BetCRIS Basketball News – Mark Jackson Fired by Warriors!

BetCRIS Basketball news – Mark Jackson Fired as Coach of Warriors

The Golden State Warriors announced on May 6 that head coach Mark Jackson has been let go by the NBA club. General manager Bob Myers relayed the news and released a statement which thanked Jackson for all of his hard work with the franchise over the last three years and wished him luck in the future. Following another cliché, Myers said it was a tough decision to fire Jackson, but felt the team needed to head in a new direction sooner rather than later.

Jackson helped turn the Warriors from a losing team into a winner over the past few seasons and did things his way. He led the squad to a 23-36 record in his first year in charge following the NBA lockout. Last season the Warriors went to the second round of the playoffs after a 47-35 season and this year they finished 51-31. However, they were knocked out of the postseason in the first round by the Los Angeles Clippers.

The last time Golden State made the playoffs in two straight seasons was back in the 1990/91 and 1991/92 campaigns. Before Jackson came on the scene the Warriors had made the playoffs just once in the previous 17 seasons. He leaves the team in good shape as they should be contenders for the next few seasons with players such as guard Stephen Curry in the lineup.

Jackson is a former point guard to enjoyed a successful NBA career with teams such as the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. He was working as a television broadcaster when the Warriors hired him in 2011. Jackson, who had no coaching experience whatsoever, then went on to show it wasn’t really needed as he enjoyed three pretty good years with the organization. When he was hired he said he’d turn the Warriors into a playoff team by focusing on defense and he did just that.

Things weren’t always rosy during Jackson’s stint with Golden State though. His boisterous ways didn’t always gel with his players and team management. Some players and opponents viewed him as being cocky and arrogant and in the end his personality traits could have ultimately led to his surprising dismissal.

His personal life also made the headlines as he was accused of having an extramarital affair several years ago and this led to a complicated extortion plot. The club stood by him though, but instead of re-signing him to a long-term contract last year they picked up his option on the 2014-15 season. This led some fans to believe the coach could be on his way out. In addition assistant coach Michael Malone left for the Sacramento Kings after a few too many disagreements with Jackson.

The Warriors seemed to be a dysfunctional unit just before this year’s playoffs tipped off when Jackson fired two of his assistants within two weeks of each other. The sixth-seeded Warriors then took the third-seeded Clippers the seven-game distance before bowing out. For the season. After the series, Jackson claimed that he wasn’t worried about losing his job since he’s also an ordained minister and is confident that everything will work out fine.

By William Lewis
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