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Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:08 am
by TheXFactor
Tony Mejia @TonyMejiaNBA
Dwight Howard will have another familiar face greeting him in L.A., per @ChrisBHaynes. Steve Clifford is joining the Lakers as an assistant.
Former Orlando Magic assistant coach Steve Clifford has agreed to join Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown on his coaching staff, CSNNW.com has learned.
The terms of the agreement are expected to be finalized by the end of the week.
Clifford was in talks with the Portland Trail Blazers in recent days for their assistant opening as well. However, the chance to be a part of the Laker organization was too much to pass up, CSNNW.com was told from a source close to the situation.
Clifford was also one of the four finalist for the Trail Blazers head coach position before the team eventually selected former Dallas Mavericks assistant Terry Stotts to be the head guy.
In Los Angeles, Clifford will be a familiar face to the team's new franchise center Dwight Howard.
Initially, the Magic had shown interest in Clifford filling their head coaching vacancy before the team decided to go in a different direction and later hired Jacque Vaughn from San Antonio.
From 2003-‘07, Clifford served as a member of the Houston Rockets coaching staff and in June of 2007, Clifford joined the Orlando Magic as an assistant coach. The Magic have made the playoffs all four years that Clifford has been an assistant.
Clifford considers the Van Gundy brothers (Jeff and Stan) as mentors and models himself after Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau. Known for his defense first mentality, Clifford’s teams have been ranked in the top 10 defensively in each of the past four seasons.
Lakers new D coordinator
Re: Steve Clifford new assisant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:48 am
by Danny Darko
What do we need Brown for now? His spectacular rotation ability?
Re: Steve Clifford new assisant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:49 am
by TheXFactor
Danny Darko wrote:What do we need Brown for now? His spectacular rotation ability?
Need him to run up Kobe and Nash minutes
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 2:45 am
by Allstar242
Is he really going to be our new D coordinator? If he can be like tom thibadeu that would be awesome !!!
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 2:53 am
by crazyeights
Mike is needed for his glorified video coordinator skillz.
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:29 am
by TarktheShark
is Mike Brown really needed?
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:34 am
by laduane1
Let Kobe be head coach and player at the same time and when his playing days are over, he will be just the head coach.
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:37 am
by kombayn
Mike Brown has to know that Eddie Jordan is waiting in the wings to take his job if he stumbles out of the gate.
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:47 am
by EArl
Brian Shaw where are you?
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:41 am
by Sofa King
Good, another option for interm head coach in the event Brown fails
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 7:17 pm
by Gek
kombayn wrote:Mike Brown has to know that Eddie Jordan is waiting in the wings to take his job if he stumbles out of the gate.
Was Eddie Jordan ever made official?
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 7:29 pm
by Sofa King
Gek wrote:kombayn wrote:Mike Brown has to know that Eddie Jordan is waiting in the wings to take his job if he stumbles out of the gate.
Was Eddie Jordan ever made official?
If it wasn't, it would be awkward if he came to training camp.
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:08 am
by DEEP3CL
kombayn wrote:Mike Brown has to know that Eddie Jordan is waiting in the wings to take his job if he stumbles out of the gate.
Well that could be very true, plus it's not like Eddie isn't familiar with LA's inner workings. He was a teammate of Mitch's from 1980 to 1983 and then came back in 84 after a short stint in Portland. Bottom line Eddie knows the Laker family, he was a teammate of Byron Scott's during Scott's rookie year so that's where that connection comes from.
Don't know if Brown actually asked Jordan to join the staff or if Mitch just flat out brought him on. Some how the dots connect, but Eddie has a foot in the door already.
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:42 am
by LAKESHOW
nice. the defensive gameplan is not the worry. Offensive production and cohesion will be the test.
Re: Steve Clifford new assistant
Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 7:35 am
by tugs
can a veteran team like the Lakers, a team accustomed to a different type of offense and defense that worked for a long time, readily adjust to the changes? new players,new offense and new defense in an off season.
interesting. how will they do it?