Tag Archives: Mike D’Antoni

NBA DRAFT LOTTERY COULD DETERMINE THE PLAYER AND COACH FOR THE CAVS

Posted: May 18, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 19 Comments

Tuesday night’s NBA Draft lottery is important in so many ways for the Cavs. First they’ll find out where they’ll be picking. They have a 1.7% chance of getting the first overall pick out of the number #9 spot. It has happened once before when the Bulls entered the lottery in the 9th spot and ended up winning the lottery in 2008 and selected Derrick Rose first overall. The Cavs also have a 2% chance of landing the second pick and a 2.4% chance of getting the third pick in the draft. That’s a 6.1% chance of moving up into the top three picks to have a shot at Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker or Joel Embiid.

But don’t forget other teams could leap frog the Cavs and bump them back to 10th, 11th or 12th spot.  However in the history of the lottery, 81% of the time the team in the 9th spot has selected 9th. That’s what happens when you don’t have enough ping pong balls in the hopper.

The second reason Tuesday night’s draft lottery is so important is that potential coaching candidates will be watching to see where the Cavs end up picking in the lottery and that could have a major effect on whether or not a candidate would consider the Cavs. Remember the Lakers, Knicks, Jazz and Timberwolves all have coaching openings and are all in the lottery just like the Cavs.

David Griffin Photo 5-13-14

The third reason the lottery is important to the Cavs is it will allow them to set up their first interviews with the coaching candidates on their list. My sources tell me that the Cavaliers have not interviewed any coaches yet, but will start in earnest post lottery. The front office, led by new general manager David Griffin, reportedly has been putting together a coaching list and the traits they’re looking for in their next head coach.

My first choice remains current Iowa St. head coach Fred Hoiberg. But sources tell me he may not want to leave the college ranks for the NBA just yet.  However, if I’m the Cavs I make that phone call and have him tell me no before you scratch him off your list.

The other names the Cavs could be considering are Adrian Griffin, Alvin Gentry, Mike D’Antoni, Coach K., Tom Izzo, John Calipari, Alex Jenson, Lionel Hollins, Nate McMillan, Mark Jackson, Vinnie Del Negro, George Karl, and David Fizdale. Leave no stone unturned. I may be missing a candidate or two, but you get the idea. Put a huge list together; see who has the traits you’re looking for in your next head coach and then make a phone call and see if they’re interested.

So the wheels will be put in motion once the draft lottery is decided. G.M. David Griffin will be representing the Cavs on stage Tuesday, not Nick Gilbert. Here’s hoping some of Nick’s luck rubs off on Griff so he can bring back one of the top three picks. If he does, that would make the Cavs job extremely desirable to all of the potential coaching candidates!

THE CAVS SHOULD HIRE MIKE D’ANTONI AS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Posted: May 1, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | Comments Off on THE CAVS SHOULD HIRE MIKE D’ANTONI AS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Call me crazy if you want and lord knows I’ve been called worse, but let me be the first to throw this out there, I think Dan Gilbert and the Cavaliers should hire Mike D’Antoni as Mike Brown’s offensive coordinator now that he is no longer the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

If your Dan, you go to Mike and say, your still my head coach, but I’m going to get you some help on offense and bring in one of the best offensive basketball minds out there to make us better as a team. That way you can focus on what you love – DEFENSE, as well as being the head coach and let D’Antoni work with the players on offense.

I thought D’Antoni was a bad hire for the head coaching job in L.A., but I have always respected his offensive mind. When he was the head man in Phoenix his teams were always fun to watch because of how potent they were on offense. Not only did those Suns teams score a lot of points led by a ball dominate point guard in Steve Nash, they also were pretty good, reaching the Western Conference Finals twice. But when you thought of the Suns you thought offense.

Mike Krzyzewski thought enough of D’Antoni and his offensive mind to have him on his USA Men’s Basketball staff as an assistant coach for the team that won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012. Besides dealing with mega superstars in the Olympics and while with the Suns and Lakers, don’t forget D’Antoni also was the head coach in New York with Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks and also in Denver.

So if indeed Dan Gilbert will do anything to help the Cavs win a championship and Mike Brown’s goal is to make the Cavaliers better and win a championship, then why not go and offer one of the best offensive basketball minds around a job as an assistant coach with the Cavs and put him in charge of helping this team score points.

Granted D’Antoni may turn the offer down. If he does, at least you made an effort. But if you’re the Cavs and you’re watching teams like Washington and Toronto pass you during the regular season and win playoff games in the post-season, don’t you owe it to the organization, the players, the fans, this city to try everything you can to improve this squad and make them a playoff and championship contending team again?

Yes you do!