeed something wrong with the coach/front office dynamic, to the point where the relationship might be beyond fixing."
Johnson shed a bit more light on the frayed relationship Monday:
"Beyond Rose's knee injuries, management has watched Thibodeau's approach for four seasons and believes it has created a worn-down team when it matters most — the playoffs. Statistics show the Bulls lead the NBA in players logging 13 or more consecutive minutes. In last season's regular-season finale, Noah logged 42 minutes in an overtime loss despite the Bulls already having secured home-court advantage for a first-round playoff series
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When there's this much smoke around the Thibodeau-front office dynamic, there's likely a fire roaring behind the scenes, despite Forman's public denial. A messy breakup appears all but inevitable this offseason, which, given the potential implications for the Bulls' long-term future, makes this the league's most miserable partnership by far.
