Western Notes: Durant, McHale, Watson
Rockets GM Daryl Morey said he moved rapidly to change coaches 11 games into the season in an effort to turn around the team’s season before it became a lost cause, as the executive explained via Quora
“Obviously, given this history the decision to change coaches was not taken lightly. Our team was reeling at the time of the change — in just our first 11 games we had lost multiple games to nonplayoff teams, including two at home, and none of the losses were close, most were double-digit losses. In the West, you basically can’t do that for any stretch of the season and still reach our goals for the season. The prior year, for example, we had only two losses at home to nonplayoff teams the whole season — we had already done it in only two-plus weeks. I believed that if we waited until what would be considered a normal timetable to make a change that it would likely be too late. Our only focus is on winning and I felt a material change was necessary.”
Here’s more from out West:
- Kevin Durant is arguably the top available prize available in the free agent market this summer, and while he has yet to make up his mind about next season, Wanda Pratt, Durant’s mother, says he’s loyal to the Thunder organization, Ben Standig of CSN Mid-Atlantic.com relays. “I don’t know what his ultimate decision will be,” Pratt said of her son. “Where he’s going to end [up] playing has still not been decided by him. He’s still playing in the playoffs as everyone knows. I don’t know [his plans] so don’t say Mama Durant said [he’s coming to Washington] because I didn’t say that. He’s focused on the playoffs right now and he’s pretty loyal to the Thunder with regards to that. When the time comes, he’ll make a decision best for him.“
- Suns GM Ryan McDonough said the team didn’t formally interview anyone aside from Earl Watson but instead took two and a half months to examine coaching candidates, tweets Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix officially named Watson head coach earlier today, removing his interim tag.
- The best free agent fit for Dwight Howard is likely to be the Mavericks, who can offer the center the more focal role he craves as well as provide an owner in Mark Cuban who can deflect negative attention, Jonny Auping of RealGM opines. The big man would in turn give the franchise the athletic center it has been seeking, Auping adds. Howard is expected to opt out of his contract this summer and become an unrestricted free agent.
Southeast Notes: Dragic, Winslow, Thibodeau
The Heat have a track record of luring free agents to Miami on below-market contracts, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald notes. Center Udonis Haslem offered an explanation for the trend, saying, “It’s a first-class organization, winning organization, and you see how [team president] Pat [Riley] and [owner] Micky [Arison] work together, how the players are treated, how we love being here. And [players] see other people make sacrifices and they start to wonder, ‘Why is everybody sacrificing to be there? Why is everybody sacrificing to stay there?’ When they get a chance to be a part of it, then they buy in.”
Combo guard Goran Dragic, who signed a five-year, $90MM deal this past offseason, left millions on the table from other suitors in order to remain part of the Heat’s winning culture, Jackson relays. “When the time came and we negotiated, [agent Rade Filopovich] said we can get more somewhere else,” Dragic said. “But the most important thing for me was to be in the right place to try to win a championship. I didn’t even want to question that. Because it’s a winning culture here. Everybody wants to win, at least the players that are here. You want to put yourself in a good situation that you can develop your game, that you can get better and get the highest prize. I’m happy here. I went through some struggles but I’m really happy I’m part of this team. Everything looks good now.”
Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets surprised a number of draft experts when they selected Frank Kaminsky over Justise Winslow in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft. Coach Steve Clifford indicated that it was a matter of redundancy that led Charlotte to pass on Winslow, Jackson relays in a separate piece. “[The decision] was difficult, because Justise is a good player. But so much of it is need. Justise’s position, that versatile three/four, is what we have in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist [who missed most of the season with injury]. But we were really high on Frank anyway,” Clifford said.
- The Wizards may not be a good fit for Tom Thibodeau, since the team isn’t offering organizational control to head coaching candidates, and that’s something the former Bulls coach reportedly prefers, Ben Standig of CSN Mid-Atlantic notes. Scott Brooks is the reported front-runner for Washington’s coaching vacancy, though Thibodeau has also drawn consideration from the Wizards as well.
- The Hawks have recalled swingman Lamar Patterson from the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, the team announced via press release.
Kings To Interview Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro
8:05pm: The Kings’ first three interviews for their vacant coaching position will be with Jackson, Del Negro and former Wolves interim coach Sam Mitchell, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 2:50pm: The Kings are scheduled to interview Vinny Del Negro next week, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports, confirming a tweet from Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee that indicated as much. They’d like to interview Kevin McHale, but he hasn’t decided whether he’ll meet with the team, league sources told Wojnarowski, who earlier reported the team plans to interview Mike Woodson. The team is expected to meet with a handful of candidates for initial interviews before moving on to the next stage of its search, Wojnarowski hears.
Del Negro’s name emerged among several in the mix for the Kings job when Wojnarowski reported his candidacy last week. Sacramento reportedly contacted Del Negro for its vacancy in December 2014, shortly after firing Michael Malone, but since then, the Kings have had two head coaches, and Vlade Divac succeeded Pete D’Alessandro as the front office chief.
Sacramento has reached out to Tom Thibodeau, Scott Brooks, Ettore Messina, Luke Walton and David Blatt in addition to Del Negro and Woodson, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), though Thibodeau and Brooks appear to be long shots, at best. Jeff Hornacek, Mark Jackson, Patrick Ewing, Nate McMillan and Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga are others in whom the team reportedly has interest as it seeks a replacement for the fired George Karl.
Experience appears to be a key for Divac as he looks at candidates, and Del Negro fits that bill. The 49-year-old is 210-184 in five seasons as an NBA head coach, split between the Bulls and the Clippers.
Poll: Defensive Player of the Year
For the second consecutive season, the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. Leonard, a 6’7″ small forward, became the first noncenter to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons since Dennis Rodman did so in 1989/90 and 1990/91. The 24-year-old received 84 first-place votes and 547 total points from a panel of 130 sportswriters and broadcasters. He beat out the Warriors’ Draymond Green, who notched 44 first-place votes and 421 points to finish as runner-up for the second season in a row. The Heat’s Hassan Whiteside came in third with 83 points, garnering two first-place votes. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote, according to the release.
Leonard, a first-time NBA All-Star this season, anchored a Spurs defense that led the NBA in points allowed (92.9 ppg) and defensive rating (96.6 points per 100 possessions). The Spurs, who were a franchise-record 67-15 this season, were significantly tougher on defense with Leonard in the game. According to NBA.com, they had a defensive rating of 94.9 when the five-year veteran was on the court and 99.2 when he wasn’t — a difference of 4.3 points per 100 possessions. Leonard also averaged 1.78 steals, which was good for 12th in the NBA, 5.5 defensive rebounds and a career-high 0.99 blocks to go with career highs of 21.2 points and 2.6 assists on the offensive end.
Any time an award is handed out there will be some who disagree with the selected recipient and this year’s DPOY award choice is likely no different. We at Hoops Rumors want to know whom you thought was deserving of the award. Listed below are the players who received votes, as well as a number of players who were mentioned by readers in the comments section. Cast your vote below for whom you believe should have won this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Atlantic Notes: Larkin, Joseph, Sixers
Shane Larkin hasn’t decided what he will do regarding his $1.5MM player option for 2016/17, but the point guard would prefer to remain with the Nets for the long term, NetsDaily relays. “I’m not a guy who wants to play a 10-year career with eight different teams; I want to find a home and really lock in with a team where I know what the coach wants, what my teammates want and we can just all grow together,” Larkin told reporters prior to Kenny Atkinson being named coach. “I just turned 23, so I’m still young. Being able to get with a team on a two-year deal or three-year deal saying, ‘This is what we want you to be. We want you to spark our offense, push the tempo, be this guy and this is what we feel you can do for the team,’ then that’s perfect. Whether I’m a starter or whatever, it’s cool either way.”
Larkin added that he preferred playing for former coach Lionel Hollins over interim coach Tony Brown, the NetsDaily scribe relays. “I was really comfortable with Coach Hollins,” Larkin said. “But after 37 games, to be exact, Coach Hollins was out of here and [former GM] Billy King was released or whatever it was so it was like we didn’t really have a lot of direction. Coach Tony was kind of just handed the job like, ‘All right, here you go.’ It was kind of like, ‘Just like go play basketball.’”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Knicks cannot move forward as a franchise until the right head coach is hired, Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders writes. The scribe also opines that team president Phil Jackson needs to broaden his search for a new coach beyond his comfort zone and not remain fixated on hiring someone based on the triangle offense. The organization could also benefit by hiring someone whose views don’t line up with Jackson’s 100%, since some level of conflict is healthy when making decisions, Beer adds.
- Cory Joseph is pleased with his decision to sign with the Raptors last summer and is happy with the organization as a whole, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star relays. “I feel like I’ve got a good team controlling my situation for me,” Joseph said.
- Much of the Sixers‘ offseason plans will rely on luck, something that hasn’t been on the franchise’s side the past few seasons, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia has already had some negative luck this offseason, with the 2016 first-rounder the team is owed from the Heat slipping from a possible No. 21 overall down to No. 24 due to tiebreakers not going its way, Pompey notes.
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Suns Formally Name Earl Watson Head Coach
The Suns have removed the interim tag from Earl Watson‘s title and formally named him head coach, the team announced. Jude LaCava of KSAZ-TV in Phoenix first reported the news, citing team sources, and Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated confirmed it (Twitter links). Watson and the Suns have a deal on a three-year contract, according to John Gambadoro of KMVP-FM in Phoenix (on Twitter), and all three years are guaranteed, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer hears (Twitter link).
“Earl did a very good job with our team last season after taking over as interim head coach during a challenging time for the organization,” Suns GM Ryan McDonough said. “Earl’s natural leadership qualities and his ability to connect with and motivate our players have stood out throughout his time here in Phoenix. We are excited to see what he can do with a healthy roster after having a full offseason to prepare.”
The news is no shock, as people in the Suns organization and around the league considered him the front-runner for the job as the team prepared to begin its search in earnest last week, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Gambadoro reported Monday that the Suns had interviewed Watson but no one else.
The Suns were reportedly poised to pursue Mike D’Antoni even before they fired Jeff Hornacek, but a reunion with D’Antoni, who won Coach of the Year honors with the Suns in 2005, never materialized. The team eyed Steve Nash, but the former MVP wasn’t interested. Conflicting reports emerged about Phoenix’s interest in Villanova coach Jay Wright, while the team was apparently fond of Dan Majerle and Luke Walton.
The 36-year-old Watson was an active NBA player just two years ago for the 2013/14 Trail Blazers, and he connected with the players in Phoenix, garnering unanimous support. His ability to command respect in the locker room and develop the team’s young talent convinced the Suns to keep him in the head coaching position, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski writes. McDonough said to Wojnarowski that the Suns came to view him as “the perfect guy for the job.”
“One of the things that stood out was this: Every single player on the roster came to us at the end of the season and said that this is the guy we want as head coach,” McDonough told Wojnarowski. “They said that you’d be making a mistake if you hire a different head coach. That’s not something we expected to hear from [our players] back when we promoted him to interim coach in February, but Earl has shown an ability to connect and motivate our players as well as discipline and hold them accountable.”
Watson has a reputation for having a strong influence on free agents, and that helped build his case for the job, along with his work to rehabilitate the trade value of Markieff Morris, Phoenix’s defensive improvements down the stretch and perhaps his ties to the Klutch Sports Group, the agency that also represents Eric Bledsoe, according to Coro. Soon-to-be free agent power forward Mirza Teletovic cited Watson as he spoke about why he wants to re-sign with the team. The Suns only went 9-24 under Watson, though Bledsoe was already out for the season by the time of the coaching change, and Brandon Knight missed most of the games that Watson coached.
Was Earl Watson the right choice for the Suns? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Kings To Interview Mike Woodson
The Kings plan to interview Clippers assistant Mike Woodson for their head coaching job, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The Clippers have granted permission for the interview to take place, Wojnarowski hears.
Sacramento reportedly has interest in several candidates, and the team is seeking an experienced replacement for the fired George Karl, as GM Vlade Divac indicated. The sense within the organization is that the team is willing to test the market for DeMarcus Cousins, as Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee wrote, but regardless of whether Cousins is around, whomever the Kings hire will face a daunting task. The franchise hasn’t made the playoffs since 2006.
Woodson ended an eight-year playoff drought for the Hawks in 2008, his win total improving in each of his six seasons as coach of Atlanta. He later coached the Knicks, guiding them to 54 wins in 2012/13, the team’s last playoff season. Still, the 58-year-old is just 315-365 in the regular season and 18-28 in the playoffs as an NBA head coach. The Magic interviewed Woodson last year before hiring Scott Skiles, and while another report suggested Woodson also interviewed with the Nuggets for the job that ultimately went to Michael Malone, that’s not entirely clear.
David Blatt, Vinny Del Negro, Jeff Hornacek, Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga, Kevin McHale, Mark Jackson, Patrick Ewing and Nate McMillan are others in whom the Kings reportedly have interest. They’re also apparently fond of Tom Thibodeau and Scott Brooks but understand they’re not likely to end up in Sacramento.
Pacific Notes: Cousins, Thibodeau, Leuer, Teletovic
The sense within the Kings organization is that GM Vlade Divac is willing to gauge the market for DeMarcus Cousins this summer, having become increasingly frustrated with the mercurial big man, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Cousins and soon-to-be free agent Rajon Rondo are close, but the center has few other friends among his teammates, several of whom complained to the front office that Cousins is moody and disrespectful, Voisin relays. Divac wouldn’t directly answer when asked last week whether the firing of George Karl meant he’s committed to Cousins. “Anything about the players and how we are going to do in the summer,” Divac said, “I don’t want to talk about right now because our focus is to find a new coach.”
See more from the Pacific Division:
- A would-be coaching vacancy on the Lakers would reportedly be of interest to Tom Thibodeau, but the lack of opportunity to control player personnel turned him off a while ago, as Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times relays via Twitter.
- Soon-to-be free agent power forwards Jon Leuer and Mirza Teletovic want to re-sign with the Suns, and Teletovic expressed particular enthusiasm as the season ended last week, observes Craig Grialou of ArizonaSports.com. Teletovic also gave a verbal boost to interim coach Earl Watson, reportedly the front-runner as Phoenix searches for a head coach. “Coach Earl put a lot of trust in me. He kind of gave me the energy, gave me the boost. He talked to me through the whole period that he’s been here: how we’re supposed to play, how we’re supposed to get better,” Teletovic said. “I understood the role that I have on this team.”
- Jamal Crawford began the season deferring to new teammates after a summer of trade rumors, but a Christmas night conversation in which Doc Rivers called upon him to be more aggressive changed Crawford’s approach, as Robert Morales of the Long Beach Press-Telegram details. The Clippers combo guard wound up winning his third career Sixth Man of the Year award today.
Coaching Rumors: Walton, Thibodeau, Atkinson
Coaching vacancies tend to dominate headlines this time of year, and this morning, with news about Luke Walton and Mark Jackson, is no exception. See more coaching-related items here:
- Team president Phil Jackson, after speaking recently with Walton, told members of the Knicks organization that he doesn’t think Walton will leave his job as lead assistant for the Warriors, a source told Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays. One report referred to the conversation between Jackson and Walton as an interview for the Knicks head coaching position, but Walton, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and others dispute that idea. The one head coaching job that Walton would be likely to take would be the Lakers gig, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times, but Byron Scott is still in that position and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss is reportedly in favor Scott remaining.
- Some people around the league are convinced Tom Thibodeau will be the next coach of the Timberwolves, Woelfel writes in the same piece. Thibodeau has high level of comfort with Minnesota from his time there as an assistant coach from 1989-91, a source told Marc Berman of the New York Post. Still, potential openings with the Rockets and Lakers intrigue Thibodeau, Woelfel hears.
- Two NBA executives told Woelfel that Hawks assistant Darvin Ham is likely to elicit serious consideration for head coaching jobs in the next year or two.
- Multiple Hawks players, including soon-to-be free agent Kent Bazemore, lauded assistant coach Kenny Atkinson, who’ll take over the Nets head coaching job as soon as Atlanta’s playoff run is finished, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com details. Kyle Korver said Atkinson was a significant reason he re-signed with the Hawks in 2013, observes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.