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Coaching Notes: Wizards, Nets, Grizzlies

July 5th, 2016 at 8:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Wizards announced today that the team has named Tony Brown, Sidney Lowe, Chad Iske, Mike Terpstra and Maz Trakh as assistants on head coach Scott Brooks’ staff. Eric Sebastian, director of coaching operations, and Kamran Sufi, advance scout, were also named by the team while David Adkins will stay on as the team’s director of player development, according to the press release.

“The staff we have put together here in Washington is an impressive group of basketball minds with extensive coaching experience and knowledge of the game,” said Brooks. “I look forward to working alongside this versatile group every day in our quest to bring the best out of our players.”

Here’s more of the latest from the NBA’s coaching ranks:

The Grizzlies announced via press release that the organization has hired Keith Smart and Adam Mazarei as assistant coaches on head coach David Fizdale’s staff. Smart spent the last two seasons working with Fizdale as an assistant coach for the Heat, while Mazarei was a player development assistant for Memphis the past three years.
The Nets officially announced their coaching staff for the 2016/17 season. Joining new head coach Kenny Atkinson’s staff as assistant coaches are Jacque Vaughn, Chris Fleming and Bret Brielmaier, Adam Harrington as assistant coach and director of player development, Jordan Ott as assistant coach and manager of advance scouting and Mike Batiste as player development assistant.
The Timberwolves are bringing in Brian Pauga to serve as player personnel director, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. Pauga previously worked with GM Scott Layden when both were members of the Spurs organization, Wojnarowski adds.

Atlantic Notes: Hornacek, Noah, Bender

May 26th, 2016 at 8:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The biggest beneficiaries from the Knicks hiring of Jeff Hornacek may be the team’s young point guards, Jerian Grant and Tony Wroten, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Hornacek, whose offense depends on strong point guard play, should immediately improve the team’s woeful backcourt production, Lewis notes. “Jeff played in the league for years, coached in Phoenix,” Grant’s father, Harvey, said of the new coach. “His system was mostly pick-and-roll. Jerian, once he learns the system, he can flourish in that system. And Jeff can tell him the ins and outs of being a guard in this league.”

“Jerian, this guy gets in the gym and he puts the work in,” the elder Grant continued. “You have to be on the floor, you have to be on the floor and you’ve got to work through your mistakes and get that confidence. The last 12, 14 games, the fans in New York got to see what Jerian can do.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Jordan Ott, an assistant coach with the Hawks and former assistant at Michigan State, is joining new Nets coach Kenny Atkinson‘s staff as an assistant coach and manager of advanced scouting, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.
If Joakim Noah decides to leave the Bulls this summer, the Knicks would have interest in signing him, provided it was at a discounted rate, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report relays (Twitter links). Beck points to Noah’s New York roots and the mutual respect between the big man and team president Phil Jackson as reasons the two parties could come together, but adding that Noah’s potential desire to start could prove problematic.
Celtics personnel, including president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, took a recent trip to Israel to scout potential top three pick Dragan Bender, international journalist David Pick relays (via Twitter). In a recent poll, Hoops Rumors readers predicted that Boston would select Bender with the No. 3 overall pick.