2016 NBA Offseason Thread

[ProfessaPackMan]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Rockets Coaching News

The Houston Rockets’ wide-ranging coaching search just keeps marching along. We know there has been contact with Mike D’Antoni, Sam Cassell, Stephen Silas, Chris Finch and others.

Tuesday it’s the turn for a big name but a longshot — Kenny “The Jet” Smith — got his chance, reports Calvin Watkins of ESPN.

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Calvin Watkins ✔ @calvinwatkins
Rockets will interview Kenny Smith tomorrow according to a source.
3:44 PM - 9 May 2016
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Monday it was David Blatt’s turn to pitch himself to Houston, and we also learn from Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronical Jeff Hornacek gets a shot on Tuesday as well

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Jonathan Feigen ✔ @Jonathan_Feigen
Can confirm that David Blatt is meeting with Daryl Morey and Leslie Alexander today. Jeff Hornacek and Kenny Smith tomorrow.
2:50 PM - 9 May 2016
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The guys conventional wisdom around the league at the front of the list — Frank Vogel and Jeff Van Gundy — are still in the wings.

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Jonathan Feigen ✔ @Jonathan_Feigen
Nothing scheduled on JVG. Does not necessarily mean anything. They know where he is. Has been talk with Vogel's rep. https://twitter.com/ericspyros/statu...46646771355648 …
3:00 PM - 9 May 2016
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It’s still early in the process, as evidence here is another report from Calvin Watkins about James Harden‘s involvement, or lack thereof, to this point.

The Houston Rockets, who are in the middle of a coaching search, have yet to present any of the candidates to star guard James Harden according to a source. Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said they would talk to Harden during the coaching search and free agency process.

The Rockets are taking their time. Which is smart, this is a big hire for them, but the Rockets are not the only team looking around right now and they don’t want their guy to get grabbed by someone else (not that Dave Joerger was).

Kenny Smith though?

[23]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Rockets Coaching News


Kenny Smith though?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bzOUmAbGiwI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[jfsolo]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Lin not doing well and subsequently leaving the Lakers will always be a sore spot with me. The red asses Byron and Kobe ran him out of town on a rail, with their archaic offensive basketball mindset. He's not coming back, but I bet he would do well under Luke's system.

To be a profession coach, you've got to have a tremendous ego. I don't mean that in a pejorative sense, because anyone interviewing for the Houston job, has to be thinking, "yep, I can turn the culture around and get through to James Harden". Or they could just be thinking, "there's no hope, but if I get in they're going to have to pay me for 3 or 4 years regardless, cha-ching"

[CMH]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

24 or any other Hornets Fans, how much of a priority do you think Lin will be for you guys? Do you guys have his bird rights or can he basically can the same offer from other teams?

I know folks over at NetsDaily are crazy about him and would like him as a PG since he has connections to Kenny Atkinson since Lin has credited him for being the player he is today.

They don't have his Bird Rights so he's going to find a lot of similar offers.

I think with this cap, Lin could be an affordable guy that won't command the ridiculous new cap max and be really cost efficient.

[SteveQ]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

I think someone else summed it up (23?) by just saying "he's doing it wrong"

You can DEFINITELY focus on 3's and layups from within a P&R offense... it's actually probably the best offense to use, and even moreso with the way that team is built (Dwight being the 2nd best player specifically).

Free throws I can kind of give you, but you can't NOT want to be on the high end there, even if you have a Dwight on your team. Teams that don't hit FTs don't win championships... just gotta find a way to work around a guy like Dwight in that regard.

I know you can focus on 3s and layups within a P&R offense but with the personnel the rockets have that style doesn't really work much. We don't have good finishers or good 3 point shooters. I should've explained that in my rant a little bit more lol. The players for the type of offense they run aren't there.

I think Dwight is gone though honestly. He had this "thank you Houston" post on social media so he might already have moved on.

[ProfessaPackMan]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Sounds like Cousins isn't going anywhere...at least for a year:

DeMarcus Cousins trade rumors will not die, they are the “time traveler in old photos” stories of the NBA. There have been reports as recently as the last few weeks that the moodiness of Cousins has him potentially on the block.

Well, not if you ask Vlade Divac, the guy who would have to approve such a trade. Which is what long-time guy on the Kings beat in Sacramento Sean Cunningham of ABC 10 reports was done after the Dave Joerger hiring press conference on Tuesday.

Sean Cunningham ✔ @SeanCunningham
Kings GM Vlade Divac was asked about trading DeMarcus Cousins today after the presser. 'He's not going to be traded - this year for sure'
3:15 PM - 10 May 2016

This is the smart thing to do. Not that it will stop the rumors. Too many fans from Boston to Los Angeles have dreams of Cousins and will not give them up, no matter how many facts get thrown in their face. Making those Cousins trade rumors supporters the climate change deniers of the NBA.

Even if the Kings were open to trading him as was rumored, Divac would never admit it and give up leverage. The bottom line is that the package that it would take to get the Kings to even consider trading Cousins is going to be insanely high, more than teams would surrender. This is no firesale.

Again, giving Joerger a chance with Cousins and a modified roster is the smart move. Cousins is talented, and Joerger has had success working with both Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph (and Randolph had a reputation as not easy to deal with). The Kings would not get nearly the same value back for Cousins, the best traditional center in the game right now. Try to make this work, put better talent around him and give this one more chance (and if it starts to work, don’t cut the legs out from under Joerger ala Mike Malone).

If it doesn’t work, then revisit things next year.

[Vni]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

I don't believe anything theses GM's say publicly.

[ProfessaPackMan]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Per The Twitter

Scott Skiles has informed the Orlando Magic that he is stepping down as head coach. The Magic will begin a search effective immediately.

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) May 12, 2016

[JazzMan]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Wait what the hell? Did he get a better offer elsewhere or something?

[zasbury25]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

FWIW, this guy is a host on NBA Radio on SiriusXM and was roommates with Hennigan in college. Sounds about right with such a horrible January-February the team had. Among other issues, Skiles and Hennigan didn't see eye to eye on Payton as starting PG. Better off without him with so many quality coaches available now.

Justin Termine <s>@</s>TermineRadio <small class="time"> </small> My sources tell me Skiles told Hennigan he made mistake taking job in mid-Jan, before backtracking & telling him it was momentary insanity.

Justin Termine <s>@</s>TermineRadio <small class="time"> </small> Hennigan was pissed at Skiles because he harassed the DeVos family w calls & texts to land job, then said in mid-Jan he no longer wanted it.

Justin Termine <s>@</s>TermineRadio <small class="time"> </small> Hennigan wanted to tell the DeVos family of Skiles admission that he made mistake taking job... CEO Alex Martins recommended they not.

Justin Termine <s>@</s>TermineRadio <small class="time"> </small> 1st hint of Skiles' discontent came when he told Ast Adrian Griffin he made mistake... Griffin hesitated, but eventually went to management.

Justin Termine <s>@</s>TermineRadio<small class="time"> </small> According to my sources Hennigan, Martins & Griffin were only ones within org to know of Skiles admitting he no longer wanted job.

[King_B_Mack]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Hmmm...something is up there. He's only been there a year. I expected at least another two or three years before he'd completely worn out his welcome with the players there. Stepping down after a year, there's gotta be a fire behind this smoke.

[areobee401]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

Sounds like Skiles was waiting to be fired so he could collect a check. Never happens so he instead stepped down.

[ProfessaPackMan]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

So he basically wanted to quit halfway into his first year?

Wow

[JazzMan]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

I guess some guys just don't have it.

[lilteapot]

re: 2016 NBA Offseason Thread

I thought he did a decent job, but lol @ Evan Forunier's response

https://twitter.com/EvanFourmizz/status/730761941963157504