Slam Dunk Central

The “Chicago Sun-Times” reported Tuesday that Chicago Bulls General Manager John Paxson wants to talk with former Dallas Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson about him possibly becoming their new bench boss. Only one problem, Paxson cancelled a previously scheduled interview session with Johnson last week, when they thought they were on the verge of signing Mike D’Antoni. Of course D’Antoni will be come the new head coach of the New York Knicks, as they made the former Phoenix Suns a very generous offer. Now Johnson’s representatives are dragging their feet in rescheduling a new interview session. Is Johnson perturbed at the Bulls, or just playing hard to get? Paxson reportedly would like to speak with current assistant coaches with the Boston Celtics, and Detroit Pistons, both teams are still in the NBA Playoffs.

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The Associated Press reported Monday that the NBA announced their All-Defensive Team for the 2007-2008 campaign. The first team was comprised of Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, Bruce Bowen and Tim Duncan both of the San Antonio Spurs, the Denver Nuggets Marcus Camby, and Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. The second team consisted of Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, Raja Bell of the Phoenix Suns, Shane Battier of the Houston Rockets, and Tayshaun Prince of the Detroit Pistons.

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The NBA has benefited from the revived states of the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. Now the league could be getting another shot in the arm with the New York Knicks’ hiring of Mike D’Antoni as its head coach.

The Knicks don’t appear to be a desirable place at which to work because of the haphazard way in which the team is run, but that doesn’t mean playing or coaching there is the death knell for anyone. New York City is still the biggest media market in the league, an enticing bit of information for any player – or, frankly, coach – looking to make money off the court. Furthermore, the added cache of playing in Madison Square Garden, the “basketball mecca,” and all the glitter and glamour that goes with it appeals to many NBAers no matter how awful the team has been recently.

This is to say that D’Antoni’s free-wheeling, player-friendly style of play doesn’t just bring fans to the arena (another added bonus), but it creates a demand from free agents.

Besides the teams of the early-mid ’70s and mid-late ’90s, the Knicks haven’t been among the elite of the NBA as often as many other high-profile teams. However, there is no question there is a certain amount of electricity that flows through Madison Square Garden that has a notable effect on attendance, TV ratings and NBA popularity.

Whether or not the Knicks roster is turned over right away isn’t the most important story line with D’Antoni’s hiring. It’s the sense of optimism and excitement with having a proven coach – one who has averaged 58 wins the past four regular seasons – roaming the sidelines. It’s the level of competency and sound personnel decisions that are expected to be made. And it’s the idea that the Knicks will have a certain identity, even if they don’t run and gun quite as much as the Suns have.

The Knicks have been the laughing stock of the NBA in recent years, but now it’s their turn to shine. A new era is beginning and the possibilities seem endless.

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“Newsday” Monday decided that they wanted to start Cleveland Cavaliers fan’s week off exploiting their biggest fear. Of course that would be losing the “Franchise” AKA LeBron James. The newspaper out of Long Island decided to speculate that the hiring of new Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni could lead to the eventual signing of LBJ to a Knicks contract. The paper says that because D’Antoni is a “players coach” he will attract big name free agents. The paper then jumps to the conclusion, that perhaps James would opt out of his player option in 2010 and sign with the Knicks. If “Newsday ” wants to engage in speculation, we at Slam Dunk Central will take the bait! This longtime NBA observer, who covered LBJ’s first three years in the Association, does not buy this theory for one second. In Cleveland, Ohio James is the biggest attraction in all of pro sports. In NYC LBJ would be just another Superstar, having to share the lime light with guys like Jeter and Eli Manning. LBJ also deals with one of the least combative media contingents in the USA in Cleveland. New York reporters will look at every detail of his life with a magnifying glass. Plus James has said repeatedly he has no desire to leave Northeast Ohio. So Cavaliers fans you can put away those anti-depressants, LBJ is not going to the Big Apple anytime soon.

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An inner ear infection will more than likely sideline Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Ben Wallace for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Saturday, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer; Cavaliers coach Mike Brown has said that Anderson Varejao will start assuming Wallace is unable to suit up.  Wallace left Game 2 on Thursday with 8:20 remaining in the second quarter, complaining of dizziness and stumbled as he left the court. 

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The soap opera otherwise known as The Courtship Of Mike D’Antoni is finally over; according to Sports Illustrated, D’Antoni accepted the New York Knicks 4-year, $24 million offer to coach the team. As expected, the team is declining comment on the transaction.  D’Antoni, prior to the signing, had 2 years remaining on his contract with the Phoenix Suns and was also mulling an offer to coach the Chicago Bulls.

D’Antoni had a 253-136 record in 4 years as coach of the Suns; he will inherit a Knicks squad that is without question the NBA’s most dysfunctional, so to say the task he has at hand is tall is probably an understatement.  He will also attempt to end the Knicks’ current 7-year playoff drought; his laid-back approach and up-tempo basketball style, depending on what next season’s Knicks look like, will without a doubt be a work in progress.  The hiring of D’Antoni also leaves into question whether former favorite to coach the team Mark Jackson will find a coaching job in the league.  The Bulls still have an opening, so anything is possible.

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In one of the worst-kept secrets this NBA post-season, Marc Stein of ESPN.com is reporting that Rick Carlisle and the Dallas Mavericks came to an agreement Friday on a four-year deal to become the team’s next coach; a news conference isn’t expected to take place before next Wednesday.  Initially, it appeared that Carlisle and the Mavericks were going to enter the weekend with no agreement in place, but both sides managed to hammer out a deal just before 11 PM local time.

Ironically, Carlisle, his family and 2 of Carlisle’s assistants - Dwayne Casey and Terry Stotts - arrived in Dallas on Thursday, so on that alone, it sounds like a deal was imminent.  Carlisle inherits a Mavericks team that reached the NBA Finals in 2006, but lost in the first round of the playoffs the past 2 seasons.  He has a career record of 281-211 after 2 seasons in Detroit and 4 in Indiana, going to the conference finals in consecutive years with both teams and made the playoffs every year until his last year at Indiana.

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I guess the presence of newly hired coach Larry Brown was reason enough to let a higher-up go - ask Sam Vincent; according to Peter Vecsey of the New York Post, the Charlotte Bobcats have terminated the contract of Bernie Bickerstaff yesterday.  Bickerstaff had a year remaining on his $1 million a year contract.  It is being rumored that he is an actual candidate for the Knicks’ vacant general manager position and possibly as a mentor to Mark Jackson, assuming Jackson is hired by the Knicks as their next coach.

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The New York Knicks’ list of coaching candidates gets narrower by the day as according to Marc Berman of the New York Post and verified by sources familiar with the Knicks’ situation, the list of candidates has been narrowed down to two - Mark Jackson and Mike D’Antoni; Walsh has the pleasant dilemma of whether to go with the more seasoned D’Antoni or the new kid on the block (although very familiar to Knicks fans) Jackson.  Walsh has said that despite reports floating around saying otherwise, he has not offered the position to any candidate.

There’s some pros and cons to Jackson being the next Knicks coach; first the pros: Jackson is a players’ coach.  Because he has played the game and obviously knows the game, that is to his benefit.  Assuming that Knicks guard Stephon Marbury is re-signed, Marbury will benefit under Jackson as they have a good relationship.  But there’s the very real possibility that Marbury will not be re-signed by the team, so that is a factor.  Now the cons: Jackson has never coached at the professional level.  That doesn’t mean that he will be unsuccessful at that level - it is just a fact that deserves to be pointed out. 

Now the good and bad in D’Antoni’s case: D’Antoni is a proven commodity; he utilizes the fast-break offense which worked for the Phoenix Suns for a number of years (before the trade for Shaquille O’Neal).  The Knicks have the deep pockets to nab D’Antoni as it looks like his asking price is in the $5 million a year or so range, so money isn’t the issue here.  And Dolan has said on more than one occasion that he will spend what it takes to help the Knicks lose the “laughingstock” label that’s been tagged on them.  Also working in D’Antoni’s favor with his situation with the Knicks is the fact that the Chicago Bulls probably will not spend what D’Antoni is demanding to hire their next coach.

So in essence, it is a 2-horse race: Jackson and D’Antoni.  The Knicks are waiting to see what the Bulls will offer D’Antoni before proceeding further; in the meantime, Jackson waits.  I think the Knicks can put this all to rest if they hire Jackson, and here’s why: while Jackson is brand new, he has the New York connection, he knows his basketball and is by and large a players’ coach.  The Knicks, no matter who they choose as coach, are not going to be sniffing the playoffs immediately, so why not give the shot to Jackson?  The head coach doesn’t make the personnel decisions, and personally, I do not see how even D’Antoni can right the Knicks’ ship, even with his pedigree.  When you weigh the pros and cons and also factor in the Knicks’ current roster, I feel that Jackson is the better fit - at a better price.

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The Associated Press reported Thursday that the NBA announced the All NBA-Team for the 2007-2008 campaign. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was the only member of the squad that was an unanimous choice by the voters. The remaining players honored were New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. The second All NBA-Team featured Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire, his teammate guard Steve Nash, Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, and San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan. Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, his teammate guard Tracy McGrady, Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce, Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer, and San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili made up the third team.

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