How long before Ricky Davis corrupts LeBron James? Van Gundy's heaven could turn into hell real fast..
Didn't Van Gundy quit with the Knicks because of stress? He will have a very tough time with all this youth...and all of them playing similar positions...and bad attitudes... Why didn't he want to go where we already have 3 established stars and kinda veterans? Oh well. God Bless Rudy.
Listen up, King James LeBron should push for Silas as Cavs coach Posted: Friday May 23, 2003 2:16 PM Updated: Friday May 23, 2003 5:35 PM LeBron James already is talkin' the talk. If you listened closely on Thursday night after the Cleveland Cavaliers won the LeBron Lottery, you heard the 18-year-old object of affection use the words we and my quite a bit. As in my team. Sure, he talked about his teammates and said all the politically savvy things. But make no mistake, James is fully aware that the woebegone Cavs are now his team. Go ahead, name another current Cav. Point made. That said, LeBron, show me what you got: Tell Cavs owner Gordon Gund that the best decision he can make for the future of the franchise is to hire Paul Silas as the team's next coach. Jeff Van Gundy? Sure, he's the consensus front-runner. A "great" coach and teacher, according to his colleagues. And he has spent the last year-plus selling himself while wearing a headset on TNT. But one thing makes me curious: Why has Van Gundy received a pass on deserting the Knicks? I mean, he flat-out quit. He walked out the door 19 games into the 2001-02 season with no explanation -- at least no viable one, except, "I'm tired." Cynics would say he was also smart, knowing that the Knicks were tumbling toward mediocrity and worse. For the Cavs, who have averaged only 27 wins over the last four seasons (with just 17 last year), mediocrity would be a blessing. Is Van Gundy clearly the best guy for the tough times the Cleveland franchise will face? People forget that the year after they won (wink, wink) the Patrick Ewing lottery in 1985, the Knicks stunk, going 23-59. It took that team years to become contenders. Will Van Gundy high-tail it out of town again, when a team built around a teenaged wunderkind struggles, as it inevitably will, to live up to expectations? Nothing in Van Gundy's résumé tells me he's the guy. And yet he has been anointed as The Chosen Coach for The Chosen One. Following the lottery, James said he'd have to "feel comfortable with our coach." That's a clear signal to Gund that he'd best let his new franchise player in on the decision-making process. Silas should be given more than a token look; he should get the job. (Cavs GM Jim Paxson was quoted as calling Silas, "Lenny Wilkens 10 years ago." Uh, what exactly does that mean, Jim?) During six seasons as the head coach of the New Orleans (né Charlotte) Hornets, Silas guided his team through more drama than any coach should have to endure, including the tragic death of guard Bobby Phills in a car crash in January 2000. This season, the Hornets reached the playoffs for the fifth straight season under Silas, and yet he was unceremoniously fired by ownership, which still hasn't told anyone why it let Silas go. James might be criticized in some circles for inserting himself into the hiring process even before he signs with the team, which he cannot do before the June draft. (Remember when a rookie Magic Johnson was trashed for daring to state that he could no longer play for then Lakers coach Paul Westhead, which led to Westhead's firing and the hiring of a yet untested bench boss named Pat Riley?) But before he is run through a gauntlet of NBA veterans eager to test him, pound him and introduce him to a game played by men rather than pimple-faced boys; before he discovers what three-games-in-four-nights-in-three-time-zones does to even his young body; before he learns that despite his obvious and wondrous skills he'll have to get even better in many facets of the game -- this is exactly where he needs to be. In the room. In the mix. In the midst of the decisions that will affect his future. The Cleveland Cavaliers are LeBron James' franchise now. Gordon Gund knows it. And LeBron knows it. Neither man can afford to wait too long to begin acting on it. Roy S. Johnson is an assistant managing editor for Sports Illustrated. His "Pass the Word" column appears on SI.com every Friday. Catch Johnson on CNN Headline News every Thursday at 3:40 p.m. ET.
SLA I just read the same article. I thought it was very interesting. I was browsing the web to see if this Van Gundy to the Cavs was offical (I really don't think it is just yet) and came across it (the article). Silas would be a good choice as well as Van Gundy I just hope that this situation turns out for the best.
dude, I could of swore I just heard Van Gundy say he has no agreement with the Cavs.. and the Cavs are still searching for head coach. I was walking in the room...did anybody else hear what he said?
Stroke - I put in a new thread, sorry that I did not come to this one first (a little too overzealous to be first...). JVG said in no uncertain terms that THERE IS NO AGREEMENT between himself and the Cavs "contrary to published reports..."
fratello handed him a cleveland newspaper about housing -- that's when he said all that stuff on tnt. in other words, yes he said it, but you can't really believe stuff like that.
Silas: is available but might be too much of a nice guy to get the most out of our kids. Still, i'd take him because the guards on our team like him and would listen to him. I don't know his offensive system but it couldn't be worse than what we've been running... Brown: would be nice since he's shown he can get the most out of guards and isn't afraid to yell but don't seem him giving up Phili if he stays in coaching. Walton: just joking, but I love suggesting him, its just funny to me. Cleamons: clone of the Zen Master, would bring the /_\ and therefore much needed movement but he's not proven. The only game he was the MAN for the Lakers still saw Phil calling in at half time. Fratello: the Zcar? nahhhh, he never got it done and hasn't coached in a while for a reason Coach K: wouldn't come, isn't healthy enough, no NBA coaching experience JVG: will have a hard time living down getting dragged around the court by Mourning. Plays a slow down game that doesn't appeal to players like ours. Couldn't fix the Knicks so he bailed rather than face the heat. Besides, he's just playing with the media, he's going to the Cavs to soak in the LaBron glory. John Lucas: knows how to handle big men but never got it done outside of the USBL. Only 4 years as a head coach might not be enough to understand how to teach the game to our kids. George Karl: he's not available but for some reason his name keeps popping up. he's got a good eye for talent but doesn't seem to know what to do with it. So there are a few coaches, I don't know that any of them are the mystic "Answer." We need a demanding coach with a talented staff who will motivate and instruct at the same time. Another easy going guy who relies on the players professionalism to get things done will leave us stagnant. Rudy was Houston basketball and we'll miss his presence as such, but hopefully not that much.
Here's an article, but I wouldn't put too much into it since JVG reported on TNT that him and Cleveland haven't agreed on anything yet. http://www.nypost.com/sports/35826.htm
According to that article, it seems as if JVG is certain to go to Cleveland. I wouldn't put too much stock in what JVG says on tv about his coaching situation. Everyone lies all the time.
If the Rockets really wanted Jeff Van Gundy they shouldn't have dicked around so long in getting ride of Rudy. They could have had him easily if they would have pursued him before the lottery.
boo ****ing hoo that we won't get Jeff Van Gundy. Judas can hire Anita Van Gundy, and it won't make a dick's worth of difference as far as what will happen to the soulless basketball team that plays in Houston. the best ****ing coach this team will ever have was forced out today, and the rest is ****ing salad dressing.
