Rockets to meet with Van By FRANK ISOLA DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Now that Cleveland is out of the picture for Jeff Van Gundy, the former Knicks coach is expected to meet again with Rockets officials this week. Mike Dunleavy is regarded as the leading candidate to replace Rudy Tomjanovich. But Rockets GM Carroll Dawson is not ready to eliminate Van Gundy. If Dunleavy is hired by Houston, Van Gundy could be spending another season away from coaching. "My status hasn't changed," Van Gundy said. "In fact, there is no status." Van Gundy was Cleveland's top choice to become LeBron James' first NBA coach, but the Cavs hired Paul Silas yesterday. "Paul is a great guy," Van Gundy said. "He will do a great job there. I'm happy for him, Jim (Paxson) and Mr. Gund." People familiar with Van Gundy's thinking say he was serious about joining the Cavs but he had reservations about moving his family from Westchester. There are also vacancies in Washington and Atlanta. Neither team has interviewed Van Gundy, who declined to be interviewed by New Orleans and Philadelphia. "He's not desperate for a job," said a person close to Van Gundy. "He wants a job that he feels is the right fit and when he finds that job, watch out because he's going to be successful." If Van Gundy takes another year off, he is taking a gamble that good jobs will be available. Both Phil Jackson and Isiah Thomas are entering the final year of their contracts. Pacers president Donnie Walsh has given Thomas an endorsement, but with Van Gundy and Rick Carlisle both available Walsh may be prompted to make a change this summer. Walsh has one major concern. Jermaine O'Neal, the Pacers' best player, is a free agent and has said he wants Thomas to return.
The article above plus the two paragraphs below may be pointing at Van Gundy once again: "The second interview will be more specific. When we decide on the guy, we'll bring the guy in and talk about some other things and see if we can get it done. We talked a lot of basketball, their philosophy, how they like to do things. But there are still are a lot of things to talk about." The next interview likely would concentrate more on specific plans for the Rockets' roster, coaching staff and salary. Dawson said he and Alexander had not made an offer to any coach or discussed salary as yet.
How does this point to VG being the guy? This can also apply to Dunleavy as well right? Why did the Chronicle say that CD is going to only conduct one more interview while on the radio he said that he was going to contact both MD and VG? I don't really think anybody knows what is going on.
From http://www.clutchcity.net/news.cfm?NewsID=1105 Clutch is careful to say that just because it is Van Gundy with the second interview, it doesn't necessarily mean he's the one. But, c'mon, the second interview means something. I don't know why everyone's resigned to Dunleavy when the indications point me to Van Gundy.
Clutch used the same quote as the Chronicle. Plus I like this quote: "The second interview will be more specific. When we decide on the guy , we'll bring the guy in and talk about some other things and see if we can get it done. We talked a lot of basketball, their philosophy, how they like to do things. But there are still are a lot of things to talk about." Those two bolded parts now seem to point to Van Gundy.
You can't read anything into this 2nd interview. The interview could mean that the Rockets know who they want and are meeting to discuss contract details or it could mean that they have a favorite, but want to take one last look at the runner up.
I don't hate CD. But on the radio last night, I believe that CD said that he was going to bring in both VG and MD in for a second interview. So where is the discrepancy?
