Danny Manning may join the bench of new Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren, sources have informed Marc Stein of the New York Times (Twitter link). Manning, a former two-time All-Star power forward, most recently served as the head coach for the Wake Forest men’s team from 2014-2020. Bjorkgren, meanwhile, graduated from his role as an assistant on Nick Nurse‘s title-winning Raptors staff to his first head coaching position earlier this offseason.
There’s more out of the NBA’s Central Division:
- Bucks vice president Alex Lasry, son of co-owner Marc Lasry, spoke with David Aldridge of The Athletic about why the top-seeded squad fell apart early in the 2020 NBA playoffs. “The series against the Heat, very easily, could have been, we could have been up 3-1,” Lasry said. “We just didn’t execute the way we normally do, and had all season. And you’ve got to give a lot of credit to the Heat.” The Bucks lost in five games to Miami during the second round of the playoffs.
- John Bryant, most recently a Sixers assistant coach under Brett Brown, has joined the Bulls as an assistant under Chicago’s new head coach Billy Donovan, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Bryant served under Brown from 2016-2020. Bryant was previously an assistant coach for the team’s G League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers, from 2014-2016.
- The Pistons have added former Pacers scout Jason Buckner as their director of scouting, per J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star. The Detroit front office has been drastically reorganized since Troy Weaver was hired as the team’s general manager earlier during the offseason.
Well this is just great
Is Masry taking some credit for the loss?— probably not but thinking his activism did not take a toll on the Bucks, is part of the fantasyland flaw activists inspire.
His comments on the Miami defense better reflects a pre-tournament view (which I subscribed to too) and ignores what turned out: The Heat D was fantastic and the Bucks had little chance, and worse, were distracted top- to- bottom from fixing it. The Bucks were a leader in activism. Does that and a round of 8 wipeout please Giannis?
When somebody says they didn’t execute against a top defense,
DUH
That’s what happens… It’s not a fluke. Miami had a tough defense, doing what tough defenses do… they keep the opponent from executing. Miami was even throwing a unique setup out there which their personnel was perfect for, and also had superior stamina with a larger rotation besides. They crushed even with an arm-hanging coach-restricting Bam.
*edit
coach-restricted Bam (he played forward in the RS)
I don’t like the excuses why the Bucks lost. Miami took it to us and we failed or refused to adjust.
Is another *star* player necessary? Probably wouldn’t hurt, particularly if it means no more offensively offensive Bledsoe in the playoffs. But more important is making some adjustments when plan A isn’t working.