Last night’s Cavaliers- Celtics showdown at sundown promised to be so good I treated myself to a pregame meal and fastened a cell phone in each ear.
This is what I heard:
In issues relating to the Van Gundys, it pays to listen to Stan regarding his brother Jeff’s next season’s plans. Two team sources confirm the Magic coach’s virtual categorical contention his brother will continue to torture TV viewers for another year with his ceaseless stream of inane nothingness.
Regardless of the hint of tempting offers, the irksome ABC-ESPN carnival barker is not ready to give up his free time spent with two daughters.
Apparently the Van Gundy girls have no say in the matter.
For openers, that leaves the Nets’ door ajar for Avery Johnson, who already has been interviewed by the 76ers and Hornets before New Jersey president Rod Thorn got the go ahead from freshly approved owner Mikhail Prokhorov. After checking with Devin Harris to see if he’d have a problem being controlled by, er, playing for his former Mavericks coach, Thorn reached out to agent Tony Dutt regarding his client’s interest.
Contrary to one report making the rounds, the Nets did not interview Johnson yesterday and, in fact, do not plan to meet with anyone until after Tuesday’s draft lottery. Thorn said he has four or five unemployed ex-coaches in mind, as well as broadcaster Mark Jackson.
Predictably, agents representing coaches currently under contract also contacted Thorn to gauge his interest should their clients become available. No names were divulged, but one of them has to be Atlanta coach Mike Woodson, who is free to negotiate with other teams this Tuesday — five business days after the season ends.
That means the Hawks must make a relatively quick, analytical decision regarding Woodson’s six years of continuous progress on their sidelines without getting hung up on the four-game playoff sweep by Orlando.
Clearly, Woodson deserves a whole lot of credit for being the voice when the franchise regained its elite status and the city of Atlanta’s attention, but the players need to hear a new voice. And Woodson needs new players to hear what he has to say.
That brings us to Larry Brown, the first person to encourage Woodson to get into coaching, and who later hired him as his 76ers assistant. Three organizations appear to be waiting for “Next Town” Brown to figure out what he wants to do — remain in Charlotte, come back to Philadelphia, or return to Los Angeles to coach my Paper Clips.
Brown persists in lobbying for total control of the 76ers or the Clippers, who have yet to talk directly to any candidate, just their agents. They might have a coach by the draft in late June, or they might not.
At any rate, both the 76ers and Clippers appear willing to consider Brown as a coach, but that’s it. Then again, Los Angeles owner Donald Sterling seems to have a thing for Little Boy Blue and could wind up giving him just about anything he wants as long as he consents to coach and comes over to say hello to him and his A-list invitees before home games.
Should Brown accept, I’m informed his wife, Shelly, intends to stay with the kids in Philadelphia, where they’ve resided since her husband coached there.
It’s my understanding that both Next Town and the Bobcats would be disappointed if he returned to the Bobcats. Still, it’s unlikely Charlotte owner Michael Jordan would let Brown bolt without some kind of compensation.
Should Brown leave, it’s believed Jordan would make a play for Doug Collins, who coached him in Chicago and coddled him in Washington. Miffed at not being hired by Philadelphia the day after being interviewed, Collins almost removed himself from contemplation, but keeps getting his ego massaged by 76ers president Ed Stefanski.
Unable to appoint anyone until boss Ed Snider gives him permission, Stefanski, whose presidency remains shaky, has prolonged the process with Collins by telling him how much he’s wanted. Of course, when in Texas a couple days ago, he met with Johnson and told him the same thing.
As for the Hornets, they have not interviewed Collins, but they plan to talk to Jazz assistant Ty Corbin and have whittled down those they have met with by one — Lawrence Frank. Sources say they’re high on Avery, Mike Fratello, Jackson, Monty Williams and Tom Thibodeaux.
Like the Nets, the Bulls, fixed on replacing Vinny Del Negro with someone with the same kind of playoff experience (does that eliminate John Calipari?) he gained in his two seasons on the job, won’t begin taking applications until after the draft lottery.
Here are some of the most asked questions by owners and club execs:
Why didn’t you interview for the St. John’s job?
If your star player is late for the team plane what do you do? A — Leave him; B — Wait and fine him; C — Let management decide; D — Make believe you’re asleep so you can say you didn’t know.
Discuss the movie “The Deer Hunter” and how would you use it as a means to motivate your team for a big game.
Did St. John’s even call you?
Could you guard Rajon Rondo?
Are you PO’ed you didn’t get the St John’s job?
Why didn’t Hofstra call you when that job opened up again?
Are you PO’ed about that as well?
And what was your name again and why are we talking to you?