Preseason games can sometimes amount to extended practices. The only difference is coaches cannot stop play to make corrections, you do not control both offense and defense on each play and there are those fans in the building. They are definitely very valuable.
Ah, but those pesky fans get in the way and make things allt he more interesting.
When Mike Brown was talking to the media in the hallways in Amway Center following Cleveland's 110-105 victory over Orlando, a fan decided to have some fun with the Cavaliers new old coach:
Drunk fan interrupts Mike Brown press conference to yell, "How did it feel when LeBron left?" Brown said, "I felt good. I'm still coaching."
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) October 12, 2013
Even with two top overall picks in the last three years, Cleveland is still getting out of LeBron's shadow. A return to Mike Brown (and the return of Playoff-sized expectations) have not done much to do that.
What was said was in a bit of dispute, but Brown took the whole thing in stride. He was no longer the coach when LeBron officially made his decision to leave the Cavaliers. And then Brown flamed out with the Lakers as the team struggled offensively.
Some ragging for the return to Cleveland is to be expected. But the Cavaliers have likely never had a coach as successful with that organization as Brown. And he is trying to build his young team into a strong defensive squad.
This will be a season for him and for the Cavs to leave their respective pasts behind.
