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Broussard On Coaching Searches, Wolves, Lottery

May 24th, 2013 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

We briefly touched on the latest Insider-only offering from ESPN.com's Chris Broussard last night, but let's take a more in-depth look at Brousard's newest tidbits today:

  • NBA executives are curious to see who the Pistons hire as a head coach, since it may indicate whether advisor Phil Jackson or GM Joe Dumars has more sway in Detroit. Dumars is believed to favor Nate McMillan or Maurice Cheeks, while Jackson's pick would likely be Brian Shaw.
  • Had Chris Hansen's purchase of the Kings gone through, Jackson would have run the team's front office in Seattle, and intended to hire Shaw as head coach, says Broussard.
  • The Nets have yet to approach any coaching candidates besides Jackson, who told the team he wasn't interested in coaching. Brooklyn is currently conducting "rigorous checks" on potential candidates, and is seeking someone tough and firm who is able to get the most out of the talent on the roster.
  • The Clippers are high on McMillan, according to Broussard.
  • Sources tell Broussard that Bobcats GM Rich Cho is interested in hiring Quin Snyder to replace Mike Dunlap.
  • "Many league insiders" believe Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer is the favorite to land the Hawks' job, says Broussard.
  • While Celtics GM Danny Ainge has privately told teams he won't grant them permission to speak to Doc Rivers, Broussard says if Rivers really wanted a change of scenery, Ainge would probably allow him to explore other options. There's no indication that's the case though.
  • Although Flip Saunders will run the Timberwolves' basketball operations, he's looking to hire a general manager, and is currently performing background checks on possible candidates. A hire likely won't happen until after the draft, according to Broussard.
  • Rival lottery teams aren't necessarily jealous that the Cavaliers landed the first overall pick. Said one GM: "I'd rather be two, three or four in this draft than one."
  • Another executive from a lottery team on the process: "We didn't want to win this year's lottery. Next year's the one to win. Then after that, you want to be out of the lottery."
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Eastern Notes: Jackson, Dumars, Carlesimo

May 23rd, 2013 at 7:56pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Considering the rumblings that Pistons GM Joe Dumars had his sights set on either Nate McMillan or Maurice Cheeks as the team's next head coach, along with the notion that Dumars had apparently hoped to make a hire before the start of last week's NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago, ESPN's Chris Broussard wonders if the hold up with regards to a coaching decision gives any indication that Phil Jackson – recently tabbed as an adviser for the head coaching search - could soon be running Detroit's front office (Insiders only). According to popular thought around the league, Brian Shaw would be Jackson's first choice, and while some insist that Dumars is still in charge as the general manager, Broussard suggests that their next coaching hire will be a strong indicator of how much control the Pistons legend still has of the franchise. Here are more notes out of the Eastern Conference tonight: 

  • Jackson – a member of two championship Knicks teams as a player – spoke with Harvey Araton of the New York Times about the current makeup of his former team and how he compares them with their cross-town rival Nets: "(The Knicks) still have to find some accommodating group of guys that know how to play ball together, move the ball, play the game the right way…With Brooklyn, if you’ve got a point guard and a solid center, or a good point guard and a great center, you’ve got two of the pieces that you want to have toward a champion.”
  • According to an NY Post report (via the Associated Press), former Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo is interested in remaining as an ESPN analyst just through the postseason and would consider a coaching opportunity if it presented itself afterward. 
  • Celtics big man Jared Sullinger tells Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com that he should be 100% healthy by September or October. 
  • Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated profiles Chris Andersen, the Heat forward who has shined as one of Miami's key reserves during the current postseason. 
  • Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago grades Carlos Boozer's season and touches on what's next for the Bulls' forward. 
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Central Notes: Dumars, Frank, Bulls, Scott

April 16th, 2013 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

As we wait to see if the Central's top two teams, the Pacers and Bulls, will meet in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, here's the latest out of the division:

  • As Vince Ellis writes in a pair of pieces for the Detroit Free Press, Pistons owner Tom Gores didn't exactly give coach Lawrence Frank and GM Joe Dumars ringing endorsements, noting his disappointment that the team fell short of playoff contention this season. "I will say I expected better results," Gores said. "I met with Joe and Lawrence (on Sunday) and I let them know that. They’re great guys that know their business, but I’m here assessing everything. My job is to move this franchise forward."
  • In Ellis' view, Frank appears to be on the way out in Detroit, but Dumars likely "isn't going anywhere." Gores did express excitement about the way Dumars and the Pistons' basketball operations had set the franchise up financially, with plenty of cap room available this summer.
  • Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press argues that Dumars has earned at least one more year with the Pistons.
  • In his latest mailbag for CSNChicago.com, Aggrey Sam addresses the future of Luol Deng in Chicago and speculates on whether or not Nate Robinson will be back with the Bulls next season.
  • Kyrie Irving told reporters last night, including Rick Noland of the Chronicle-Telegram, that he "absolutely" wants to see Byron Scott return as the Cavaliers' head coach in 2013/14.
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Pistons To Part Ways With Joe Dumars?

April 14th, 2013 at 10:05am CST by Chuck Myron

Sources tell Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News that Joe Dumars' run as team president will soon come to an end, though Lawrence throws a bit of cold water on his own report, noting the deep connection between Dumars and the team and writing that "we'll believe it when we see it." In any case, it appears the Pistons could be headed for a shakeup, with the Daily News scribe echoing earlier reports that the Pistons are likely to let go of coach Lawrence Frank.

The Pistons head into a critical summer, with only about $29MM in commitments for next season and another lottery pick on the way. The last time Detroit had such ample cap space, in 2009, Dumars signed Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva to long-term deals that became albatrosses for the team. The Pistons traded a first-round draft pick to the Bobcats last summer in part to relieve themselves of the final year of Gordon's deal.

Dumars took over the team's front office in 2000 after a Hall-of-Fame playing career spent exclusively with the Pistons. He won Executive of the Year in 2002/03, but followed it up with his most noteworthy error, drafting Darko Milicic second overall in the 2003 draft, ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and other standouts. Still, the Pistons won the title in 2003/04, and went to the Eastern Conference Finals six seasons in a row before their recent string of playoff misses.

MLive's David Mayo examines the questions facing the franchise, pointing out the arguments both for keeping and getting rid of Dumars and Frank.

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Odds & Ends: Stuckey, Monroe, Macvan

March 16th, 2013 at 9:35pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The last time the Pistons earned a trip to the postseason was in 2008-09, when they drew the first-seeded Cavaliers led by LeBron James and were subsequently swept. Of the 12 active players on Detroit's playoff roster that year, only three remain today – Will Bynum, Jason Maxiell, and Rodney Stuckey. While Stuckey has a partially guaranteed contract in 2013-14, Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News says that "nobody would be surprised" if the 6'5 guard is traded before next season, particularly before the draft in June. Here's more of this evening's miscellaneous links:

  • Lakers big man Pau Gasol encountered some soreness in his foot after participating in a game of two-on-two at the team's practice facility today, writes Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times. The cause and extent of the of the soreness weren't clear, and he plans to visit a foot specialist on Sunday.  
  • In the above piece, Goodwill adds that Greg Monroe, who is set to become a restricted free agent after next year, remains confident that GM Joe Dumars is capable of turning the struggling team around.
  • The Cavaliers have no plans of bringing Milan Macvan – their 2011 second round draft choice – on board anytime soon, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. The 23-year-old Serbian big man is currently playing for Galatasaray in Turkey.
  • HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy provides a list of D-Leaguers at every position who could be in line for a callup, with eight D-League players having already inked with NBA teams in March (Sulia link).
  • One scout tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that this year's NCAA tourney will have a major impact on determining the order of the players selected in June. Citing how weak he believes the upcoming draft class is, the scout also tells Amico that a star from a small school could wind up being selected in the lottery again, the same way Damian Lillard emerged out of Weber State last year. 
  • John Rohde of The Oklahoman takes a look at some of the players the Thunder could get with the lottery pick they're expected to receive from the Raptors this year.
  • The team that wins the Las Vegas Summer League, which is reportedly switching to a tournament style format this year, will have the cost of its additional tournament games reimbursed by the league, sources tell Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com. 

Chuck Myron contributed to this post. 

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Central Notes: Skiles, Pistons, Vogel

January 8th, 2013 at 10:07pm CST by Ryan Raroque

One day after the mutual decision to sever ties with the Bucks, Scott Skiles was quick to shoot down a rumor that he "hated his team." Charles F. Gardner of JS Online drew more comments from the former-Milwaukee coach, who also implied that his phone has been "blowing up" regarding opportunities but would like to enjoy some of the time off he has right now. Todd Rosiak (also of the Journal-Sentinel) explored Skiles' departure from his former players' perspective, namely Larry Sanders, Luc Mbah a Moute, rookie John Henson, and Brandon Jennings, who admitted he was a bit frustrated about how he found out about the news – from Skiles first and not the team. With that aside, here are more news and notes from the Central Division tonight: 

  • With four consecutive drafts in which the Pistons have taken five current rotation players, there is optimism that GM Joe Dumars and his scouts have the right mindset and wherewithal to continue building the team toward a return to prominence (Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports). 
  • Fresh off agreeing to what is most likely a multi-year contract extension yesterday, Frank Vogel expressed optimism and determination in the direction of the Pacers' franchise (ESPN report via the Associated Press). 
  • Mike Wells of IndyStar.com briefly explores Vogel's appreciation for the assistants on his coaching staff and mentioned Dominic McGuire's task of learning the team's offense as quickly as possible. 

 

 

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Eastern Notes: Cousins, Nets, Hibbert

December 29th, 2012 at 5:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons reportedly have plenty of interest in DeMarcus Cousins, but Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News believes GM Joe Dumars has cooled on Cousins as Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond have developed (Twitter link). In another tweet, Goodwill asserts that Detroit won't be dealing any picks and thinks that the Celtics could offer Rajon Rondo in what would be the most attractive trade package for Sacramento. With that aside, here are a few more links we've gathered up out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

  • Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun believes the Raptors would have to bite if the Kings offered Cousins for Andrea Bargnani, but he's not optimistic Cousins can overcome his volatile personality (Twitter links).
  • Tim Bontemps of the New York Post dissects Mikhail Prokhorov's remarks to reporters on Friday, concluding that the Nets owner is sold on Phil Jackson and would entertain keeping P.J. Carlesimo for the rest of the season if he can't get the Zen Master of Jeff Van Gundy immediately. 
  • Roy Hibbert got off to a disconcerting start this season after signing a four-year deal for the maximum in the offseason, but his play has picked up of late, as HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham chronicles. 
  • Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes the Magic, at 12-16, have little chance of landing a high lottery pick, and writes that the team should set its sights on making the playoffs instead. Schmitz also speculates that Stan Van Gundy's next coaching job will be on the West Coast, and doesn't foresee Phil Jackson taking the Nets job.
  • In a Q&A with The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer, Cavaliers guard Shaun Livingston discusses the career-altering injury he suffered six years ago, being cut by the Rockets, and playing alongside Kyrie Irving. 
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Pistons Notes: Drummond, Prince, Dumars

October 28th, 2012 at 2:50pm CST by Michael Pina

The Pistons enter this season as a young team looking for an identity, writes MLive.com's David Mayo. Can they compete for a playoff spot this early in the rebuilding process, or do the young pieces need much more time to get acclimated and be competitive?

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Odds & Ends: Christmas, Dumars, Knicks, Green

October 15th, 2012 at 10:30pm CST by Michael Pina

A quick look around the league at some interesting notes on this Monday evening. 

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Joe Dumars Discusses Pistons’ Offseason

April 27th, 2012 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars conducted his exit interview with the media today, and made a number of interesting comments — for one, Dumars said it was reasonable for Detroit to expect a playoff berth next season. Keith Langlois of Pistons.com shared that statement and a number of others on his Twitter feed, so let's run through the highlights….

  • Dumars vowed to make offseason moves to improve the roster, whether those moves happen via draft, free agency, or trades.
  • The team won't necessarily use its amnesty clause this summer, though that option will be discussed.
  • Dumars on the amnesty clause: "You have to have a plan. You don't do it just to do it. If there's someone to acquire or to have flexibility, maybe."
  • The Pistons will prioritize areas of need in the draft, but there's a chance they just end up selecting the best player available.
  • Detroit is in touch with 2011 second-round pick Kyle Singler, who played overseas this season, and Dumars intends to visit him soon.
  • Jason Maxiell has a player option and the Pistons would love to have him back, but the decision is "totally in his hands."
  • There are no financial restrictions on the team heading into the summer, and Dumars has been told to "think outside the box" when it comes to upgrading the roster.
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