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Pacific Notes: Pau, Rambis, Suns

August 5th, 2013 at 6:02pm CST by Spencer Lund

Kurt Rambis, the recently hired assistant to Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni, sat down with the Sporting News' Sean Deveney to talk about meshing with the new Lakers' staff despite many who consider him a part of the old guard under former head coach Phil Jackson.

The differences stem from Jackson's slowed down Triangle offense, which Rambis used when he coached the Lakers and the Timberwolves, but which contrasts with D'Antoni's run and gun offensive style. Rambis tells Deveney the connection between him and Triangle is far from absolute, and he was probably overreacting when he said he was "shocked" at the assistant coaching offer.

Back in November Rambis had spoken out about the Lakers while doing analysis at ESPN, and the comments led to D'Antoni crossing him off his list for potential assistant coaching hires. But by mid-July, D'Antoni was already warming to the idea of bringing the former Lakers player and coach back to the bench.

Here's what else is happening around the Pacific Division, including more on the Lakers…

Pau Gasol will have a lot more opportunities with the ball in the low-block for the Lakers this coming season now that Dwight Howard has headed to the Rockets, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Steve Nash seconded the notion that the offense ran more smoothly when it was just he and Pau while Dwight missed time with an aggravated shoulder last year.
According to Eurobasket2013.org, Suns center Marcin Gortat has received permission from the Polish National Team to fly back to the United States to have his foot examined (hat tip: CBSSports.com's Zach Harper).
According a source, Shams Charania of RealGM.com reports that Dwayne Davis–the Warriors' summer league guard–elected to sign a one-year deal with Murcia of the Spainish ACB rather than accept various training camp offers he'd received from NBA teams. His deal with Murcia does not have an opt out clause, so he'll try to make an NBA roster again next summer.

Lakers Notes: LeBron, Howard, Jackson

July 6th, 2013 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

I guess the billboards just weren’t enough. Last night, Dwight Howard spoke with Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld after making his decision to bolt for Houston and spoke candidly about his time in Los Angeles. When asked if Phil Jackson coming back as coach or being involved in some capacity would have changed his mind about the Lakers, Howard said, “Well, I asked to have him as my coach earlier in the year,” before taking a noticeable pause. You can check out more of the highlights here and the latest D12 reaction out of L.A. below..

The Lakers’ next move will be to try and make a run in the 2013/14 season and then try to lure LeBron James, sources tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter).
Mitch Kupchak & Co. won’t amnesty Pau Gasol, but they still have that option for Kobe Bryant, Steve Blake, or Metta World Peace. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) hears that the club is weighing their options with MWP. The forward makes roughly $7.73MM next season.
The Lakers have little choice but to forget about this upcoming season and focus on the blockbuster summer of 2014, writes Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d). Next summer is when James along with Carmelo Anthony, John Wall (if he doesn’t sign an extension), Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Dirk Nowitzki can all become free agents. The draft class also figures to be stacked with Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Marcus Smart, Julius Randle, and Andrew Harrison.
In an interview with Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Howard downplayed his frustrations with the Lakers organization.
Howard’s final plan was always to meet with Kupchak one final time and inform him of his decision, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, but that didn’t wind up happening, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter).
Earlier today, we learned that the Lakers won’t use the amnesty clause on Pau Gasol.

Dwight Howard On Decision To Sign With Rockets

July 6th, 2013 at 12:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard has been speaking with several reporters in the wake of his choice of the Rockets earlier this evening. HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy is one of them, and he delivers the big man's thoughts in Q-and-A format, including Howard's revelation that he asked the Lakers to hire Phil Jackson as coach. The entire piece is worth a read, but we'll pass along a few highlights here:

On the decision-making process and how the Rockets swayed him:

"It wasn’t really the presentation. Every team that I talked to had a great presentation. And it’s not like I came in thinking that the Rockets would be the team and didn’t pay attention in the other meetings or anything like that. I really listened. I took notes. I asked questions. I did everything I could to make sure I was making the best possible decision for myself. I just looked at everything in the end and I just felt like this was the place to go."

On turning down the Lakers:

“Very tough. Very, very, very tough. Very, very tough. People wouldn’t understand. Walking away from them and walking away from $30MM. That shows you right there that I want to win. I want to win. Nothing else matters other than winning. I don’t think anybody would’ve ever walked away from $30MM, but I want to win. But yeah, just walking away was tough. I was walking away from six million fans. I was walking away from a storied franchise. All of that makes it tough and it makes it a really, really big risk. I learned a lot from the situation in Orlando though, when I was afraid to walk away because I didn’t want to hurt people. I was afraid to leave because everything seemed like it was great. But now, I’m doing what’s best for Dwight. People are going to be mad and upset either way, so I’d rather be happy. I want to be happy playing basketball rather than upset doing what everyone wants me to do.”

On whether the Rockets pitched the idea of playing with Josh Smith:

“They didn’t talk to me about it. They just talked about the opportunity that they have for me and what they can provide for me as a player. That’s what was intriguing for me. But like I said in the beginning, it was very tough. Very, very tough.”

Phil Jackson Remains Involved With Lakers

June 20th, 2013 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

While Phil Jackson hasn't officially landed a full-time job with an NBA team this year, it's still been a busy few months for the Zen Master. In addition to publishing a new book, Jackson served as a consultant for the Pistons' head coaching search, was aggressively courted by the Raptors, and reportedly had an agreement in place with Chris Hansen for a front office position had the Kings relocated to Seattle.

Despite drawing interest from around the Association, Jackson remains most closely connected to the franchise run by fiancée Jeanie Buss and her brother Jim Buss. Appearing at a Time Warner Cable event yesterday, Jackson, GM Mitch Kupchak, and Jeanie Buss all discussed Jackson's connection to the Lakers, as he continues to act as a "consultant of sorts" for the franchise. Here are a few of the noteworthy quotes, courtesy of Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com and Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Jackson, on talking to Kupchak about the Lakers:

"We discussed some things, me and Mitch in the past couple of weeks, bouncing things around. That's been something that has happened. It's not something I expect them to rely on me for information, but I'm there to offer it. Not so much advice. Explaining the program that they're headed toward down the road and resolutions they had in the past and trying to clean that up and talk about some of the things in the future that are different ways in which they can resolve the issues. They asked if I can be of assistance. I said, 'Yeah, I'll help in whatever area you need to have help.'"

Kupchak, on Jackson's involvement with the club:

"He's over at the facility every now and then for obvious reasons. I'll see him then. We have reason to talk by phone every now and then…. Obviously his accomplishments here, and relationship with Jeanie, create an environment that we're susceptible to dialogue with a basketball person like Phil. If he was working for another team, it wouldn't be the same.

"I'm not sure why somebody like Phil isn't working for an NBA club right now. He has so much to offer to any franchise. Even though he doesn't have an official role with us, he's a consultant of sorts. Jeanie, I'm sure, talks to him every night about basketball. It may not be official, but there is an existing relationship."

Jeanie Buss, on Jackson's involvement with the team:

"Phil is a part of the organization because of me. Really the best way to look at it is the night of the Shaq jersey retirement, and Phil spoke on behalf of the Lakers fans and team. I want Lakers fans to know he is part of it. He's part of my life and part of my family. He's always in the Laker world no matter if he has an official position or not."

Buss, on whether she'd want Jackson to have an official position with the team:

"I think we're in good hands with our front office. Jim and Mitch know Phil is a phone call away. He's always available. He would always do anything to help, support or listen. It's like we're all family."

Phil Jackson Talks Coaching, Lakers, Brian Shaw

June 14th, 2013 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

Phil Jackson made an appearance at a "Live Talks Los Angeles" event in Glendale earlier this week, and addressed a number of topics of interest, including whether he'd ever coach again, his thoughts on the Lakers, and the head coaching candidacy of his former protege, Brian Shaw. Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times rounded up a number of Jackson's quotes, so let's dive and check them out….

On whether he'd coach an NBA team again:

"Sometimes I feel I can still get out there and do it, but the reality is I'm kidding myself…. When I was done I knew I was done — physically it was over. Even though after I got a knee replacement and a prostatectomy in the last year and a half. It's those long flights and three o'clock nights — getting up after five hours of sleep and going back to work, those are the things that wear you out…. I have no intention of coaching."

On whether he'd be interested in rejoining the Lakers in some form:

"[The Lakers are] going through crisis and if they ask me to come and sit and just listen to what's going on, I'm willing to do that. As of right now there's not a position that's open there, in which to have an influence — so I understand that."

On the state of the Lakers:

"I'm trying to counsel [Jeanie Buss] on ways the team can improve. They're a mess, we know that because of their financial disorder right now, that's the thing they have to get straight right away…. For them to be able to move and to adjust to the process that goes on in the NBA, you have to have flexibility. The [way] the league is structured with its new CBA and how it penalizes teams, you can't make moves. [With] guys like Carmelo [Anthony] and LeBron [James] in a couple of years, you've got to be capable of making a challenge for those kinds of players."

On the possibility of Shaw landing a head coaching job this offseason:

"I think that Brian might have an opportunity but I just want it to be the right one for him. The last conversation I had, I told him to make sure he doesn't end up in a no-win situation like Charlotte. I say that with great respect for my former assistant Kurt Rambis, who ended up in Minnesota, didn't have a lot of success there and hasn't gotten mentioned in recent years since. I think Brian can do a really good job with [the Clippers]. However, I don't think [Donald] Sterling will hire him because he's always a guy who goes against the grain…. I wanted to see [Shaw] have the Nets job, I thought that would have been the perfect job for him."

Kobe On Recovery, Retirement, Howard

June 3rd, 2013 at 9:35pm CST by Zachary Links

It would be an understatement to say that the 2012/13 season was a disappointment for the Lakers and Kobe Bryant. Bryant helped will the Lakers into the playoffs with a late-season surge but had to watch his club get bounced by the Spurs from the sidelines. Now, six weeks into his rehabilitation program, the 34-year-old sat down with Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com to discuss his future and plans for the summer. Here's a look at the highlights..

Will you be ready for the 2013/14 opener?

"I hope so. That's the challenge. With the tendon, there's really only but so much you can do. There's a certain amount of time that they deem necessary for the tendon to heal where you don't overstretch it and now you never get that spring back. So, you just have to be patient, let the tendon heal and then when that moment comes when they say, 'OK, we can take off the regulator so to speak and now it's on you to train as hard as you can to get back to where you want to be,' that's going to be a good day."

On courting Dwight Howard back to L.A.:

"For me, you kind of let him do his due diligence and then move in and talk to him and figure out if this is a place he wants to be. We all want him here. But then that's when the selling begins [after Howard is courted by other teams]. You don't start the selling process right before he goes and does all this stuff. You want to get the last word. You want to have the final word and the closing argument. I'll give him a little opening statement, but then I have to make sure I have the final word."

What if Howard goes elsewhere?

"This franchise is a franchise that you really don't have to worry about too much, because no matter what happens, whether it's a year from now, two years from now, whatever the case may be, they're always going to find a way to have an impact on this league. It's gotten to a point at this stage in my career where those lines of communication are more open and we talk more frequently both with [general manager] Mitch [Kupchak] and [vice president of player personnel] Jimmy [Buss] and [vice president of business operations] Jeanie [Buss] to a certain extent. Those lines of communication are open."

On Phil Jackson's book stating that Michael Jordan is the superior player:

"I talked to Phil about it. I said, 'You know, you can't compare me at [age] 21-22-23 to Michael at 28-29-30. That's not a fair comparison. But, you know, I'm comfortable at resting on my five [championships] and what I had to do for this team to be successful. We both had different roles and [Jordan has] had his level of frustration coming up as a young player and challenges that he had to deal with and I had mine in playing a different role to what I thought naturally I could do. We had different career paths, man, so it's kind of tough to [compare]. At least for me it is, anyway."

On retirement plans:

"I don't know if I want a farewell tour because I want that competition. I want the crowd being on top of you all the time. I wouldn't want a farewell tour. No. I wouldn't do that."

Odds & Ends: Jackson, Drew, Allen, Hollins

May 30th, 2013 at 7:45pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Although Phil Jackson recently criticized Mike D'Antoni and seemed skeptical about the thought of Dwight Howard wanting to re-sign with the Lakers, the eleven-time NBA champion coach appeared to backtrack on those comments during an appearance on the Willard and Thompson Show on 710 ESPN Radio in Los Angeles (Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News). Also, Jackson reiterated that he has no plans of coaching again and explained how he's still somewhat connected with his former team: "I’m playing a role regardless whether I’m hired and on the staff and part of the payroll, I’m here to be a sounding board and personal companion to my fiance, who’s the chief operating officer I guess you would say of the Lakers. As they ferry their way through these contract problems they have and the whole mess they have right now in the organization, I’m listening. There’s not a whole lot I’m doing. But my role right now is to be attentive and supportive.”

Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes:

The Pistons and former Hawks coach Larry Drew appear to have some mutual interest in an interview for Drew, sources tell Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Drew is believed to be one of two finalists for the Bucks' coaching opening, along with Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson.
Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida tweets that Heat guard Ray Allen hasn't thought about whether or not he'll pick up his $3.23MM player option this summer.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo tweets that the Nets, Clippers, and Bucks have not contacted the Grizzlies for permission to talk to Lionel Hollins as of yet. Coincidentally, we relayed a report yesterday which indicated that the 59-year-old coach doesn't expect to be granted permission to speak with other teams before his contract expires on June 30.
In light of the rumblings that the Nuggets might not match the Raptors' five-year, $15MM offer to Masai Ujiri, SBNation’s Tom Ziller makes the argument that coaches and general managers should be paid more.
Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com reviews Gerald Wallace’s season in Brooklyn. Just over a month ago, Wallace had alarmingly admitted that he didn’t “have a clue” as to what his role on the team was, but as of today the veteran forward seemed to be encouraged about what his future holds with the Nets: "All in all I think this was kind of a down year for me, but I feel comfortable and excited about the way I finished the season," Wallace says."I'm going into the summer knowing the things I can do to get better."
Marcus Thompson of Mercury News reported that Warriors big man David Lee had surgery to repair a torn right hip flexor today and is expected to begin rehab within the next two weeks.
According to Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post, Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari had a slight setback in rehab and won't have surgery on his ACL for another two weeks. Consequently, an expected return date of January 1 has now changed to late January or February.

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Knicks, Magic

May 25th, 2013 at 8:26pm CST by Spencer Lund

Following up on the NBA's review of the Dwyane Wade elbow to Lance Stephenson near the end of game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat and Pacers, we have a couple tweets with more info:

Ethan J. Skolnick the Sun-Sentinel says that just because nothing has happened tonight and may not, that doesn't mean the NBA won't take action tomorrow against Wade for the seemingly inadvertant elbow to Stephenson's head (Twitter link).
Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida says that because today is a travel day for the Pacers and Heat that might be the cause for the delay in announcements after the NBA's review of the play. (Twitter link).
Sports Illustrated columnist, Ian Thomsen, discusses the similarities between this season's Eastern Conference Final and last season's Eastern Conference Semifinal. Last year the Heat lost game 2 and home court advantage too, plus they lost game 3 in Indiana to go down 2-1 to the Pacers. They then rebounded to win three-straight to head to the Finals.

Here are some more notes from around the Eastern Conference..

The Bulls' winning percentage when Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose share the floor is 86% writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. That's probably why the Bulls' general manager Gar Forman will keep Boozer and Deng this offseason.
Former Bulls coach, and man-about-town for open GM and coaching positions, Phil Jackson, discussed his new book and his future with the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson.
The Magic are a young team looking to rebuild through the draft with smart moves by their young general manager Rob Hennigan. The Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi writes that's why Magic fans should root for a Pacers–Spurs matchup in the Finals; their presence would prove that small market teams can be successful without "buying championships."
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com with part 1 of the Knicks' offseason notebook. Zwerling discusses who the Knicks might select with the 24th pick in July's draft and which players they may target in free agency, or through the draft, who could fulfill their need for a fast and explosive backup point guard for Raymond Felton.
Chris Forsberg at ESPNBoston.com already mentioned the dozen players the Celtics welcomed over the last two days as they continue to decide where they're headed in an uncertain offseason. A. Sherrod Blakely at CSN New England talks with two of those invites: guard, Shane Larkin of Miami, and Pittsburgh's center, Steven Adams.

Broussard On Coaching Searches, Wolves, Lottery

May 24th, 2013 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

We briefly touched on the latest Insider-only offering from ESPN.com's Chris Broussard last night, but let's take a more in-depth look at Brousard's newest tidbits today:

NBA executives are curious to see who the Pistons hire as a head coach, since it may indicate whether advisor Phil Jackson or GM Joe Dumars has more sway in Detroit. Dumars is believed to favor Nate McMillan or Maurice Cheeks, while Jackson's pick would likely be Brian Shaw.
Had Chris Hansen's purchase of the Kings gone through, Jackson would have run the team's front office in Seattle, and intended to hire Shaw as head coach, says Broussard.
The Nets have yet to approach any coaching candidates besides Jackson, who told the team he wasn't interested in coaching. Brooklyn is currently conducting "rigorous checks" on potential candidates, and is seeking someone tough and firm who is able to get the most out of the talent on the roster.
The Clippers are high on McMillan, according to Broussard.
Sources tell Broussard that Bobcats GM Rich Cho is interested in hiring Quin Snyder to replace Mike Dunlap.
"Many league insiders" believe Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer is the favorite to land the Hawks' job, says Broussard.
While Celtics GM Danny Ainge has privately told teams he won't grant them permission to speak to Doc Rivers, Broussard says if Rivers really wanted a change of scenery, Ainge would probably allow him to explore other options. There's no indication that's the case though.
Although Flip Saunders will run the Timberwolves' basketball operations, he's looking to hire a general manager, and is currently performing background checks on possible candidates. A hire likely won't happen until after the draft, according to Broussard.
Rival lottery teams aren't necessarily jealous that the Cavaliers landed the first overall pick. Said one GM: "I'd rather be two, three or four in this draft than one."
Another executive from a lottery team on the process: "We didn't want to win this year's lottery. Next year's the one to win. Then after that, you want to be out of the lottery."

Eastern Notes: Jackson, Dumars, Carlesimo

May 23rd, 2013 at 7:56pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Considering the rumblings that Pistons GM Joe Dumars had his sights set on either Nate McMillan or Maurice Cheeks as the team's next head coach, along with the notion that Dumars had apparently hoped to make a hire before the start of last week's NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago, ESPN's Chris Broussard wonders if the hold up with regards to a coaching decision gives any indication that Phil Jackson – recently tabbed as an adviser for the head coaching search - could soon be running Detroit's front office (Insiders only). According to popular thought around the league, Brian Shaw would be Jackson's first choice, and while some insist that Dumars is still in charge as the general manager, Broussard suggests that their next coaching hire will be a strong indicator of how much control the Pistons legend still has of the franchise. Here are more notes out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Jackson – a member of two championship Knicks teams as a player – spoke with Harvey Araton of the New York Times about the current makeup of his former team and how he compares them with their cross-town rival Nets: "(The Knicks) still have to find some accommodating group of guys that know how to play ball together, move the ball, play the game the right way…With Brooklyn, if you’ve got a point guard and a solid center, or a good point guard and a great center, you’ve got two of the pieces that you want to have toward a champion.”
According to an NY Post report (via the Associated Press), former Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo is interested in remaining as an ESPN analyst just through the postseason and would consider a coaching opportunity if it presented itself afterward.
Celtics big man Jared Sullinger tells Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com that he should be 100% healthy by September or October.
Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated profiles Chris Andersen, the Heat forward who has shined as one of Miami's key reserves during the current postseason.
Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago grades Carlos Boozer's season and touches on what's next for the Bulls' forward.