Taco
03-21-2005, 11:20 AM
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2018311
Cavs have dropped 9 of 12 games
ESPN.com news services
CLEVELAND -- Paul Silas was fired as coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday with his team fighting for a playoff spot after being in first place earlier in the year.
Silas told The Associated Press he was called in Monday morning for a brief meeting with general manager Jim Paxson and new owner Dan Gilbert.
"They released me," Silas said. "They didn't think the team was performing as well as it should be and they wanted to make a change."
Despite having league superstar LeBron James, the Cavaliers have struggled since the All-Star break, losing seven of 10 and nine straight road games, including Sunday's 105-98 loss to Toronto when James scored a franchise-record 56.
The team also fired Silas' son, assistant coach Stephen Silas. Assistant coach Brendan Malone will be the interim head coach.
The Cavaliers, according to league sources, are interested in Cleveland native Flip Saunders as the possible successor to Silas, Marc Stein reports. Since his firing in Minnesota, Saunders has said he plans to sit out the rest of this season, but his ties to the city and his lengthy experience coaching another star player out of high school -- Kevin Garnett -- have Cleveland's attention.
Information from ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein and The Associated Press was used in this report.
Cavs have dropped 9 of 12 games
ESPN.com news services
CLEVELAND -- Paul Silas was fired as coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday with his team fighting for a playoff spot after being in first place earlier in the year.
Silas told The Associated Press he was called in Monday morning for a brief meeting with general manager Jim Paxson and new owner Dan Gilbert.
"They released me," Silas said. "They didn't think the team was performing as well as it should be and they wanted to make a change."
Despite having league superstar LeBron James, the Cavaliers have struggled since the All-Star break, losing seven of 10 and nine straight road games, including Sunday's 105-98 loss to Toronto when James scored a franchise-record 56.
The team also fired Silas' son, assistant coach Stephen Silas. Assistant coach Brendan Malone will be the interim head coach.
The Cavaliers, according to league sources, are interested in Cleveland native Flip Saunders as the possible successor to Silas, Marc Stein reports. Since his firing in Minnesota, Saunders has said he plans to sit out the rest of this season, but his ties to the city and his lengthy experience coaching another star player out of high school -- Kevin Garnett -- have Cleveland's attention.
Information from ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein and The Associated Press was used in this report.