Spoelstra vents after Pacers’ Vogel dismissal
TORONTO — This was not the type of coaching statement that Erik Spoelstra was hoping to make in the Heat’s Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series Game 2 against the Raptors.
But with Thursday’s dismissal of Frank Vogel after five-plus seasons as coach of the Pacers, Spoelstra and Raptors coach Dwane Casey are now the two longest-tenured coaches in the Eastern Conference.
“I think it’s really disturbing, actually. I’ve only been a head coach for eight years. So what am I, the second-longest-tenured?” Spoelstra asked, with Casey in his sixth season as Toronto coach and only Gregg Popovich, in his 20th season with the San Antonio Spurs, on the bench longer than Spoelstra. “That’s a sad state of where the coaching profession is right nowand stability of organizations.”
Spoelstra said it is the continuity afforded by the Heat that has allowed for the success that has contributed to three championships and numerous other runs deep into the playoffs.
He took umbrage with the notion of Pacers President Larry Bird that Vogel’s voice had grown stale in the locker room, that it is optimal to move on from coaches after three years.
“Voice is lost on who?” Spoelstra asked after the Heat completed their morning shootaround at Air Canada Centre, citing only Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem still on the roster from when he took over. “Teams’ rosters change every two or three years. Somy voice is new to virtually everybody in this locker room. It’s the same with Dwyane and U.D., that’s it. But that voice also has been different as a video coordinator, as an assistant coach, as a scout, as a head coach.
“Look, just look around the league, the teams with great, consistent continuity, and see how they’ve evolved. Let’s see how their record is over the years.”
Of the profession, Casey said after his team’s morning shootaround, “I’ve been in the college game at Kentucky and I know the deal at all levels. There’s pressure at every level.”
The Raptors defeated the Pacers 4-3 in the first round, with that series ending Sunday.
“I texted him [Wednesday] and told him to hang in there,” Casey said of Vogel. “You just hate to see another coach lose their profession, lose their job at any level.
“It’s a crappy part of it. He’ll land on his feet. He’s a good coach. He’s an excellent coach. I know he made a lot of adjustments. Iknow they’ve been one of the top defensive teams in the league over the years that he’s been there. The grass always looks greener on the other side.”
Screen statement
In the wake of an NBA officiating report that said Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas committed at least two illegal screens that weren’t called in Game 1, Casey said Thursday he expects heightened officiating vigilance.
“As long as they do it both ways,” Casey said, “because I don’t knowhow many were not called against their team. As long as they correct things both ends of the floor, I’m fine with it.”