Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Patchwork Pistons clobber Cavaliers, halt skid at 8
January 31st, 2018 | by NBA.COM
Detroit, MI --
The Pistons were short-handed, waiting on their new additions in the Blake Griffin trade, while also playing without the three players who went to the Los Angeles Clippers in Monday’s blockbuster trade.
The patchwork Pistons squad didn’t look half-bad, either.
Actually, they were good for both halves. And the result was all good.
The Pistons’ double-digit lead evaporated in the last few minutes of the third quarter but Stanley Johnson led a late surge in the heading into the final period and the reserves keyed an energetic fourth-quarter effort, sparking the Pistons to a thrilling 125-114 victory over the Cavs before a national-television audience on Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena.
BOX SCORE: Pistons 125, Cavaliers 114
The win emphatically snapped the eight-game losing streak for the Pistons (23-26), who are looking to have Griffin in uniform for Thursday’s home matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, after all the players in the trade complete their physicals and the deal gets final approval from the NBA.
“We needed that. I needed that; we all needed that,” a relieved coach Stan Van Gundy said in the postgame news conference.
The plug-in starters played their best games of the season, filling in for the top two leading scorers — Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley — who went to the Clippers in the trade.
Johnson had a career-high 26 points and tied his career best with 10 rebounds. Anthony Tolliver tied his season-high with 20 points and Andre Drummond again flirted with his first career triple-double, with 21 points, 22 rebounds and seven assists, along with three steals and three blocks.
“I told (Stanley) after the game that’s the best I’ve seen him play,” Van Gundy said. “Ten rebounds. He had four turnovers. He was very, very aggressive; I thought he was really good.
“Defensively, I thought he did a good job. You’re not going to stop LeBron but he did a good job.”
James managed just 21 points, with six rebounds and seven assists and Isaiah Thomas 19 points, with six turnovers. Kevin Love left with a broken hand in the first quarter but Channing Frye had 20 points off the bench.
In the decisive fourth quarter, the home crowd delighted in the anticipation of Griffin’s arrival, as well as the lopsided win, after the Cavs beat the Pistons by 17 points on Sunday in Cleveland.
“When Blake comes, we’ll be fine, but we’re trying to win this game. We went into Cleveland and almost beat them with the second unit,” Johnson said. “I thought if we cleaned some things up, we could give ourselves an opportunity to beat them. How we played in the whole 48 minutes — if we can play like that, the sky’s the limit.”
January 2018
I just thought I'd kick off my blog with my tweets yesterday. Wow. Total shock. Almost speechless.
Disappointed. Saddened. Frustrated. Cheated.
As I throw more and more gear into a duffle bag these feelings quickly turn more to anger. Why? I remember that day I signed.
They had arranged a walkway for me at the Staples Center, in which fake walls were decorated with photos of my career throughout my life. When Ford and I got to the court, they held a ceremony in which they raised my jersey to the rafters.
F**k, what about the kids? Ford and Finley are going to be devastated. I'm going to see so much less of them. Hmmm, Brynn just texted me too. Wow. So much fallout from this thing. And Kendall. Christ it's the Kardashian curse is it? OMFG.
Where was I. Oh yea, no Clippers player has ever had a jersey retired by the team. The staff were wearing t-shirts with faces of historical figures on them. People like Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Muhammad Ali, and more — and me.
It was heart wrenching to see how they valued me so much. I didn't even listen to any other franchises pitch after that. Jeez my phone keeps buzzing. DeAndre is heartbroken, Austin still can't believe it, "Fake News" he calls it. Lou is hurting too. Even CP3 just text me. I ain't replying to that. I don't know where to start with him. What a clown he was 2 weeks ago when we beat the Rockets.
I'm so frustrated. We had something good going here. We still aren't fully healthy yet and they pull the carpet out form under us. Has any max player ever been traded a few months into his deal? I must ask Sam Goldfeder. Actually better remind him to get U- Haul over here aNd pack the rest of my stuff.
Ok. Lets get ready. What am I going to say to the press.... "I'm ready for the next chapter, getting to work and helping the Detroit Pistons make a run in the Eastern Conference." sounds right.
Here's Dre Drummond on my phone now. He's a good dude. One of the positives of moving to Detroit. I can't find many. Stan is a good coach from what I know. Right, gotta go. Got a plane to catch with Willie and Brice. Private plane paid for by the Pistons. Lets go.
High School - Oklahoma Christian School
Griffin won four high school state titles at Oklahoma Christian School under his father, head coach Tommy Griffin.
NCAA - Oklahoma Sooners
Griffin played two seasons of college ball for the Sooners before entering the 2009 NBA draft, when he was selected by the Clippers. Griffin was one of the highest rated and most decorated recruits ever at Oklahoma As a freshman at Oklahoma, he averaged 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds and led the Sooners to a 23–12 record.In a game against the Kansas Jayhawks, he suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee five minutes into the game.Less than two months after injuring his left knee, he injured his right knee in a home victory against Texas A&M.The injury this time was torn cartilage, and he had arthroscopic surgery. He was expected to be a lottery pick in the 2008 NBA draft but decided to return to college to give himself time to mature physically and to try to help Oklahoma win the NCAA championship.
In Griffin's sophomore season, the Sooners started out the season winning their first 12 games before falling to the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Griffin averaged 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during the regular season and earned All-American First Team honors.He led the NCAA in rebounding and was also the Big 12 scoring and rebounding leader. Griffin recorded at least 20 points and 15 rebounds 15 times, which is a Big 12 record. With 30 double-doubles during the season, he was one short of the NCAA record of 31 set by David Robinson in 1986–1987.
For his sophomore year performance, Griffin swept all six of the national player of the year awards. He was a unanimous choice by voters in all nine geographical districts for the Oscar Robertson Trophy and was named Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year, receiving 66 of the 71 national media panel members' votes. Griffin was announced as the Naismith College Player of the Year on April 5 in Detroit.Three days after announcing that he would turn pro, he won the John Wooden Award as college basketball's top player.
Los Angeles Clippers
During the final pre-season game of 2009, he broke his left kneecap, had surgery, and missed the entire 2009–10 season. Griffin made his NBA debut as a rookie the following season, in which he was selected as an All-Star, won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. In 2011, Sports Illustrated called him one of the NBA's 15 Greatest Rookies of All Time.
First playoff and division title (2011–13)
Griffin was voted to play as a starter for the first time in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game along with new teammate Chris Paul. He was also selected to participate in the inaugural Rising Stars Challenge in which teams were a mix of the top rookies and sophomores. Griffin was selected first by Team Shaq.
Griffin averaged another double-double on the lockout-shortened season with 20.7 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game. He and teammate Chris Paul helped lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 40–26 record and made the playoffs for the first time since 2006. In the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, Griffin helped the Clippers eliminate the Memphis Grizzlies in seven games. However, the Los Angeles Clippers were quickly swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the next round. Afterwards, Griffin was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the first time in his career.
Before the 2012–13 NBA season, on July 10, 2012, Griffin signed a contract extension reportedly worth $95 million for 5 years. The deal will keep him under contract until the end of the 2017–18 season.
He was also selected to compete for Team USA in the 2012 London Summer Olympics, but was removed after he injured his knee during a practice. Griffin was again voted by the fans as a starter for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game. On March 6, 2013, Griffin recorded his third career triple-double by scoring 23 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 11 assists to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Griffin finished the season averaging 18.0 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game in 32.5 minutes per game. He and Chris Paul led the Los Angeles Clippers to a 56–26 record as the Clippers won their first Pacific Division title in franchise history. The Clippers went on to lose to the Memphis Grizzlies in six games in the first round. Griffin was named to the All-NBA Second Team once again.
New coach and owner (2013–15)
After a disappointing first round exit in the playoffs, the Los Angeles Clippers sought new leadership and hired head coach Doc Rivers. In his first season with Rivers at the helm, Griffin averaged a career-high 24.1 points per game. He was voted as a starter in the NBA All-Star Game, making it his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance and third consecutive start. From January 20 to March 26, Griffin recorded 20+ points in a franchise-record 31 straight games. On April 2, 2014, Griffin and Chris Paul led the Los Angeles Clippers to a 112–108 win over the Phoenix Suns to clinch their second franchise division title. The next day, Griffin recorded his fourth career triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a 107–113 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Los Angeles Clippers finished with a franchise-best record of 57–25 and earned the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They would be matched up with the Golden State Warriors in the first round. On April 21, 2014, Griffin scored a playoff career-high 35 points in a win over Golden State. The Clippers would eventually beat the Warriors in 7 games in the midst of the Donald Sterling controversy. They would then lose to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the conference semi-finals. Griffin was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the third straight year, whilst also finishing the season third in the MVP voting.
After the controversial remarks from former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned Sterling from the league for life and forced him to sell the Clippers. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer later bought the Clippers for $2 billion, the largest amount paid for a franchise in NBA history.
On December 8, 2014, Griffin scored a season-high 45 points on 14-of-24 shooting, including a game-winning three-pointer as time expired, as the Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns in overtime, 121–120. This was Griffin's first career game-winning buzzer beater. It gave the Clippers their eighth straight win. On February 8, 2015, he was ruled out for four to six weeks due to a staph infection in his right elbow. He returned to action on March 15 after missing 15 games to record 11 points and 11 rebounds in a 100–98 loss to the Houston Rockets.[ Griffin finished the regular season averaging 21.9 points, a career-low 7.6 rebounds, and a career-high 5.3 assists in 67 games.
On April 22, Griffin recorded his first career playoff triple-double with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a first round game 2 series loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Four days later in Game 4, Griffin recorded a playoff career-high 19 rebounds and with 20 points helped the Clippers even the series at 2–2. In the series' Game 7 victory on May 2 that moved the Clippers into the second round, Griffin recorded his second career playoff triple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.[93] Two days later in Game 1 of the Clippers' semi-final match-up against the Houston Rockets, Griffin recorded 26 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists for his second straight triple-double to lift the Clippers to a 117–101 victory.The Clippers ended up losing the series to the Rockets in seven games.
Injury-plagued seasons (2015–18)
On November 25, 2015, Griffin recorded season highs with 40 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to the Utah Jazz, with the Clippers dropping to 7–8 after starting the season 4–0. On December 26, he was ruled out indefinitely with a partially torn left quadriceps. While expected to return to action on January 26, Griffin was instead ruled out for an estimated four to six weeks due to a right hand injury he sustained on January 23 from hitting a member of the team's equipment staff, who was also his friend, during an argument at a restaurant in Toronto. The Clippers were sternly critical of Griffin, and indicated that further punitive action would follow.
Griffin missed 45 games in total due to injury and suspension, returning to action for the Clippers on April 3 against the Washington Wizards. He played 24 minutes as a starter and recorded six points and five rebounds to help the Clippers clinch home-court advantage in the playoffs with a 114–109 win. He appeared in five of the Clippers' final seven games of the regular season, and managed to appear in the first four first-round playoff games against the Portland Trail Blazers before aggravating the left quad injury in Game 4, which ruled him out for the rest of the postseason.
On April 22, 2017, Griffin was ruled out for the remainder of the 2017 NBA Playoffs with an injury to the plantar plate of his right big toe suffered during the Clippers' 111–106 win over the Utah Jazz in Game 3 of their Western Conference First Round Playoff series the night before.
On July 19, 2017, Griffin re-signed with the Clippers to a five-year, $173 million contract.On November 22, 2017, he had 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 116–103 win over the Atlanta Hawks, helping the Clippers snap a nine-game losing streak. Three days later, he made a 10-foot jumper with 3.2 seconds remaining and had a season-high 33 points to lead the Clippers to a 97–95 win over the Sacramento Kings. On November 28, 2017, he was ruled out for approximately two months after sustaining an MCL sprain against the Los Angeles Lakers the previous night. He returned to action early than expected on December 29 against the Lakers, scoring a game-high 24 points in a 121–106 win. On January 22, 2018, he had a triple-double with 32 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists in a 126–118 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Griffin notched his seventh career regular-season triple-double, and second of the season. It was his third 30-point game of the season, and he was one point shy of his season high.
Detroit Pistons (2018–present)
On January 29, 2018, Griffin, along with Willie Reed and Brice Johnson, was traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanović, a future protected first-round draft pick and a future second-round draft pick
The Los Angeles Clippers shook up the N.B.A. on Monday 29th January 2018, just over a week before the league’s annual trade deadline, by swinging a blockbuster deal to send the face of their franchise, Blake Griffin, to the Detroit Pistons.
The Clippers have exceeded expectations so far this season with a record of 25-24 in the wake of Chris Paul’s off-season departure, but team officials decided to begin an aggressive roster shake-up with a major trade.
The trade came just seven months after Griffin signed a five-year, $171 million contract to stay with the Clippers.
The team referred to Griffin as “a lifelong Clipper” in the free-agent recruiting pitch it made to him last summer, but the club abruptly changed course when it had the opportunity to acquire two starting-caliber players from the Pistons in Harris and Bradley as well as Detroit’s first-round pick in June’s draft.
This will be a player lock story of Blake's continued career in the NBA as a Detroit Piston. Blake has been shipped out to Detroit with broken promises, broken friendships and broken dreams. This is Exit Wounds: A Blake Griffin Story.
Story Timeline
Blake Griffin History
Blake's Blog - January 2018
Roster 2017-18
Detroit Pistons Roster 2017-18
Schedule 2017-18
GM 1
Blake Griffin History
Blake's Blog - January 2018
Roster 2017-18
Detroit Pistons Roster 2017-18
Schedule 2017-18
GM 1
Friday, June 17, 2016
Meeting with Head Scout - Matthew O'Brien
"Alright Matt who do you have in the second round that's attainable?" asked Michaels
It was crunch time for the scouting department before the upcoming draft.
"We have an opportunity to get some decent guys at 37 and 43. just depends what position we want to target." said O' Brien.
I had been mulling over the options for the past few months, even before I was in charge.
"I think the number one priority needs to be a guy like Gary Payton II. He's an athletic point guard, and he could thrive under Mike." O'Brien suggested.
"What about Zhou Qi and Juan Hernangomez?" asked Michaels
"Both look very promising. Qi if available could be worth a flyer." said O' Brien.
"Well Hernangomez could be there anywhere from 35- 45." said Michaels.
"I'd expect so, if we are looking at 3 and D wings, Taurean Prince is our guy though. He very well could go late 1st round though." said O' Brien
"Ok I'll work the phones and see what I can get. Anyone else you think we could try and trade up for?" asked Michaels.
"We're missing 1 guy. I've been chatting to a lot of scouts around the scene this week. There's a chance, that this guy could go literally anywhere. Maybe even 2nd round, but he'll be gone by 31 to the Celtics." said O'Brien
"Really? Come on Matt, who is this guy we need to grab!" said Michaels.
"Alright, alright. Thon Maker. Between himself and Clint Capela, they could be our frontcourt of the future. The athleticism of those too, the defense, finishing lobs, I think Mike would really like having those two. I really see Dwight- Lite in him." said O' Brien
"You sure? I don't know what to make of him, Have your guys watched him up in Canada" asked Michaels
"Yep. Watch this space. Or rather be ready to pounce with a deal late in the 1st round anywhere from 18 - 31 Ronnie." said O'Brien
"Great stuff Matt, I'll email you when I can get some traction. We'll get the picks sorted then. Good job." said Michaels.
For the next few hours I had to work the phones. Les said I can do what I need with the picks, I needed to see who was willing to give up something in the 1st round.. The scouts had narrowed down their list of prospects, and decided on who we should look. The final set of prospects looks like this:
G Gary Payton II - Oregon State
SF Taurean Prince - Baylor
PF Juan Hernangomez - Spain
C Zhou Qi - China
PF/C Thon Maker - Australia
Houston Rockets name Ronnie Michaels as GM
Assistant GM Alex Smith - Left, GM Ronnie Michaels - Right.
In the wake of the Mike D'Antoni hire, GM Daryl Morey resigned his post. Everyone and their dog knows its because he strongly disagreed with hiring D'Antoni as coach. With Les Alexander then looking to save face, who does he turn to?
Ronnie Michaels who has been putting in long hours as a part of the basketball operations team in Houston for the last 4 years. Widely regarded as a streetwise executive, Michaels was a player and coach in Europe. He understands the game in a way that Morey and his analytics couldn't.
Since Daryl Morey came to Houston, the team won three playoff series in nine years. They missed the playoffs three times in that stretch. Their .500 record last season was the worst in Morey's tenure, and a sign that the advantage he initially gained by being the first NBA GM to wholly adopt the analytics revolution is gone. Maybe Moreys resignation may be a blessing in disguise for the Rockets.
Everyone has analytics now. Even troglodyte teams like the Lakers have advanced-stats guys on staff, and the NBA straight-up mandated that all 30 teams adopt SportVU cameras to take away any competitive imbalances that came from smarter teams figuring out how to use them first. The league has become about the intangibles and unmeasurables again. You could argue, based on the performance of the 2008 Celtics, that it was always about that, and that's why Houston never won anything and why Philly was as bad as they were for as long as they were.
Players don't like playing for the cold-hearted brain types. If you know you're just a cog in a corporate machine, it has a tendency to strip you of your motivation to make the people around you better. James Harden just set the league record for turnovers in a season, a record that dated back to the first year that stat was officially counted. He has also been awarded the Shaqtin' the Fool MVP for this season. Not a great award. When asked about this Michaels responded " Well at least we won something this year!"
Dwight Howard might just end up playing pro ball in Spain if the rest of the league figures out that he's a coach-killer who hasn't been a major offensive force since he still played in Orlando.
Charles Barkley tore the team apart on Inside The NBA last week (check out the recap on NBA.com) but it will be good to hear about the hiring of Michaels and D'Antoni this week.
Next year's Rockets team will be probably be without Dwight Howard, as he signs elsewhere rather than play for Mike D'Antoni. Harden, with even fewer options available to him, will run into the same problem Paul George has in Indiana, where he finds out what happens when defenses only have one scoring threat to worry about, and eventually the refs will stop calling those garbage fouls where players jump into their opponent on a shot to draw a call (seriously, NBA, change the rules to make this an offensive foul. It's a trash way to play the game. Call it the Harden Rule.)
Houston was about to face a very dark age, and if they're going to truly rebuild their franchise, they need smart basketball people like Michaels, not some MBA whose "skills" do not qualify him to flip burgers. So for once well done Rockets Owner for picking a basketball person in Michaels.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Houston Rockets Hire D'Antoni as Head Coach
HOUSTON -- Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander started Wednesday's news conference by telling the critics of his hire of Mike D'Antoni as his new coach that it will be remembered and revered for years to come.
The second bombshell later dropped was that GM Daryl Morey has parted ways by mutual consent. Hmm, sounds like Morey didn't approve of this hire.
"Daryl and I made this choice together," Alexander said. "I've always wanted to play this way. Daryl and I came to an agreement that the franchise was heading a different direction."
"This" way is up-tempo, something D'Antoni, 65, is known for, and the Rockets have bought into the new way of doing things in the league.
D'Antoni mentioned his excitement about the NBA Finals between Golden State and Cleveland as two jump-shooting teams that liked to push the pace.
That's what the Rockets have tried to do over the last four seasons with Kevin McHale as coach. In the 2014-15 season, the Rockets won 56 games with an up-tempo approach and reached the West finals before losing to the eventual champion Warriors.
But McHale was fired after just 11 games this past season when the team wouldn't respond to him. Interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff pushed the team into the eighth seed in the West, where the Rockets, again, were eliminated by the Warriors. After a nearly five-week search, the Rockets interviewed 12 candidates including D'Antoni twice. Alexander said he always admired him from afar, even during his times with the New York Knicks.
"Mike always says players love to play for him," Alexander said. "Not only because they get better, but they get paid. He'll be a lucrative source for us in free agency."
This is D'Antoni's fifth head coaching job. His biggest success came in Phoenix, with his "7 Seconds or Less" mantra and teams that were among the top-scoring teams in the league. Defense is where D'Antoni's teams struggled, and while statistically they finished near the bottom, the pace of play dictated some of those issues.
The Rockets had similar problems on defense last season and Morey said after the season that fixing it was a priority. But hiring D'Antoni was an interesting choice, considering he's an offensive coach. But D'Antoni is coming with two defensive-minded coaches in Jeff Bzdelik and Roy Rogers.
"As one of the last shots that I'll have going forward, I wanted this chance to be able to get it all right," D'Antoni said. "Try to get my vision that I think how basketball should be played and I think we can win that way."
D'Antoni said he's spoken to the majority of the players returning to the team, including leading scorer James Harden. He has not spoken with Dwight Howard, who is about to become a free agent.
Rockets officials are open to Howard returning if he wants to accept a reduced offensive role and be the anchor of the defense.
D'Antoni said he likes Clint Capela to possibly be the starting center. But with an expected influx of money (Howard's departure would clear nearly $40 million in cap space), the Rockets roster might add another elite player with Harden.
"We want to win all the time here, every year," Alexander said. "And try for a championship at all times. We wanted somebody who really was a master of the craft, who really knows what to do and how to win."
"Please Ronnie, take a seat."
I sat down in the leather seat, only a few feet away from the flatscreen television situated on the wall. I watched as a continuous loop of Rockets season highlights flashed in the background.
"Quite the season wasn't it?" asked Les.
"Yes but for all the wrong reasons, the Warriors made a show of us. We have a long way's to go." answered Ronnie.
"That's exactly why I wanted to meet with you today. We need to make some changes if we want to bridge that gap. We need changes, and fast."
"Well, I'm glad you think I'm one of the people capable of making a change."
Les got up, and walked towards the plate glass window looking out over the city.
"I'm an honest man Ronnie, so here is what I expect from you. First and foremost, I am giving you the General Manager role. The draft is fast approaching us and I know you can guide us through it. You've been in the bunkers with Daryl for 4 years now and know whats expected. We have a lot of cap space this summer, so we need to reshape the roster better to suit Mike's pace and space style."
"The job is mine?! I thought this was an interview Mr Alexander."
Yes I stayed up all night and thought about it. Crossed the T's and dotted the I's. You have what it takes, I know it. You were the only one who has seen sense in my vision for the team. Mike can bring us back to the top, but he needs you to help him get there.
"
"Wow, thanks Mr Alexander. Yes we already have some players lined up for workouts."
He took a drag from the cigar in his hand, and continued to look out at the city.
"Ok, I have some ideas already, I'll do my homework. Do you want me to try and shed some payroll if possible?"
He turned and looked at me.
"Do what you need to win, but keep an eye on the future. If you can add some youth, I'll be ecstatic. Try and work closely with Mike on this."
"Right Sir, I'll work the phones. There could be some deals on the table leading into the draft. I'll do my best to get a stable roster heading into preseason camp. Mike will appreciate that."
"Don't worry about your contract, we'll figure it out shortly."
He said, half laughing in between more puffs from his cigar.
"The job starts now, the draft on Thursday. You better go get prepared. Have a think about who you want as your Assistant GM. We'll have a press conference tomorrow if that's ok?"
"Yes thats fine I'll do my prep. Damage limitation on Morey, optimism about the future with Mike etc?"
"Exactly. You know the game. Do the talking. And with that in my mind, talk to James and Dwight asap."
"Oh yes about James and Dwight, what are your thoughts on them sir?"
"I want players who want to be here and win. Establish a better culture around here. Accountability is key. Your personal skills have always been your srong point, put them to good use straight away Ronnie."
I smiled and thanked him, and made my way out of the door. There's less than 7 days before the draft, I better get to my office.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey Quits
What a steaming hot mess the Rockets put together against the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 on their way to a fishing trip. A team of mismatched parts, guys who can't stand each other, selfish me-first guys playing in a basketball culture that encourages saving one's own hide by gunning for stats crashed out against a team of guys who are all for the team and the polar opposite of Rockets basketball, a team that won 73 games in the regular season and, if they can survive an injury to their superstar long enough to hold off Portland in the next round, might just claim "greatest team of all time status."
You know who's responsible for that culture in Houston? The MBA and "smartest guy in the room", the darling of the sports-nerd and buzzword set, none other than Daryl Morey. And he needed to be fired the way the Philadelphia 76ers shuffled their MBA and smart-guy idiot Sam Hinkie out the door over the course of this season.
Just so happens Morey has jumped the gun and shuffled his way back to Wisconsin, where inevitably he will start eyeing up his home town Bucks.
In the small hours of Saturday night, Les Alexander and Daryl Morey had a deep and heated conversastion. Rumors were surfacing all week that Morey tried to veto the hire of Mike D'Antoni by digging some dirt up on him to leak to the press. Alexander and D'Antoni had some private lunches aside from the official interviews with Morey and his team of basketball operations members.
Morey seen this as Alexander muddling in the basketball side of things and was not going to stand for it.
In particular after Morey's tweet in April about looking for a new defensive identity, this hire is in direct contrast with that.
I wonder what Alexander's next move now is with NBA Draft coming up next week. A new General Manager must be put in place swiftly. But in all honesty, who would want to take this job?
Rockets finalizing deal for Mike D'Antoni as new head coach
HOUSTON -- The Rockets are finalizing a deal to make Mike D'Antoni their next head coach, according to multiple sources.
The offensive-minded D'Antoni has been a head coach with the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers. He is currently an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Rockets are closing in on bringing veteran Mike D'Antoni aboard as coach, a move that should boost their offense and could lead to better defense.
Will Harden and D'Antoni click or clash?
With James Harden dominating the ball and Houston needing help on defense, how good a match is Mike D'Antoni and the Rockets?
Sources say the Rockets are working on a three-year contract with D'Antoni, with a team option for the fourth year. He would replace Kevin McHale, who was fired 11 games into this season. J.B. Bickerstaff replaced him on an interim basis.
D'Antoni, 65, is known for an up-tempo offense that uses a dynamic point guard, made famous with his "7 Seconds or Less" method in Phoenix. Defense, however, isn't his strength.
Thus, as part of D'Antoni's staff, team officials are hoping to hire Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik as his "defensive coordinator," as well as Washington Wizards assistant Roy Rogers.
Houston interviewed 12 candidates for the position, including Bickerstaff, who pulled out of the running early in the process.
San Antonio Spurs assistant coach James Borrego interviewed for the second time Wednesday. There was a thought that Borrego might be a dark horse candidate, along with D'Antoni and Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Stephen Silas.
D'Antoni interviewed twice with the Rockets, including a face-to-face meeting with team owner Leslie Alexander in Florida. During the process, D'Antoni and Silas emerged as the favorites for the job last weekend, but team sources said more interviews were forthcoming.
Earlier this week, the team interviewed Orlando Magic assistant Adrian Griffin and Borrego. Only Borrego received a second interview. It has been rumored that Owner Les Alexander has pushed for this hire despite little support from GM Daryl Morey.
I awoke to the sound of the phone ringing in my ears, something I had grown quite accustomed to after nearly 4 years as a Basketball Operations member of the Houston Rockets. I expected it to be my boss, General Manager Daryl Morey. However I was instead greeted by the deep New Jersey accent of team owner Les Alexander.
"Ronnie?" His voice echoed in my ear.
"Yes Mr. Alexander? What is it?"
"Well, as of now we no longer have a General Manager."
"What?"
"Daryl was in with us late last night making all sorts of demands. He vehemently opposed the hiring of Mike D'Antoni. He said it's the final straw for him, and he's out of here."
"Really? I'll be honest with you Mr Alexander, I'm not suprised. He's been sounding off on this one for a few days now. The timing is unusual though. We only have 2 weeks before the draft."
"It's very disappointing. He wasn't willling to listen to my thinking on this despite Mike's excellent interviews. He's resigning his post tomorrow."
"So what did you say to Mike?"
"Well I haven't let Mike know yet. I really want Mike to have a good run at this and show him he has the organisations full backing. Maybe Daryl leaving saved me from firing him."
"I suppose it might be for the best, so what does this mean for Monte, Ian, Matt and I?"
"Daryl told me to pick up the phone and give you all a call. He said you in particular had the same thought process as me. "
" Me? (I paused for a few seconds to compose myself) Yes certainly Mr Alexander. I have a lot of great ideas for what we can do to shape the roster for Mike. I have my notebook somewhere. I was going to Daryl with them tomorrow."
"Excellent, you can bring them to me at 9am my office. I will be meeting the others shortly after that. By the way, this is an interview for GM. See you then Ronnie."
"Th.... Thanks Mr Alexander."
" Call me Les. Good night."
It was unbelievable, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Is this an interview for General Manager?! After all the work I put in, after all my dedication to my studies and this team, my years with Basketball Ireland it might finally be my time, but did Alexander really think I was ready for all that responsibility? More importantly, did I think I was ready?
The phone clicked, as the dial tone rang in my ear. I was still in shock. After all the time taking notes and running errands as an intern, making all the phone calls, taking minutes as a member of the basketball operations team, I now have an interview for the Head of the department. The General Manager!
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