Since December 15th when they announced they were bringing on this hack, we've gone 10-10. Is it a stretch to suggest the players can feel his indiscriminate hand hovering over them and are playing accordingly?
And it certainly could be the case.If a new GM showing up causes the team to go from sure-fire champions to bottom-feeder then this team is softer and choke harder than any of us knew.
Correct. But that ain’t Ainge’s fault, though it would nonetheless be his job to clean up.And it certainly could be the case.
No but we can blame it on Ainge because it’s easier that way. We can say he ruined the feel-goods. It’s like when someone with a substance use disorder says “I was doing so good until _____,” where _____ is typically where someone intervenes on some kind of self-destructive behavior or otherwise gets in their way or establishes boundaries.Correct. But that ain’t Ainge’s fault, though it would nonetheless be his job to clean up.
Wouldn't that mean that guys would step up their game and be more focused if they truly loved being here?I think it would be naïve to say that having a new boss with a reputation for big splashes wouldn't have an effect on the mental day to day.
Not necessarily. Humans are emotional creatures. Culture and general good vibes (in most cases) are significant forces. I say this as a person who is forever bashing my head on the proverbial brick wall by trying to be efficient with humans.Wouldn't that mean that guys would step up their game and be more focused if they truly loved being here?
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In general I would say that if bringing a "tough" GM shook the team's confidence and culture this badly, it reveals how fragile those were to begin with. That said, Ainge's reputation is more complicated than just his dealings and management style. We know Donovan in particular has made social justice a priority and has found himself in conflict with a portion of the Utah community, including local politicians, as a result. The Jazz owner declaring themselves as being an "anti-racist" organization and then bringing in a guy with Ainge's track record on the subject could have very well left Donovan to further question his commitment to lead and be a face of this franchise. Donovan has generally still been producing, at least on offense, but he does feel far less engaged. I do think that ultimately Donovan is only player on this team that has the combination of talent and charisma to be the team leader, and if has decided he doesn't necessarily want that job that would certainly be felt throughout the lockeroom. Just speculation of course, but I do wonder about it.Not necessarily. Humans are emotional creatures. Culture and general good vibes (in most cases) are significant forces. I say this as a person who is forever bashing my head on the proverbial brick wall by trying to be efficient with humans.
Not necessarily mutually exclusive.The mental gymnastics jazzfanz does to deflect blame toward Snyder is outstanding. The buck stops with him.
Cause-effect relations are not discernable a priori by the operation of reason alone; such matters are discovered by experience. Hence, I endorse your quest to empirically investigate the issue.I was thinking of looking up the correlation of the hiring and the slide. I don't think it's for the specific reason the OP mentioned, but it's not unreasonable to explore the thought. There was a point where at times we began to care less about defense, rebounding and who knows what else. A small drop is pretty substantial in the world of professional sports especially on a team level. Is it Ainge? I have no clue how a fan would be able to make the connection at this point. Has anybody even talked about him specifically after month 1 of his reign?
I feel like at least a few people seemed to know or had strong suspicionsIf a new GM showing up causes the team to go from sure-fire champions to bottom-feeder then this team is softer and choke harder than any of us knew.
My son and I were discussing it a few days ago and I think there is something to this. Easy to think that no one is safe with Ainge - players or coaches. I did hear some national sport talk guys talking about the hiring right after we hired Ainge and they were saying the timing made no sense. I am not a fan of the hire - at all - so maybe I am tainted. And I think this goes a lot deeper then hiring a tough GM. Danny has done some guys real poorly and has showed he in not into loyalty. That is a pretty big culture shock for the Jazz.Since December 15th when they announced they were bringing on this hack, we've gone 10-10. Is it a stretch to suggest the players can feel his indiscriminate hand hovering over them and are playing accordingly?