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Rockets hiring T.R. Dunn

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by rocketpower2, Sep 29, 2014.

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rocketpower2 Member

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Rockets close to adding T.R. Dunn to Kevin McHale's coaching staff, a person with knowledge of the decision said.</p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/516707070607757313">September 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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#1 rocketpower2, Sep 29, 2014

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likely our defensive specialist, considering that was his emphasis as a player

#2 pippendagimp, Sep 29, 2014
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T.R. Dunn to join coaching staff

Per Jonathan Feigen.

#3 Carl Herrera, Sep 29, 2014
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wasn't he with us when adelman was here?

#4 Rockets1994, Sep 29, 2014
mario_v Member

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He was an assistant under adelman, right?

He kinda looks senator clay Davis.

SHHHEEEEIIIITTTTT.

#5 mario_v, Sep 29, 2014

4 people like this.
J Sizzle Member

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Awesome news.

#6 J Sizzle, Sep 29, 2014
jump shooter Contributing Member

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Very Nice FINALLY

#7 jump shooter, Sep 29, 2014

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Hope he gets in hardens head

#8 chandlerbang21, Sep 29, 2014
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Dunn was assistant in HOU under Rick Adelman, when HOU was an elite defensive team for several years running.</p>— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/516707392168665088">September 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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#9 Rockets1994, Sep 29, 2014
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#10 713, Sep 29, 2014

2 people like this.
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Oooohhhh, that's when our defense was killer! I'm ready to see this season.

#11 EightDoobies, Sep 29, 2014
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Welcome back T.R. Dunn.

So, we stole him away from Adelman?

Here's a nice article and interview of Dunn talking about his defensive mindset and coaching with Adelman.

audio interview here

http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/video/2012/03/22/DunnFInalmov-2042954

http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/feature_dunn_2012_03_22.html

Although this season marks assistant coach T.R. Dunn's first with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he is no stranger to head coach Rick Adelman.

Dunn has seen a long career as both a collegiate and an NBA player and a coach at the NBA, WNBA and college levels. He has served as assistant coach for the Charlotte Hornets, the Denver Nuggets, the Charlotte Sting, the University of Alabama, the Sacramento Kings, the Houston Rockets and now the Minnesota Timberwolves. He first coached under Adelman seven years ago in Sacramento.

"I've had a great ride with him," Dunn said. "He's a tremendous coach—his record speaks for itself."

Dunn coached under Adelman for his first two of three seasons with the Kings from 2004-2006, after which he joined Adelman's staff with the Houston Rockets from 2007-2011 before following him to Minnesota for the current season with the Timberwolves.

"Coach [Adelman] has a great system; players tend to rally around the system once they get a feel for what he's looking for and trying to do, and it's happening now," Dunn said. "He has a great basketball mind as a [former] NBA player himself.

"The players love to play for him. And the bottom line is he wins. He wins games."

Throughout his 14-year career as an NBA player from 1977-1991, Dunn was considered one of the top defenders of his time. He was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team three times (1983-85) and was regarded as one of the top rebounding guards throughout his career. Dunn has brought this defensive knowledge to the Timberwolves team this year, aiding in their transformation this season.

Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio, prior to his season-ending injury, had been an aggressive defender for the Timberwolves and a key offensive tool in the guard position, similar to Dunn's style of play.

"Ricky has great defensive instincts," Dunn said. "In a lot of our games, he's come up with big steals at crucial times. He's relentless."

Dunn's work with players like Rubio has undoubtedly played a part in the Wolves' transformation this season. With last season's finish of 17-65, the team has come a long way under its new leadership in just one year's time.

"I thought it would happen at some point. I felt we would make some progress and get better as a team; you just never know how soon and how fast things will come," Dunn said.

"A lot of times, you want things that come right away, and it doesn't always happen that way. But we have guys that are giving us a strong effort and they are getting better individually." Dunn said. "As a team we're getting much better.
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#12 heypartner, Sep 29, 2014
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Here's a story from when he worked with the T-Wolves:

http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/new...n-defensive-asset-timberwolves-coaching-staff

Longtime Nuggets Guard T.R. Dunn A Defensive Asset For Timberwolves' Coaching Staff

Lindsey LaBelle
Web Editorial Assistant

It’s been more than 20 years since Wolves assistant coach T.R. Dunn last played for the Denver Nuggets, and in that time he’s changed from a defensive standout to a valued coach and the franchise has reloaded with new players and front office personnel.

But as the Timberwolves and Nuggets square off tonight at Target Center, Dunn can’t help but see some familiar flashbacks to the team with whom he spent 10 of his 14 NBA seasons.

“They play a very fast pace,” Dunn said. “They still play a similar style in that they like to get it up and down the floor, they run, they say they like to take advantage of the altitude there, which is the same thing we said back when I played.”

In those days, Dunn was a defensive rock for an offensively-talented Nuggets squad. He currently brings that same philosophy to the Wolves' coaching staff.

Regarded as one of the top defenders of his time, Dunn was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team three times from 1983-85 and was also known for his keen rebounding ability. Fellow assistant coach Jack Sikma, who spent time in Seattle and Milwaukee during Dunn’s career, said there one thing you could count on in facing the Nuggets is where you’d find Dunne each night.

“He was used a lot and they would always assign him the toughest guy to guard,” Sikma said. “T.R. has a quiet demeanor, but he got into people and knew how to play and how to make them uncomfortable.”

During his career, Dunn became a record-book mainstay with Denver. He still ranks second in the Nuggets’ record book in all-time steals (1,070), fourth in games played (734) and fourth in minutes played (18,322).

In the process, Dunn took eight trips to the postseason with Denver. He was dependable defensively despite the Nuggets’ main focus lying on the offensive end. On those eight Denver playoff teams, the Nuggets ranked in the NBA’s top four in points per game all eight seasons—leading the league four times.

Sikma said on many of those Nuggets teams Dunn might have been the only lockdown defender on the team. His style of play mirrors the type of prototypical wing defense each team needs, and it’s something the current Wolves team have in Andrei Kirilenko.

“T.R. was a really strong and savvy and used his body well and took things away from big-time scorers, and there were a lot of them at that time,” Sikma said. “There were a lot of guys who could put the ball in the hole, and you could bet that 25-30 minutes a night T.R. was going to be on him.”

Today, Dunn brings that same tenacious defensive mindset to the sidelines. He’s been a professional basketball coach since landing his first assistant job with the Charlotte Hornets in 1991, and since then he’s spent time on the bench with the Nuggets, the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting, the University of Alabama and, most recently, under coach Rick Adelman in Sacramento, Houston and Minnesota.

Dunn said this coaching staff took over in Minnesota last season with the intention of changing the franchise’s defensive philosophy. The Wolves finished second to last and last in the league in opponents points per game in the previous two seasons. This year, Minnesota is third in the league allowing 90.4 points per game.

“This season, we’ve come in with the same mindset—we need to be better defensively,” Dunn said. “That’s something we want to have as a statement of our team, something we can depend on every game no matter what we’re doing offensively. No matter who we have on the floor, we come in with a certain mindset defensively that we’re going to be tough, and we’re going to challenge teams and we’re going to try and impose our presence on other teams.”

That’s the type of mentality Dunn personally brought to the game during his playing days, and it’s a mindset that is still applicable to today’s game.

“He was one of those guys, he was one of those guys I’m sure—fortunately I didn’t play that position—but I’m sure guys didn’t like see coming,” Sikma said.

Dunn was in the thick of the action when the NBA truly took off in the mid-‘80s, and it hasn’t slowed down since—but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I was very fortunate to get an opportunity to get into the league as a coach right after I finished playing,” Dunn said. “Even with the ups and downs, it’s been great. It’s been a great ride for me.”
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#13 dharocks, Sep 29, 2014

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it's happening

#14 AvgJoe, Sep 29, 2014
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Something tells me Bev is going to latch onto him pretty hard

#15 shastarocket, Sep 29, 2014
rocketpower2 Member

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Also....

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Rockets will promote Greg Buckner, making him a bench coach, per coaching source. Move expected. Highly regarded by players and around NBA.</p>— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/516711027522535424">September 29, 2014</a></blockquote>
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#16 rocketpower2, Sep 29, 2014
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I am looking forward for the comments from the "realists" explaining how/why this is a bad move.....

#17 Ranny, Sep 29, 2014
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Dope.

#18 KlutchQT, Sep 29, 2014

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Best offseason signing of the Rockets.

#19 Texanasiafan, Sep 29, 2014
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Ranny said: ↑

I am looking forward for the comments from the "realists" explaining how/why this is a bad move.....
Click to expand...

Been waiting for this move the whole off season. Thanking the basketball gods rockets now have a competent defensive coach. Going to help T. Jones ect.

#20 jump shooter, Sep 29, 2014

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