Coaches on Hot Seat

No you can't.

Lee is nowhere near the skilled player to be in the same league as a Dwight Howard.

Yet Lee needs a dynamic D player to make up for his lapses on D (wihch are pretty signficant) and he needs a good O player to get some easy post shots, since he's just reliant on hustle.

Lee is dramatically overpaid.  The Golden State Warriors have one of the best backcourt tandems in the league in Ellis and Curry, and because they're so weak in the post, they'll never do anything with it.  As such they're likely to part with Ellis or Curry (highest trade value).  THey went hard for Chandler last summer, hoping his post D could help (it wouldn't hurt them, but he's not skilled enough offensively to ease things up there).

Lee's offense is all hustle.  It's nice having guys like that on a team, but not for the money he's at and will make.  He doesn't have the smooth jump shot or post moves that other O first players have, nor is he the defensive anchor PF that other teams have....

His contract's tough....as he's one of those good fits if you have a great 2 way player, and scrolling the league, there's perhaps 3-4 of them going right now (Dwight Howard - who's improved dramatically his O game, and even when it was weaker a few years backwas so dominant that he'd have worked) and Marc Gasol (who's more a D anchor but has the post game to be a power C).  Then there's the Lakers dynamic post duo of Pau Gasol (who's pretty freaking awesome at everything still) and Andrew Bynum, who hopefully will stay healthy for them....

That's about it.  I mean, Garnett's too old/not what he was, Duncan's too old (though still decent, not what he was), Noah's game is predicated on hustle (though he's a good passer, solid defender, and has some handles and a wide array of unique skills), Bosh isn't enough of a D stopper to pair with Lee (but he's a good O player), Boozer's a great O player/rebounder, but his D is pretty rough in the post (he's ok in the open court at causing a steal/deflection a few times a game), Millsap's all O, Jefferson's all O.  Bogut's always hurt and well hasn't returned to his pre injury form...

Maybe Al Horford or LaMarcus Aldridge could be those sort of players, but they're really 4's....

Lee's not a top 17 PF (no order):
Al Horford
Amare Stoudemire
Carlos Boozer
David West
Greg Monroe (or at least soon to be)
Chris Bosh
Al Horford (plays 5, but's a natural 4)
Josh Smith
LaMarcus Aldridge
Kevin Love
Blake Griffin
Pau Gasol
DeMarcus Cousins (when he's not a headcase, he also plays a lot of 5, but can play both, he's far more talented)
"Old Man" Tim Duncan
Zach Randolph (when healthy definitely)
Dirk Nowitzki
Luis Scola

Yet Lee is a top 50 paid player overall this year and will climb shortly into the top 15-20 in a few years....

His salary alone will represent 25-26% of the total cap in a few years.....and he's not going to be a top 10 PF ever.

That's tough, and barring luck on a real 2 way post stud, that'll be something that GSW will regret soon.

WHY IN THE WORLD DID THEY USE THEIR AMNESTY PROVISION (WHICH THEY COULD KEEP FOR THE NEXT 2 YEARS AS WELL, BUT ONLY USE ONCE) ON Charlie Bell.  I know he wasn't worth his contract, but this was the last year of it, and they paid him anyway....

STUPID.

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Jackson not having much for training camp is certainly a valid excuse for his team struggling...as would be all the new coaches or coaches with teams that are very new.   Such as:  Clippers. 

You mean that team that added Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, and Caron Butler?  Gee, I wonder why they don't seem to be struggling.

Lee's not a top 17 PF (no order):
Al Horford
Amare Stoudemire
Carlos Boozer
David West
Greg Monroe (or at least soon to be)
Chris Bosh
Al Horford (plays 5, but's a natural 4)
Josh Smith
LaMarcus Aldridge
Kevin Love
Blake Griffin
Pau Gasol
DeMarcus Cousins (when he's not a headcase, he also plays a lot of 5, but can play both, he's far more talented)
"Old Man" Tim Duncan
Zach Randolph (when healthy definitely)
Dirk Nowitzki
Luis Scola

Basically you are saying Lee is not a top 17 post player as a lot of these guys play a lot of center but its all good.  I am going to go out on a limb and say he is better than at least one of those two Al Horford's you have listed there.  David Lee is also better than Demarcus Cousins and Greg Monroe at this point.  Bosh is debatable.  His teams never did anything until they had Lebron and DWade on them.  Scola's debatable too although I will say I am biased when it comes to Scola because I can't stand the guy.  There is never a moment on the basketball court when he is not fouling someone yet the refs just love the guy.  The rest of those guys on your list of power forwards and centers are better than David Lee though.

Yet Lee needs a dynamic D player to make up for his lapses on D (wihch are pretty signficant) and he needs a good O player to get some easy post shots, since he's just reliant on hustle.

That part of your statement I italicized is ridiculous.  Do yourself a favor and just comment on players that you have seen play.

Zags, Bosh is debatable?  Come on already.  Chris Bosh is now severely underrated.  Granted he's not and has never been in Lebron or Wade's league--but then again only about 4-5 other players in the league are, but he's still most definitely a top 10 PF, easily.  His teams never did anything true, but look how much worse they are without him.

Lee is better than the 2 Al Horford's :),

Lee is nowhere near as talented as Cousins or Monroe, not in the same talent league.  Cousins can outperform him while at the same time pouting and sitting for 25 minutes.  And Monroe is about the only player Detroit has (especially now that Ben Gordon looks like he lost any semblance of confidence or at least doesn't care to play any more).

Scola may be debatable, but that guys electric offensively, and that skill's harder to fill than Lee, and he's just as full of huslte (I actually think he's a better player than he's used in Houston.

Sure guy's like Pau Gasol and DeMarcus Cousins swap from 4/5 often, but that's a strength (and Horford plays the 5, but really is a 4, etc).  That's a huge advantage to have, and Lee can't quite do that because he's not a good defender and not tall enough. 

But as you said, even if he's the 14th (if you take Cousins, Monroe and Horford off the list) he's a top 50 paid player who'll move into top 15-20 in the upcoming years and he's not worth that).  Plus I definitely think Cousins and Monroe or in the life of that contract will be much better.

It sucks, I just don't get the Warriors....and their use of the amnesty provision on an expiring contract the first year it was available (they could have used it the next 2 years) esp when they had needs in the post.  Lee's good enough to keep for a bit, but why not keep that just in case in 2 years they want to move in another direction.  If he made $7-10M even he'd be fine, even if at $10M slightly overpaid as he gets older, but fine, but $15-16M is crazy.  They better hope they get lucky in the draft. 

As good as Ellis (or Curry) is they aren't going to get the size they desperately need in a trade for either of those 2, and Lee's not going anywhere for a while.

Zags, Bosh is debatable?  Come on already.  Chris Bosh is now severely underrated. 

He is doing better this year.  I would take him over Lee.

Lee is nowhere near as talented as Cousins or Monroe, not in the same talent league.

Cousins is talented.  Monroe is not supremely talented.  He is more crafty than talented.

It sucks, I just don't get the Warriors....and their use of the amnesty provision on an expiring contract the first year it was available (they could have used it the next 2 years) esp when they had needs in the post.

The amnesty on Charlie Bell was I believe to free up some room to make the offer they made to DeAndre Jordan...which of course was a swing and a miss.  Of course they could have amnestied Biedrins and his 9 million per year and done that but they wanted to have two legit centers and not just one legit center and a power forward trying to play center (which is what they have had forever).  They actually had this when they signed Kwame Brown and it was working out better for their defense and then Brown goes down for the season (or most of it).  Basically the Bell amnesty had intent to it but turned out to be a swing and a miss.

Lee's good enough to keep for a bit, but why not keep that just in case in 2 years they want to move in another direction.  If he made $7-10M even he'd be fine, even if at $10M slightly overpaid as he gets older, but fine, but $15-16M is crazy.

Yeah he has a bad contract.  I never really looked at how it exploded into the 15 million range the last couple of years and just saw the 10 and 11 million in the first few which is not so bad but then it gets way too high down toward the end.  That was the old ownership though.  I have not really seen the new ownership make any bad moves like that (yet).

Mayonrac, I think you are arguing with yourself.  I do not think Lee if of DH's abilities; which is what I stated in the first place.  Although Scola surely isn't better than Lee.  That is just plain crazy.  You are clearly undervaluing Lee.

You can argue any player that has a long-term contract is overpaid in the latter years.  This isn't rocket science.  It is simply "how it is and has always been".  So I fail to see your logic.  I'm sure if they don't want to pay him the 15 million; they will attempt to trade him to someone who will...and reap rewards cause he is overpaid but they must get similar value in return.  Minny just did this with Love.  The signed him to the max.  Which now makes him a more valuable trade asset.  And there are plenty of teams that will take on his salary; such as Cs, Lakers, etc..

I realize Clips have guys like Butler (who barely played last year), Chauncey, and CP3.  But they still gotta work with a new system and new players.  So the lack of training camp is just as hard on Clippers as it is on a team with a new coach or new system.  All players are professionals.  So no excuses.  Esp to a team that has all its starters....and only a new coach.

As usual Whoosh lotta good stuff!! David Lee is often criticised for his defense but the guy cleans glass and that is its own form of defense.  But he cant do it on his own.... GS allows way too many offensive rebounds, but Lee appears to give max effort every game.  And his offensive contributions are undeniable.  I think Golden State has a group of talented players but lack chemistry.  Ellis is unstoppable at times, and when Dorrell Wright and Curry Heat up, they are a dangerous team!!

   The Clippers are a high class version of GS in my mind.  They have Talent: Blake Griffin,CP3, Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler, and hell even Jordan, who I think statistically is the worst FT shooter in the NBA, is helping this team win games!!  What makes them good is their chemistry and team energy.  Sometimes Griffin sacrifices points to dish it back out and he has trust that his teammates can produce!! And NOOOO, Im not saying Golden State is as good, I'm saying that new players coaches etc aside, the Clippers have synergy and Golden State doesnt!!

I think the biggest reason why the Clips are as good as they are this year is they kept key parts of their team and intergrated players that would fit on any team; such as CP3, Billups, and Butler.   They keep their core in Griffin and Jordan..not cause Jordan is the best center; but because they have that teamwork already built.  Most teams that stay pat for the most part and play together; get that synergy.  Then you add players that can help it.  And if you lose players, you replace their abilities so that you don't lose substance.  Clippers, realizing they have played the toughest schedule of any other team, has been impressive.  I like what I see.

I'm not sure what GS lacks.  I think they are talented and certainly playoff material.  But each year to me; they seem to underachieve.  I think some is chemistry but I think more is ego; esp with Ellis.  I think the players are playing more against themselves than their opponent.  And that never results into success.  They truly need discipline from a sport perspective.

GS lacks post defense, plain and simple.  Post defense.  They're abysmal at defending in the post.