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Blazers, Terry Stotts To Talk Extension

May 12th, 2016 at 7:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Trail Blazers and representatives for Terry Stotts will explore the idea of a contract extension that carries beyond next season, sources tell Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com. That’s no surprise, given the job performance of the coach who guided the team to a higher finish in the Western Conference standings this season than last year despite the loss of four starters. The Blazers beat an injured Clippers squad in the first round before falling to the Warriors in a five-game conference semifinals series that ended Wednesday night. Stotts, who finished a close second behind Steve Kerr in Coach of the Year voting, has a team option for next season on his contract that the Blazers have yet to pick up.

GM Neil Olshey remained steadfast throughout the season that negotiations wouldn’t take place until the team was done playing, though agent Warren LeGarie, who represents both Stotts and Olshey, recently told Kerry Eggers of The Portland Tribune that he’s “probably going to take a bit of a stand” on Stotts’ behalf as pushes to secure a long-term deal. LeGarie, in that same interview, said other teams would have interest in working with the coach if the Blazers don’t, a not-so-subtle jab that appeared to be designed to spur the Blazers to the negotiating table. Still, little chance seemingly exists of Portland letting Stotts get away, and Olshey praised Stotts on multiple occasions this year.

The players have also credited Stotts, including Damian Lillard, who said before the season and after signing a five-year extension in July that he wants Stotts in Portland as long as he is. The coach, who joined the Blazers during the same offseason in 2012 that Lillard did, is 182-146 in the regular season and 11-16 in the playoffs for Portland. He has a 297-314 regular season record overall and is 12-20 all-time in the postseason, encompassing his previous jobs as head coach of the Hawks and Bucks.

Western Notes: Durant, Popovich, Aldridge, Kerr

May 1st, 2016 at 9:46am CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder‘s horrible performance in Game 1 of the Western semifinals could lead to an even worse result this summer, writes Buck Harvey of The San Antonio Express-News. The 32-point blowout capped a day that began for Oklahoma City with impending free agent Kevin Durant showering praise on San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, calling him the reason the Spurs have been successful for so long. Durant added another comment that raised suspicions that he is ready to move on from Oklahoma City. “Having a very good coach is probably the most important thing in this league,” Durant said. “You can have all the great players you want, but you have to have somebody to orchestrate it. That’s what they have. They have great players, but they also have a great coach to put them in position to utilize all their strength as individuals and make it come together as a team.” Harvey writes that it’s now up to first-year Thunder coach Billy Donovan to convince Durant that he can win a title in Oklahoma City.

There’s more from the Western Conference:

The Spurs didn’t use an elaborate presentation to land LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency last summer, tweets Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Aldridge was one of the difference makers Saturday, scoring 38 points as San Antonio pulled away early. “We didn’t give him a sales pitch,” Popovich said after Game 1. “We met with him. LaMarcus is a grown man. He makes his decisions based on facts that are important to him and his future, and he doesn’t need candles and cakes and all that sort of thing to try to convince him. That would be a little silly I think.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said “it was just a matter of time” until assistant Luke Walton found a head coaching job, relays Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group. Kerr said he knew Walton interviewed with the Lakers on Thursday, but he expected the hiring process to take longer than it did. “When we put our staff together last year, I kind of figured [Pelicans coach] Alvin [Gentry] would be gone pretty quickly,” Kerr said. “I didn’t think Luke would be gone this fast. So ‘disappointed’ is not the right word, because I’m thrilled for him. Sad is probably the more appropriate term. He’s a huge part of our culture and so much fun to be around.”

Pacific Notes: Walton, Warriors, Belinelli, Metta

April 30th, 2016 at 5:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors plan to hire the replacement for assistant coach Luke Walton from outside the organization, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein notes that former Cavaliers coach David Blatt came close to joining Steve Kerr on Golden State’s bench in 2014 but adds that Blatt may not be willing to become an assistant now as he waits for his next head coaching job (Twitter link). The Warriors say they won’t look at candidates to take Walton’s place until they are finished with the playoffs (Twitter link).

There’s more news out of the Pacific Division:

Walton and Alvin Gentry, who left after last season to coach the Pelicans, could be the first of many Warriors assistants to land head coaching jobs, speculates Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com. Jarron Collins, another highly regarded Golden State assistant, could be next, and Strauss believes Chris DeMarco, Nick U’Ren and Theo Robertson may eventually follow. Kerr is a fan of all three, and their responsibilities in the organization are growing.
Kings swingman Marco Belinelli blasts the organization in an interview with Sky Sport Italy (h/t to Sportando). He believes the tension between former coach George Karl and star center DeMarcus Cousins created dissension on the team from the start of the season. Belinelli says executive Vlade Divac tried to broker peace between Karl and Cousins, but without much success. Belinelli adds that he saw “very bad stuff” in the Kings locker room and contrasts it to the atmosphere he was accustomed to in San Antonio. Belinelli has two years left on his contract with the Kings.
His improbable comeback with the Lakers this season has helped Metta World Peace find balance in his life, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The 36-year-old, who entered the NBA in 1999 as Ron Artest, was out of the league for a full season before earning a roster spot with L.A. last fall. “I always tell people there was only one black hole that was able to be a star again,” World Peace said of changing his reputation. “That was Ron Artest. There should be no turning back. Once you’re a black hole, you’re a black hole. But I was able to resurface and do what I had to do. And that’s something I’m proud of.”

Latest on Luke Walton, Lakers

April 30th, 2016 at 4:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers will give new head coach Luke Walton a five-year contract with four seasons guaranteed, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The deal will be valued at $5MM to $6MM annually with incentives. Walton, who was hired Friday night to take over for Byron Scott, met the media today to answer questions about his plans in L.A.:

Despite playing under Knicks president Phil Jackson, Walton doesn’t plan to use the triangle, tweets Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. “I don’t think the triangle’s the most appropriate offense for the players that they have down there,” Walton said, adding that he plans a style similar to Golden State’s.
Walton met with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and co-owner and executive vice president Jim Buss on Thursday in Oakland to talk about the job (Twitter link). “I left the meeting thinking it went well,” Walton said. “I obviously didn’t know it would get done that quickly.” (Twitter link from Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times).
L.A. executives provided a detailed vision of the organization during that meeting, including several free agents they want to pursue this summer (Twitter link). “I think they have some young, talented players,” Walton said. “Obviously you need to mix in some vets. I’m excited about the pieces they have.” (Twitter link)
Walton, who will remain an assistant with the Warriors until their playoff run is complete, said it was hard to break the news to Golden State head coach Steve Kerr. “I was a little bit nervous about making the call [to Kerr] because we have such a good thing going here,” Walton said (Twitter link). Several Warriors players said they will miss Walton when he leaves the team. “He’s obviously a guy that we want around but … he deserved it and it’s a dream job for him,” said Draymond Green (Twitter link). “It’s been very important for me to have someone to vent to … that’s how our relationship started.” (Twitter link).

Walton has dreamed of running the Lakers since Jackson used to bring him into coaching meetings during his time as a player with the team, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. She believes it’s the only job that would have made him leave Golden State, although he planned to interview with other teams to go through the experience. Shelburne calls Walton the “biggest free agent the Lakers have landed in years,” as he became the league’s most sought-after assistant when he led the Warriors to a 39-4 start during Kerr’s absence with health issues.

Walton’s first move should be to add some experienced assistants, opines J.A. Adande in an ESPN 5-on-5 chat. With Walton never officially having been a head coach before, Adande says he could benefit from a couple of veterans on the bench in the same way that Alvin Gentry and Ron Adams helped Kerr last season.

Steve Kerr Wins Coach Of The Year

April 26th, 2016 at 11:33am CST by Chuck Myron

11:33am: Kerr has officially won the award, the league announced via press release. Terry Stotts finished a close second, with Gregg Popovich third. The Trail Blazers have yet to pick up their team option on Stotts’ contract for next season, though that figures to be a formality at this point.

10:59am: The NBA will announce Steve Kerr as the winner of the Coach of the Year award, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Kerr missed the first 43 games of the season while recovering from multiple operations on his back, but it appears voters were willing to overlook that in the wake of Golden State’s 73-9 record overall, the best in the history of the league. The Warriors adapted seamlessly to his absence, going 39-4 under acting head coach Luke Walton, who was also eligible for the award.

Kerr, 50, maintained a consistent presence around the team in practices while he was recovering, and it was clear the relaxed tone he set during last year’s championship season remained. He finished second in last year’s voting to Mike Budenholzer. Golden State finished 34-5 this year after Kerr returned in January, though an ankle injury kept presumptive MVP Stephen Curry out of a Game 3 loss to the Rockets in the first round, and a knee injury that will sideline Curry for at least the next two weeks threatens Golden State’s bid for a repeat championship.

Regardless, Kerr has become one of the NBA’s most well-regarded coaches even though he’s only been at the gig for two years. He followed up 15 years as an NBA player with stints as the Suns GM and as a broadcaster, but multiple NBA teams wanted him to hire him as head coach two years when he decided to try the profession. The Knicks lost out to the Warriors in the pursuit of Kerr, despite the presence of Phil Jackson, who coached Kerr on the Bulls in the 1990s, as team president in New York. The Knicks instead hired Derek Fisher, whom they fired midway through this season.

A panel of NBA writers, broadcasters and other journalists voted on the award, with five points for a first-place vote, three points for a second-place vote and one point for a third-place vote. Below, see how each vote-getter ranked, with first-place votes noted where applicable, and click here to see a ballot-by-ballot breakdown.

Steve Kerr (Warriors) — 64
Terry Stotts (Trail Blazers) — 37
Gregg Popovich (Spurs) — 10
Steve Clifford (Hornets) — 7
Dwane Casey (Raptors) — 6
Brad Stevens (Celtics) — 5
Dave Joerger (Grizzlies) — 1
Doc Rivers (Clippers)
Luke Walton (Warriors)
Erik Spoelstra (Heat)
Quin Snyder (Jazz)
Rick Carlisle (Mavericks)
Mike Budenholzer (Hawks)
Billy Donovan (Thunder)

Who was your Coach of the Year? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Latest On Kings Coaching Search

April 21st, 2016 at 5:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 5:34pm: McMillan intends to wait until the Pacers’ playoff run is over before interviewing for the Kings’ post, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets.

6:50pm: There has been no official contact yet, but the Kings are also interested in former Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, reports Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter links). The interest is mutual, Amick says.

WEDNESDAY, 10:19am: Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton and Kings GM Vlade Divac are expected to meet to discuss Sacramento’s head coaching vacancy, likely after Golden State’s first-round playoff series with Houston, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Walton is “extremely fond” of Divac, who was briefly his Lakers teammate, and the location of Sacramento is increasingly appealing to Walton, who is fond of life in Northern California and has several close relatives in the Sacramento area, Voisin writes. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Monday that no team had asked permission to interview his top assistant, but Voisin reported Tuesday that Walton was among the coaches to whom the Kings had reached out.

Divac is especially interested in Walton, Spurs assistant Ettore Messina and NBA coaching veterans Tom Thibodeau and Scott Brooks, but he’s planned to speak with several others. Divac is inquiring about the interest of Monty Williams, Jeff Van Gundy, Spurs assistant Ime Udoka and at least two college coaches, among other names previously reported as Kings coaching targets, Voisin relays. The Kings are poised to interview Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro and Mike Woodson, according to reports. Mitchell’s interview is to take place today, a source told The Bee’s Jason Jones.

Sacramento has natural appeal to Brooks, who’s from the nearby city of French Camp, California, but Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported last week that he’s not interested in coaching the Kings, with the Wizards apparently the front-runner for the former Thunder head coach. Thibodeau and Van Gundy, apparent co-favorites for the Timberwolves job, don’t want to coach Sacramento either, according to Wojnarowski.

The Kings have reached out to Messina, as Voisin reported previously, though Messina and fellow Spurs assistant Udoka are busy with the playoffs. Both were reportedly candidates for the Nets vacancy, with Udoka the apparent front-runner at one point before the job instead went to Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson, who also reportedly drew interest from the Kings.

Williams is a Thunder assistant but has been away from the team since his wife died in February. He won’t rejoin the team for the playoffs and, as The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater hears, he’s not expected to return to Oklahoma City for next season, either. Top free agent Kevin Durant has a close bond with Williams, the former Pelicans head coach.

Kevin McHale, Mark Jackson, David Blatt, Jeff Hornacek, Patrick Ewing, Nate McMillan and Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga are the other candidates in whom the Kings are reportedly interested. Sources who spoke with Marc Stein of ESPN.com have speculated that Heat assistant David Fizdale and former Cavs and Lakers coach Mike Brown could become Kings candidates as well.

Which of the many names mentioned here do you like best for the Kings? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Latest On Luke Walton, Knicks

April 19th, 2016 at 9:29am CST by Chuck Myron

Luke Walton says his recent chat with Knicks team president Phil Jackson wasn’t a job interview, as the Warriors assistant coach tells Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. Conflicting reports emerged in the past few days about whether it was an interview, but Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said it couldn’t have been, since Golden State has yet to give Walton permission to interview elsewhere, notes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Kerr told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that no team has even asked for permission (Twitter link). That throws into question the idea that Walton interviewed for the since-filled Nets job, as had also been reported.

“I talked to Phil, but I always talk to Phil. He’s a mentor of mine,” Walton said to Kawakami. “There was no job interview whatsoever. It was just a conversation which is not that rare for Phil and I to have.”

Marc Berman of the New York Post suggests that the Knicks are likely to interview David Blatt, citing Jackson’s respect for the Princeton offense Blatt’s teams have used on occasion. Berman also says the team will likely interview Brian Shaw, a triangle devotee. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com earlier reported New York’s interest in Blatt, a longtime friend of Knicks GM Steve Mills.

Still, interim coach Kurt Rambis remains a central figure and a candidate to be formally named Knicks head coach. He’s involved in two practices that Jackson has organized for this week that amount to a seminar of sorts on the triangle offense, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Kristaps Porzingis, Jerian Grant, Jose Calderon, Tony Wroten and soon-to-be free agent Langston Galloway are expected to attend, Isola hears.

Southwest Notes: Davis, Pondexter, Lee, Grizzlies

March 19th, 2016 at 6:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans may decide to shut down Anthony Davis for the rest of the season, according to Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com. The center/power forward hurt his left knee Friday when he collided with teammate Jrue Holiday and Portland’s C.J. McCollum. Davis is also dealing with a lingering shoulder problem. Coach Alvin Gentry said the Pelicans are waiting for more medical information before making a decision. “They’re going to talk to doctors this afternoon and we’ll know a lot more then … I just know that [his shoulder has been] bothering him,” Gentry said Saturday after practice. “We’re going to be on a conference call with doctors today. I think it’s something that’s kind of been there.”

New Orleans may decide not to take any chances with Davis’ health after he signed a maximum extension over the summer worth an estimated $145MM. The Pelicans expected to move up in the standings after reaching the playoffs last season, but they’re stuck in 12th place in the West at 25-43. They’re eight and a half games behind Dallas for the final playoff spot with 14 games remaining.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Pelicans small forward Quincy Pondexter, who has missed the entire season while recovering from knee surgery, vows to be ready by fall, Eichenhofer relays in the same story. “I guarantee I will be 100% by training camp,” Pondexter said, describing his status as “the beginning of a long rehab process, but it’s going really, really well so far.”
The Mavericks‘ David Lee, who faced the Warriors for the first time Friday since they traded him to Boston, is looking forward to next week’s trip to Golden State, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. That’s when Lee will receive the championship ring he earned with the Warriors last season. It wasn’t the path to a title that Lee wanted, as he fell out of the rotation during the season, but he doesn’t blame coach Steve Kerr for cutting his minutes. “Coach was always very up front and very fair to me last year,” Lee said. “And of course when he came to me and needed something in the playoffs, I was able to deliver.”
There will be a reunion of sorts tonight when the Grizzlies host the Clippers, according to Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. The Memphis roster includes Matt Barnes, Lance Stephenson, Ryan Hollins and Alex Stepheson, all of whom spent time with the Clippers over the past three seasons.

More Fallout From The Derek Fisher Firing

February 8th, 2016 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

The firing of Derek Fisher may not be the last major move the Knicks make before the February 18th trade deadline, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com. League sources told Begley that members of the New York front office talked to the Hawks last month about point guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schröder, but little progress was made because Atlanta didn’t like what the Knicks had to offer. That advances earlier dispatches about the Knicks and Teague, but the inclusion of Schröder is a previously unreported part of the story. Begley also hears that the Knicks have been keeping an eye on Pistons reserve point guard Brandon Jennings. With New York dropping nine of its last 10 games and in danger of sliding out of the Eastern Conference playoff race, team president Phil Jackson hopes to shake up the roster. Two players almost certain to stay put are Carmelo Anthony and rookie Kristaps Porzingis. “I think it is a known fact that Carmelo has a no-trade [clause],” Jackson said. “And we like Kris. Everybody likes Kris. There’s not too many people that ever would say that I would trade [Kristaps].”

There’s more from a news-filled day in New York:

Ex-Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who served eight seasons as an assistant in New York, makes no secret of how badly he wants the Knicks job, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Thibodeau “would walk here” to coach the Knicks, a source told Zagoria, echoing what Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com heard earlier. Jackson was non-committal about Thibodeau, saying, “I respect Tom as a coach, he’s a really good coach. But I’m not out soliciting coaches right now.”
A lack of development and a feeling of stagnation doomed Fisher, writes Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. At 23-31, the Knicks have already surpassed their 17-win season of a year ago, but the front office believed the team wasn’t progressing as it should. Marks expects Jackson to pick a coach from his pool of former players and current assistants, but notes Luke Walton is the only member of that group to have success as a head coach.
The pairing of Fisher and Jackson never had a chance to work, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. He contends Jackson didn’t really believe in Fisher as a head coach, and Fisher, who moved straight to the job from the playing floor, was never committed to coaching. The Knicks were counting on hiring Steve Kerr in 2014, Deveney recalls, believing that Stan Van Gundy would wind up in Golden State. Fisher became a fallback plan when that unraveled.

Pacific Notes: Russell, Hornacek, Kerr, Morris

February 3rd, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In an interview with David Aldridge of NBA.com, Lakers rookie D’Angelo Russell admitted that he still has much to learn about the game but lamented that the lines of communication between him and coach Byron Scott aren’t more open to help facilitate his growth. When asked by Aldridge if he and Scott communicate freely, Russell responded, “At this day and age, you kind of have a feel for what you did wrong. It might sound weird, but you don’t know what to ask. So like, I turned the ball over. I know I turned the ball over and I’m coming out of the game. I’m not sure if that’s why you’re pulling me out, but I’m not sure what to ask. ‘Cause I know I turned it over. There’s nothing that you can possibly say that’s going to bring that turnover back, or anything that I can possibly do. But it’s like, I don’t know what to ask. It’s like, he wouldn’t, I don’t know, tell me if I don’t ask. So that’s where it’s kind of a blur. ” Russell has previously expressed his frustration at not being on the court late in games and Scott has come under scrutiny for not playing the team’s younger players more this season.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

Suns GM Ryan McDonough noted that one reason former coach Jeff Hornacek was fired is because the players no longer responded to his leadership, Bob Baum of The Associated Press writes. “I realize Jeff was in a tough spot [because of the injuries],” McDonough said, “but at the same time the team wasn’t competing how we hoped it would or how we think it is capable of competing.“
McDonough recommended firing Hornacek to Suns owner Robert Sarver, but admits it was difficult to do so because of his close relationship with the former coach, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic relays (via Twitter).
Warriors coach Steve Kerr has not allowed his prolonged absence, nor the team’s stellar record, to curb his fire, and the coach is demonstrating just how valuable he is to the franchise by challenging the team to continue to improve, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
Suns interim coach Earl Watson intends to make Markieff Morris the focal point of the team’s offense and show him that the organization cares about him as a person, Coro relays. “He is the main focus of our offense moving forward,” Watson said regarding Morris. “I had a feeling that if we gave him positive encouragement and let him know that no matter what we love him, no matter what happens beyond basketball, and gave him an opportunity to play and let him know he is going to play. … Some things are bigger than basketball so when you reach out beyond basketball, players tend to respond well.”