http://twitter.com/#!/STEIN_LINE_HQ/status/65876030996496384 At the very least, it seems the team is in a better state than JaMarcus Russell.
I think we must be going with a new-school approach to hiring a coaching staff. Rather than letting the head coach fill out the staff, Morey is going to hire the entire staff and fill it out with his unheralded "dream team". Head Coach: Casey, Woodson, or Frank (no huge egos, head coaching experience) Assistants: Sam Cassell (head coach in waiting candidate 1) Chris Finch (offense coach and head coach in waiting candidate 2) Mario Elie (defense coach and head coach in waiting candidate 3) John Lucas (Motivator to get the most out of undeveloped knuckleheads like T-Will and future busted lottery picks we acquire) :grin:
True. However, usually when you are considering hiring John Lucas, it means your life is down the ****ter.
In case you put anything in the length of those interviews, Lucas' interview reportedly went about 2.5 hours.
I was halfway joking, but I wouldn't be surprised by it either. It would kind of explain why Cassell was mum after the interview, if he thinks he might be an assistant. But I have a hard time believing we'll get Casey or Frank, or anyone very established, without letting them choose at least a guy or two they are comfortable with. We'd have to get an unproven guy (like Cassell), who is chomping at the bit to get a head gig no matter what.
The Dream Team staff that Cuban assembled showed no proof of being a better way. Why would this approach be any better? Cuban even allowed Don Nelson to hire a 1:1 ratio of coaches to players. This is not how you put together a coaching staff. Cuban proved that already. It's best they already have experience with each other and a system.
Yeah, I don't know that it's the best way to put together a staff in most situations. But, suppose they went with Casey and the list of assistants I mentioned (exclude Lucas - I think if anything he would be a player development coordinator like Shawn Respert). Cassell and Elie are obviously familiar with each other and surely have rapport. It's not unrealistic that they would both like to come here over their current gigs. Casey was a coach in MN when Cassell was there, so perhaps they have a good relationship. And say they did bring in Finch to run the X's and O's of the offense, he would be the only totally unfamiliar coach among the four. Hell, maybe even Sikma would stick around. This is purely hypothetical, but I think in an instance like this, a GM assembled coaching staff might not be the worst thing in the world.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199511030PHI.html Lucas created the Vernon Maxwell PG Jerry Stackhouse SG backcourt in Philly. Vernon did lead the Rockets in assists one year, but a PG, he was not. this is the precursor of the Marbury / Steve Francis backcourt in New York.
If the head coach doesn't hire his own staff, and everyone on the staff wants to be a head coach, how does that work without friction? If an assistant like Finch gets credit for the X's and O's like a Tex Winters, and Casey says its just the Adelman offense, and Elie and Cassell only get mentioned for being mentors....friction. Does anyone else remember how Bud Adams hired Buddy Ryan, which resulted in Ryan punching Kevin Gilbride on the sidelines?
Do any of you guys want this? Even as an assistant? <iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MxcU-LRKUDo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
