Reaction To Warriors Firing Of Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson wasn’t alone in losing his job today, as the Warriors ousted Jackson’s entire coaching staff, and even the club’s video coordinator, notes Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). The reaction has been swift around the league, and while we’ll keep track of the latest on Jackson’s future and the team’s coaching search in this post, we’ll roundup the rest of the fallout from the Warriors’ decision below:
- There were some Warriors players who felt Jackson showed too much favoritism toward Stephen Curry, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard (video link). Curry learned of the firing from Jackson, and many players weren’t pleased that the team didn’t inform them of the news first, and that they weren’t consulted in the decision, Thompson tweets.
- GM Bob Myers told reporters, including Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, that he didn’t find the team’s regular season unsatisfactory, but he suggested the team’s on-court performance played a role in the decision (Twitter link). “It’s harsh to critique the record, but this is a harsh business,” Myers said.
- The Warriors were concerned that Jackson wouldn’t agree to appoint a new lead assistant coach, but the team’s brass didn’t give Jackson a chance to offer any concessions or state his willingness to change his staff, Thompson writes in a full piece.
- Jackson, who reportedly had a recent falling out with assistant GM Kirk Lacob, told Lacob not to talk to his assistant coaches, Thompson notes in the same piece. Lacob is the son of co-owner Joe Lacob.
- Myers had been largely a neutral party amid the discord between Jackson and team management, but when he grew weary of the coach, that was the breaking point, a source tells fellow Bay Area News Group scribe Tim Kawakami (Twitter link).
- Warriors brass viewed Jackson as a “disruptive” force who simply caused too much friction, Kawakami hears (Twitter links).
Grizzlies To Have Own D-League Affiliate
3:13pm: The Grizzlies have formally announced the partnership.
12:52pm: It appears the Grizzlies won’t have to share a D-League affiliate with another NBA team next season, as they’ve struck a deal with the Iowa Energy on a one-to-one partnership, reports Bryce Miller of the Des Moines Register (hat tip to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities). It’ll be a hybrid relationship, meaning the Grizzlies will control the basketball operations while local ownership holds sway over the business side, though Grizzlies minority owner Jed Kaplan takes over the primary ownership role for the Energy as part of the deal.
The Grizzlies have hired Energy GM Chris Makris as director of minor league operations, though he’ll continue to oversee the Energy’s moves, according to Miller. Other Memphis owners will also hold stakes in the Iowa franchise, Miller adds. The Energy has a press conference scheduled later today to formally announce the deal.
Memphis was one of six teams sharing the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this past season, sending Jamaal Franklin on assignment there three times. They’ll probably make greater use of D-League assignments with Iowa, which saw only brief visits from Shabazz Muhammad, Glen Rice Jr. and Marquis Teague this season as the Energy’s five NBA partners largely shied away from sending players down.
The move likely leaves the Mad Ants as the only D-League club without a one-to-one partnership, assuming the Jazz partner with the Idaho Stampede as rumored. The Nets, Hawks, Clippers, Raptors, Bobcats, Pacers, Bucks, Bulls, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Wizards and Trail Blazers are all in line to share a D-League affiliate next season, though it would seem as though an arrangement involving that many teams would be untenable. I wouldn’t be surprised if the D-League, which is adding a Knicks-owned 18th team next season, expands further, though that’s just my speculation.
Other NBA teams may still strike one-to-one partnerships before the shuffling comes to an end, and the Wolves are on the lookout, according to Wolfson (Twitter link). They had talks about a one-to-one deal with Iowa, but they never got serious, Wolfson notes.
Clippers President Andy Roeser Takes Leave
Clippers president Andy Roeser will take an indefinite leave of absence from the team, effective at once, the NBA announced. Roeser had been in charge of the Clippers since the league banned owner Donald Sterling for life. The move will allow a league-appointed CEO, which the NBA announced plans for over the weekend, to begin with a “clean slate,” according to Mike Bass, the league’s executive vice president of communications.
Roeser has been with the team for the last 30 years, as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times points out (on Twitter), and that spans much of Sterling’s ownership of the club. The CEO will have the authority to decide whether Roeser remains with the team.
The departure of former GM Neil Olshey two years ago placed Roeser, along with Gary Sacks and then-coach Vinny Del Negro, in charge of the team’s basketball decisions. Sacks assumed most of the day-to-day business, but Roeser seemed to actively take part prior to the arrival of Doc Rivers, who has authority over basketball personnel matters in addition to his duties as coach.
Warriors Fire Mark Jackson
The Warriors have officially announced that they’ve fired coach Mark Jackson. Sam Amick of USA Today was the first to report the news (on Twitter). Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports noted that it was the team’s decision to fire him, meaning Jackson didn’t quit instead (Twitter link). The move was widely expected, and comes on the heels of a meeting between Jackson, co-owner Joe Lacob, and other Warriors executives within the last few hours.
“Mark Jackson has had a big impact on the improvement of our team and the success that we’ve had over the last couple of years,” Lacob said. “Nonetheless, we must make some difficult decisions in our day-to-day operations of the club and this would certainly qualify as one of those examples. We wish Mark the best of luck in his future endeavors and thank him for his contributions over the last three years.”
Reports in recent weeks cast significant doubt about Jackson’s future with the team, and his chances of remaining in Golden State seemed to grow progressively bleaker after a report of dysfunction surrounding Jackson surfaced when the team reassigned former assistant coach Brian Scalabrine. The team also recently fired assistant coach Darren Erman, who was reportedly recording conversations among the coaching staff.
The tension between Jackson and his bosses appeared to be mutual and to extend to issues beyond basketball. The Warriors organization seemed to present a united front against the coach, with the exception of the players, who offered nearly universal support. A key fracture may have been Jackson’s lack of a relationship with assistant GM Kirk Lacob, the son of the co-owner, after the two engaged in a recent spat. Jackson’s attitude, unwillingness to move to the Bay Area and even his religion have drawn mention in various reports as reasons why Warriors management seemed anxious to let the coach go.
Jackson compiled a 121-109 record over three seasons as Warriors head coach, his first experience on an NBA bench after having worked as a broadcaster following his playing career. The Warriors improved their regular season record each of the last two years, but the Warriors still reportedly took issue with coach’s on-court style, which relied heavily on isolations. Golden State failed to reach the second round of the playoffs this season, as it did last year, and that may have sealed the coach’s fate.
Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Warriors, Jackson Meet To Decide Coach’s Fate
Multiple reports have painted a grim picture of Mark Jackson‘s chances to remain as coach of the Warriors, but the team has been holding off on a decision. Jackson is meeting with co-owner Joe Lacob and team executives at present, and it will be a “pivot point” in determining the coach’s future, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter links). Sources close to Warriors management tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports they expect the team will fire Jackson (Twitter link). The team appears poised to make it’s decision later today, or tomorrow at the latest, Kawakami adds (on Twitter).
Jackson isn’t enamored with Warriors brass either, tweets Monte Poole of CSN Bay Area. The issues between Jackson and his bosses extend beyond basketball, Kawakami hears, reiterating an earlier report from Wojnarowski that no one in the front office will lobby for him to stay (Twitter links). The Warriors have consulted with staffers throughout the organization about their decision on Jackson, and it doesn’t sound like he’s drawing much support, Kawakami tweets. Ultimately, Lacob will make the decision, as Kawakami points out (on Twitter).
Jackson and assistant GM Kirk Lacob, the owner’s son, have had no relationship following a recent dispute, Kawakami adds (Twitter link). Jackson’s stubbornness and defensive attitude in the face of criticism are among the complaints from the Warriors, as fellow Bay Area News Group scribe Marcus Thompson wrote earlier. The “religiosity” of Jackson, an ordained minister, has also made some in organization uncomfortable, according to Thompson.
Still, several Warriors players, including Stephen Curry, have expressed their fondness and support for their coach. The Warriors would nonetheless like to see Curry in a more free-flowing offense, Kawakami wrote overnight. Jackson’s lack of interest in moving to the Bay Area instead of continuing to commute from Southern California and perhaps his asking price on an extension are factors that hurt him in the team’s eyes, Kawakami adds. Ultimately, his coaching style and the way he manages the staff appears to be the major sticking points, according to Kawakami.
Steve Kerr, Fred Hoiberg and, most recently, Stan Van Gundy have been linked to the as-yet-unopen Warriors head coaching job. The Warriors have a short list, but they haven’t engaged in serious talks about a replacement for Jackson yet, Kawakami tweets.
Raptors Notes: Casey, Lowry, Vasquez, Patterson
Raptors coach Dwane Casey and GM Masai Ujiri held a joint press conference today, an hour or so after the Raptors released a statement confirming that Casey and the team have an agreement in principle on a new three-year contract. Casey and Ujiri touched on that deal and other offseason priorities for Toronto, as we detail:
- Ujiri tried to engage Casey in talks about an extension while the team was treading water early in the season, but the coach decided to leave that discussion until after the season, notes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Casey didn’t think about testing the market once the season was over, believing it would have been disingenuous for him to do so, Wolstat adds (Twitter links).
- Keeping free agent point guard Kyle Lowry is indeed a key priority for the team, Ujiri said, suggesting that Lowry’s affection for the Raptors will make negotiations easier, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Casey had each player sign a document after the All-Star break stating their commitment to the team, and Lowry was the first to sign, observes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (Twitter link).
- Ujiri said the team’s primary focus will be on keeping its own free agents and retaining the core of the team, as Smith and Wolstat pass along (Twitter links). Grange gets the sense that the Raptors intend to re-sign Greivis Vasquez and Patrick Patterson, both of whom will hit restricted free agency this summer (Twitter link).
- Casey identified Vasquez as a cornerstone and called him perhaps the most confident player on the team, according to Grange (on Twitter).
- Size on the wing and maybe a shot blocker are the team’s most significant needs, Ujiri said, but the GM cautions that he’ll allow the Raptors to grow gradually and won’t look for a quick fix, as Grange notes in a pair of tweets.
Mavs To Pursue ‘Melo, Tyson Chandler
The Mavs are optimistic that they’ll be on the list of teams that Carmelo Anthony plans to meet with this summer and that he’ll give them legitimate consideration, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Dallas will also try to acquire another Knick, with Stein asserting that they’ll be first in line should New York make Tyson Chandler available via trade. The Mavs will attempt to court LeBron James, too, though Stein suggests that’s a longshot effort.
Dallas only has about $28.2MM in commitments for next season, but that doesn’t include the roughly $2MM non-guaranteed portion of Samuel Dalembert‘s contract or new deals for Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, Vince Carter and Devin Harris. The team has expressed interest in keeping all of them, and the team’s “working assumption,” according to Stein, is that Nowitzki will sign for $10-12MM per year. That doesn’t leave much wiggle room for a max offer to Anthony, who can draw a starting salary of up to $22,458,401. Still, Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com wrote Monday that the Mavs wouldn’t have interest in ‘Melo if he demands his max.
While the Mavs could net Chandler as part of a sign-and-trade involving Anthony, that would be extremely difficult, given Chandler’s salary of nearly $14.6MM next season. The reacquisition of the center who was the defensive anchor of the Mavs’ 2011 title team would probably preclude Anthony from heading to Dallas, and it would make it difficult for the Mavs to accommodate any other marquee free agent this summer. Stein reiterates McMahon’s report from yesterday indicating that the Mavs will likely target Luol Deng but take a pass on any pursuit of Lance Stephenson.
The Mavs have some concern about their ability to keep a couple of their own free agents, too, according to Stein. They’re worried that they’d have to cut deeply into their cap flexibility to fend off suitors for Vince Carter and, in particular, Shawn Marion. Carter and Marion have expressed their preference to re-sign, though such statements are commonplace for soon-to-be free agents at this time of year, and they don’t always translate into a new deal that keeps them in place.
Kevin Durant Wins MVP
TUESDAY, 10:07am: The league has officially named Durant the MVP, announcing the news in a press release and on its website. He garnered 119 first-place votes, with James collecting the other six. Blake Griffin was third in the voting, followed by Joakim Noah and James Harden. Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com was the only voter not to have James and Durant in his top two, voting for Durant, Griffin, and James, in that order.
SATURDAY, 7:36pm: Kevin Durant will be named the league MVP early next week, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. After running neck and neck with LeBron James for much of the year, Durant became the heavy favorite to win the award down the stretch. James’ MVP streak will come to an end at two.
Durant led the league with 32 points per game and a PER of 29.8, scoring at a high volume with a remarkably efficient .503/.391/.873 slash line. The Thunder have relied on “KD” to carry them this season, as fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook‘s knee issues caused him to miss nearly half of Oklahoma City’s season. Durant was up to the task, turning in career high averages in points, assists (5.5) and PER to go along with 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals a contest.
In a season filled with highlight performances and memorable clutch moments, Durant established himself as LeBron’s only peer. Durant exceeded Michael Jordan‘s best streak of consecutive 25-point games with 41, and upped the expectations for his team along with his own production. The Thunder made the 2011/12 Finals–the last time Westbrook was healthy for the postseason–and Durant’s improvement has heightened Oklahoma City’s championship hopes. At the time of this news breaking, Durant is trying to avoid a disappointing finish to the season. The Thunder will need to win their game 7 matchup with the Grizzlies to keep Durant from becoming the first MVP to accept his trophy after a first round exit since Dirk Nowitzki in 2007.
Raptors, Dwane Casey Agree To Three-Year Deal
TUESDAY, 9:12am: The Raptors formally announced their agreement with Casey, in a press release. Oddly, the release states that the team and the coach have merely agreed in principle, so it appears the contract isn’t yet finalized. Still, the move indicates that they’re at least on track to put pen to paper, with Casey and GM Masai Ujiri scheduled to address the media later this morning.
“From day one last summer Dwane has done an excellent job both on-and-off the court,” Ujiri said as part of the team’s statement. “There’s been growth from each player on the roster and the team’s identity of toughness and a desire to always compete has clearly been established. We’re very excited to continue to grow and develop this team with Dwane as our head coach.”
MONDAY, 6:27pm: Casey will earn just under $4MM per year in his new three-year deal, a source tells David Aldridge of TNT (on Twitter).
5:33pm: The Raptors and Dwane Casey have reached agreement on a new three-year deal, sources tell Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (on Twitter).
Casey’s contract expired at the end of this season but a new agreement was widely anticipated. Just last week, Raptors CEO Tim Leiweke told SportsNet 590 The Fan that he wasn’t worried about Casey or free agent Kyle Lowry going anywhere this summer. “Why wouldn’t you want to be here?” Leiweke asked rhetorically. With their coach reportedly locked in through 2016/17, the Raptors’ next task will be to strike a new deal with their star point guard.
All of the buzz in the Atlantic Division this summer went to the Nets and (to a lesser extent) the Knicks, but it was the Raptors who came out on top with a 48-34 record in the regular season. Ultimately, the Nets bested the Raptors in a wild seven game series, but the Raptors took a significant step forward this year and reinvigorated a dormant Toronto fan base.
Between his three years at the helm in Toronto and his one-and-a-half seasons with the Wolves, Casey owns a career 159-193 (.451) record.
Poll: Which Game 7 Loser Will Advance In 2015?
A thrilling weekend of Game 7’s has given way to exit interviews and thoughts about the future for the five teams that lost deciding games in the first round of the playoffs. Some of those teams, like the Hawks and Mavs, can take encouragement that a seven-game series means they’re farther along than they probably thought they were. Others, like the Warriors and Grizzlies, probably didn’t envision sitting at home for the second round when they laid out their plans for the season.
Regardless of where the Hawks, Raptors, Mavs, Grizzlies and Warriors began the season, they’re all in similar positions now. Each team has reason to believe it can be better next year.
Atlanta is on target to have a healthy Al Horford for next season, with close to $15MM in potential cap space this summer. Toronto appears to be a team on the rise, with young talents like DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas and seemingly the inside track to re-sign Kyle Lowry. Dirk Nowitzki remains an elite talent for Dallas, which can clear enough cap room to once more pursue another major star, or at least recruit free agents who can upgrade the team’s defense. The Grizzlies might have advanced beyond the first round if Marc Gasol had been healthy all season and they’d earned a higher seed, and the Memphis front office showed a knack for acquiring useful rotation players on the cheap this year. Golden State is another team on the come, and the series against the Clippers might have been drastically different if Andrew Bogut hadn’t been injured.
All five teams enter the offseason poised to make improvements that can take them beyond the first round next season. Let us know which club you think has the greatest chance to achieve that goal in 2014/15, and feel free to elaborate on your choice in the comments.
Which Game 7 Loser Has The Best Chance To Win A Round In 2015?
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Toronto Raptors 34% (494)
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Golden State Warriors 28% (409)
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Atlanta Hawks 15% (217)
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Dallas Mavericks 14% (201)
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Memphis Grizzlies 9% (126)
Total votes: 1,447