How Doc Rivers’ Exit From Celtics Would Define Boston’s Future
We’ve almost officially reached the point of no return for Doc Rivers and the Boston Celtics.
After the mega-trade between the C’s and the Los Angeles Clippers failed to come to fruition, Rivers is technically still a member of the Boston organization, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. How can he realistically be expected to just step back onto the sidelines of the TD Garden and pretend like nothing happened?
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, general manager Danny Ainge reached out to the indecisive head coach after the deal fell through, but no conclusion was immediately reached:
After talks in a blockbuster deal fell apart over draft pick compensation, Doc Rivers is unsure about returning to the Boston Celtics as coach, league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Tuesday.
Celtics general manager Danny Ainge informed Rivers of the failed trade talks on Tuesday morning, and reiterated the Celtics’ desire to have him return and fulfill the final three years and $21 million left on his contract, sources said.
The Celtics and Rivers planned to reach a final resolution in the next few days, sources said.
I can’t even begin to imagine how that conversation went.
Did Ainge open with, “So…uh…Doc. We were trying to trade you, and it didn’t work. So…now we want you back? Yeah, we want you back!”
It’s a little late in the process for that kind of backtracking.
There’s one more relevant quote from that Wojnarowski article:
Rivers pushed for the Clippers partnership because of his desire to bypass a rebuilding process with Boston. As one source tied to Boston ownership and Rivers said, “You don’t just move on from this and act like nothing happened.”
Nothing happened, but at the same time, a lot certainly happened. Boston did just about everything in its power to burn the bridge between Rivers and the C’s organization. It’s tough enough to place a player on the trading block and expect him to return with nothing but a smile after no offers come flowing in. It’s tougher still to do the same with a coach who was already considering a potential departure.
Following this saga, Rivers would be well within his rights to respond to Ainge‘s overture with a simple YouTube link to this song:
The damage is done, so I guess he’ll be leaving. The Celtics don’t have to say what they did, because Rivers already knows. Now there’s just no chance for him and them.
There never will be.
Let’s assume that Rivers exits Boston this offseason, leaving the C’s scrambling for a new head coach. What does that mean for the future of this organization?
Doc Rivers’ Future
Even if Rivers doesn’t return to the same sideline he’s paced throughout recent memory, he’ll be able to take his froggy voice back into the broadcasting booth. That’s not a bad backup option, and Rivers was quite good in 2004 when he served as a commentator for NBA on ABC.
Because the head coach has multiple years left on his contract, he can’t simply walk away and then join another team in the NBA. He’s contractually bound to the Celtics, and he can’t break that bond without Ainge‘s permission.
Whether he desires a managerial role or another coaching job in the Association, Boston will be demanding that it receives something in return from his new landing spot. Obviously that didn’t work out so well with the Clippers, and it’s unlikely that many other teams will be willing to match the Celtics’ inevitably high asking price.
Now that L.A. has fallen out of the picture, it looks like it’s either the booth or the Garden for Rivers. Neither are bad options, but the former is looking more and more likely as this drama continues to press on.
Remember, we’re operating under the assumption that Rivers has exited the organization here. So with only one other choice available, let’s go ahead and make another assumption: that he winds up working for a TV station.
Kevin Garnett‘s Future
Kevin Garnett and Rivers have formed one of the tightest relationships in recent NBA history. Many coaches and players have created unbreakable bonds, especially after winning a championship together, but these two take it to an extreme.
That much was clear when they embraced on the sideline after a defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bulls ushered in the possibility that they’d worked together for the final time. It was more than a simple hug; it was a tacit declaration of mutual respect and admiration, as made clear by Wojnarowski:
Kevin Garnett changed Doc Rivers’ life, changed forever the way people will remember him as a basketball coach. Rivers is a champion now, a paragon of his profession and there’s never been a day on the job he hasn’t understood that Garnett made it possible. This is the reason the tears welled within his eyes beneath that 17th championship banner in the Garden on Friday night, the reason that he squeezed Garnett on the sideline in the final seconds.
Deep down, Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett understood this was goodbye.
Deep down, they know it is over.
”I love you,” Rivers told Garnett.
“I love you,” Garnett told Rivers.
Rivers is one of the major reasons that The Big Ticket ever came to Beantown, and now that he’s hovering on the brink of retirement, the coach’s departure could very well lead to his own. Without a perennially hoarse voice yelling at him from the sideline, Garnett doesn’t have much of a reason to stay with the Celtics.
Remember, we’re assuming that Rivers is gone here. And if that’s the case, we can safely bet on KG departing too.
Garnett still has time left on his contract, but he could bypass that in one of two manners: He could either choose to retire and pull the plug on his Hall of Fame career, or he could ask Ainge to buy out his contract and allow him to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
Based on his play, the latter seems more likely. Garnett still has some quality basketball left in the tank, as the New York Knicks found out during the postseason. The big man averaged 12.7 points, a playoff-high 13.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with a 17.3 PER, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
That doesn’t sound like a man ready to hang up the sneakers and walk off into the sunset. Not that KG would walk; he’d probably run and protect any baskets along the way.
It’s too early to speculate about where he’d end up, but one thing is certain: If Rivers is gone, so too is Garnett.
Paul Pierce‘s Future
Let’s take it one step further.
If Rivers is gone, then Garnett will be washed right out the door by the current. And along with him will go Paul Pierce. Initially, the process was supposed to happen the other way, with the Pierce decision ushering in the other moves. But now, the flow seems like it may be reversed.
KG and Pierce have been friends for much longer than the six years they’ve spent in the same jersey, and “The Truth” was one of the main reasons Garnett decided to join the Celtics, as he made clear in an interview with WEEI’s Mike Petraglia:
Garnett made it very clear that his decision about next year will hinge greatly on whether Ainge brings back Pierce.
“One of the big reasons I came [to Celtics] was because of Paul,” said Garnett. “Obviously, you want to be in a situation where it’s better. I want to make sure that I’m able to always help a team. I want to be in positions to where I’m giving something. I demand a lot of myself, both physically and from a skill level. But I’d be lying to y’all if I said Paul didn’t play into that factor. Like I said, it’s too soon of a conversation for me right now.”
Pierce, much like Garnett, could have his contract bought out, and it’s seemed for a while now like that’s the most likely scenario. For the hefty sum of $5 million, Ainge could cut ties with the franchise’s long-time superstar, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.
My guess has been that Pierce will end up on the Clippers, but recent events have caused me to treat anything that involves both the Celtics and the Clippers with a heavy dose of cynicism.
Regardless, Rivers leaving the organization would also cause Pierce to walk out the door. He doesn’t want to be left alone, without his coach or his friend and fellow star there beside him. Rajon Rondo, talented point guard that he may be, isn’t going to sway him in Boston’s favor.
Who Becomes the Next Coach?
There are a number of excellent coaches out on the market, and one of the big names will almost certainly replace Rivers in this hypothetical situation.
George Karl, Lionel Hollins and Brian Shaw are the leading candidates, and it’s Shaw that should emerge as the frontrunner. According to the Boston Globe‘s Baxter Holmes, this is already happening:
Shaw, the coaching candidate who seems to have been rumored to go to virtually every team in the Association, would be a terrific fit for the Celtics. Originally drafted by Boston, the long-time assistant is ready to step up and take on the top coaching position out there. He’s learned under the greats and has a championship pedigree.
More than anything else, though, Shaw is known for his ability to help develop players.
He morphed Andrew Bynum from a potential-filled enigma into a paint-residing anchor on a championship-winning team. Then he helped Paul George blossom into an All-Star who could go toe-to-toe with LeBron James. These aren’t coincidences; Shaw is a legitimate developer of talent.
As long as he doesn’t try to neutralize Rondo’s many talents by running the triangle offense, he’d be the perfect man to help shape Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger, Fab Melo and whichever other young players the team brings in.
Without Rivers, Pierce and KG, Boston is inevitably entering into a bit of a rebuilding period. It may be a full rebuild or a mini one, but developing young talent is still absolutely crucial to the organization’s long-term success.
Where Does the Team Go From Here?
With three faces of the franchise departed, this squad belongs almost solely to Rajon Rondo. He’s the talent the team must build around, so it’s a good thing he’s an MVP-caliber player when he puts it all together.
The problem is, even without Pierce and Garnett’s hefty contracts on the books, Boston doesn’t have the financial flexibility to retool this offseason.
Let’s say that Ainge chooses to pick up the team options on Shavlik Randolph, D.J. White and Terrence Williams. Then Pierce’s contract gets bought out and KG retires, thereby completely wiping his salary off the books. Additionally, the C’s use their No. 16 draft pick and owe that rookie $1,348,200.
All together, Boston would be paying out $59,600,829. Even after using the stretch provision, Ainge would inevitably be left filling up the roster with players singed via the mid-level exception and minimum deals. Sign-and-trades could also work, but the general manager still couldn’t bring in any big players.
There just isn’t enough money to reel in the marquee names, so it appears likely that the C’s will enter the season featuring Rondo, Jeff Green, Sullinger, Avery Bradley and Brandon Bass as their primary players.
It would make for a rough season—by Boston standards—but it also open things up down the road. Ainge will have money to spend in 2014 if he’s patient and doesn’t blow the cap space on this season; it’s far more beneficial for him to just bide his time.
Things don’t look pretty in Boston if Pierce, KG and Rivers all leave, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.
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Doc Rivers-Kevin Garnett Proposed Trade Could Bring Danny Ainge Pieces for Future Celtics Championship
I couldn’t believe it. The Celtics, who had the second-worst record in the league after the 2006-07 season, were once again in position to either pick No. 1 or 2 in the draft. It’s like the basketball gods finally realized the error of their ways, when the C’s were in position to pick first in the 1997 draft and select Tim Duncan, only to settle for the No. 3 pick in the form of soon-to-be-traded Chauncey Billups.
So when the ping pong balls once again didn’t bounce the Celtics’ way in 2007 (the C’s won the fifth pick), the wheels were set in motion to pull the trigger on a deal that eventually brought Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett (thanks again Kevin McHale) to Boston for a mix of raw talent, expiring contracts and draft picks.
And so the second Big Three era was born.
This group was said to have a three year window to win the title. It was accomplished in Year 1. And if not for a knee injury the following season to Garnett and an ACL tear to Kendrick Perkins in Game 6 of the 2010 NB…
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Manu Ginobili can’t get his rhythm, not sure of future
Ginobili says the chances are remote he’ll retire, but then again he’d like to spend time at home
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Metta World Peace ‘Giving People a Taste’ of Potential Future on TV
Unlike so many recent college graduates with degrees in political science, Metta World Peace will actually be qualified to do something when he joins the real world. And that’s because he’s already testing the waters of a post-NBA television career.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, World Peace’s recent barrage of tube time is a calculated decision:
I’m just giving people a taste because I don’t know what organizations are thinking, so I’m like, ‘You know what? I got to start giving people a taste of what I can do.’ I want to do 20 years in the NBA and I’m going to stay in shape so I can reach 20 years, or maybe even 21, who knows? But I’m going to give people a taste of what I can do when I’m behind the TV screen officially. That’s what I’m doing now.
MWP has logged a ton of reps in front of the camera lately, doing everything from appearing on ESPN’s “SportsNation” to reading mean tweets on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!.”
Hey, he has even worked with one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.
Even if his acting chops aren’t the greatest, we know for sure that he can take (and dish out) a blow to the head. Maybe he’s got a future as a stunt man, too.
World Peace’s TV dabbling isn’t a bad idea at all, as guys like Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal have proved that the public is a lot hungrier for quips and sound bites than it is for serious analysis. NBA studio shows are much more about entertainment than information, and MWP is certainly long enough on the former to make up for a potential deficiency in the latter.
Whether he’s eating cupcakes at a news desk or tweeting some of the oddest 140-character messages you’ll ever come across, his unpredictability and off-kilter demeanor make him eminently watchable.
As a fun exercise to prove MWP‘s value as an entertaining commodity, let’s enjoy a recent three-tweet sequence.
All right, so World Peace has been emboldened by some “toots” and now has the confidence to strip down and strut. Terrific.
I won’t pretend to understand this one. Keep in mind, World Peace tweeted this immediately after the one about walking around in his undershorts.
And finally, evidence of MWP‘s multiple personalities, complete with a public service announcement. Those three tweets came, uninterrupted, within eight minutes of one another on June 11. With that kind of range and goofiness, it’s easy to see how he could work as a TV personality.
There’s not a whole lot of sense in what he’s saying, of course, but aren’t you curious to see what he’ll say next? Me, too.
A TV career is a natural step for many retired NBA players. So World Peace would hardly be out of place as a television fixture. Although, feeling out of place is probably something MWP isn’t too concerned about, considering he’s already entered the children’s book market.
It wasn’t so long ago that World Peace was public enemy No. 1 in the NBA—an uncontrollable, violent menace whose considerable skills were overshadowed by his frightening reputation. Now, thanks to maturity and a real focus on his own mental health, nobody can get enough of him.
A redemption story with a likable lead who still has just enough edge to stay interesting? I’d say that sounds like something people would watch—with a seven-second delay, of course.
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Doc Rivers Reportedly Questioning His Future As Celtics Coach
Doc Rivers has been the head coach of the Boston Celtics for the last nine seasons, leading the franchise to the playoffs in seven of those campaigns since 2004 and bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to Boston (NBA title No. 17) in 2008.
As rumors about head coaching changes continue to swirl in league circles, another one was released on Tuesday concerning the 51-year-old front man in Boston. Rivers is reportedly unsure if he wants to continue coaching the C’s for a 10th straight season.
ESPN’s Chris Broussard had the report on Wednesday afternoon, citing a source close to the situation in Boston right now. Per his report, Rivers has been quoted as saying it “may be time for a change,” even though team president Danny Ainge has stated that Rivers will be back on the sidelines next season.
Here’s an excerpt from Broussard’s report:
Rivers, who has been attending the Celtics’ pre-draft workouts, is unsure of what he wants to do and has not yet ruled out returning to Boston for a 10th season. He has a very close relationship with Ainge, and the source said that is one factor that is making his decision so difficult.
If Rivers were to walk away from the three years and $21 million remaining on his contract with the Celtics, it is not clear whether he would seek another coaching job next season or sit out and possibly return to broadcasting.
Broussard also mentioned that if Rivers were to express a desire to find a new job right away, the Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets would undoubtedly be interested in bringing him into the fold for interviews concerning their coaching vacancies.
The Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers are the organizations that currently still have head coaching jobs to fill in the coming weeks.
Previously expressing to Boston Globe reporter Gary Washburn that he was still unsure of his C’s future on Sunday, Rivers apparently communicated via text with the writer that he’d “rather not say” when asked about his plans to return following the offseason.
Boston was ousted by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs, a finality that has reportedly given Rivers second thought to the idea of sticking around for what could be a rebuilding effort very soon.
After George Karl was fired from the Nuggets earlier this year, Rivers became the second-longest tenured coach in the NBA behind San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich. As noted by the ESPN piece, the top-five on that list (Rick Carlisle, Scott Brooks and Erik Spoelstra were the others) and Phil Jackson are the only coaches to reach the NBA finals since the 2009-10 season.
Rivers carved out a nice role for himself as a player in the NBA, playing in 13 career seasons after being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1983. He played for four NBA franchises, posting career averages of 10.9 points and 5.7 assists before retiring as a San Antonio Spur in 1996.
He first entered coaching in 1999, when he took over the Orlando Magic for four full seasons and had a brief stint in another. He won NBA Coach of the Year honors in his rookie season (1999-00) with Orlando, but never made it out of the first round of the playoffs in three tries.
After being fired midseason during the 2003-04 campaign, Rivers took the Celtics job the next year and started what has been a blossoming relationship between himself and the city of Boston, team management and his “Big Four” of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen (now with the Miami Heat), Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
That foursome helped Rivers and the Celtics win the NBA Finals in the 2007-08 campaign.
The Celtics also reached the Finals in 2010, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in heartbreaking, seven-game fashion. Despite age and injuries that have started to set in on the roster, Rivers has kept the Celtics competitive. He has taken the team to the playoffs the last three years and did so this year without Rondo, who was lost for the year in the latter half of the season with an ACL injury.
Knowing the value of pre-draft preparations and how to build a winning NBA franchise, there’s little doubt Rivers knows the value of making a decision sooner rather than later. Owners of the No. 16 pick in the 2013 NBA draft, Boston needs to develop a strategy and have a coach in place before the first round commences in late June.
If Rivers has indeed coached his last game for Boston, he will end his career with the Celtics with seven seasons of over .500 ball, and three trips to at least the Eastern Conference finals.
Rivers has a career coaching record of 587-473, good enough for a winning percentage of .554. Four times he has led the Celtics to seasons that included 50 wins or more.
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Chris Bosh’s Miami Heat Future Rests on NBA Finals Performance
Chris Bosh’s days in a Miami Heat uniform could be numbered.
As the Miami Heat find themselves locked in what could be a Finals for the ages against the San Antonio Spurs, Bosh finds himself not only playing for a second straight title, but also for the opportunity to remain a member of this team with dynastic aspirations.
With the looming salary cap restrictions and LeBron James having the freedom to bolt next summer if he chooses, Miami may very well be forced to make a tough decision regarding its prized “Big 3″.
And considering the circumstances, Bosh would seem to be the odd man out.
Is it fair? Most would say it’s not.
But is it true? That answer won’t truly come to fruition for at least another week or two, but there are many factors pointing in the direction of yes.
The Blueprint
LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers and headed to South Beach for one reason, and that’s to win championships. Not one title, but multiple.
Miami having Dwyane Wade and Pat Riley were undoubtedly two of the biggest factors when James, a student of both the game and the NBA, decided the Heat would provide him with the best opportunity to win multiple rings. The signing of Bosh certainly sealed the deal and was integral to the foundation of the plan, but he by no means carried the same weight Wade and Riley did.
Wade is one of James’ best friends. Riley is a mastermind and arguably the top general manager in the league at the moment. At the very least, he’s top three.
Bosh was just the final piece to the puzzle three years ago, the cherry on top for James’ new arsenal of weapons in his new home.
Much of Miami’s offense may be run through Bosh, but make no mistake, a majority of the blueprint for long term success surrounds James and Wade.
Yes, Wade has had his share of struggles, particularly in the health department over the past few seasons. And his contract might end up being a little over the top for what he’s going to be able to provide Miami with over the coming years.
But Wade isn’t going anywhere. The Heat might currently be the King’s team, but Wade is still a face of the Heat franchise. He’s made it known he plans on finishing his career in Miami, and Riley has no intentions of creating a future strategy that doesn’t include Wade at its forefront.
The Product
Even as he played a vital role in winning Miami’s second championship in franchise history last year, Bosh has found himself to be a focal point in the scrutiny surrounding this polarizing ball club – both in and outside of Miami.
It’s not difficult to see why, especially after a quick glance at the stat sheet.
Since arriving in Miami, Bosh’s production on the boards has steadily decreased. After failing to average less than 10 rebounds per game only once from 2006 to 2010, he has yet to have one season in which he averaged 10 rebounds or more.
In fact, Bosh produced a career low average of 6.8 rebounds per game this past season. And that average has only continued to decrease throughout the playoffs, with Bosh standing at 6.7 boards per contest through Miami’s first 18 postseason games.
Some will argue Bosh isn’t much of a presence on the boards anymore because Erik Spoelstra’s system has him further away from the rim. While that’s true, that isn’t the case on defense and the numbers there aren’t any more encouraging in Bosh’s favor.
Then there’s the inconsistency on the offensive end.
To be fair, when looking at the overall big picture, Bosh did have an efficient year offensively, hitting a career high 54 percent of his shots. However, that snapshot doesn’t exactly display the countless times when Miami’s third member of its big three disappeared for stretches throughout the season.
And the playoffs have been particularly rough for Bosh, shooting just 45 percent from the field thus far. Against the Indiana Pacers, he was just 38 percent from the floor while averaging just four rebounds per game.
Going back to Miami’s system, Bosh must be given credit for being the perfect fit for the Heat to play its signature style of “small ball”, or as Spoelstra likes to call it, “positionless basketball”.
However, while this has been effective for Miami and Bosh, there have been times when it appeared perhaps the system might get the best of both Chris and the Heat.
Always having been more of a finesse player as opposed to a physical presence, Bosh has been a big man who’s had a tendency to fall in love with his jump shot and forget about the high percentage shots in the paint. And it’s not like he has a difficult time scoring down low, especially with his exceptional footwork and quickness for his size.
When Bosh falls into one of these lulls, it can be dangerous for Miami if he’s not hitting his long or mid-range jumpers. After all, the whole purpose of Bosh taking those shots are to stretch the floor.
And when he’s not hitting those, Miami’s style of play makes them a whole lot easier to defend.
Also, while Miami’s system does run through Bosh most of the time, and Spoelstra does like it when his big man can stretch the floor with his jumper, there is a growing sense many in the Heat organization would like to see Bosh in the post more often.
This came to a head during Friday’s media session, when James publicly revealed that Miami would like to see more of its starting center in the post.
To put it simply, a majority of the frustration Bosh is responsible for comes down to his tendency to fall into a passive playing style. If Miami is going to win its second straight title, Bosh will need to have performances similar to his showing in Game 2, when he put up a double-double with 12 points on an efficient 6-of-10 shooting, while pulling down 10 boards.
The Money
Statistics and performances aside, the biggest issue when it comes to Bosh for Miami moving forward is his contract.
It’s fair to say that it all boils down to one question: Is what Chris Bosh gives the Miami Heat on a nightly basis worth over $19 million dollars next year, and potentially upwards of $40 million over the following two years?
If you’re a firm believer in Miami’s small ball plan of attack, then you likely say yes.
However, if you look back at that Pacers series and examine Indiana’s blueprint, you might think Miami needs to get bigger to succeed in the years to come. If you’re of that opinion, chances are in you’re in the boat that wouldn’t mind sending Bosh packing.
$19 million dollars is a lot of money.
And with the new salary cap restrictions going into effect next season, Miami will be one of the teams in what we like to call “luxury tax hell”.
Is there a better way that Riley could spend Mickey Arison’s money in the Heat’s best interest?
Only time will tell, but Bosh can have a say in the matter himself with his play on the court in this series.
After all, it’d be pretty difficult to argue with two rings in three years.
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For some Finals assistants, future talk starts now (Yahoo! Sports)
MIAMI (AP) — Mike Budenholzer is in his final series on the staff with the San Antonio Spurs. David Fizdale is now often mentioned as a candidate for jobs that could take him away from his job with the Miami Heat.
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How Kobe Bryant Must Sell Los Angeles Lakers’ Long-Term Future to Dwight Howard
If Kobe Bryant were in Mitch Kupchak’s shoes, he’d have to do much more than just pick which kinds of players he wants to populate the Los Angeles Lakers‘ roster and crunch the numbers accordingly. So much of being a general manager in the NBA is about the ABCs of Salesmanship—Always Be Closing.
It’s no wonder, then, that Kobe wants the Lakers to be the last ones to make their pitch to Dwight Howard before the All-Star center rules on his own free agency this summer, as he told Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles:
For me, you kind of let him do his due diligence and then move in and talk to him and figure out if this is a place he wants to be. We all want him here. But then that’s when the selling begins [after Howard is courted by other teams]. You don’t start the selling process right before he goes and does all this stuff. You want to get the last word. You want to have the final word and the closing argument.
I’ll give him a little opening statement, but then I have to make sure I have the final word.
Bryant, though, doesn’t seem overly concerned by the possibility of Howard’s departure because, like anyone with a good mind for personnel decisions (particularly one in charge of the Purple and Gold), he understands that there will always be opportunities to lure big names to LA down the road:
This franchise is a franchise that you really don’t have to worry about too much, because no matter what happens, whether it’s a year from now, two years from now, whatever the case may be, they’re always going to find a way to have an impact on this league.
Of course, a line like that isn’t going to entice Dwight to stay. He doesn’t want to be told that he’s replaceable, that there are plenty of fish in the sea and, therefore, that he’s welcome to swim off to wherever he pleases. In all likelihood, Howard will be expecting a supercharged rendition of the fawning and pampering with which any elite high school athlete would be welcomed on his recruiting trips.
Or, in Dwight’s case, the trips he never got to make because everyone and their mother knew that he would be jumping from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy straight into the NBA draft back in 2004.
Thing is, Kobe’s never been one to kiss up to anyone or sugarcoat anything.
Remember, it was Bryant who, back in February of 2012, allegedly told Dwight over the phone that Howard would be the third banana in LA’s offense, behind Kobe and Pau Gasol, according to RealGM (h/t Matt Moore of Pro Basketball Talk).
Howard, though, is probably aware of Bryant’s less artful approach to communication. He spent an entire season in the same locker room as the Mamba, dealing with gripes and snipes through the media and occasionally poking fun at the whole (perceived) mess.
And, really, such drama is nothing new for Dwight. He conjured up plenty of it during his last days with the Orlando Magic, though he might be loath to admit his complicity in the “Dwightmare,” even though that fiasco was all about him.
Which is precisely where Kobe should start in his pitch. That is, he must remind Howard that the Lakers will ostensibly be his in short order, even though Bryant has yet to set a date for his retirement.
Kobe would also do well to focus on what Dwight can do for the Lakers, and not the other way around.
This past season did plenty to prove to Howard that wearing the Purple and Gold doesn’t grant you immunity from criticism and ridicule. If anything, playing for LA’s biggest sports attraction and the NBA’s marquee franchise will only leave a polarizing player like Dwight more susceptible to the backlash that he seems to dread.
Just as it did in 2012-13, as folks from all corners questioned Dwight’s heart, hustle and commitment to his craft while the big fella was battling through the lingering effects of back surgery. As Howard recently told TJ Simers of the Los Angeles Times:
When I came back from my shoulder injury, some didn’t think I was giving my all. And nobody wanted to hear what I said about coming off back surgery. It wasn’t fair to me. I was on a walker and four months later playing basketball. I played hurt.
In Dwight’s mind, then, the question of “What can Purple and Gold do for you?” probably isn’t accompanied by an appealing answer. If anything, his one year with the Lakers further exposed the flaws that first came to light with Orlando Magic, but were put on blast in a much bigger media market in LA.
As such, it’d behoove Bryant and the Lakers’ pitch team to emphasize what Howard would bring to the table.
On the court, he’s a dynamic rim protector, thrice recognized as the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, who can single-handedly turn the tide of a game by challenging shots in the paint and disrupting the pick and roll.
When he’s healthy, anyway. To that effect, Kobe could point to longtime head trainer Gary Vitti—to whom Dwight often referred affectionately as “Father Vitti“—and his familiarity with Howard’s condition as an enticement, though, again, highlighting the Lakers’ potential effect on Howard could be a treacherous approach to this matter.
But Dwight knows this, and he knows that he can be a difference-maker on the defensive end because he has been for nearly his entire career. He doesn’t need anyone to tell him that.
What Howard’s probably more interested in, and where Kobe will have to be extra careful in his wording of things, is his role in the Lakers’ offense. For whatever reason (His view on the role of centers? His grasp of great big men in Lakers lore? His desire to prove a point?), Dwight seems to insist on getting the ball in the post and being granted the freedom to work with his back to the basket.
He wants this even though, as far as post-up players go, Howard was patently average last season. According to Synergy Sports, Howard shot 44.5 percent and turned the ball over 18.2 percent of the time when posting up. Moreover, his mark of 0.74 points per play in the post ranked just 121st among his peers in the NBA.
That’s hardly becoming of an “elite” center like Dwight, though that’s probably besides the point in this situation. Perhaps Howard thinks he’ll fare better in such situations when he’s healthy and/or when he has the proper personnel around him.
Whatever the case, it’s on Kobe and the Lakers to oblige Howard’s hopes if they want to keep him around. They’d be better off saving their battles over Dwight’s excellence in the pick-and-roll for another day.
For now, it’s up to Bryant to convince Howard that Mike D’Antoni and his soon-to-be-revamped coaching staff will utilize Howard in a way that suits Dwight’s pursuits.
That shouldn’t be too difficult, seeing how D’Antoni went out of his way to feature Howard down low this past season. Despite Mike’s well-documented aversion to isolations and post-ups, Howard garnered nearly half of his possessions (45.2 percent, to be exact) on the block, per Synergy Sports.
To an extent, D’Antoni came to grasp his team’s strengths, the biggest of which came inside with Dwight and Pau. There’s a chance that he’ll try to implement more elements of his signature spread pick-and-roll system with a full training camp at his disposal.
But if the Lakers can’t get ahold of the proper personnel for it—which they’d be hard-pressed to do, given their dearth of financial flexibility under the collective bargaining agreement—then Mike might have no other choice but to embrace the inside-out style that, in some ways, is the antithesis of what he ran with the Phoenix Suns once upon a time.
Which, again, should be music to Dwight’s ears, so long as Kobe complies. And Bryant should, given that Howard is the closest thing Kobe has to a meal ticket to the sixth championship he so covets. At 34 and with a busted foot, the clock on Kobe’s career is ticking away and, as such, he can’t afford to part ways with another powerful force like Dwight.
Unless Bryant would somehow find it amenable to wait out another rebuilding period and serve as a fringe piece on a contender when he’s nearing his 20th year of service in the NBA. At this point, though, that wouldn’t seem to be part of the plan, according to In Depth with Graham Bensinger).
That aside, Dwight has made it clear that he wants to win, as well he should.
Nothing cleanses a sullied reputation on par with Dwight’s quite like winning. A championship might not land Howard in everyone’s good graces, though it would at least affirm the place in the game that his endemic talent would suggest he should occupy.
To that end, Kobe and the Lakers can make a convincing case. They can point to the team’s 28-12 finish to the regular season and what that says about this group’s capabilities when there’s some semblance of health. They can pump Howard up about a restful offseason in which he, Kobe, Pau and Nash will devote much of their time and energy toward getting fit for the upcoming campaign.
And then, they can talk about Dwight dominating while Bryant eases himself back in after Achilles surgery and about the positive effect of having a (relatively) stable coaching situation that, hopefully, has established trust with all facets of the organization after the aforementioned finish.
In the long term, Kobe can direct Dwight to the summer of 2014, when the Lakers, for the first time in years, will have oodles of cap space at their disposal.
At present, LA has only Nash’s $9.7 million on the books for 2014-15, and even that might be a moot point if Steve, who will be 40 by then, decides to call it a career.
The Lakers could hardly have picked a better year to clear their books, too. The market may well be loaded with big-name free agents by then, including those with early termination options (i.e. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony), those with player options (i.e. Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay), those who may be restricted (i.e. John Wall, Greg Monroe, Paul George, Lance Stephenson, Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors), and those who will be completely free to roam (i.e. Luol Deng, Danny Granger, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Kyle Lowry).
Not to mention Kobe and Pau, who will both be back on the market and could, hypothetically, re-up in LA at a fraction of what they’re currently making.
That’s a lot of recognizable names, many (if not most) of whom won’t actually be available, whether they sign extensions, are retained by their respective teams after fielding offer sheets, or don’t exercise opt-out clauses in their contracts. Still, the potential is there for the Lakers to throw around their weight in an attempt to reload for another title run in a big, bold way.
It’s a risky approach that’s rife with uncertainty. Then again, so is this summer, thanks in no small part to the fickle feelings of Dwight Howard.
If Kobe and the Lakers can convince someone as unpredictable as Dwight to stay in LA for upwards of $118 million this summer (a tough sell…or not), then who’s to say that they can’t or won’t have similar success with another superstar or two in 13 months?
Certainly, that pitch would have to pique Howard’s interest, so long as Kobe’s delivery rings true.
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Dwight Howard Talks Future Plans, Admits He ‘Can’t Please Everybody’
Dwight Howard has no intention of pleasing everybody.
Speaking with T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times, Howard admitted that his time with the Los Angeles Lakers has forced him to understand he can’t make everyone happy.
“I can’t do it anymore,” he said. “I can’t please everybody.”
For Howard, this is a newfangled revelation. He spent the better part of a decade attempting to appease the NBA sphere with the Orlando Magic. In the end, it left him ringless and hated.
Upon leaving the shelter of a smaller market to explore the big city of Los Angeles, nothing changed. Howard still had an inherent need to satisfy everyone.
Quicker than he could have ever imagined, his morphed sense of reality came crashing down.
He told Simers:
When I came back from my shoulder injury, some didn’t think I was giving my all. And nobody wanted to hear what I said about coming off back surgery. It wasn’t fair to me. I was on a walker and four months later playing basketball. I played hurt.
Playing through pain wasn’t enough; Howard still wasn’t doing enough. From his poor free-throw shooting—which prompted Howard to seek the help of a Lakers psychiatrist—to his seemingly carefree attitude that was often depicted as debilitating complacency, the world wanted more.
That same world is always going to want more. No matter what Howard decides to do, someone will always question his morals and criticize his choices. That’s just how it is.
Has Howard made his decision?
Not at all. He hasn’t committed to the Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks or the Dallas Mavericks. Howard hasn’t committed to anyone. He wants to see what’s out there.
“I want to see what each opportunity offers,” Howard said. “I want to see how people plan on winning.”
Wherever he decides to play, wherever he decides to try and win, the world will be waiting, ready to denounce him for making the wrong choice, no matter what.
Howard can count on it.
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How Hiring Larry Drew Impacts Brandon Jennings’ Future with Milwaukee Bucks
There were already a few reasons to doubt that Brandon Jennings would be back with the Milwaukee Bucks next season, and the team’s decision to hire Larry Drew could be the clearest signal yet.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo!, the Bucks made Drew’s hiring official on May 30.
The fact that the Bucks hired any coach this quickly should indicate to thoughtful observers that Jennings’ days are numbered. After all, one of the chief discussion topics in the interview process had to be the franchise’s future personnel plans. It seems unlikely that Drew would have taken the gig if he wasn’t on board with what the team wanted to do with its numerous free agents.
And we know that the Bucks have already made those plans clear as they pertain to Jennings.
If Drew had strong feelings about wanting to keep Jennings over Ellis, he would have been signing on to a new team with a built-in management clash from day one. There were other options out there for Drew, so the fact that he picked the Bucks indicates that he and the franchise saw eye to eye on some key issues—like the necessity of letting Jennings walk away.
Plus, Jennings foolishly cast his lot with Kelvin Sampson, the other main candidate for the job.
It’s fine that the point guard wants to support Sampson, who was an assistant with the Bucks before moving on to the Houston Rockets. But doing so in such a public fashion was a tactical blunder.
Jennings quickly tried to backpedal when Drew got the job, but it’s hard to know whether his endorsement was genuine or the result of realizing he’d made a mistake by backing Sampson.
Basically, Jennings gave himself a 50/50 chance of getting off on the wrong foot if the Bucks opted to hire somebody other than Sampson. Well, that figurative coin flip didn’t come up in Jennings’ favor when Milwaukee agreed to hire Drew. It would have been better for Jennings to have kept his mouth shut.
Of course, biting his tongue hasn’t been one of Jennings’ strong suits lately.
He shared an uneasy relationship with Scott Skiles, and after the embattled coach was fired midway through the 2012-13 season, Jennings struggled to get along with interim coach Jim Boylan. His frustration ultimately resulted in a couple of benchings and snarky public exchanges.
In addition to a demeanor that has made Jennings increasingly difficult to coach, the young guard’s play over the past few seasons has made him unappealing as a floor general. Jennings is undersized, seems to check in and out of games on a whim and has seen his defense decline since his rookie year. That’s not exactly the scouting report of a player who can serve as cornerstone on a winning franchise.
Drew dealt with a similarly frustrating player by the name of Josh Smith in his time with the Atlanta Hawks, so it’d be understandable if he wasn’t interested in coddling yet another pseudo-star with an inflated sense of his own skills in his new assignment.
On the other hand, if any coach would be comfortable dealing with an undersized, three-guard rotation, it’s probably Drew. It’s highly unlikely that Jennings, Ellis and J.J. Redick all return to the Bucks, but if that happened, it would feel a lot like the Jeff Teague-Devin Harris-Lou Williams trio that Drew coached for a good chunk of his final season in Atlanta.
That’s about the only factor that weighs even slightly in favor of Jennings coming back to the Bucks, and it’s a flimsy one.
Ultimately, the Bucks’ hiring of Drew indicates a tonal change for the organization. His coaching philosophy puts the focus on a slower pace and strong frontcourt play. It makes sense that Drew would want to wave goodbye to Jennings, whose only real offensive value is as a scorer in scattered situations.
Look, Jennings has made it clear that he’s not keen on remaining a member of the Bucks; he’s been saying so for a while. Toss in the latest reports about the team’s preference for Ellis—and the likelihood that Drew agrees with it—and it seems abundantly clear that Jennings’ days in Milwaukee are numbered.
And really, if the Bucks are trying to build a winner, that’s probably for the best.
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