WHY would even the dissemina tors of fabrica tion sense Rick Carlisle is a consequential candidate to replace Isiah Thomas as Knicks’ coach? Because he replaced him as Pacers’ coach?
Has it ever occurred to these masters of foolishness that Carlisle was fired by fast friend Larry Bird at the end of last season with Donnie Walsh’s sanction?
Oh, I see, Carlisle did so well disciplining Indiana’s lunatic core that liked nothing better than having every play called by him, and has been so impressive chalking the chalk for ESPN that Walsh is twitching to have him confront the NudKnicks.
Now I get it.
Contrary to an emphatic denial by Grizzlies’ executive Chris Wallace, I’m told Mitch Lawrence actually (he got something, right for a change) is correct regarding the team’s acute interest in hiring Larry Brown to succeed Marc Iavaroni whose contract has one guaranteed season left.
Owner Michael Heisley interviewed Brown once last May for the position. Sources say he’s so soured on his rookie head coach that he will be terminated regardless of whether Next Town Brown accepts.
Why would Wallace denounce the report? I’m convinced he’s unaware of Heisley’s impending eviction notice. In fact, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Brown were offered Wallace’s GM/VP titles as well; though, I suspect, Wallace would be retained (two years remaining on his deal) to attend to other duties.
Will Brown say yes? Now that’s a different story. I doubt he will take it. There’s far too much work to be done (and way too little compensation; $2 million per, tops) for the Grizzly cubs to become moderately competitive in the Western Conference, and Long Beach Larry is south of 70. It’s imperative for him to get situated with an up-and-coming team on approach to the playoffs in the less challenging Eastern Conference.
That brings us to the Hawks. No matter what – crash the postseason party or revisit the lottery – sources say Mike Woodson is on the verge of being vaporized. Next Town Brown, who schooled him on the sidelines of Philadelphia and Detroit, is on standby. Of course, if the eighth-place Hawks make the playoffs and advance a round how, in good conscience, could Woodson be expelled?
Hey, Carlisle (Pistons) and Doug Collins (Bulls) got axed after making the conference finals, and Brown was one season removed from a title in Detroit when he got his walking papers.
Splits happen!
Reports naming Brown as an authentic candidate for the Bulls job should interim Jim Boylan not be considered for a promotion are entirely incorrect, it says here.
Go to sleep on John Calipari surfacing as an applicant at Chicago and New York, if he hasn’t already submitted his resume. I also have it on unfailing authority former Bulls coach Scott Skiles is the second option as Memphis coach.
A Milwaukee hall monitor reveals accomplished executive Rick Sund (Dallas, Detroit, Seattle) is the leading entrant for the Bucks’ GM vacancy. Tommy Sheppard (Wizards) Dennis Lindsey (Spurs) and David Griffin (Suns) also are in the mix. Doug Collins turned down the opportunity to coach and run the front office at $5M per season. He also rejected a $4M offer to do one or the other.
As long as we’re belaboring Next Town Brown, and Davidson is a win away from the Final Four, a moment of silence, please, to remember when Larry was hired to coach the school soon after he stopped playing pro ball.
He stayed two weeks, if that. Brown’s office was too small, or school officials refused to paint it, something like that. For over three decades he has gone out of his way to break that non-staying power record.
Interestingly, Princeton AD Gary Walters had a similar succinct experience at Davidson, leaving quickly after realizing boosters were too involved in the program.
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On the night Dikembe Mutombo was honored by the Rockets and David Stern, he unexpectedly revisited the heavy-duty disrespect delivered by Isiah Thomas when they were briefly together with the Knicks.
“It’s still a wound,” Mutombo said. “My wife and I still talk about it. It’s still a bit sad to see the commissioner coming and all those people coming to celebrate the 17 years of my career and accomplishments and you look back about four years ago, and I had a guy tell me that I couldn’t play basketball no more, to go to the beach and onto vacation.
“That’s the same guy who’s losing his job tomorrow. I never said nothing (to Thomas),” he added. “The last time we played at the Garden (Jan. 9), my wife asked me to go shake his hand, to just forgive him. I went and shook his hand and I told him, ‘On behalf of my wife, I want to shake your hand, and I forgive you for everything you’ve done to me.’ “
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Chris Webber’s final time out took me by complete surprise. You mean the best of the west overreacted to his slick signing by the Warriors?
This just in: Sources say C-Note remains on the University of Michigan payroll. . . . Now I know why New York governor David Paterson felt compelled to come clean. He thought he was about to be outed by Jose Canseco. . . . Column contributor Phil Marmanillo swears he remembers “when Pat Riley used to win 16 games in the playoffs, not the whole season.”