Brown, Rockets waste no time In wake of meeting come indications Mavs' Nelson interested http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/1927395 By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Rockets officials were not ready to call Larry Brown their top choice to replace Rudy Tomjanovich as Rockets coach. But they wasted no time treating him like he is. Less than 24 hours after Brown became a free-agent coach, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander and general manager Carroll Dawson met with Brown and his wife Shelly on Tuesday in New York, Dawson said. "I want to sit back with Shelly, L.J. (his son) and Madison (his daughter) and figure this out," Brown said Tuesday, without commenting about the meeting itself. "I really want to coach and go to a situation where I think I can make a difference. We'll just have to wait and see." Brown has compiled the seventh-most wins in NBA history in stints with the Nuggets, Clippers, Spurs, Nets, Pacers and 76ers. But he might not be the winningest coach on the Rockets list. Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson also has expressed interest in the position, a source said Tuesday. With the Mavs still in the playoffs, there has not been any contact between the Rockets and Nelson or his representatives. But Nelson is in the last season of his coaching contract in Dallas. Nelson has three years left on his contract as a general manager and another five years remaining as a consultant, but he has expressed a desire to continue coaching. Mavs owner Mark Cuban had said discussions with Nelson about his position with the team would have to wait until after the season. Dawson was not about to comment on another team's coach. But he said the meeting with Brown went well. "Great meal, great company," Dawson said. "We talked a little basketball. Actually, we talked a lot of basketball." Dawson, however, said neither the Rockets nor Brown were ready to make a decision or consider any of the candidates he and Alexander have interviewed -- Brown, Mike Dunleavy and Jeff Van Gundy -- the front-runner. "He just resigned yesterday and there are seven or eight jobs open," Dawson said of Brown. "This was just our second day (of interviews). They've all went well, but nothing has been decided." Dawson said there are no other interviews scheduled, but that he and Alexander could consider other candidates. A source familiar with the Rockets' decision-making said the Rockets could look into meeting with former Hornets coach Paul Silas. The Rockets also have interest in Magic coach Doc Rivers. But Rivers' two-year contract extension will require Orlando's consent for Rivers to talk to the Rockets. He would have to convince the Magic to permit him to meet with another team, an unlikely step if he were just one of several candidates. The Magic also could require compensation from the Rockets to allow Rivers to make any move. Brown immediately became the target of several teams with open positions when he stepped down as Sixers coach Monday, saying he thought the Sixers needed new direction. But Brown, 62, said he has lost none of his "passion" for coaching. Brown said he would be deliberate in his decision-making, but he did not want to let the process take too long, citing preparations for the NBA Draft next month and the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago beginning June. 3. Brown also is interested in the position expected to be open with the Clippers and on Monday thanked 76ers owner Ed Snider for contacting Clippers owner Donald Sterling on his behalf. Brown has often said he would likely eventually settle down in either Los Angeles or Denver. The Rockets, however, could offer Brown a team unlike any he has coached. Yao Ming and Steve Francis were All-Star starters this past season. And if Brown does take over the Rockets, they would be the first NBA team with a winning record Brown has ever joined. The Nets were 24-58 the season before Brown guided them to a 44-38 record in 1981-82. The Spurs were 31-51 in 1987-88, then slipped to 21-61 in 1988-89 in Brown's first season. They jumped to 56-26 the next season. The Clippers were 31-51 in 1990-91 and were 22-25 the next season when Brown moved to Los Angeles. The Clippers went 23-12 the remainder of that season. The Pacers had the best record of any team Brown has taken over, going 41-41 in 1992-93 before improving to 47-35 in Brown's first season. The 76ers were 22-60 in 1996-97 and improved to 31-51 in Brown's first year. The Rockets went 43-39 this past season.
Hmm......Don Nelson and all of his staff members or Larry Brown and all of his staff members. That's a tough one. I like both. How old is Don?
Mavericks are the first NBA team that is close to Chinese NT. Nelson has wanted Yao Ming he was 18. But NT didn't let Yao go so he had to settle for Wang Zhizhi. With the frustration of lack of inside presence in Mavs, Nelson would love to coach Yao Ming. Maybe he can bring Drik/Nash over as well?
My God, this truly IS the most coveted job in the NBA at the moment. Look at our list of coaches who want to be here: Rudy T Mike Dunleavy Larry Brown Don Nelson Jeff Van Gundy That's amazing. What we know for sure is that we're going to get a FREAKIN good coach, regardless of whether he's our first, second, or third option.
Things are getting very interesting. It seems like just about every coach wants to have a chance to groom two superstars. This is the perfect time to take over, because the rebuilding process is done, for the most part. All this team lacks is a couple of veteran additions. The new coach will bring in his former players most likely, and fit the system around them. I think Nellie's best days are behind him. The Mavs coaching staff has 7 other assistants, so he's got lots of help from Del Harris and Donnie among others. Larry Brown's still got to be the #1 target for Houston right. If he comes on board, look for the Rockets to sign Tyrone Hill (ughhh) as a free agent.
sorry but unless we can shoot the lights out like the mavs do...better add another 10 years to that estimation.
i think our team is more attractive than say if phil jackson retired and lakers needed a coach honestly. c'mon, everyone knows that with the usage of 50% of their brain, the coach can churn out a ring w/ those two. but i think that when they see the rockets, they see the parts--the necessities/foundation--to build it into a team to be reckon with. we have the parts needed---all that's left is a smart builder.
I would prefer not to have Nelson as the Rockets head coach because his teams have never emphasized defense (with the possible exception of Game 5 2003 Mavs at Spurs). There is a reason Nelson coached teams never get past the conference finals. He is not defensive minded enough to me.
If Rox and Rivers want each other it would require that Doc get a GM title. CD = President? Orlando has said they would step aside in that scenario.
has anyone posted this yet? WOW! I have the same feeling when a really pretty girl is interested in me. The Rockets are a desirable team!!! This is so cool.
Screw that! We can go to the finals next season! All you unsatisfied fools like this guy need to start believing in the Rockets again. I've said they'd go to the playoffs every year the last four years, and now that we'll have a good coach, it's guaranteed we make the postseason. A title run in 2003-2004 would leave me the LEAST bit suprised.
you know what i AM unsatisfied. if you are satisfied at getting a hardon b/c of a new coaching change then that's your personal issue. me i am not satisfied until we make it to the playoffs. I've said they'd go to the playoffs every year the last four years, fans that are blinded and don't fault their own team needs to get a reality check and now that we'll have a good coach, it's guaranteed we make the postseason. I hope we make it into the playoffs. but don't make our new coach a savior. he might become a rebuilder but a savior no. a guarantee for anything these days in the NBA is worth crap.
I'm not blinded by blind faith, I just know the Rockets are so damn good and that they were being held back by a poor coaching system. I'm not saying a new coach will be the savior, but he'll make a HUGE difference. Some of our younger players might finally develop now and we'll have a decent offense for once most probably. I think you've seen so much losing that you think the winning is real far off, you'll see it's not and I'll say I told you so.
if they were 'so damn good' why hold it all against coaching? seriously my definition of 'so damn good' is the likes of sacramento, dallas, and to a more hard to say sense...lakers and san antonio. the rockets weren't 'damn good'. 'When the rockets win it's because of the talent they have; when the rockets lose it's because of their stupidity'--ESPN's Page 2. and if you get pointed out like that by Page 2...you're in trouble. I know winning isn't far off because we DID when 43 games this year...which is a winning season. and you can say 'i told you so' all you want but i never said they weren't going to the playoffs and i sure as hell didn't say i don't believe in them. i'm just not putting all my eggs in one basket and proclaiming 'NBA Finals bound' when our players can't even execute a fastbreak right.
Nelson Sr. is interested in sabotaging the Houston Rockets efforts to greatly improve and possibly overtake the Dallas Mavericks as the best team in Texas. Cuban does not want the Rockets to hire a new coach like Brown or Dunleavy. He knows that would make his team the third best team in the state. Dont fall for this 'Im interested' crap from Nelson. The guy looks like a Russian spy as it is.. you can be assured he has one thing on his mind and one thing only- SABOTAGE!
hahaha russian spy...hahhaha i agree with you. i think that cuban knows that if brown or any other highly touted coach comes here...the rockets will surely catch up to them and maybe even upset his mavs right out of the playoffs some day.
