Despite the fact that his negotiations for the Lakers’ head coaching job fell through, former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue continues to draw interest around the NBA. The Rockets and Pelicans have pursued Lue as a potential lead assistant, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
However, according to Charania, Lue remains focused on landing a head coaching job. Sources tell Charania that Lue has passed on a couple offers to become an assistant since he was let go by the Cavaliers last fall.
One of those offers, Charania reports, came from Houston during the season. While the Rockets haven’t made a formal offer recently, they’re on the lookout for assistants after parting ways with Jeff Bzdelik, Mitch Vanya, and Roy Rogers.
As for the Pelicans, there are two connections linking Lue to the franchise. New head of basketball operations David Griffin, of course, worked with the former Cavs coach in Cleveland. Lue also worked alongside Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry in Los Angeles, when both men were assistants on Doc Rivers‘ Clippers staff.
The Grizzlies are currently the only NBA team still in the market for a new head coach, and Lue hasn’t been identified as a potential target for Memphis. Assuming the Grizzlies go in another direction, it will be interesting to see whether Lue becomes more open to a lead assistant role, or whether he’ll consider taking the 2019/20 season off in the hopes of being hired as a head coach next spring.
Screwy Lue…besides his connection to lbj, what is his strength. He was awful at Cleveland…he could never get his best players on the floor together. His rotations never made sense. Listen to him talk….not very smart. Time will tell. I am out on this dude.
Ummm….he won a championship and made 4 straight finals appearances. Now before you say “oh it was because of LBJ” well then that can be said for Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Steve Kerr, etc. With Pop I would say it was a combo of both talent and his system. I think some of the big 3 (Duncan, Ginobli and Parker) were maybe even held back because of the system.
Lue deserves a shot at being a head coach and I really, really don’t like the implications because I’ve NEVER, EVER heard anyone question Steve Kerr’s ability when he INHERITED Curry, Thompson, Green after the previous coach, Mark Jackson, took them from a 23 win team in his first season (2011-2012) to a 51 win team in his last season (2013-2014). I’ll give Kerr credit for installing Green into an everyday player and moving Iggy from a starter to a 6th man off the bench but that’s about it as far as nuisances.
There are tons of people who question Kerr’s coaching ability as most people realize he inherited them. Only the media and Warrior fans don’t say that.
What a bunch of nonsense. It was obvious that Jackson wasn’t working. His rotations were garbage and he never got a great season from any player. Steve Kerr didn’t just move draymond to the starting role, he pushed him to become the player he is now. Green 100% credits Kerr for his transformation. Kerr also figured out how to get the most out of klay and curry together. Kerr installed a brand new offensive system which he created based on his time in Chicago and san antonio and arizona(I think that was the team he was a front office member). Steve Kerr ball sharing sharpshooting system has transformed the NBA. The skill level of the warriors players is what bailed the terrible coach Jackson out. Kerr joined the warriors with more rings than the franchise had in it’s entire history. Kerr made the warriors what the are. Besides all that, kerrs pass first team focused style has transformed the entire league. Kerr is possibly the best coach to ever coach in the NBA. Meanwhile lue is a bad joke that won’t end. It was very well known the Cavs hired lue so LeBron could continue being player coach. The Cavs didn’t win a championship, the league manufactured it for them. Look at the video objectively. Look at how the league consulted with LeBron before punishing green for contact that James initiated. The video is clear, LeBron steps on green and brushes his forehead with his nuts. Green reacts how any human would react to a 280lb gorilla standing over you tea-bagging you. Meanwhile there are over a dozen travelling non calls on LeBron in game 7. The league gifted LeBron and Cleveland a title, and everyone knows it. If Steve Kerr was let go by the warrirlors, other teams would fire their coach just to hire Kerr, meanwhile little lue is unemployed with no prospects.
You have grudges and invent things to support them and ignore evidence to the contrary and are dumb besides.
Lue was hired to talk back to Lebron, and Draymond was suspended for multiple incidents. Truth And GSW was more popular than the Cavs.
So he turns down the Lakers gig because of money and now we think being an assistant will pan out better? Okay…
Yeah, I don’t see Lue taking an assistant coach job. I also, think he would view his situation behind Gentry as the same situation he would’ve have been in if he took the Lakers’ job with Kidd as his head assistant coach. Griffin and Lue have history and although Lue and Gentry have history working together it’s the same dynamic. If Gentry struggles his replacement would likely he Lue being promoted.
Lue is still getting money from Dan Gilbert – he doesn’t need to work as an assistant to pay bills.
He’ll get a job somewhere. Any GM trying to save their job will look at Lue because he’s a safe pick: you can’t criticize a team for hiring Lue because he’s a championship winner. It’s sort of dumb, but it’s the reality of the NBA.
Explain Phil Jackson and new York.