JVG doesn't need to worry

By Peter May
Special to ESPN.com


Attention Readers: The following is extremely time-sensitive material. Some of what is in here may be moot by the time you read it. Information divulged is to be viewed with extreme skepticism.

Who says NBA coaches are an endangered species? Taking a look at the 29 fortunate fellows to have head coaching jobs, more than one-third of them -- 11 -- are in absolutely no danger of imminent unemployment.

By imminent, we mean within six hours.

This has been a ridiculous stretch for an NBA head man, mostly those who reside (or resided) in the Eastern Conference. The word "interim" has become as much a part of the NBA vocabulary as pick-and-roll and per diem. Larry Bird always maintained a coach lost his edge and effectiveness after three years. That's an eternity in the East these days.

The dean of the Atlantic Division coaches is Eddie Jordan, who was hired last June. The dean of the conference is Atlanta's Terry Stotts, who has been on the job less than 14 months.

The Nets fired their coach while in first place -- and his replacement, who still looks like he's just opened his American Flyer on Christmas morning, is 9-0. The Magic fired their coach while in last place -- and his replacement has the Magic in last place.

As we emerge from the All-Star break, it's time to take a look at who might be next to hit the pavement, as well as who need not have to worry (the aforementioned lucky 11.) They are divided into four categories, starting with the most secure and ending with those in need of the most help.

Category I: What, Me Worry?
Rescuer: Wile E. Coyote

There are 11 coaches at the present time who need not be looking over their shoulders or reading the papers for anything more than the latest news from Wall Street. We'll start with the acknowledged king.

Jerry Sloan. The longtime Jazz coach can do what he wants, go where he wants, and, if he does leave soon, you can be certain it will be his decision and will have nothing to do with basketball (his wife is ill.) Sloan is as secure in his job as is any man this side of ...

Gregg Popovich. Pop, of course, is the reigning NBA Coach of the Year and has done a masterful job positioning the Spurs to not only be au courant (thanks, Tim Duncan) but also to be attractive free-agent bidders (thanks, Tim Duncan.) Popovich is one who also oversees all the personnel decisions in San Antonio and he has yet to torpedo the coach with his moves. He just got a big extension and has his team ready for a repeat. Pop will also be on the sidelines this summer in Athens assisting this next guy with big-time security (of course, that's unless the job at Pacific Palisades High School opens up next season).

Larry Brown. Brown came to Detroit after tiring of listening to Allen Iverson and is basically doing the same thing with the Pistons that his predecessor did. The Pistons won't fire him. If the players tire of Brown, which has been his history, then Brown will pack up and go elsewhere.

Rick Carlisle. Brown's Pistons predecessor, Indiana's Carlisle, is in a terrific position because the guy who hired him -- Bird - is a really, really big fan and a really, really big deal. Carlisle also has proven himself to be a very good coach, transforming the Pistons in the two years he was there and then making the Pacers the Eastern favorite. They were in a similar position at this time last year, but their coach was Isiah Thomas. Bird, the Pacers' hoop boss, fired Thomas, who resurfaced (as he always seems to do) in New York as the Knicks' hoops el jefe. Thomas promptly canned Don Chaney and brought in ...

Lenny Wilkens. He was last thought to be coaching in Cleveland. But Thomas is the man in charge and the Knicks have made a nice recovery. Wilkens is Thomas' guy, so there's no reason to think Lenny won't coach at least two years (he's signed for four.)

Jeff Van Gundy. He left New York in the nick of time a couple years back and is now the undisputed man in charge of getting the Rockets back to the postseason. So far, Van Gundy has managed to get Houston in the thick of the playoff race, but, in doing so, he's feuded with his star player, Steve Francis, and has discovered to his chagrin that the biggest fraud on his old, Knicks teams, would be held up as a beacon of commitment and verve on his new team. But he's on for four years, unless he again decides he's seen and had enough. The Rockets, and everyone else in the Midwest Division, are chasing first-place Minnesota, which is coached by the apparently unmovable ...

Flip Saunders. He's been in Minnesota longer than Walter Mondale and still hasn't won a playoff series. But he's got the leading candidate for MVP, the best team in franchise history, and, more to the point, a boss in Kevin McHale who is one of his buddies. That all adds up to enviable security.

Rick Adelman. He's also close to his boss, but he's also proven to be a coach who consistently wins without his best player. You shudder at what Sacramento might do with a healthy, non-intrusive Chris Webber. We may soon find out. The Kings own the league's best record and Webber has yet to play a minute.

Hubie Brown. Memphis' great boss-coach relationship gives Brown all the security he needs as well. Of course, winning also helps, and the Grizzlies not only have already set a career mark for franchise victories (30), but also have won more games this year (in 52 games) than they did in the first two years of their existence (29 wins in 162 games.) Brown is succeeding with an against-the-grain strategy of using 10 players regularly and playing his best player a shade more than 32 minutes a game.

Our final two unmovables are both in the Eastern Conference, aka Enron.

Paul Silas. He was brought in by the Cavaliers to restore order, dignity and maybe even get a few wins with the arrival of LeBron James. He happily parted with Ricky Davis and has seen Carlos Boozer emerge as a force to join the outrageously gifted James. (I still want to see James' birth certificate. There's no way he's 19. As his agent, Aaron Goodwin, recently cracked, "You know LeBron's middle name is Almonte?")

Terry Porter. The Milwaukee native rounds out the list of the most secure coaches. He's only in his first year with the Bucks, but he has them playing better than anyone (or most anyone) thought. He's a refreshing change from the George Karl turbulence of years past.

Category II: Watch Your Backside, Boss Man
Rescuer: Navy SEALS

These guys are in this category for one reason -- they've not done a lot wrong; in some cases, they've done nothing wrong -- and yet, for one reason or another, they need help. And not just any assistance. They need the SEALS to help them out of their respective situations, some of which are hazardous. The problems are myriad -- expiring contracts, nettlesome and meddlesome owners, uninspired play by the team. We can start with the most obvious.

Phil Jackson. He's in the last year of his five-year deal, which has seen him bring three titles to the Lakers. But extension talks have been put off until the summer, by which time Kobe Bryant might either be in Memphis or a guest of the State of Colorado's Corrections System. The Lakers still are Everyone's Favorite when healthy and happy, but they've been neither this year. Jackson turns 60 next year and has often spoken about communing with the elk in Montana at that time in his life

Don Nelson. He's another guy on tender hooks in Dallas. At numerous points this season, Nellie looked to be one phone call away from a trip to Maui. He has the league's most hands-on owner (how many owners sit behind or around the bench?) who expects big things from his big-salaried team. Nellie can't win this one for losing. If the Mavs flame out in the playoffs, he will be wearing a big bull's-eye.

Tim Floyd. You'd have to think that Floyd is in a similar state in New Orleans. He came cheap to the ever-miserly George Shinn, who basically paid Floyd according to his won-lost record in Chicago. The Hornets annually underachieve, or so it seems with that roster. But there are annual health issues, and that's the case again this year. The Hornets should make it out of the first round. But that was the case last year, too.

Mike Dunleavy. The Clippers' coach is probably not in any immediate danger because it would be too expensive for the cost-conscious Donald Sterling to let him go. But merely accepting employment from The Donald comes at a cost -- just ask Bill Fitch. The Clippers lost three starters to free agency last summer and, once again, they are on the outside of the playoffs, looking in. One of these days, Sterling is going to realize that teams can make money by getting to the playoffs and will pay his players accordingly.

Stan Van Gundy. He has the blessings of his boss, Pat Riley. But we don't know how long Riley is going to remain in Miami (one year, maybe?) and, if he goes elsewhere (Dallas has been mentioned as a possible soft landing area), then Van Gundy is going to need the entire Navy to help him. After a lousy start, however, Van Gundy has the Heat within one game of the No. 8 spot in the East. All that means is that they're further under .500 than the team above them.

Eddie Jordan. We all assumed he was the brains behind the operation in New Jersey. Who knew it was really Lawrence Frank? The Wizards are under new management and Jordan is a big part of that. Still, the team has been terrible this season (injuries, injuries) and is going to miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season, the longest such dry spell in the conference. Doug Collins could have done that.

Category III: One Foot On The Platform, The Other Foot on The Train
Rescuer: The United States Coast Guard

There are eight coaches in this group, which is basically composed of eight guys whose situations are, to borrow a word from wordsmith Kobe Bryant, "dicey." But, looking at this group, you have to ask yourself: Who can do it any better? Unfortunately for them, an owner or a general manager may have a lengthy list at hand.

Lawrence Frank. The Nets' wunderkind is here, although the way Jersey has played under his watch, you almost think he should be next to Sloan. Still, you have to know a bump in the road lies ahead and then there's the postseason, an altogether different season. When the Celtics improved dramatically under Jim O'Brien, ownership didn't hesitate to remove the interim tag. How long will the Nets wait? It's not like Frank is going anywhere, but you get the sense that his honeymoon has unusually long legs.

Maurice Cheeks. He also is on the verge, mainly because there's a chance the Philadelphia job will open up and he'd be a natural to return there. Management in Portland has gotten rid of some of the team's true knuckleheads and malcontents, but, with a payroll approaching one of owner Paul Allen's dividend checks, it would seem that Cheeks has to reach the playoffs.

Kevin O'Neill. He is in similar straits in Toronto, but without the payroll situation. The Raptors aren't the embarrassment they were under Wilkens, but they also haven't exactly blown away the competition following the big-time acquisitions of Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall. It's doubtful the Raptors would act after only one year and O'Neill didn't cost them big bucks.

Jeff Bzdelik and Eric Musselman. They are both young, eager, and have had success in difficult situations. Musselman had the Warriors thinking about the postseason last year -- and then saw his two top scorers leave, one by trade and the other by free agency. Golden State is muddling along this season, not too far out of the playoffs, and Musselman has had to deal with injuries to Troy Murphy, Adonal Foyle and Nick Van Exel. The Warriors have had five coaches in nine years, so a change would not be out of the ordinary. Bzdelik won 17 games last season in a season right out of the M.L. Carr handbook. Now, the Nuggets are winning and will again have cap room this summer. Why hasn't Denver shown some love (and money) to a guy who has earned it? That is not a good sign.

Mike D'Antoni. He is probably safe beyond this year in Phoenix. He'll get a Duvalieresque contract for life if he can coerce Kobe to the Valley of the Sun this summer. Short of that, the Suns are rebuilding (again) and D'Antoni is under contract beyond this season. So was Frank Johnson.

Nate McMillan. How long will Seattle stick with McMillan? This is his third full season since he replaced Paul Westphal and Seattle is every bit as ordinary as it was when Westphal was there. The Sonics don't appear to be playoff bound for the second straight year and that hasn't happened since 1985-87. McMillan has been hindered by some mind-boggling management decisions (Jerome James, Calvin Booth) but, hey, management never pays for those kinds of things. Coaches do.

Scott Skiles. He came out of hibernation to take over the beleaguered Bulls as new general manager John Paxson's personal choice. Anyone notice they're just as bad as they were under Bill Cartwright, thanks, in part, to Paxson's horrible deal with Toronto? Because Skiles is an in-season hire, he's probably not going anywhere soon. Unless, of course, the Bulls decide to make a change based on wins and losses. If they do, Skiles could well surface in Boston.

Category IV: What is Lonnie Cooper's cell number?
Rescuer: Lassie

These four remaining guys may be beyond help, even if they have the redoubtable Cooper representing them. Judging by what we've seen and know, Lassie may not be resourceful enough to get them out of the situation they're in.

John Carroll. He is in an utterly impossible situation in Boston. He could win his remaining 28 games, run the table in the playoffs, and Danny Ainge might -- might -- take his call about next season. The only reason Carroll is still there must be because Ainge's preference is currently unavailable. That will change soon.

Terry Stotts. He's another guy who has been reading the handwriting on the wall for a long time now. (It must either be a very large wall or very small handwriting.) He has re-defined the term "interim" in the process, to the point where he was close to taking an assistant's job last summer before the Hawks decided to keep him around. He'll probably be allowed to finish out this season unless new ownership -- it will be approved one of these millenniums -- wants to install their new guy, pronto.

Chris Ford. He could well be in a similar situation if the Sixers plod along as uninspiring as they did under Randy Ayers. The Sixers gave Ford the job through the end of the season and he is a seasoned, steady hand. But he also has had no luck since leaving Boston (Milwaukee, L.A. Clippers) and if the Sixers fail to make the playoffs (ending a five-year playoff streak), you'd have to think Philly would start another search. Cheeks will be on their radar screen if Portland makes a change.

Johnny Davis. Last, but not least, is Orlando's Davis. He is universally regarded as one of the nicest men in basketball, but he has an awful record as a head coach. He was 22-60 in one season in Philly (Iverson's first year) and has not exactly performed miracles in Orlando since replacing Doc Rivers. He may be under contract after this season, but that shouldn't stop the Magic from making a move. Attendance and interest is down in Orlando. So, too, are the number of wins, by which coaches are usually, and sometimes unfairly, judged.

Peter May, who covers the NBA for the Boston Globe, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.

Most coaches not feeling so secure