mark jackson says clippers know where to find him 6/12/2010 7:09 PM ET By Chris Tomasson BOSTON -- If the Clippers want to talk with Mark Jackson about their coaching job, they know where to find him. "I'm the girl on the dance floor just dancing to the music,'' Jackson said in an interview Saturday with FanHouse when asked about the Clippers' opening. "If somebody wants to dance with me, come on over.'' Jackson, a former NBA guard now serving as an ABC analyst during the Finals between Boston and the Lakers, was one of three finalists for the Atlanta job before it went Friday to Hawks assistant Larry Drew. Jackson and Dwane Casey, the other finalist not selected, are both expected to be candidates with the Clippers, apparently in no position to fill their opening. "It's a great job,'' Jackson said. "It will play itself out.'' A source close to the situation has told FanHouse the Clippers might wait until after July 1 to hire a coach to perhaps help their chances of landing Cleveland star LeBron James, expected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent that day. Asked about Drew getting the Atlanta job, Jackson said, "I wish him all the best.'' Jackson also spoke well of how Hawks general manager Rick Sund handled the search to replace Mike Woodson, let go May 14 after six seasons. "Rick Sund did an outstanding job from top to bottom with the way he handled everything,'' said Jackson, an NBA point guard from 1987-2004 who never has been a coach at any level but was known for his leadership as a player. "A class organization. I've got nothing but great words. He's handled (the coaching search) the best that I've been a part of so far.'' Jackson did not express displeasure at not getting the job. He now fully will focus on broadcasting the remainder of the NBA Finals, with Game 5 Sunday at TD Garden. "I'm a guy that totally has faith in God and believes my steps are ordered by him,'' Jackson said. "It's a win-win ... I'm a guy that will finish calling these games and take it whichever directions it goes. I'm a man of faith, and know it's going to be fine.'' Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com or on Twitter@christomasson Read More: Celtics Clippers Hawks Lakers NBA Playoffs NBA Coaches NBA Finals Dwane+Casey, Larry+Drew, Mark+Jackson, Mike+Woodson http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/06/12/mark-jackson-says-clippers-know-where-to-find-him/
"I'm the girl on the dance floor just dancing to the music,'' Jackson said in an interview Saturday with FanHouse when asked about the Clippers' opening. "If somebody wants to dance with me, come on over.'' ROFL, that's gold
I'm delighted to see a coach who has paid his dues on the bench become the top dog. The league needs new blood, not just a bunch of retreads. And name recognition (for an assistant) does not equate to a winning head coach. The Hawks know him well, so give them the benefit of the doubt. Does anyone know of the relationship between Coach Drew and Joe Johnson?
Extremely puzzling move by the Hawks. I guess saving a few bucks means more to them than finding somebody new and fresh. In any event, I'll give the guy a fair shot. Maybe he'll be better at dealing with those headcases than Woody was. I guess we'll see what happens.
You and the one other Hawks fan on the forum are the only guys who know 5 cents about Larry Drew. Talk to us.
The Hawks are a pretty cheap group that just went with the cheapest yet most practical option available. I mean, this wasn't exactly a great offseason in terms of coaching "free agents". Basically, it came down to Drew, Dwane Casey or Mark Jackson and the Hawks went with the cheapest yet most practical choice given his familiarity with the team. Supposedly, he wasn't a big fan of the way the offense was (or wasn't run) under Woody which HOPEFULLY means all that ISO-ing crap is a thing of the past. Using his familiarity with the team should help to eliminate or mask any "rookie" vibes he may give off given his lack of any head coaching experience. At least he knows what does and doesn't work with this group. For that reason, I'm not really worried about that.
