“Can he win a championship without LeBron and Wade?” - Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo believes Erik Spoelstra is not in the top 15 all-time list for coaches
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has come under criticism from Chris Russo. Russo believes that Spoelstra is not one of the top-15 coaches of all time.
Appearing on ESPN's morning show "First Take," sports media personality Chris Russo doesn't believe that Erik Spoelstra should be mentioned as a top-15 coach of all time.
He has not won a championship without LeBron James and has lost two championships despite having James. Russo said:
"We put these coaches on these incredible levels. I like Spoelstra, I love Riley, I know what he's done. Can he win a championship without LeBron and Wade before we put on these incredible levels?"
Russo continued:
"To me, I cannot make him top-15 coaches in the NBA. He won two championships with LeBron, but he also lost two Finals with LeBron, one he should never have lost - to Dallas. They lost to Dallas. There's no way they ever should have lost that series."
The timing of this statement from Russo is odd as the Miami Heat took Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals series against the Boston Celtics and reached the NBA Finals just two years ago.
How far can Erik Spoelstra take the Miami Heat this season?
Erik Spoelstra became the first Asian-American head coach to win an NBA championship back in 2012 with the Miami Heat alongside the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Spoelstra is also widely considered to be the best coach in the league, along with names like Nick Nurse and Ty Lue. The 51-year-old has established himself as one of the finest tacticians in the game and has also been recognized for his ability to make changes in-game.
It all changed at halftime.
Miami HEAT basketball was on full display after that. https://t.co/FWHOIkw1ro
The Heat came into the season with hopes of going deep into the postseason. With the way things have unfolded in the East, Erik Spoelstra and company are well and truly in contention to come out of the East and win the championship.
Miami has been the most consistent team in the East despite suffering injuries to key players like Butler and Bam Adebayo.
However, the likes of Tyler Herro and others have stepped up during this period. As a result, they finished the regular season at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
The Heat are 15-6 since their bench scuffle, the best record in the NBA. https://t.co/NyVEgr3tCq
The trump card for Spoelstra and the Heat is the familiarity within the roster and their ability hurt you from the perimeter along with depth in almost every position. This, combined with Spoelstra's tactics and Jimmy Butler's performances in the postseason this year, there is no reason why the Miami Heat can't go all the way.