What’s More Exciting, Great Coaching Or Great Players?

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

For a while now, people have debated what is more valuable in terms of winning a basketball game. Does it come down to great coaching or great players? Of course, many people would argue that it takes a healthy balance of both. While this is true, it seems more like a cop out answer than anything else. The people that stand in one corner or another can find their fair share of examples to back up their point. Those in favor of great coaching simply point the the back-t0-back championship games that the Butler Bulldogs made a few years back. Not many of their players were great, but the coaching job by Brad Stevens was phenomenal. On the other side, those in favor of great players point to the likes of the Kentucky Wildcats and the UConn Huskies. Each team has had recent success with great players. Earlier today, Colin Cowherd made his case. Check it out below.

"I know all of you love the Butler story, but I don’t go to the Steak House for the waiter and I don’t go to the Steak House for the garnish or the potatoes. I go for the steak. Yeah, Butler made national championships. One year they shot 18%, the next year they shot 34. Last night was NBA dudes. Kentucky has 22 guys in the league. Connecticut’s got 15. The steak was great last night. I don’t want to hear about the waiter, I don’t want to hear about the coach. I don’t watch hoops for the coach. I watch basketball for next level talent– vertical talent, up-tempo, jams. That’s what I watch for. Last night was great college basketball because it gave you a little bit of the NBA, not quite refined. You get the NBA length with Kentucky, the NBA size. You get the ball-handling of the NBA with UCONN.I know you love the Butler story. And I know you date the girl cuz of the personality. I don’t. I don’t. I thought last night was great. NBA jams, NBA blocks, NBA speed. That’s what it’s all about. College basketball is becoming more like the NBA. UCONN’s last two titles, they’ve been a 7 seed and 10th in the Big East. You can have an off regular season. You can have off nights. Just get into the tournament. Forget about your seed. Just get in there. Last night I’m watching programs where the backcourt for UCONN– that’s NBA stuff. The front court for Kentucky– that’s NBA stuff. The quality was great. I don’t want Butler and they’re shooting 18%. Let’s be honest about the Butler story, that was about the coach. I don’t care about the coach. Give me the ace on the mound. Give me the quarterback."

Having read this, I believe I would have to agree. We, as fans, don’t watch basketball to see how well the guy in the suit on the sidelines can do his job. We watch it to be wowed, entertained, and to get an exciting product. We watch it for the high-flying dunks, the acrobatic passes, and the up-tempo pace. That is something that the coach cannot control. It’s all on the players once they get on the court. The guy on the sideline can have his say, but it’s the players that go out and execute what needs to be done. Give me exciting and great players over a great coached team who only shoots 18% in a game. It’s no contest. So, given the presented argument, I’d like to ask you…would you rather have great coaching or great players?