OFFICIAL: Clippers Introduce Doc Rivers; add Gentry on P.40

[mkwest]

Clippers reach deal with Celtics to hire Doc Rivers as coach

The Los Angeles Clippers have reached an agreement in principle to send an unprotected 2015 first-round draft pick to the Boston Celtics for the rights to hire coach Doc Rivers, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Rivers has agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal with the Clippers, league sources said.

Talks started again on Sunday when the Clippers offered the Celtics the first-round pick to free Rivers from his contract with Boston, sources said.

The NBA still needs to grant approval to the deal, but the teams have been led to believe that won't be a problem, sources said.

Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports

[og15]

I hope the management has the right mindset with the coaching staff. What is needed is a guy that is a defensive guru, and on offense just knows how to play to the players strengths. It's not about names or anything like that, this team needs to be a lock down defensive team before they can go anywhere in the post-season

[mkwest]

Who's ready to be an NBA head coach?

David Joerger, Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach

Not long ago, success as a head coach in the Continental Basketball Association was a reliable predictor of success in the NBA. Phil Jackson, George Karl and Flip Saunders, among others, all came up through the minor leagues before landing on an NBA bench. So did Joerger, who won five championships in seven seasons as a head coach in the IBA, CBA and D-League -- all before turning 35 years old.

“He loves the craft,” says an NBA general manager. “Look what he’s done with [the Memphis] defense. He’s got Thibodeau’s thing for defense, but he’s a lot more likable than Thibs.”

When Lionel Hollins delegated the Memphis’ defensive game plan to Joerger, the Grizzlies were the league’s 24th-ranked defense. In the three seasons since, they’ve finished ninth, then seventh and now second in defensive efficiency, and they did it with Zach Randolph at power forward and an unusually small point guard in Mike Conley. It’s rare that NBA players cite their assistants by name, but Tony Allen routinely praises Joerger’s defensive blueprint as an essential ingredient in the Grizz’s success.

Robert Pack, Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach

Pack raised his profile as a hard-nosed but fair instructor, the guy on staff unafraid to get in a player’s face and tell him when he’s disrespecting the game. The Clippers’ roster is a tough audience of veterans and young supernovas, but Pack quickly earned credibility as someone who offered coaching and an honest ear.

The short résumé might give some potential employers pause, but pair him with a seasoned assistant steeped in game preparation and Pack figures to be a quick study. The Clippers were ready to hand him the keys to the family wagon during a playoff run. A young team looking to invest in the future could afford him the time to grow, as Orlando has with Jacque Vaughn.

Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN

I hope the management has the right mindset with the coaching staff. What is needed is a guy that is a defensive guru, and on offense just knows how to play to the players strengths. It's not about names or anything like that, this team needs to be a lock down defensive team before they can go anywhere in the post-season

Agreed. In basically every sport, defense is typically the most important factor to team success. Your defense can keep you in the game even when your offense isn't clicking. On the flip side, you can have a high powered offense, but are going to be in trouble if you can't get any stops. You don't have to look any further than the Bulls. They're missing multiple players, but still competing at a high level and that is the way that is should be. For years, we've been a team that needs everything to go right to keep our head above water. Teams like the Spurs, Bulls, etc. can have a key player miss some time, but they're still fighting strong.

[mkwest]

Del Negro out in L.A.? Chris Paul staying?

The consistent word in coaching circles is that the Clippers want to go "big" with their forthcoming coaching hire after what insiders continue to describe as the inevitable dismissal of Vinny Del Negro in the wake of L.A.'s first-round exit.

ESPN.com reported in April that Stan Van Gundy is near or at the top of that list. Coaching sources say the former Orlando coach, furthermore, has zero interest in the Milwaukee job and will only return to the bench next season if he gets a suitable offer from a contending team and/or a team he likes that's based in a warm-weather city.

Co-sign completely with the list of candidates introduced by Hall of Fame writer Mark Heisler on HoopsHype.com in the event that the Clips' interest in Van Gundy doesn't morph into something serious: The unemployed duo of Alvin Gentry and Byron Scott and Warriors assistant Mike Malone. Chris Paul is fond of all three.

Marc Stein, ESPN

Del Negro to meet with Sterling

Vinny Del Negro is expected to meet with Donald Sterling in the coming days to discuss his precarious future as the Clippers' coach, league sources told CBSSports.com on Tuesday.

Del Negro, whose contract expires at the end of June, could meet with the Clippers' owner next Monday or Tuesday, though the meeting hasn't been set yet, sources said.

Paul is expected to be consulted on the head coaching decision, but people familiar with his position say it is too strong to characterize the All-Star point guard as the final decision-maker in that regard.

Coaching sources expect the Clippers to cut ties with Del Negro, and there is momentum from within the organization to make a change quickly. Two people familiar with the organization's dynamics caution that Del Negro has formed a strong bond with Sterling, but it is believed there is too much momentum in favor of making a change for their relationship to save Del Negro's job.

Ken Berger, CBS Sports

[ejftw]

Blatt & Joerger are the two I think will do the best in the Association from that list of 7.

But yeah, Vinny has to be all but gone.

And though I don't like Gentry, I'd take him back if Scott was coming along. Maybe get those two and Malone as another assistant. Paul would surely stay then

[Quake Griffin]

No Malone?

SVG said he'll never come out to WI again because it's too cold.
i don't even get how that became a rumor.

[mttwlsn16]

Report: Vinny Del Negro's firing 'inevitable'

Vinny Del Negro's dismissal as Clippers head coach is "inevitable," NBA insiders told ESPN's Marc Stein.
Del Negro's contract expires in June, and while the team has said no decisions have been made, Del Negro's hot seat is getting warmer by the day. The team reportedly wants to go "big" with their next coaching hire, and it's possible Stan Van Gundy's candidacy comes to light in the coming weeks if and when Del Negro is shown the door.

rotoworld

[mkwest]

No Malone?

SVG said he'll never come out to WI again because it's too cold.
i don't even get how that became a rumor.

I'm assuming that he's not listed because he's already being considered for a head coaching job as is Budenholzer. In other words, these 7 candidates are names that are likely to spring up in the near future.

[azncorruptedo17]

nate mcmillan. #nuffsaid

[Hoops23]

Why hire Stan Van Gundy?

Most management will think twice before they hire him. He's a good coach but he has character issues.

Stan Van Gundy, "The Master of Panic" as what Shaq calls him is once an assistant to the Heat, the team that gave him a coaching break. But what did the Heat receive after Stan quits coaching the team, he did say something bad to the organization. When he was with Orlando, he blasted them too after he was fired.

Stan Van Gundy is over rated!!!

[Quake Griffin]

Why hire Stan Van Gundy?

Most management will think twice before they hire him. He's a good coach but he has character issues.

Stan Van Gundy, "The Master of Panic" as what Shaq calls him is once an assistant to the Heat, the team that gave him a coaching break. But what did the Heat receive after Stan quits coaching the team, he did say something bad to the organization. When he was with Orlando, he blasted them too after he was fired.

Stan Van Gundy is over rated!!!

he's not overrated. he can coach both sides of the basketball and adapts to his teams needs offensively.
he ran different stuff in Miami and Orlando offensively and it worked.


IDC about him blasting players...iMO, all i've ever seen him really do is say things like "We didnt compete tonight" or "ryan anderson hd 2 rebounds...unacceptable"...WHICH IT ISNT.
i don't know how if he's going t wear out his welcome like a Larry Brown...which is what concerns me about him. He didnt wear it out in Miami, he just came up short. In Orlando, his superstar turned out to be a whiney baby.

[Angel strike1]

Why hire Stan Van Gundy?

Most management will think twice before they hire him. He's a good coach but he has character issues.

Stan Van Gundy, "The Master of Panic" as what Shaq calls him is once an assistant to the Heat, the team that gave him a coaching break. But what did the Heat receive after Stan quits coaching the team, he did say something bad to the organization. When he was with Orlando, he blasted them too after he was fired.

Stan Van Gundy is over rated!!!

This!!!and remember when wade took game 6 Off vs det cause wasn't game7?


Sloan and we done

[mttwlsn16]

Pretty sure I'd be a better head coach than VDAA

[NBAMcGee23]

Mike Brown! Oh wait...

Sloan could get a lot out of Jordan, I think.

[mkwest]

Sloan and we done

Sloan has been at the top of my list, although I haven't really gotten my hopes up for him. If he's really serious about making a return to coaching, then we better at least interview him. Plus, Malone has always told Sloan to just call him up and he'd be willing to do whatever. Malone could totally help BG's game.

The downside would be that this team can be a little too "lighthearted" at times, and I just wonder how that would mesh with him. No coach is ever pleased with giving up what should be easy points by trying to be too fancy, but Sloan is definitely one that it wold really irritate. At the end of the day, I think it could work, it would just be different for some of the players on the team.

[Verballer]

Sloan and we done

Sloan has been at the top of my list, although I haven't really gotten my hopes up for him. If he's really serious about making a return to coaching, then we better at least interview him. Plus, Malone has always told Sloan to just call him up and he'd be willing to do whatever. Malone could totally help BG's game.

The downside would be that this team can be a little too "lighthearted" at times, and I just wonder how that would mesh with him. No coach is ever pleased with giving up what should be easy points by trying to be too fancy, but Sloan is definitely one that it wold really irritate. At the end of the day, I think it could work, it would just be different for some of the players on the team.

This.

I think this team is too lighthearted for a coach like Thibs and other strict coaches.
But I think Griffin is really determined to be the best he can be,same goes for Paul and other players.Jordan I feel is kinda ruining Griffin's development,not to stir things up,but by the looks of it Jordan is the fun loving friend who hanging out with ultimately causes trouble.
Again I'm just saying how I think it LOOKS,I have no idea if it's anywhere close to that.

How would you guys rank the coaches you want in 1 to 5

[mttwlsn16]

1 me
2 vdn
3 Ned
4 mk
5 mike brown

[Angel strike1]

Pretty sure I'd be a better head coach than VDAA

Most would. Heck I would do a better job

[Angel strike1]

1 me
2 vdn
3 Ned
4 mk
5 mike brown

If ur 1st me is me it works good.

[mttwlsn16]

U can be my assistant