The game of musical chairs that is the Brooklyn Nets coaching situation has gotten bizarre ... yet again.
Earlier this year, the iron fist of Mikhail Prokhorov put down the ax on Avery Johnson, ending his tenure just a week after receiving the coach-of-the-month honors for the Nets sizzling start in November. The reasoning behind it had a lot to with the fact that Johnson's schemes and game plan didn't mesh well with star player Deron Williams who had complained to management amidst a lengthy losing streak.
Now it is P.J. Carlesimo who has been shown the door by Prokhorov after leading the Nets to a 35-19 record during the season after taking over for Johnson.
Yet, losing Game 7, and not being the right "fit" going forward was enough of an offense for the Nets' brass to can him.
Carlesimo deserves better.
He turned around a fledgling basketball team with a high payroll and higher expectations and made them into a playoff team. He got Williams and Joe Johnson to buy in, and found a payer in Andray Blatche -- yet it was not enough for him to keep his job.
Even Carlesimo said that if the Nets had won Game 7 against the Bulls it wouldn't have mattered. Prokhorov and his group had made their minds up.
"I think short of winning a championship, it wouldn't have made any difference. I mean, Billy [King] was pretty candid," Carlesimo said during an interview on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Monday, a day after the Nets general manager notified the interim coach he would not be offered a new contract. "Had we won Saturday and advanced and were getting ready to play the Heat tonight, I think anything short of winning a championship wasn't going to change his mind or [ownership's] mind."
This is yet another sad chapter in the history of the Nets franchise.
Brooklyn's front office has its sights set on Phil Jackson, the former Lakers coach, and winner of 11-NBA titles as head coach in his career with both the Lakers and the Bulls.
Who can blame them? Jackson is easily the greatest coach in NBA history. His presence would make the Nets an instant favorite in both the league and in the city of New York. He would take headlines away from the Knicks, and would sell out the Barclays Center. Jackson = success.
However, it's a pipe-dream if there ever was one. Why would Jackson want to come out of retirement to coach a team that has $90 million committed to it already, and has a core of players who are not considered tough, around the league? Plus Jackson has proven to be picky in the past -- he prefers to coach team's that are ready to take that leap at the NBA title, and I am not sure that the Nets as they are currently constituted are ready.
Jackson, 67, has revealed in the recent past that he would prefer to be involved in a front office position rather than coach -- a position that is already held at the Nets, by Billy King, who I doubt would want to give up his GM title to Jackson. Plus, Jackson overcame prostate cancer a couple years ago, and seems to be content with retirement. And, oh yeah, there is always the chance the Lakers come crawling back to Jackson when they finally decide to fire Mike D'Antoni.
So for the Nets to waste their time and our time with the idea that Jackson is going to come to New York to coach a stubborn personality in Deron Williams, is ludicrous.
Other candidates that Brooklyn will consider include, former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy; his brother and former Magic coach, Stan Van Gundy; as well as former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, and possibly, Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers.
Now Sloan is the least likely to take the job. Like Jackson, he's up there in age, and two, Sloan had a falling out with Williams when the two worked together in Utah. Why would Sloan want any part of that again?
The VanGundy boys are interesting. Both are fantastic coaches. Jeff knows how to handle the New York media, or any media for that matter, a lot better than his brother does. However, with Jeff having so much success and fun doing television, I have to wonder if he really wants to come back.
"If you read, I was candidate, and now I believe Billy King has told the local beat writers that I'm not really a candidate, so you can read into that what you want," VanGundy said in an article via ESPN. "But I just find for me, I like it better when I just lay low, do the job that I have, and if ever somebody wants to talk we do it quietly."
As for Stan -- he would be a great addition to the Nets. He's has a fiery personality, and like his brother is a winner. But can he take the heat? Remember the incident when he told reporters in Orlando that star Dwight Howard wanted him fired? Can you imagine that in New York? Fudgetabouit!
The only options that would make the most sense, are Doc Rivers, or Brian Shaw.
Rivers has a tremendous resume that he built up in Boston. He won an NBA title in 2008, and has taken that team to the playoffs virtually every year. He knows how to win, and he was able to manage the big personalities of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo over the years. He would bring instant credibility and stability to the franchise if given the job. Then again, will Rivers ever leave his contract in Beantown?
As for Shaw, he might be the guy at the end of the day. He's currently an assistant with the Pacers, and has been a hot commodity for a lot of teams in recent years. He did work eight years under Phil Jackson in L.A. He's young, 47-years-old, and would likely mesh extremely well with the Nets personalities.
But, no matter who coaches this team, that person is taking over a franchise that has invested a ton of money on a group that has had its heart and desire questioned at times this past season. The lack of heart and determination was front and center in Game 7 as the Nets put together a lackluster effort in an elimination game against Chicago. Williams and Johnson both had a terrible series, and the Nets don't have a consistent enough shooter on this team.
In short this will not be an easy job by any stretch of the imagination. Add the pressure of working for Prokhorov and Jay-Z, and you have a job that could be impossible.
Should be a fun drama to watch play out.
Earlier this year, the iron fist of Mikhail Prokhorov put down the ax on Avery Johnson, ending his tenure just a week after receiving the coach-of-the-month honors for the Nets sizzling start in November. The reasoning behind it had a lot to with the fact that Johnson's schemes and game plan didn't mesh well with star player Deron Williams who had complained to management amidst a lengthy losing streak.
Now it is P.J. Carlesimo who has been shown the door by Prokhorov after leading the Nets to a 35-19 record during the season after taking over for Johnson.
Yet, losing Game 7, and not being the right "fit" going forward was enough of an offense for the Nets' brass to can him.
Carlesimo deserves better.
He turned around a fledgling basketball team with a high payroll and higher expectations and made them into a playoff team. He got Williams and Joe Johnson to buy in, and found a payer in Andray Blatche -- yet it was not enough for him to keep his job.
Even Carlesimo said that if the Nets had won Game 7 against the Bulls it wouldn't have mattered. Prokhorov and his group had made their minds up.
"I think short of winning a championship, it wouldn't have made any difference. I mean, Billy [King] was pretty candid," Carlesimo said during an interview on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Monday, a day after the Nets general manager notified the interim coach he would not be offered a new contract. "Had we won Saturday and advanced and were getting ready to play the Heat tonight, I think anything short of winning a championship wasn't going to change his mind or [ownership's] mind."
This is yet another sad chapter in the history of the Nets franchise.
Brooklyn's front office has its sights set on Phil Jackson, the former Lakers coach, and winner of 11-NBA titles as head coach in his career with both the Lakers and the Bulls.
Who can blame them? Jackson is easily the greatest coach in NBA history. His presence would make the Nets an instant favorite in both the league and in the city of New York. He would take headlines away from the Knicks, and would sell out the Barclays Center. Jackson = success.
However, it's a pipe-dream if there ever was one. Why would Jackson want to come out of retirement to coach a team that has $90 million committed to it already, and has a core of players who are not considered tough, around the league? Plus Jackson has proven to be picky in the past -- he prefers to coach team's that are ready to take that leap at the NBA title, and I am not sure that the Nets as they are currently constituted are ready.
Jackson, 67, has revealed in the recent past that he would prefer to be involved in a front office position rather than coach -- a position that is already held at the Nets, by Billy King, who I doubt would want to give up his GM title to Jackson. Plus, Jackson overcame prostate cancer a couple years ago, and seems to be content with retirement. And, oh yeah, there is always the chance the Lakers come crawling back to Jackson when they finally decide to fire Mike D'Antoni.So for the Nets to waste their time and our time with the idea that Jackson is going to come to New York to coach a stubborn personality in Deron Williams, is ludicrous.
Other candidates that Brooklyn will consider include, former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy; his brother and former Magic coach, Stan Van Gundy; as well as former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, and possibly, Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers.
Now Sloan is the least likely to take the job. Like Jackson, he's up there in age, and two, Sloan had a falling out with Williams when the two worked together in Utah. Why would Sloan want any part of that again?
The VanGundy boys are interesting. Both are fantastic coaches. Jeff knows how to handle the New York media, or any media for that matter, a lot better than his brother does. However, with Jeff having so much success and fun doing television, I have to wonder if he really wants to come back.
"If you read, I was candidate, and now I believe Billy King has told the local beat writers that I'm not really a candidate, so you can read into that what you want," VanGundy said in an article via ESPN. "But I just find for me, I like it better when I just lay low, do the job that I have, and if ever somebody wants to talk we do it quietly."
As for Stan -- he would be a great addition to the Nets. He's has a fiery personality, and like his brother is a winner. But can he take the heat? Remember the incident when he told reporters in Orlando that star Dwight Howard wanted him fired? Can you imagine that in New York? Fudgetabouit!
The only options that would make the most sense, are Doc Rivers, or Brian Shaw.
Rivers has a tremendous resume that he built up in Boston. He won an NBA title in 2008, and has taken that team to the playoffs virtually every year. He knows how to win, and he was able to manage the big personalities of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo over the years. He would bring instant credibility and stability to the franchise if given the job. Then again, will Rivers ever leave his contract in Beantown?
As for Shaw, he might be the guy at the end of the day. He's currently an assistant with the Pacers, and has been a hot commodity for a lot of teams in recent years. He did work eight years under Phil Jackson in L.A. He's young, 47-years-old, and would likely mesh extremely well with the Nets personalities.
But, no matter who coaches this team, that person is taking over a franchise that has invested a ton of money on a group that has had its heart and desire questioned at times this past season. The lack of heart and determination was front and center in Game 7 as the Nets put together a lackluster effort in an elimination game against Chicago. Williams and Johnson both had a terrible series, and the Nets don't have a consistent enough shooter on this team.
In short this will not be an easy job by any stretch of the imagination. Add the pressure of working for Prokhorov and Jay-Z, and you have a job that could be impossible.
Should be a fun drama to watch play out.
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