Assuming that the high odds of JVG being the new head coach does happen, what about assistant coaches? Will JVG be choosing all the assistants or will the Rox org still have some input and/or selection? There's already a rumor that Patrick Ewing could be a big man's coach. Personally, I'd rather see Moses Malone. I'm still high on Mario Elie and John Lucas to fill assistant positions, but if JVG calls all the shots, it probably won't happen. A weak coaching staff was one of my complaints with Rudy T, so I hope I don't have to go through it all again with JVG.
The contracts for all of Van Gundy's old assistants are ALL up now with the Knicks and it looks like they will follow wherever Van Gundy goes including Tom Thibadeau(sp?) who is widely regarded as one of the better assitant coaches in the NBA. There are 2 others on that staff as well and their names escape me. And of course we have all heard the Ewing rumors. I doubt we will see the likes of Avery Johnson or Mario Elie on our staff. Nevertheless, our new staff looks to be pretty good.
I could see John "2 of 18" Starks here... he's got a head gig in the USBL (I think) now, and is wanting to be a head coach in the show one of these days...
Yeah, I think the word was his former assistants were not working because they were waiting to join Van Gundy with his new team.
Assistant coaches Tom Thibodeau, Steve Clifford and Andy Greer were not offered new deals and will not return next season, Newsday reported. All three were hired by Jeff Van Gundy, who resigned 19 games into the 2001-02 season, and all three turned down contract extensions when they were offered last November, shortly after current head coach Don Chaney received a contract extension. "They are quality coaches and professionals," Chaney said in a statement, "but at this time, we feel it is appropriate we go in another direction." http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=nyk
What probably happened is that they all turned down contract extensions from the Knicks because they all had a good feeling that Van Gundy would be back in coaching this year and they wanted to be free to go wherever Van Gundy went. Nice planning!
Many NBA players become coaches once their playing careers are over as a way to stay involved in the game. These coaches, such as Indiana's Isiah Thomas and former Indiana coach Larry Bird, command respect from their players, who remember watching and admiring them as players. Such coaches' playing experience provides a distinct credibility at practice, in the locker room and during a game's final minutes. They understand how hard the sport is and what the players are going through. Like Thomas, many current NBA head coaches are former point guards, who often are referred to as the "coach on the floor." Nate McMillan, Maurice Cheeks, Doc Rivers, Lenny Wilkens, Rick Adelman, Frank Johnson, John Lucas, Larry Brown and George Karl all played point guard in the NBA or ABA. Some other NBA head coaches were bench players who may not have had the success of star players, but understood the game. As coaches, they are able to relate to non-starters and understand the importance of role players. They learned the game by sitting and observing, and have become students of the game. Such coaches include Pat Riley, Don Nelson, Don Chaney, Paul Silas and Phil Jackson. Although bench players, each of these coaches experienced the NBA Playoffs and winning an NBA title as a player. New Jersey's Byron Scott gained NBA Championship experience playing for the Lakers during their "Showtime" era of the 1980s. As a player, Scott was able to learn from some of basketball's greatest minds, having played for Pat Riley and Larry Brown. He also served as an assistant coach with Rick Adelman in Sacramento. Scott led the Nets to the NBA Finals in 2002. Similar to Scott, former NBA player Rick Carlisle served as an assistant coach in Indiana, Portland and New Jersey before becoming the head coach of the Detroit Pistons. Like Bird and Orlando's Doc Rivers, Carlisle won the NBA Coach of the Year award in his first coaching season. Carlisle, Bird and Rivers surrounded themselves with experienced assistants to ease the transition into the head-coaching role. Some of the best assistant coaches in the business are Tex Winter, a master of the triangle offence who joined Phil Jackson in both L.A. and Chicago, and Dick Harter, a defensive specialist whose trapping style and full-court pressure have transformed Boston into a playoff contender. http://www.nba.com/canada/bu_coaching_styles.html Interesting article, and would serve as a useable guidline for finding good coaches and assistants. Mario Elie or Avery Johnson maybe?
I hope CD looks into bringing in some offensive minded assitants to help design an offensive system like New Jersey did with Jordan and Sacramento did with Carril. While I have faith in Van Gundy getting the players to follow the system, his past offensive schemes are kind of scaring me.
Maybe Elie, but I can promise you Avery won't. I understand Mark Cuban wouldn't grant us permission to talk to him.
Actually Van Gundy ran some pretty good offensive schemes. I think people get a bad idea about him because his last full year the Knicks struggled offensively. But remember the Knicks frontcourt was so bad, outside of Kurt Thomas, that he literally had to run with 3-forward alignment of Rice, Houston and Sprewell. When he had a healthy Camby they were an uptempo running team. I like the idea of bringing in Ewing because Ewing is a low post banger who mixes in a sweet jumper, something Yao could use. Bringing him in as a full-time big man coach would be great. Meanwhile have Moses and Dream in on a part-time basis since I think that is what they want. Moses kind of hinted at that saying that he didn't want to train Yao so much as talk to him about the finer points of being a big man and demanding the ball. Obviously they would probably teach him a few things in the paint but Ewing would likely be the full-time big man coach.
bring in his old assistants and hire mario elie as an assistant and kareem abdul jabbar as the big man's coach...he is dying for a shot and would be great at teaching yao the most effective way to use his height to his benefit...
JVG's assistant coaches sure had good looking resumes. 1) Tom Thibodeau 81-84: Assist. coach, Salem St. Col. 84-85: Head coach, Salem. 85-89: Assist. coach, Havard. 89-91: Assist., Timberwolves 91-92: Adv. Scout, Supersonics 92-94: Assist., Spurs 94-96: Assist., 76ers 96-02: Assist., Knicks 2) Steve Clifford Coached High school for 2 yrs. Anselm's col, 4 yrs. 89-95: Assist. coach, Fairfield Univ, Boston Univ, Sienna 95-99: Head coach, Adelphi Univ. 99-00: Assist., E. Carolina. 00-02: Assist., Knicks 3) Andy Greer 83-85: Assist. coach , Genesee Comm Col 85-89: Assist., Mansfield, Bradeis Univ 89-90: Assist., Boston Univ. 90-93: Assist., Southern Cal 93-97: Head coach US Merchant Marine Acad 97-01: Assist., Northern Ill, Interim Head coach 00-01. 01-02: Assist. / Scout Knicks.
Well, for those who thought and complained that out asst coaches were so bad, I don't think you got an upgrade. Only the names have changed.