Originally Posted by
bluedevilwildcats
The baseline for winning is relative to expected performance. A team with the 4th highest salary, years of playoff experience, playing in a relatively soft conference made softer by playoffs upsets, the Celtics didn't play winning basketball during the playoffs. I don't follow them closely but I suspect that for those who do, "winning culture" isn't a description they'd assign to the Celtics. Miami, on the other hand, appears to perform above expectations and I'm sure that's because of their culture.
Folks have mentioned a first-year coach who is learning on the job. I think in a winning culture, that assistant is ready to take over as head coach, is not appointed head coach, or is surrounded with advisers and assistants who collectively deliver winning basketball in crunch time.