The Trail Blazers are interviewing Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni on Monday for their open head coaching position, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
According to Wojnarowski, Portland also has interviews lined up early this week with Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups and Spurs assistant Becky Hammon. All three names were previously identified as candidates to replace Terry Stotts in Portland.
A previous report stated that D’Antoni has “serious interest” in coaching the Blazers, but that it wasn’t clear whether Portland reciprocated that interest. The team appears intrigued enough by D’Antoni to give him an interview, though head of basketball operations Neil Olshey has indicated that the search will be fairly expansive, with upwards of 20-to-25 candidates receiving consideration. As such, we shouldn’t read too much into a single meeting.
Billups has previously been cited as a potential frontrunner for the Blazers’ vacancy. He also received a public endorsement from star point guard Damian Lillard, who is expected to have a say in the team’s hire.
Glad to see that Brooklyn is letting D’Antoni interview.
Can’t imagine Portland will go that route, however, even if he might be the best guy to transform Lillard’s role on that team.
How would you transform Damian Lillard’s role? I would say he’s at the top of his craft currently and there’s not much I would do to tweak it.
I’m not sure, but if anyone can find another gear for him it’s D’Antoni. I’ve always felt like Lillard’s offense is a little too much hero ball, but that’s not a slam on the guy. I think maybe it’s just they don’t have enough shooters.
But I take your point.
I agree on your hero ball.
D’Antoni is a one trick pony who is incapable of adjustment. Just hand the ball to his star guard and run him into the ground. He wouldn’t transform anything, and would likely just mean an earlier end to Lillard’s career.
Ya, it’s not like Steve Nash or James Harden found another gear after D’Antoni took over. Both those guys got WORSE. LOL
Nash is a prime example of my point. So is Kobe…he tried it with Anthony, when it didn’t work, he simply quit mid season. With the Lakers he had arguably the two best big men in the league at the time with Pau and Howard…couldn’t adjust after Kobe went down.
He could learn to manage a gm and share the ball more. No one is winning by himself, it’s really simple. Rather see DAntoni in Milwaukee. Blazers would be smart to hire him.
Blazers need to improve roster by 30% for Dantoni to pass the first round
If Blazers can’t win 65 games next season, he is not a good fit
2007
61 wins, pass the first round
2008
55 wins, almost got swept in the first round
Remember that Rockets playoffs game 6 was blown out by Spurs without Kawhi
2007 and 2008 are Suns data
Think
Currently Blazers are 50 wins team, how can Dantoni take them to pass the first round?
Blazers minimum expectation could be -winning the west
Not currently a 50-win team. Convert their winning percentage this year and they would’ve won 48 games in an 82-game season. They did win 50 games 3 seasons ago before getting swept in the WCF.
Sillivan, who do you suggest the Blazers hire?
Mike Brown
Playoffs record 42-29
Excluding 11 playoffs wins to sweep the west
NBA record
My ranking – all defensive coaches
Brown
Becky
Billups
Trade away McCollum only
Interviewing that many candidates, Blazers almost have to interview MDA if his people reached out to them. Notwithstanding what posters here may believe, MDA is very well respected around the league by FO’s and players. It’s easier to explain why you didn’t hire him (to whoever might ask, now or in the future), than why you didn’t grant him an interview (with the interview list being so large).
However, I don’t see him a fit, and, regardless, I see Olshey hiring him. Even before his diatribe on his team’s issues this year, but particularly after it.
They’re actually interviewing him and picking his brain at the same time. How would you envision the offense, what would you change, how was you utilize this guy and that guy, Etc.
Probably. Although they’re probably not asking: How would you improve our defense?
Lol, exactly.
D’Antoni’s teams have been good defensively in the past when they had the right personnel. The Rockets weren’t quite good enough defensively to beat the Warriors a couple times, but who was? Couple of those Rockets teams were top ranked NBA defenses.
Like a lot of commentary about the NBA, the numbers don’t match the criticism.
Read better. It’s irrelevant that he was the HC of some teams that were good defensively. Nobody said he could never be the HC of a good defensive team. So much goes into a team that’s (get this) not about the HC.
The point is MDA is a respected basketball voice (everywhere in the World actually, except message boards in the US) based on his offensive philosophy. Many coaches have come to him to discuss his offensive views. Nobody has done the same regarding defense; and he’s openly acknowledged that (with a laugh).
*DXC OP—(you) DON’T see Olshey hire Dantoni.
No, I think Olshey wants a learner and to learn himself from the interviews. If he does not hate the task of interviewing, it’s a good opportunity to ask questions.
Agree. I’m in no way critical of having 25 interviewees. What else is he doing right now that he can’t take the time to speak with a cross section of the ACs around the league? Goes way beyond finding the right HC for his team next year. Getting ideas from interviewees, sure, but even beyond that. I’d want to speak with as many young ACs who are rising names as feasible, to get a feel for them, whether they’re right for this job right now or not. Same thing for the ACs. Even if they have no shot at this job (really), they should welcome the chance to talk the game with FO’s about their teams.
I like all these names for the Blazers much more than Kidd rumor for 5 seconds.