Rookie Coaching Performances Since 2007-08
- Scott Brooks replaced P.J. Carlesimo as the Thunder head coach after 13 games, finishing the year with a 22-47 record. With four seasons under his belt, his current coaching record stands at 174-125.
- With newly hired Marc Iavaroni, the Grizzlies complete the season at 22-60. He would only last an additional 41 games the following year upon going 11-30, being replaced by Johnny Davis and ultimately Lionel Hollins. He is now an assistant for the Clippers.
- Reggie Theus guided the Kings to 38-44. After starting 6-18 the following year, Theus was replaced by his assistant and another first-year coach, Kenny Natt. Theus was most recently an assistant for Kurt Rambis in Minnesota, but is not currently in the league.
- Jim Boylan finished with a 24-32 record upon replacing Pete Myers, who served as the interim coach for one game after the firing of Scott Skiles. Boylan was eventually replaced by Vinny Del Negro and is now an assistant for Skiles in Milwaukee.
- Sam Vincent went 32-50 in his lone year in the NBA as a head coach with the Bobcats. He is not currently in the league.
2008-09
- Erik Spoelstra became head coach of the Heat, starting his career with a 43-39 record. In a total of 312 games, Spoelstra stands at 194-118.
- Vinny Del Negro had his first chance at head coaching with the Bulls, guiding Chicago to 41-41. With the same 41-41 record in 2009-10, Del Negro was fired and is eventually hired by the Clippers. He is 154-158 overall.
- Kenny Natt served as an interim head coach in Sacramento, but was not retained after an 11-47 record to complete the season. Natt is not currently in the NBA.
- Tony Dileo took over for the final 59 games for the 76ers after Mo Cheeks is fired, winning 32 games and losing 27. Dileo is presently working for the team's front office in Philadelphia.
- Jay Triano guided the Raptors to 33-49 after Sam Mitchell's 8-9 start. Triano was relieved of his head coaching duties after a 62-102 record over the following two seasons. He was recently hired as an assistant coach to Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts.
- Michael Curry lasted one year with the Pistons, going 39-43. He is now serving as an assistant for Doug Collins on the 76ers.
- Ed Tapscott took the reins of the Wizards upon the departure of Eddie Jordan, winning 18 of the final 71 games. He is not currently coaching in the NBA.
2009-10
- John Kuester led Detroit to 27 wins and 55 losses. After just a three-win improvement in 2010-11, Kuester is eventually fired and replaced by Lawrence Frank during the 2011 offseason. Last year, he served as an assistant under Mike Brown, and was most recently named an advance scout for the Lakers.
- Kiki Vandeweghe ultimately replaced Lawrence Frank and interim coach Tom Barrise on the Nets while still serving as the team's general manager, concluding the season with 12 wins and 52 losses. Vandeweghe was not retained in any capacity the following season.
- Jeff Bower was named head coach of the Hornets after Byron Scott's 3-6 start, finishing 34-39. Bower is not currently with an NBA franchise.
- Kim Hughes took over as the interim Clippers coach after Mike Dunleavy was fired, finishing at 8-25. Although Hughes was subsequently released that summer, he was recently hired as an assistant coach by the Trail Blazers.
2010-11
- Pacers coach Frank Vogel received his opportunity as an interim coach after Jim O'Brien started the season at 17-27, finishing with a 20-18 record. He remarkably led Indiana to a 42-24 record in 2011-12 and the third seed in the Eastern Conference. In a total of 104 games, Vogel has gone 62-42.
- Chicago's Tom Thibodeau made quite the debut, guiding the Bulls to 62-20. After 148 games, Thibodeau owns 112 wins and 36 losses.
- Atlanta's Larry Drew started his career with the Hawks at a record of 44-38. Drew followed up with a 6% improvement in winning percentage in 2011-12, and currently stands at 84-64.
- Tyrone Corbin replaced Jerry Sloan in Utah, grabbing eight wins in the Jazz' final 28 games that year. In 2011-12, Corbin led Utah to the eighth seed at 36-30 and is 44-50 overall.
- Monty Williams was able to notch a playoff berth with the Hornets, going 46-36. In his second season, Williams finished 21-45.
2011-12
- Mark Jackson led the Warriors to a 23-43 record.
Odds & Ends: J.R. Smith, Lakers, Nash
- HoopsHype provided their NBA season preview of the Lakers, projecting them to finish with first place in the Pacific division and second in the Western Conference.
- It appears that Lakers guards Steve Nash and Steve Blake are looking to prepare for the season as soon as possible, as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA.com tweets that both have an evening workout with player development coach Phil Handy tonight.
- Derek Page of HoopsWorld lists his top 5 playmakers heading into 2012-13. Steve Nash tops the list, followed by Rajon Rondo and LeBron James.
Poll: Who Is Ready To Contribute?
The 2011-12 NBA All-Rookie team was headlined by Kyrie Irving and Ricky Rubio, as well as other former lottery picks such as Klay Thompson and Brandon Knight. The other three selections, Kenneth Faried, Kawhi Leonard, and Iman Shumpert were all selected outside of the lottery.
There are factors that a rookie faces which can determine his role during his first year, especially with regard to who may or may not be ahead on the team's depth chart and how they perform during training camp. With that in mind, which non-lottery first round pick appears to be in the best position to contribute right away?
Odds & Ends: Lillard, Leonard, Reggie
Ben Golliver of BlazersEdge.com offered his thoughts on ProBasketballTalk.com's Kurt Helin making the prediction that Damian Lillard would be a good guess for Rookie of the Year award. Golliver essentially agreed with Helin, mentioning that in addition to the explosiveness he displayed at the Las Vegas Summer League, Lillard already displayed more polish than Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose showed as rookies. Despite the level of point guard play to be substantially better than what Lillard faced this summer, Golliver also mentions that the Trail Blazers' lottery pick is in a prime position to succeed alongside veterans such as LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. Here's more of what we're hearing tonight…
- Trail Blazers rookie center Meyers Leonard says that he's become physically stronger this summer and that he's starting to make a good connection with his fellow rookie teammates Damian Lillard and Will Barton, according to Ben Golliver of BlazersEdge.
- Pacers' legend Reggie Miller talked about joining his sister Cheryl in the Hall of Fame and briefly touched upon what his future holds (Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports). In another piece, IndyStar.com provides an interactive timeline of Miller's storied NBA career. Lastly, Mike Wells of IndyStar.com wonders where Reggie ranks in terms of the best NBA shooting guards of all time.
- Bulls forward Taj Gibson believes that the team can still be competitive while Derrick Rose is recovering and also talks about his role for the upcoming season, says Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York writes that Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire joined Allan Houston, Etan Thomas, and Chris Broussard among others in Harlem last Friday to speak about fatherhood.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Josh Harrellson
Earlier this afternoon, we relayed a report that the Heat were inviting Josh Harrellson to a pre-camp tryout for a spot on the team's official training camp roster. Although his season averages of 4.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 42.3% shooting from the field in 14.7 MPG may not stand out very much, the former Kentucky Wildcat has shown flashes of how he could be a contributor for teams needing depth in the frontcourt. In his 37 games as a Knick, Harrellson appeared to be a blue-collar role player that didn't need to score to have an impact on the game. Having watched nearly every Knicks game last season, here are some of my observations of what he can do:
While he may not be a standout post-player, I wouldn't consider Harrellson to be an offensive liability either. He found most of his attempts in the painted area (58 FGA out of his total 148 FGA), finishing at the basket with a 53% clip; not to mention finding success with the corner-three point shot, where he averaged 39.1% on 23 attempts last season. Albeit that may not be a great sample size to consider, it still offers some intrigue as to whether he can maintain that type of production with consistent playing time. Without question, his performance from everywhere except the corners (11-for-36) had a significant impact on his overall shooting percentages. However, proper coaching might help direct Harrellson's shot selection more toward his areas of efficiency from last year.
At nearly 6'10 and 275 lbs, Harrellson has enough strength to absorb contact and maintain his position defensively near the basket. By no means is he much of a shot blocking threat, but more often times than not he appeared disciplined enough to remain grounded and not fall for pump fakes in the post, instead raising his hands high and actively denying a good look at the basket. His rebounding abilities also looked solid, and as we pointed out last week, Harrellson is still among the top rebounders available in free agency with an average of 9.6 rebounds per 36 minutes.
Although he may not be the most ideal prospect with regards to big men, the former Knick has enough attributes to viably compete for a spot in an NBA rotation, much less be kept on board as a reserve to round out a roster. As a player who does not need the ball to be effective, Harrellson could fit well in a lineup with multiple scorers and his potential as a corner three-point shooter can be used to help space the floor. On the flip side, there's certainly a chance that he may not be able to find playing time, struggles in his second year, or even remains unsigned. At the very least, such an addition could be very affordable and low-risk for any team looking to add size at this point.
Poll: Which Team Can Make The Playoffs?
Out of the top 14 draft positions of June's NBA draft, only two non-playoff teams were without a lottery pick, as New Jersey's pick belonged to Portland and Minnesota's choice belonged to the Hornets. Quite a few teams have made significant changes between the trade deadline and this summer, enough to potentially make the race for a playoff berth an interesting one down the line.
The Wizards made some notable additions this offseason, acquiring veteran help for John Wall in the form of Nene, Trevor Ariza, and Emeka Okafor to go along with a promising young talent in Bradley Beal. The Bucks were very much in the Eastern Conference playoff picture before a 3-7 finish sent the team to the lottery for a second consecutive season. It should be noted that the team went 11-11 with Monta Ellis in the lineup, and it will be intriguing to see what direction the team will go in with a larger sample size of games to work with.
Mark Jackson has quite a collection of talent and experience to work with in Golden State, and much of the Warriors' success hinges on the health of Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut. Ideally, Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry could serve as solid and dependable reserves, Brandon Rush returns looking to build upon shooting 50.1% from the field and a stellar 45.2% from three point range last year, and we've yet to see what role Harrison Barnes will have as a rookie.
The Suns begin the post-Steve Nash era having brought in Goran Dragic fresh off of a breakout season in Houston. Considering his remarkable production over the final two months of the season (15.0 PPG, 7.4 APG, 1.8 SPG, 49.7% FG, and 41% from three in March/ 18.9 PPG, 7.7 APG, 1.8 SPG, 46.1% FG in April), Dragic will have a great opportunity to continue his success with consistent starter's minutes. Michael Beasley has self-imposed the standard of becoming an All-Star this season, and Luis Scola is a seasoned veteran who appears ready to pick up where he left off with Dragic last year.
While there certainly are other factors to consider (especially with other teams, such as how the talent of the Raptors and Kings will fit), which team that selected in the top 14 of this year's NBA Draft has the best chance of making the playoffs this year?
Odds & Ends: Shaq, Wilkerson, Vaughn
The Lakers will retire Shaquille O'Neal's #34 jersey on April 2nd at Staples Center before the team faces the Mavericks, tweets Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register. He adds that the team will also retire center Jamaal Wilkes' #52 jersey on December 28. Also, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's statue will be unveiled on November 16, according to Ding (via Twitter). Here's what else we're hearing from the NBA this evening…
- Tyler Wilkerson has received an offer to attend training camp with the Spurs after a standout performance with their summer league team, says Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation. McCarney cited a tweet from NBA agent Seth A. Cohen for making the announcement.
- John Denton of NBA.com highlights Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn as he prepares for his first season with Orlando and obtains some thoughts regarding his newly hired assistant coaches.
- According to an ESPN.com survey of "100 of ESPN's best basketball minds", the Lakers received 56 votes and the Thunder finished with 42 on the topic of who will be the Western Conference champions this year.
- Moke Hamilton of SheridanHoops.com reviewed a list of the remaining NBA teams with cap and trade exceptions.
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio doesn't think that the Cavaliers are actively trying to move Daniel Gibson, contrary to what other rumblings might suggest (Twitter link). In a separate tweet, he asserts that Kyrie Irving is ahead of his recovery schedule and should be ready by training camp on October 1.
- Head coach Doug Collins likes the pieces that the 76ers have heading into training camp and is excited to start work, writes Marc Narducci of Philly.com.
Popovich On Leonard, Mills, Team Goals
About to enter his 17th season with the Spurs, Gregg Popovich has already amassed four NBA championships and two "Coach of the Year" awards, with his last and only losing season having occurred during 1996-97 as a first-year head coach. After falling just two wins short of an NBA Finals berth in June, Popovich appears determined to regroup for next season. Here are a few noteworthy tidbits from his Q&A with fans on Spurs.com:
Regarding Kawhi Leonard and his future in the NBA:
"I think he’s going to be a star. And as time goes on, he’ll be the face of the Spurs I think. At both ends of the court, he is really a special player. And what makes me be so confident about him is that he wants it so badly. He wants to be a good player, I mean a great player. He comes early, he stays late, and he’s coachable, he’s just like a sponge. When you consider he’s only had one year of college and no training camp yet, you can see that he’s going to be something else."
When asked about Patty Mills' role on the Spurs after his performance in the Olympics:
"Well, I didn’t need to see his Olympic performance to know what he can bring, it’s just that he came to us so late last year it was really hard to incorporate him into what we were doing. But he’s an aggressive, fiery, offensive player. He can shoot the three and really score, and that’s what he looks to do when he comes in the game. So he’ll be a game-changer in that sense, at the offensive end. And defensively he’s kind of like a pest—he’s not very big but he’s really a game. He’s got great courage and he gets into people, trying to really bother them and get them off their game. So his competitiveness and offensive skills are what we’re looking forward to mostly."
On defense as a priority for upcoming training camp and how he plans to adjust against teams that have remarkably improved:
"You know (defense is) always a priority with us, but you know we’re never going to reach the level that we were at five, six years ago defensively. It’s just impossible to do that for a variety of reasons. But it still has to be an emphasis, we can get better and we have to if we want to compete with these guys that, as you said, added so many players to their team…What other teams do is not in our control, so we'll worry about, as I said, incorporating Kawhi into the program more since he wasn’t here very long. Boris, Patty Mills, look for improvement in Danny Green, work our big guys. Tiago and DeJuan Blair I think are going to have very good seasons for us. So we’ll concentrate on that and what we need to do as a group, and we’ll see how we stack up."
Odds & Ends: Austin Rivers, Cooper, Stoudemire
John Reid of the Times-Picayune writes that Austin Rivers is on schedule to be fully healed in time for Hornets' training camp in October after undergoing surgery on his right ankle three weeks ago. The rookie joins a list of teammates, namely Xavier Henry and Robin Lopez, who are recovering from recent surgeries. Regardless, head coach Monty Williams looks to have all three ready by the time the regular season starts. With that aside, here are more noteworthy tidbits from around the Association:
- C.J. Miles elaborated more on the opportunity he has to expand his game with the Cavaliers, especially for a coach like Byron Scott, who believes that Miles has a lot of untapped potential (Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com reports).
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets that former Timberwolves and Trail Blazers assistant Dean Cooper is headed to the Rockets to join Kevin McHale's coaching staff.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link) mentions that Cavaliers GM Chris Grant is encouraged about Kelenna Azubuike, who looks like he's moving well and could be a contributor this season.
- Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that he'll return to the court "stronger than ever" this upcoming season.
- 76ers GM Rod Thorn acknowledges heightened expectations and says that Philadelphia fans appear to be especially excited because of the acquisition of Andrew Bynum, according to Dei Lynam of CSN Philly.
- Jenni Carlson of NewsOK thinks that James Harden is better suited to thrive in a small market city with the Thunder rather than be potentially distracted in what she terms "hot spots."
Cuban On Offseason Additions, Rebuilding
This afternoon, we relayed some notes from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's interview on the Ben and Skin show on 103.3 ESPN Dallas. After the show, Mike Heika of SportsDay DFW caught up with Cuban to ask some follow up questions on the team's recent additions, the team's future, and the approach they took heading into the 2012 offseason. Here are some highlights:
When asked if the team will be building on a year-to-year basis in terms of handing out one-year deals:
No. We will do things like we always have done. We will be opportunistic. I'm not sure why everyone is dismissing the players we signed and traded for as if they don’t count. My hope is that we can stick with the guys we have and develop them and this team into champions. Nothing would make me happier than for OJ and DC to be the nucleus of our back court for years to come and Dahntay , Elton and Chris Kaman to play for the Mavs for years to come.
Once we see the identity our team takes, and our strengths and weaknesses we will look to fill in pieces from there…Most likely those changes will come from trades, just as we have done for the last 12 years, but we will have the additional option of using cap room to facilitate trades or signings. Or we can use our cap room to re-sign our own guys, which is what I really hope we have to do.
On whether or not the team will try to re-stock with high draft picks moving forward:
"We approach things the same way every year. That won’t change. We will be opportunistic. THere are too many things that change year to year to set your sites on one player, or one way of doing things. That said, the one thing you can’t change is players don’t get younger. You have to take into account the age of your team and the impact that has on where you are and where you will be… At some point you have to get younger, so we planned to have most of our contracts expire over 2 years. We stuck to that plan to get younger. But within that, as always we try to be opportunistic and I think we have done a good job over the years."
On the team's approach to plan for roster flexibility this summer after winning the championship in 2011:
"…we would not have traded for Tyson or signed Peja or others if they had more than 1 year deals. That was our plan and we stuck to it…And one more point. Just to be clear to all Mavs fans. The one thing we DON’T do is set our sites on some future free agent. We haven’t, don’t and won’t have a specific future free agent as our goal. That is just plain stupidity. Whenever you read or hear that the Mavs have their eyes on such and such a free agent next summer, its a lie. The person saying it is making it up or has gotten it from someone who has made it up. We don’t and won’t work that way."