Rumor: Avery Johnson Has Been Fired

[Jayem]

Just hours after the New Orleans Hornets eliminated the Dallas Mavericks from the playoffs, Mavs' owner Mark Cuban has fired head coach Avery Johnson, ESPN Radio-Dallas reports.

Johnson, the 2006 NBA Coach of the Year, was let go after the team struggled to compete with the younger and less experienced Hornets in the first round of the postseason. In the final game of the series, the Hornets led the entire way and at one point were ahead by as much as seventeen points before taking the series four games to one.

After Dallas struggled to secure a playoff seed in the tough Western Conference during the regular season, rumors started circulating that Johnson could be on the hot seat.

Despite taking the Mavericks to the Finals two years ago—where they would lose to the Miami Heat—Johnson has struggled in the playoffs in recent years.

Last season, the Mavericks were upset in the first round by the eighth seeded Golden State Warriors despite having the league's best regular season record and the league's Most Valuable Player in Dirk Nowitzki.

This season, Johnson couldn't find an answer for point guard Chris Paul who averaged a remarkable 24.8 points, 11.3 assists, and 2 steals throughout the series.

Even though New Orleans was the higher seed, many people thought this would be a very close series because for many of the Hornets' starters (David West, Tyson Chandler, and Paul) this would be their first time starting in a playoff series. Meanwhile, Dallas had playoff veterans Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, and Josh Howard who had a combined 224 playoff starts between them. Despite their experience, the Mavericks couldn't find a way to keep up with the Hornets and obviously, Cuban thinks it all begins with the coach.

Watching his team get knocked out of the playoffs early for two straight years must have been the last straw for Cuban, who is one of the game's most active general managers.

While other teams continue fighting for a championship, Cuban will be at home looking for potential coaching candidates. It's going to be a long offseason for the Dallas Mavericks.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/20516-Breaking-News-Dallas-Mavericks-Fire-Avery-Johnson

[ShoogarBear]

http://www.thesportshernia.com/fucorner/images/doug_collins1.jpg

[gospursgojas]

PLEASE...PLEASE....PLEASE

Keep him AWAY from the Spurs!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Mark Cuban should fire himself for trading for Kidd.

[angel_luv]

They fired him tonight?

That's harsh even if we're talking about Avery.


And, please Pop, DO NOT hire him.

Ugh- but then again, what if he gets a job as a broadcaster???

[brettn]

LOL wow,

if you saw cuban's look after they lost you could tell he was gonna be trigger happy this off season, but this is a bit quick I'd say.

[Das Texan]

wow, that was faster than i thought.

[Louie Vega]

Mark Cuban should fire himself for trading for Kidd.


Exactly!

[Harry Callahan]

The Mongoloid didn't wait long to chop Avery down. What a POS Cuban is. His failure is wonderful.

[gospursgojas]

Mark Cuban should fire himself for trading for Kidd.


The Mavs were in trouble even before the trade.

And Avery sucked as a coach before the trade too.

[san antonio spurs]

They fired him tonight?

That's harsh even if we're talking about Avery.


And, please Pop, DO NOT hire him.

Ugh- but then again, what if he gets a job as a broadcaster???

I hear that voice already :lmao

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

They fired him tonight?

That's harsh even if we're talking about Avery.


And, please Pop, DO NOT hire him.

Ugh- but then again, what if he gets a job as a broadcaster???

Local SA announcer? Please noo...I can't stand his voice either.

[Shaolin-Style]

Thats pretty messed up.

They could have at least given it a few days, I mean, they do have a good bit of time off now!

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Steve Kerr is going to take cue from Cuban...

heads are rolling tonight

[Slomo]

Mark Cuban should fire himself for trading for Kidd.

+1:tu

As for AJ, not really a surprise, only surprised by how much in a hurry Cuban was to fire him.

[dbreiden83080]

WOW that is really harsh by Cuban to do it that fast. I hope he joins the staff in SA i really do. Not his fault what happened with the Mavs. The players let him down.

[gospursgojas]

There is/was a thread about this in the NBA forum.

In there it says Cuban basicly told Avery to win this game or he's fired.

I don't know how true that is so take it for whatever

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Thats pretty messed up.

They could have at least given it a few days, I mean, they do have a good bit of time off now!

yeah not classy at all... So dramatic :lol

Can you imagine how it went down?

[G-Nob]

No one else is reporting this.

[Strike]

If I remember correctly, the Blazers front office did Rick Adelman nearly the same way back in the day.

Most Blazer fans were pissed. I wonder what Mavs fan overall thinks.

[Borosai]

Like others have stated: harsh.

[duncan228]

No one else is reporting this.

So far it's just in blogs and message boards.

[timvp]

This doesn't look too official but if it is, time to bring AJ home to SA.

Hopefully he does not sign with the Suns or Nuggets. You give him a built in offense and he'll figure out a defense to defend the Spurs.

[koopa]

i doubt he'd want to go from head coach to an assistant right away, he'll get hired somewhere, then when he gets fired again, maybe coaching under pop for awhile will teach him better, remember he learned under don nelson before he became a head coach, not the best of teachers.........

[thekingrobert]

the way he was talking in his press conference was like he was fired already

[Brutalis]

Man...that was quick. I'm shocked.

[bigfan]

Avery will be picked up as a head coach someplace in the league. He tried to teach the bunch of misfits he had how to play defense but all he had was a german jumpshooter, a dope smoker, a crackhead, a gang banger, an ancient former legend and a turd for center. Cant do much with that.

[gospursgojas]

The Bucks have an open Head Coaching job.

Terry Porter took a crack at it maybe another former Spurs' point guard can too.

I don't see him coming close to HCing a contender

[Shaolin-Style]

Not to sound like a panzy but its incredibly insensitive to do it that quick I think.

Losing a series, and then being consequently fired the same night? Thats a hard pill to swallow. Thats shitty even.

Mark Cuban can enjoy watching a new coach lose now though, but maybe he'll feel better about himself shaking up the coaching when shaking up his team failed miserably.

[gospursgojas]

Avery will be picked up as a head coach someplace in the league. He tried to teach the bunch of misfits he had how to play defense but all he had was a german jumpshooter, a dope smoker, a crackhead, a gang banger, an ancient former legend and a turd for center. Cant do much with that.

Who's the crackhead???

[JustSpurs]

Checked with the DMN site....nothing yet but it wouldn't suprise me if he were fired.

[koopa]

The Bucks have an open Head Coaching job.

Terry Porter took a crack at it maybe another former Spurs' point guard can too.

I don't see him coming close to HCing a contender

didn't they hire skiles??

[Pistons < Spurs]

The Bucks have an open Head Coaching job.

Terry Porter took a crack at it maybe another former Spurs' point guard can too.

I don't see him coming close to HCing a contender

I thought the Bucks hired Skiles?

[gospursgojas]

didn't they hire skiles??

Did they???

Well then...

[Cherry]

They fired him tonight?

That's harsh even if we're talking about Avery.


And, please Pop, DO NOT hire him.

Ugh- but then again, what if he gets a job as a broadcaster???



http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/8675/un1copypr8.jpg

[boutons_]

when you fire a coach,
do you buy out his contract,
severance pay?

every coaches contract is different?

[timvp]

Go east, AJ, go east. Stay away from Western Conference teams.

Unless it's the Spurs, of course.

[reck21]

Wow this is messed up if is true.

Instead of firing Avery he (Cuban) should have fired that Howard. It looks to me Howard being let go is a way more sensible thing to do.

But anyway, this could be a good thing for AJ. The Mavs aren't never gonna get out of the first round..at least for a long time.

[ChumpDumper]

If he's still getting Cuban money, I don't see how we can keep him out of the Spurs' broadcast booth.

Maybe we could start a petition.

[dg7md]

The Heat should have waited longer to hire a coach.

[G-Nob]

I really can't accept this as legit. Local dallas radio is reporting nothing and its not listed on the local paper's mavs blog. No way. Just a rumor.

[Kori Ellis]

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93607 - Read that story about Avery and Josh Howard.

Josh Howard is a loser. Maybe it's okay that the Spurs didn't draft him after all.

[angel_luv]

:lol @ Piston's photo shop.

Awesome work! :)

[peskypesky]

if Avery gets fired, he will be the next coach of the NY Knicks.

[dbreiden83080]

This doesn't look too official but if it is, time to bring AJ home to SA.

Hopefully he does not sign with the Suns or Nuggets. You give him a built in offense and he'll figure out a defense to defend the Spurs.

Agreed and i fully believe unless he gets another head coaching job he is coming to Pops staff, they will want him for sure.

[G-Nob]

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93607 - Read that story about Avery and Josh Howard.

Josh Howard is a loser. Maybe it's okay that the Spurs didn't draft him after all.

According to Marc Stein on the local espn radio the other day, he said numerous teams passed on j-ho because already had the pot head reputation.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Avery to the Bulls. Count it.

[maxpower]

If anyone should get the ax it is whoever put together the highest payroll in the league.
Yes.
Bigger than the Knicks.
And tied for the majority for at least 3 more years.
Good Times.

[timvp]

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93607 - Read that story about Avery and Josh Howard.

Josh Howard is a loser. Maybe it's okay that the Spurs didn't draft him after all.Damn, even when the Spurs' FO makes a mistake, they still end up being right.

If JHo caused all those disruptions during a Spurs' playoff run, Pop would have just sent him home.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Friend of mine on the NBA beat at the Star-Telegram hasn't heard anything on his own or from the newsroom.

[Crookshanks]

If this is true, then I feel bad for Avery. That's pretty low, even for Mark Cuban. But there's NO WAY Avery will be a coach in San Antonio while Timmy is still here. They do not get along and Timmy doesn't like Avery's "in your face" style of coaching.

[G-Nob]

Mark Cuban just smiled with a "no comment" after the game. Nothing further.

[BiZNicK]

I won't believe this until i see it from a credible source....

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Alex Kennedy (http://bleacherreport.com/users/7292-Alex_Kennedy) (maybe from Florida) is the only person who heard this report (likely online)?

If I'm wrong, I'll apologize, but come on kid, this isn't the way to get your name out there.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Howard declined to comment after the Hornets ended the Mavs’ season Tuesday. He sat at his locker, at times with his head in his hands.

JHo acts like a fourteen year old girl. :lol

[gospursgojas]

Avery to the Bulls. Count it.

Avery = Skiles pretty much no???

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Avery = Skiles pretty much no???

I'm hoping for a reality TV show starring Avery and Tyrus Thomas.

With special guest star Joakim Noah.

[timvp]

I just realized that if AJ gets fired, Pop should bring him in tomorrow. He just got five games against the Hornets. He's got the first hand knowledge. He can help.

Then again, even if AJ doesn't get fired, he'll likely still help out. He has helped the Spurs in the playoffs since he left ... even when still under contract with other teams.

Come on Cuban fire AJ. The Spurs will need all the help they can get versus New Orleans :hungry:

[ShoogarBear]

If JHo caused all those disruptions during a Spurs' playoff run, Pop would have had him and all members of his family disappear.

Fixed.

[ludda]

It's not official, it was based on what Stein said a few days earlier in the article.

But yes, Avery will probably get fired. Cuban shold realize their roster sucks too. And now that Josh Howard has called public attention upon himself as a pothead, horrible playoff performer, mental midget, and the guy who parties during the series he will probably be gone too.

[hsxvvd]

If he's still getting Cuban money, I don't see how we can keep him out of the Spurs' broadcast booth.

Maybe we could start a petition.

Do you really want to listen to that squeeky little bitch all game.

[T Park]

Come on home Avery.

[G-Nob]

San Antonio = where fired coaches go to roost! (aka kelvin sampson)

[gospursgojas]

I just realized that if AJ gets fired, Pop should bring him in tomorrow. He just got five games against the Hornets. He's got the first hand knowledge. He can help.

Then again, even if AJ doesn't get fired, he'll likely still help out. He has helped the Spurs in the playoffs since he left ... even when still under contract with other teams.

Come on Cuban fire AJ. The Spurs will need all the help they can get versus New Orleans :hungry:

Is that allowed?

[timvp]

Is that allowed?Avery has helped the Spurs in the playoffs before while under contract. If he gets fired, I assume that'd make it even more "legal".

[spursrule32]

I just realized that if AJ gets fired, Pop should bring him in tomorrow. He just got five games against the Hornets. He's got the first hand knowledge. He can help.

Then again, even if AJ doesn't get fired, he'll likely still help out. He has helped the Spurs in the playoffs since he left ... even when still under contract with other teams.

Come on Cuban fire AJ. The Spurs will need all the help they can get versus New Orleans :hungry:

That's exactly what I was thinking and come on y'all give the little general a bit of credit - he took probably the only opportunity available to him at the time. He is in no way the goat for the mavs failure. That needs to go directly to Dirk - numbers or not he's yet to lead them to success. A lot goes on behind the scenes and for some reason I just feel that Dirk was not the guy leading his troops into battle like Timmy or anyone else in that role.

[Budkin]

Damn this is brutal.

Edit: Doh just realized this didn't actually happen.

[DudleyDawson]

AJ, come back baby!! The little general can be saved

[whottt]

It'll be interesting to see if AJ gets offered an assistant coaching position with the Spurs...real interesting.


But since Kerr is preaching defense(while D'antoni is preaching offense) and AJ has inside knowledge on how to beat the Spurs defensively...I would not be surprised to see AJ get offered a position with the Suns, possibly the headcoaching position if Kerr should fire D'antoni. I'm not sure about AJ's relationship with Nash, but I do know they were ex teamates.

And you know...Nash sounded kind of indifferent about the fate of D'antoni in the press conference.


It would be funny if AJ and D'antoni wound up switching jobs...


It would be even funnier if AJ and D'antoni both wound up being offered assistant coaching gigs with the Spurs.


To tell you the truth...given Pop's infatuation with small ball and the fact that his expertise is on the defensive side of the ball...I'd actually think D'antoni has more to contribute to the Spurs than AJ.

[timvp]

ROFL. What would D'Antoni do? "Let's Go. Come on."

:huh

[polandprzem]

ROFL. What would D'Antoni do? "Let's Go. Come on."

:huh


That's his defensive schems

[Samr]

ROFL. What would D'Antoni do? "Let's Go. Come on."

:huh

Rocket boosters on the walkers. The Spurs would have some of the slickest ball bearings this side of Sunset Hills.

[Avitus1]

Avery has been retired twice this season....

[Jdspur20]

Just hours after the New Orleans Hornets eliminated the Dallas Mavericks from the playoffs, Mavs' owner Mark Cuban has fired head coach Avery Johnson, ESPN Radio-Dallas reports.

Johnson, the 2006 NBA Coach of the Year, was let go after the team struggled to compete with the younger and less experienced Hornets in the first round of the postseason. In the final game of the series, the Hornets led the entire way and at one point were ahead by as much as seventeen points before taking the series four games to one.

After Dallas struggled to secure a playoff seed in the tough Western Conference during the regular season, rumors started circulating that Johnson could be on the hot seat.

Despite taking the Mavericks to the Finals two years ago—where they would lose to the Miami Heat—Johnson has struggled in the playoffs in recent years.

Last season, the Mavericks were upset in the first round by the eighth seeded Golden State Warriors despite having the league's best regular season record and the league's Most Valuable Player in Dirk Nowitzki.

This season, Johnson couldn't find an answer for point guard Chris Paul who averaged a remarkable 24.8 points, 11.3 assists, and 2 steals throughout the series.

Even though New Orleans was the higher seed, many people thought this would be a very close series because for many of the Hornets' starters (David West, Tyson Chandler, and Paul) this would be their first time starting in a playoff series. Meanwhile, Dallas had playoff veterans Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, and Josh Howard who had a combined 224 playoff starts between them. Despite their experience, the Mavericks couldn't find a way to keep up with the Hornets and obviously, Cuban thinks it all begins with the coach.

Watching his team get knocked out of the playoffs early for two straight years must have been the last straw for Cuban, who is one of the game's most active general managers.

While other teams continue fighting for a championship, Cuban will be at home looking for potential coaching candidates. It's going to be a long offseason for the Dallas Mavericks.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/20516-Breaking-News-Dallas-Mavericks-Fire-Avery-Johnson

gosh, cuban is such a scumbag. he sure dudnt waste anytime.

[Samr]

Avery has been retired twice this season....

And he still doesn't get the point.

[baseline bum]

I'd love to have AJ back. He's too good to be an assistant though. Maybe he could come back for a couple of years until he gets a head coaching position that's a good situation for him. I sure as hell don't want to see him in a trainwreck like New York or Miami.

[ludda]

Aj is not "fired" yet.
Neither is DAntoni.

But both are pretty much sure things.

[spurscenter]

AVERY SHOULD GO TO PHX and coach the Suns.

He will bring in Sam Vincent Im sure

[Obstructed_View]

Seems like I recall a report that AJ wanted to trade Dirk. Anyone doubt the Mavs would still be in the playoffs tonight if they'd had Kobe and Harris in the backcourt with Terry coming off the bench?

If AJ is actually fired I expect him to be sitting next to Kelvin Sampson on Saturday.

[ChumpDumper]

Do you really want to listen to that squeeky little bitch all game.You misunderstand the purpose of my proposed petition.

[jackseven]

I just realized that if AJ gets fired, Pop should bring him in tomorrow. He just got five games against the Hornets. He's got the first hand knowledge. He can help.



That's a damn good idea. I never knew they did that before.

In this series in particular I think bringing in Avery could make the difference. Who better than to scout the Hornets than the coach who just spent 5 games trying to defend Chris Paul and the NO pick and roll?


5 games first hand experience in the past two weeks

vs.

watching prepared video clips of 5 games first hand experience


That could be a huge edge off the hardwood.


------------------------------------------------

On Avery getting fired:

Whether it's now or later it's going to happen. I think it's the right move but not because Avery is a bad coach. In truth, Avery is probably one of the best coaches in the league, but he is never going to be able to have complete control of the team with Mark Cuban sneaking in the locker room for every team meeting and watching over him. Avery needs complete control over a franchise and acquiesence from the owner ala Pop with Peter Holt. Everybody knows Pop runs everything about the Spurs from merchandise sales to janitor schedules to player personnel to picking a player to have in his dog house every year. Peter Holt just looks at the book ledger at the end of the year and has a clause that Julianna Holt gets to have the first interview of the season 5 minutes after the Spurs win the championship. That's why the Spurs are so successful - one man makes the decisions and he's a good one to make decisions. You can't have a bunch of dissention among the top ranks. Cuban is just a fan like anybody with a blog that doesn't know anything about winning basketball games besides the fact he's not.

Another problem with Cuban is I get the impression players run to him when they don't like what Avery is doing. (see Josh Howard) This makes up the dissention argument again. And like someone said, if there's anybody Cuban should fire it's himself. The Kidd trade is on him and he crippled the franchise because of it. In the NBA, going all-in in the middle of the season is almost never going to net you a championship. Championships, for the most part, come from teams that have been cultivated over the years (see: history). And not only that but only 1 of 32 can win. I'll grant Cuban that Avery only has two first round losses on his resume, but it's not like Avery can rip out his heart and give it to Dirk or make Jason Kidd 10 years younger and have Devin Harris' speed and quickness so that he can try to slow down the best PG in the league.

[spurscenter]

Who Has The Balls To Fire George Karl?

That Man Is Horrific


DANTONI and AVERY, both gone now and George Karl is still coaching. KARL has not gotten out of the first round since 2002. 4-24 record


NBA Coaches of the Year

2008 -- Byron Scott, New Orleans
2007 -- Sam Mitchell, Toronto
2006 -- Avery Johnson, Dallas
2005 -- Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix
2004 -- Hubie Brown, Memphis
2003 -- Gregg Popovich, San Antonio
2002 -- Rick Carlisle, Detroit
2001 -- Larry Brown, Philadelphia
2000 -- Glenn Rivers, Orlando
1999 -- Mike Dunleavy, Portland
1998 -- Larry Bird, Indiana
1997 -- Pat Riley, Miami
1996 -- Phil Jackson, Chicago
1995 -- Del Harris, L.A. Lakers
1994 -- Lenny Wilkens, Atlanta
1993 -- Pat Riley, New York
1992 -- Don Nelson, Golden State
1991 -- Don Chaney, Houston
1990 -- Pat Riley, L.A. Lakers
1989 -- Cotton Fitzsimmons, Phoenix
1988 -- Doug Moe, Denver
1987 -- Mike Schuler, Portland
1986 -- Mike Fratello, Atlanta
1985 -- Don Nelson, Milwaukee
1984 -- Frank Layden, Utah
1983 -- Don Nelson, Milwaukee
1982 -- Gene Shue, Washington
1981 -- Jack McKinney, Indiana
1980 -- Bill Fitch, Boston
1979 -- Cotton Fitzsimmons, Kansas City
1978 -- Hubie Brown, Atlanta
1977 -- Tom Nissalke, Houston
1976 -- Bill Fitch, Cleveland
1975 -- Phil Johnson, Kansas City-Omaha
1974 -- Ray Scott, Detroit
1973 -- Tom Heinsohn, Boston
1972 -- Bill Sharman, L.A. Lakers
1971 -- Dick Motta, Chicago
1970 -- Red Holzman, New York
1969 -- Gene Shue, Baltimore
1968 -- Richie Guerin, St. Louis
1967 -- Johnny Kerr, Chicago
1966 -- Dolph Schayes, Philadelphia
1965 -- Red Auerbach, Boston
1964 -- Alex Hannum, San Francisco
1963 -- Harry Gallatin, St. Louis

[urunobili]

This doesn't look too official but if it is, time to bring AJ home to SA.

Hopefully he does not sign with the Suns or Nuggets. You give him a built in offense and he'll figure out a defense to defend the Spurs.

if it's for the sake of him not going anywhere to hurt us i may agree to have him... i just don;t see him adjusting to our current locker room dynamic.. he is too much of an attention whore... and the big 4's lockeroom is about other things i don;t think AJ has... D-Rob is not here anymore to pace him...

[DieMrBond]

Rick Carlisle is still out of a job isn't he? Surely he will get either NY, PHX or DAL?

[SPARKY]

AJ, Phil Jackson, and Jerry Sloan are the only coaches to have found a way to beat Tim Duncan in the postseason.

D'Antoni + Dallas would be a dream come true.

In Dallas, AJ had to contend with a jackass of an owner and knuckleheads in his rotation. Still, he wasn't that far off coaching a team to a NBA championship. How long did it take Pop to make it to the NBA Finals?

Spurs fans talk a lot of shit about AJ, but that seems to be due to the fact that they are too young to remember AJ as anything other than the HC of the Mavs. I generally don't listen to these fans.

[gameFACE]

I find nothing shocking about his firing and the timing of it. You go from Choking in the finals to choking in the first round to another first round exit in lackluster style you get fired.

He should serve time in the East for a while.

[GSH]

Spurs fans talk a lot of shit about AJ, but that seems to be due to the fact that they are too young to remember AJ as anything other than the HC of the Mavs. I generally don't listen to these fans.


I seriously doubt that there are many people posting here who don't remember AJ before he coached the Mavs. I remember him very well, and I don't like him. Mostly I don't like his mouth, and the fact that he actually believes all the stuff he says. There are plenty of examples, but I'll never forget the night the retired David's jersey, and AJ talked mostly about AJ.

I think he rode Robinson's coattails as a player. He may have been the best of a series of budget-priced PG's, but that's where it stops. As a coach, who can say? He inhereted a team loaded with talent, and a lot of knowledge of the Spurs' system. I'm not sure how much he enhanced things, but you would think he invented the concept of defense.

I do know that the Mavs lost in the first round last year because they got out-coached. And that got in his head, because of that big ego of his. He may be ruined for life because of it. And he did some really idiotic things this year involving Jason Kidd.

I definitely have to agree that I would hate to have him pop up as a commentator. I just couldn't listen to a full game of him, between that voice and his self-serving comments. I would have to turn the volume off on the game.

[SPARKY]

I seriously doubt that there are many people posting here who don't remember AJ before he coached the Mavs. I remember him very well, and I don't like him. Mostly I don't like his mouth, and the fact that he actually believes all the stuff he says. There are plenty of examples, but I'll never forget the night the retired David's jersey, and AJ talked mostly about AJ.

Can't argue much with a personal preference.



I think he rode Robinson's coattails as a player. He may have been the best of a series of budget-priced PG's, but that's where it stops. As a coach, who can say? He inhereted a team loaded with talent, and a lot of knowledge of the Spurs' system. I'm not sure how much he enhanced things, but you would think he invented the concept of defense.


AJ was there at the start of Spurs Basketball as we know it today. He was the coach on the floor. He had as much of a hand in creating it as Pop did.

And Pop didn't inherit a pretty good situation himself? Pop also needed a second top 10 bigman of all time to fall into his lap in order to make it to the NBA Finals. AJ made do with much less. It certainly didn't take him long to make the Mavs solid defensively.

Pop does have a sane owner to work with who generally stayed has stayed out of his way. AJ didn't have that luxury in Dallas.

[SpursFanFirst]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=MavsHornetsGame5-080430

NEW ORLEANS -- It ultimately played out as a five-point game featuring a scrappy Dallas comeback and real, live crunch time. That's all true.

Yet you never really had a doubt how Tuesday's tale of two coaches was going to climax.

For Byron Scott? His morning appointment was a Coach of the Year press conference and his night was capped with the sweet sight of Chris Paul's first playoff triple-double ushering his ex Jason Kidd into summer vacation. Which can only equate to all-day, buzzer-to-buzzer bliss.

For Avery Johnson?

The Lil' General had to leave his hometown wondering if this 99-94 defeat, wrapping up a 4-1 series rout for Scott's New Orleans Hornets, was an elimination game in the most literal sense.

"This is tough for me," Johnson conceded afterward, not specifically responding to a question about his job security but struggling to contain his disappointment after the Dallas Mavericks' second straight flameout in the first round.

"Obviously this is where I was born and raised."

It would defy weeks of ominous signals if N'awlins didn't also wind up as the backdrop for Johnson's last game on the Mavericks' bench. ESPN.com reported after Dallas' victory over New Orleans in the regular-season finale April 16 (Daily Dime) that Avery's job would be thrust into serious peril if the Mavs did not at least find a way out of the first round. Sources close to the situation have since disclosed that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban actually considered dismissing Johnson before the playoffs, specifically after Cuban and Johnson engaged in an emotional argument after a March 18 home loss to the Lakers.

Cuban uncharacteristically refused to speak with reporters after the defeat -- Dallas' ninth playoff loss in a row on the road since taking a 2-0 lead in the 2006 NBA Finals -- undoubtedly knowing what sort of questions were coming. But Johnson was fielding queries about his future as early as the morning shootaround, letting out an unmistakable pause when asked if he fears that his job is in jeopardy.

Johnson then said: "I would hope not. I love what I'm doing and I love the team. Right now I'm just focusing on coming out and trying to get this team to play as best as we can. And then whatever happens tomorrow, then we'll have to manage that part of it."

If anything gives Johnson hope of hanging on after falling to 3-12 in the playoffs since the Mavericks' unraveling in the Finals against Miami, it's that there's no clear-cut candidate to replace him. Rick Carlisle and Jeff Van Gundy will undeniably be names of interest, but the partnership of Dirk Nowitzki and Kidd would seemingly demand an offensive specialist to maximize their potential as a tandem. The Mavericks, according to sources, would have definite interest in Mike D'Antoni or Flip Saunders if either is made available, but can they bank on either one?

There's also a chance, sources say, that Johnson might even be amenable to a mutual parting, given the likelihood that he would almost certainly become a candidate for openings in New York and Chicago. Sources say that the Bulls, anticipating Johnson's exit, have already had internal discussions about the possibility of hiring him. What we know for sure is that the last 48 hours of the Mavericks' season were among the most chaotic of Johnson's tenure ... and none of it connected to how Kidd fits in his offense. Sources say Johnson's well-chronicled cancellation of Monday's practice was an angry response to discovering that Josh Howard did not cancel a birthday party previously scheduled in his honor at a Dallas night club Sunday night after the Mavs' heavy Game 4 defeat.

In-house frustration with Howard was already at its limit, courtesy of the former All-Star's miserable shooting in this series (which continued in Game 5 with a 2-for-10 finish after a 4-for-4 start) and multiple interviews Howard granted -- one of them hours before Game 3 -- detailing his offseason marijuana use. So you can understand why an exasperated Johnson, also apparently convinced that Howard was not the only Mav out on the town after such a damaging loss, kicked the whole team out of the gym. The team then responded with a players-only meeting and a players-only practice, which their coach applauded at the morning shootaround.

"We had some of our leaders step up, which I've always wanted," Johnson said.

But Johnson also hinted at the depth of his discontent, prefacing his compliment by saying: "We came in [Monday] with the intention to practice. And then something changed."

So ...

Clearly not the smoothest preparations for a team in a 3-1 hole. Especially when various elements of the Hornets' series-long dominance didn't change at all, ranging from Jannero Pargo's scorching shooting off the bench (16 points on 7-for-9 accuracy) to David West's indiscriminant ability to punish defenders big (Erick Dampier) and small (Brandon Bass) and most of all Paul's brilliance (24 points, 15 assists, 11 rebounds and zero turnovers) in a performance Johnson likened to "a young Nate Archibald."

The Hornets' dynamo had 11 of his 15 assists by halftime, which was fitting on a night he became just the fifth player in NBA history -- joining Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas and Kevin Johnson -- to average better than 11 assists in his first playoff series. He also emerged from a second-quarter, double-technical tangle with Dallas' Jerry Stackhouse with a 3-point dagger to spark a 17-3 run that broke open a four-point game.

New Orleans never trailed and its lead reached 15 points by halftime, but Johnson can take a sliver of solace from the second-half fightback. When even Mavs loyalists had to be expecting a surrender, Dallas sliced the deficit to 63-57 and had a chance to get even closer when Nowitzki sullied his own triple-double bid (22 points, 13 rebounds and six assists) by missing two near-automatic looks by his standards. The Mavs then rallied again in the fourth quarter -- which began with Jason Terry defiantly marching into a Hornets huddle before the period began to proclaim that the visitors were not ready for their season to end -- by somehow slicing a 17-point lead to three in the final minute.

Enter Paul for the dagger rebound. The Mavs would have had a shot to force overtime had they been able to track down Paul's errant jumper, but the MVP candidate was credited with his 10th board when Tyson Chandler batted the ball out of the key and into Paul's arms.

Yet it's been evident to anyone spending any time around this team that the Dallas rally was an aberration. Johnson's successes in Big D are sizable and historic, as the only coach in franchise annals to win a Game 7 in San Antonio, take them to the Finals and post a 67-win season while also picking up a COY trophy of his own in 2006. But belief, unity, joy and focus have been scarce commodities for the Mavs ever since they beat these Hornets at home in their regular-season finale to avoid a first-round meeting with Kobe Bryant's Lakers.

This is the one loss in the series in which they didn't go down meekly. That's not all Johnson's fault -- you certainly can't blame him for Howard's sudden and steep decline -- but his relationship with the owner and his ability to reach these players in his famously demanding, hands-on manner has clearly deteriorated. It also didn't help that Johnson didn't start Terry until Game 3, even when the Mavs needed to be as small and quick as possible to keep up with the Hornets, and so rarely put Kidd in post-up situations against Paul to help his point guard when Dallas couldn't run. Factor in all the longstanding doubts about Kidd operating in Johnson's grinding halfcourt sets and the limited flexibility post-trade that the Mavs have to tweak the roster further and you can see why a coaching change is regarded throughout the league as an inevitability.

"We've had a great run with this group," Stackhouse said. "But when you lose in the first round two years in a row, you expect some changes. We're all hired to be fired at some point, from the greatest [Michael Jordan] to Harold Miner. They all see the end.

"We'll wait and see what the boss [wants to] do. No matter what happens or what changes are made, it's been a great situation for me the last four years. It's been a great situation for Avery for the last four years, [for Jason Terry] coming out of Atlanta. For the last four years, it's been a great situation for everybody that's involved. So if this is the end or whatever, you can't do nothing but say we had our chance. Had our opportunity."

[1Parker1]

Wouldn't this be the first time Mark Cuban has fired a coach?? If I recall, he didn't fire Nellie, he stepped down himself.

As for D'Antoni and Avery: :lmao @ Spurs fans who they they'd come on board to be assistant coaches with the Spurs. There are so many open coaching opportunities this offseason, more so than at any point that I can remember, and those two guys with playoff experience are still about 90% better than the coaching options out there. Any team is going to jump at the chance to hire them for head coach.

(possible*) Open coaching positions:

--Mavs
--Suns
--Raptors
--Nuggets
--Bulls
--Heat
--Knicks

[oski1000]

Avery and Cuban sucks!!!!!!!!!What a losers!!!:ihit:ihit:ihit

[GSH]

Can't argue much with a personal preference.

AJ was there at the start of Spurs Basketball as we know it today. He was the coach on the floor. He had as much of a hand in creating it as Pop did.

And Pop didn't inherit a pretty good situation himself? Pop also needed a second top 10 bigman of all time to fall into his lap in order to make it to the NBA Finals. AJ made do with much less. It certainly didn't take him long to make the Mavs solid defensively.

Pop does have a sane owner to work with who generally stayed has stayed out of his way. AJ didn't have that luxury in Dallas.


Ahhh dammit. I hate a logical reply like that. Forces me to think too much. Just kidding... I have to agree with a lot of what you say, just not to the same degree as you. AJ was part of the beginnings of the system, and there is no doubt that he shaped some of what happened on the floor at that time. And it's possible that he had some longer-lasting influence... I can't say for certain. But I don't see him as being any kind of an architect.

Can we agree that AJ is extremely egocentric? It may have driven him to over-achieve as a player. But I think it reduces his value as a coach, and it makes him almost intolerable when he is in front of a microphone.

One other thing... I think AJ understood the mechanics of the Spurs' system, but not the spirit. One example is the way he whines and bitches about officiating, rather than focusing on preparation and execution. (The other example I'm thinking of would just be a cause for bickering, so I'll stop there.) But that's one more reason I see AJ as a recipient, rather than an architect of the Spurs current system. I just don't think he completely gets it.

For the record, I appreciate your comment about not being able to argue with a personal preference. Mark of wisdom.

[bigfan]

Who's the crackhead???

Crackhouse.

[bigfan]

Who Has The Balls To Fire George Karl?

That Man Is Horrific


DANTONI and AVERY, both gone now and George Karl is still coaching. KARL has not gotten out of the first round since 2002. 4-24 record


NBA Coaches of the Year

2008 -- Byron Scott, New Orleans
2007 -- Sam Mitchell, Toronto
2006 -- Avery Johnson, Dallas
2005 -- Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix
2004 -- Hubie Brown, Memphis
2003 -- Gregg Popovich, San Antonio
2002 -- Rick Carlisle, Detroit
2001 -- Larry Brown, Philadelphia
2000 -- Glenn Rivers, Orlando
1999 -- Mike Dunleavy, Portland
1998 -- Larry Bird, Indiana
1997 -- Pat Riley, Miami
1996 -- Phil Jackson, Chicago
1995 -- Del Harris, L.A. Lakers
1994 -- Lenny Wilkens, Atlanta
1993 -- Pat Riley, New York
1992 -- Don Nelson, Golden State
1991 -- Don Chaney, Houston
1990 -- Pat Riley, L.A. Lakers
1989 -- Cotton Fitzsimmons, Phoenix
1988 -- Doug Moe, Denver
1987 -- Mike Schuler, Portland
1986 -- Mike Fratello, Atlanta
1985 -- Don Nelson, Milwaukee
1984 -- Frank Layden, Utah
1983 -- Don Nelson, Milwaukee
1982 -- Gene Shue, Washington
1981 -- Jack McKinney, Indiana
1980 -- Bill Fitch, Boston
1979 -- Cotton Fitzsimmons, Kansas City
1978 -- Hubie Brown, Atlanta
1977 -- Tom Nissalke, Houston
1976 -- Bill Fitch, Cleveland
1975 -- Phil Johnson, Kansas City-Omaha
1974 -- Ray Scott, Detroit
1973 -- Tom Heinsohn, Boston
1972 -- Bill Sharman, L.A. Lakers
1971 -- Dick Motta, Chicago
1970 -- Red Holzman, New York
1969 -- Gene Shue, Baltimore
1968 -- Richie Guerin, St. Louis
1967 -- Johnny Kerr, Chicago
1966 -- Dolph Schayes, Philadelphia
1965 -- Red Auerbach, Boston
1964 -- Alex Hannum, San Francisco
1963 -- Harry Gallatin, St. Louis

Mitchell is about to get fired from the Craptors too.

[coopdogg3]

Ahhh dammit. I hate a logical reply like that. Forces me to think too much. Just kidding... I have to agree with a lot of what you say, just not to the same degree as you. AJ was part of the beginnings of the system, and there is no doubt that he shaped some of what happened on the floor at that time. And it's possible that he had some longer-lasting influence... I can't say for certain. But I don't see him as being any kind of an architect.

Can we agree that AJ is extremely egocentric? It may have driven him to over-achieve as a player. But I think it reduces his value as a coach, and it makes him almost intolerable when he is in front of a microphone.

One other thing... I think AJ understood the mechanics of the Spurs' system, but not the spirit. One example is the way he whines and bitches about officiating, rather than focusing on preparation and execution. (The other example I'm thinking of would just be a cause for bickering, so I'll stop there.) But that's one more reason I see AJ as a recipient, rather than an architect of the Spurs current system. I just don't think he completely gets it.

For the record, I appreciate your comment about not being able to argue with a personal preference. Mark of wisdom.


While I agree that Avery is egocentric and whines too much - but who's perfect? I'm not a big fan of Avery, but Pop could probably keep him in line. And if Avery refuses to toe the line, Pop wouldn't have any problem in firing him. Maybe Avery was constantly looking for excuses because of the owner - Cuban. Working with Holt would probably be a lot easier.

But I imagine that Avery wants to be a HC, and I'm sure there will be a team willing to offer him that position. So the whole discussion is probably academic.

[ducks]

aj 23-24 in playoffs enough said

[ducks]

Sources close to the situation have since disclosed that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban actually considered dismissing Johnson before the playoffs, specifically after Cuban and Johnson engaged in an emotional argument after a March 18 home loss to the Lakers.

bulls are already thinking of hiring him
good

[MoSpur]

I feel bad for the guy because of the whole Jason Kidd thing. However, I could not stand him when he would coach against us.

I wish him the best if this rumor is true.

[ducks]

Seems like I recall a report that AJ wanted to trade Dirk. Anyone doubt the Mavs would still be in the playoffs tonight if they'd had Kobe and Harris in the backcourt with Terry coming off the bench?

If AJ is actually fired I expect him to be sitting next to Kelvin Sampson on Saturday.
I said this year it would be dirk or aj gone

[Ocotillo]

I don't recall if AJ was still here or not when Kerr joined the team and am too lazy to look it up. What is the relationship between those two or does anyone know?

Also, the irony of Avery "I will not be mishandled" Johnson coaching Steve Nash would be something.

[Obstructed_View]

I said this year it would be dirk or aj gone

You say thousands of things every year, most of them stupid. Simple probablility dictates you'd be right eventually.

[Spurminator]

AJ to the Bulls would be a good fit, but I give it no more than ten games before the first Noah/AJ courtside blowup.

[CubanMustGo]

The original blog post that claimed AJ had been dismissed has now been removed.

[peskypesky]

Rick Carlisle is still out of a job isn't he? Surely he will get either NY, PHX or DAL?

As a NYC resident, I really hope Carlisle or Johnson gets the Knicks gig.

[1Parker1]

Mike D'Antoni could do wonders with the Toronto Raptors, I think.

AJ to the Bulls doesn't make much sense, he's like Skiles Lite. :lol

[GrandeDavid]

I could care less where Avery goes or what he does as a coach. I like him as a person, though. I don't think the Spurs need his nor anyone's help against the Hornets nor any other team in the playoffs, TimVP. The Spurs have years of experience and as we all know, the Spurs are an entirely different animal. Avery can keep his 1-4 insights to himself and the Spurs should still win this series in less than seven.

So if Avery is willing to share information, great, but I don't think the Spurs need it is what I'm saying.

[Kill_Bill_Pana]

All the bad and overrate coach like Van Gundy, Avery Johnson, and the D' Antoni have be fired. Good. But this show how stupid NBA teams is. They already talks about hire such idiot coaches.

[SPARKY]

If AJ is canned, who would want the Dallas gig? The only redeeming quality about it is that the pay and perks will be pretty good. The downside is the douchebag jock wannabe owner hanging all over your team at all times. AJ would be the second coach he's burned through and that's a coach who actually took the franchise to a NBA Finals for the first time in its history.

Of course, said team makes its home in the Metroplex. So you have millions of douchebags outside of the arena to cater to.

Whoever AJ's replacement would be, likely they won't be as great on the defensive end. One less serious rival in the Western Conference is not a bad thing.

[SPARKY]

.

[wildbill2u]

According to the Dallas Morning News, after Josh Howard's birthday bash after their previous loss, Avery cancelled the practice before their final game. The players practiced on their own. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/050108dnspomavshoward.b507aaf1.html

That doesn't sound like a mature coach who has his team behind his coaching and without dissension. Either Avery knew he was gone and cancelled the practice out of spite or this was the wrong way to send a message to the players. It really looks bad.

Whatever his reasoning, I don't think it was fair to the fans or the team and the owner would have to take that into consideration if the decision hadn't already been made.

[Kermit]

According to the Dallas Morning News, after Josh Howard's birthday bash after their previous loss, Avery cancelled the practice before their final game. The players practiced on their own. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/050108dnspomavshoward.b507aaf1.html

That doesn't sound like a mature coach who has his team behind his coaching and without dissension. Either Avery knew he was gone and cancelled the practice out of spite.

Whatever his reasoning, I don't think it was fair to the fans or the team and the owner would have to take that into consideration if the decision hadn't already been made.

He had a no partying rule and some players deliberatly broke the rule. Avery was pissed and deservedly so, thus practice was cancelled. Imagine Pop in that situation. Who was being immature?

Jeff Kaplan of the Star Telegram: "A late-night party to celebrate Josh Howard's 28th birthday after Sunday's Game 4 loss turned Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson livid and led him to cancel Monday's practice, two sources confirmed. Johnson, who stressed no partying during the series, was informed before Monday's scheduled practice that Howard handed out fliers to teammates in the locker room before Game 4, inviting them to his party at a Dallas nightclub. The two sources differed on how many players attended, either three or four, including Howard. Which players attended is unclear, although the majority of the team did not. Upon learning of the party, the sources said, Johnson entered the locker room and asked the players who attended to stand up. Infuriated, Johnson lit into his team and then called off practice. He told the team they'd meet on the flight to New Orleans."

And this is after a loss.

[wildbill2u]

Kermit wrote: "He had a no partying rule and some players deliberatly broke the rule. Avery was pissed and deservedly so, thus practice was cancelled. Imagine Pop in that situation. Who was being immature?"

Assuming that the no partying rule during the three days wait before a game is reasonable for a coach to lay on the players in this day and age, the problem I see is that it should have been handled with a fine or something that wouldn't have hurt the chances of the team in a must-win game.

Getting infuriated and cancelling an important practice sounds more like a childish tantrum response than a mature coaching decision to me. I don't think Pop would have handled it that way, but that's just my opinion.

[roycrikside]

Go east, AJ, go east. Stay away from Western Conference teams.

Unless it's the Spurs, of course.

You think AJ is a much better coach than most of ST does dude. I don't care who he signs on with, as long as it's not us. I don't understand why you want him here as an assistant. For one, it'd be a slap in the face for both Tony and Manu. Last I checked, you kinda liked Tony and Manu. For two, the guy openly preached dirty play as the Mavs boss. That's not what the Spurs are about. And for three, he routinely blamed losses on the refs. Again, not what we do here.

Yes, he beat us in 2006. But the Mavs were peaking then and Tim had plantar fasciitis and Manu was hobbled and it still took overtime in the 7th game and that only happened on a bad defensive play on one end (Manu's foul) and a complete no-call on the other (Dirk pushing the hell out of Duncan on that offensive rebound). It was a fluke. Also don't forget that games 3 and 4 of that series might have been the two worst/biased reffed games since Game 6 for Sac against LA in '02.

Since '06 Avery has had his lunch handed to him in the playoffs and you are still enamored with him. He's a snake and a low-life and he tried to go behind Dirk's back and begged Cuban to trade him.

This is the same guy who told David Robinson that Jesus didn't love him because he played a poor basketball game.

And you want him here. It blows my mind. He contributed to one (ONE!) title. As a player. Nine years ago. Fucking cut the cord already.

[Kermit]

Assuming that the no partying rule during the three days wait before a game is reasonable for a coach to lay on the players in this day and age


No, you're right. Avery should've coddled them; held them to his breast as they suckled his man milk. I see your point now. Why on Earth could've possessed a man notorious for his temper tantrums to erupt in such a manner, especially after 1/3 of the team disobeyed direct orders? It's definitely unreasonable to expect grown men to follow team rules in this day and age. Why, they're multi-millionares who can do whatever they want without consequences.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I have no problem with AJ getting on the team like that, Dallas is way too casual about winning as a franchise, it's always someone else's fault and not theirs. AJ was just trying to get them to responsibility for their actions.

LOL at AJ still being the second coming as a coach. Whatever.

[SPARKY]

You think AJ is a much better coach than most of ST does dude. I don't care who he signs on with, as long as it's not us. I don't understand why you want him here as an assistant. For one, it'd be a slap in the face for both Tony and Manu. Last I checked, you kinda liked Tony and Manu. For two, the guy openly preached dirty play as the Mavs boss. That's not what the Spurs are about. And for three, he routinely blamed losses on the refs. Again, not what we do here.


Most of ST are idiots.

[ChumpDumper]

This AJ fixation could be the Spurs' undoing in the future.

[Spurs Brazil]

Avery Johnson: "the future is bright."
By Roy S. Johnson / Y! Sports Blogs
Avery Johnson is just fine. For someone who just lost his job, in fact, he's way better than fine. He will receive all of the approximately $12 million remaining on his contract with the Dallas Mavericks, which ran through the 2010-11 season.

"[Owner] Mark Cuban was very generous," he told me, adding that "the conversation was amicable."

That chat occured Wednesday morning, hours after the team was eliminated by the New Orleans Hornets 4 games to 1 in the opening round of the playoffs in Johnson's hometown. "I’ll always be forever graeteful to Mark because gave me my first shot," Avery said to me this afternoon. "We talked about management styles, we talked about communication and we talked a lot about decisions. It was a good coversation, and I’ll be forever grateful to Mark for the opportunity he provided me.”

Johnson did not meet with the players. "[Management] thought that was best," he said. "I’ll talk with them at a later time."

"More than anything there are a few special players that really made our program go. It starts with Dirk [Nowitski]. When think about our program over whole four years, guys like Jason Terry, [Erik] Dampier, [Jerry] Stackhouse, Josh Howard, Devin Harris, who's like my son - those guys were awfully good to me"

Johnson is choosing to think about the entirety of his three-plus seasons in Dallas (his record was 194-70, .735), rather than the last tumultuous week, which included on- and off-court frustrations. "I'm not thinking about how it ended; I'm think about the whole body of work," he said. "We had a lot of positive experiences. A lot of players got better. We felt did awful lot with what we had. We did not have a dominant point guard or dominant center, but the guys we had did the best they could with their skills.

"We’ll put our record in last three years against anyone's. The organization had never been to the NBA Finals. We won 60 games back-to-back seasons."

Despite his success in the regular season, Johnson knows many will emphasize his playoff flameouts - losing four straight games to the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals after winning the first two games; last season's first-round elimination by eighth-seeded Golden State; and this year's loss to the Hornets. All told, Johnson was 23-24 in the postseason, but won only three on his last 15 playoff games.

"When you get to the playoffs you need point guard play and some kind of effective inside game," he said. "We didn’t get to that point.

"The [2006] Finals are the Finals. They won and Dwayne Wade was outstanding. Somebody's gonna lose. Last season with 67 wins, that team significantly overachieved. We used to slap ourselsves and wonder how we won games. That team wasn't an outstanding team, but we won a lot of close games.

"This year we were who were - a seventh seed. We were slower and older and we got beat by a younger team."

Johnson made it clear, though, that he was not laying the blame for this year's elimination on the team's mid-season acquisition, Jason Kidd, the 35-year-old future Hall of Famer. "The organization made a decision and you gotta live with the result," he said. "I am not pointing the finger at Jason Kidd."

Johnson hasn't yet been contacted by Donnie Walsh, the new Knicks president, regarding the coaching vacancy, but is likely to hear from him soon. Reports out of Chicago say the Bulls may also be interested.

Other teams that might still coaching changes could come into the mix, as well.

Whatever happens, Johnson is intrigued by the possibilities.

"I’ve never been a free agent coach before," he said. "So this is new territory. With what we did in three years, plus I've gotten some great calls. Pop [Gregg Popovich] called, PJ [Carlisimo] called, Pat Riley called, Terry Porter called. The concensus is the future is bright."
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/post/Avery-Johnson-quot-the-future-is-bright-quot-;_ylt=Ar7IL5MLA6LLNgPff4aq0eW8vLYF?urn=top,80032

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

This doesn't look too official but if it is, time to bring AJ home to SA.

Hopefully he does not sign with the Suns or Nuggets. You give him a built in offense and he'll figure out a defense to defend the Spurs.
:tu

I just realized that if AJ gets fired, Pop should bring him in tomorrow. He just got five games against the Hornets. He's got the first hand knowledge. He can help.

Then again, even if AJ doesn't get fired, he'll likely still help out. He has helped the Spurs in the playoffs since he left ... even when still under contract with other teams.

Come on Cuban fire AJ. The Spurs will need all the help they can get versus New Orleans :hungry:
:tu

Go east, AJ, go east. Stay away from Western Conference teams.

Unless it's the Spurs, of course.
:tu

"I’ve never been a free agent coach before," he said. "So this is new territory. With what we did in three years, plus I've gotten some great calls. Pop [Gregg Popovich] called, PJ [Carlisimo] called, Pat Riley called, Terry Porter called. The concensus is the future is bright."
:hungry:

[ryder004]

im too lazy and didnt read the previous 5 pages,but would he be a good fit for suns headcoach?(since mike'dantoni left)

[duncan228]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/chris_mannix/04/30/avery/index.html

Chris Mannix
Winning Is Everything: Absence of playoff success doomed Johnson
Story Highlights
Mavs have been one and done two straight years
Johnson won't be the Mavs' last dismissal this offseason
Could Cuban chase Krzyzewski or Izzo as coach?

Avery Johnson was not fired as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks because his relationship with owner Mark Cuban had soured. If Johnson were winning championships, he could have talked to Cuban the way Billy Walsh of "Entourage" talked to E and the Mavericks owner wouldn't have blinked.

Nor was Johnson shown the door because he clashed philosophically with point guard Jason Kidd. Not specifically, anyway. Johnson and Kidd could have engaged in WWE-style wrestling matches over strategy during timeouts -- just so long as the team was winning.

No, Johnson was fired for the reason most coaches are (or at least should be): He couldn't get the job done in the postseason.

For the second time in as many seasons, Cuban watched his $105.3 million investment exit the playoffs with barely a whimper. Last season it was the fast-breaking Golden State Warriors who sent Dallas packing, dismissing the top-seeded Mavs in six games. It only took five games this season for a young New Orleans Hornets team to bounce Dallas, leaving Cuban seething on the sidelines and in search of a fall guy.

Johnson was it.

Johnson certainly deserves credit for changing the culture in Big D. Under Don Nelson the Mavericks showed only a passing interest in playing defense. With Johnson on the sidelines, Dallas morphed into a stingy unit, ranking sixth in scoring defense this season (95.9 points per game).

That regular season success, however, did not transfer to the postseason. Much like the 2007 playoffs, Johnson couldn't devise schemes to stop the simplest of styles. Golden State ousted the Mavericks by pushing the tempo and playing a smaller defender on Dirk Nowitzki. The Hornets, who utilize the pick-and-roll as a staple, hammered Dallas over the head with it. And everything Johnson threw at Chris Paul, from traps to double-teams to different defenders, failed.

For that he was fired.

But he may not be the only one leaving Dallas.

His dismissal is likely the first in a wave of changes for the Mavericks, which Nowitzki hinted at in his postgame press conference Tuesday night. "I'm sure there are going to be some changes," said Nowitzki. "Once you don't win the championship, you always have to look at what you're going to do to make the franchise better."

Those changes could include Dirk. As disappointing as the loss to New Orleans is, Dallas won't panic and make a knee-jerk deal involving Nowitzki. But after years of steadfastly standing by his star, Cuban (who once refused to include Dirk in any deal with the Lakers for Shaquille O'Neal) may be willing to seriously entertain offers.

And Nowitzki could still fetch a nice price. At 29, he is a year removed from an MVP season and is still one of the league's elite scorers (23.6 points per game in the regular season). What if Miami lands one of the top-two picks? Could a package of Nowitzki and a future first-round pick for Shawn Marion and the Heat's choice entice Pat Riley? Could the Mavs throw in, say, Brandon Bass (the only player on Dallas who showed up for the first-round series) and get the deal done? What about Memphis? Would it package a Derrick Rose/Michael Beasley pick with Mike Miller and salary filler for Nowitzki?

Dallas will also have to explore its options at the center position. If the NBA gave out its version of the Razzie Awards for playoff series, Erick Dampier would sweep several categories. Cuban's $73 million investment contributed no points and no rebounds in 25 minutes in Game 5 and was consistently outplayed by Tyson Chandler throughout the series. There is no telling how successful Dallas would have been had it suited up a young, energetic center like Chandler. Defensive rotations would have been quicker. More shots would have been blocked, or at least altered.

Finding that type of player should be one of the Mavericks' top priorities in the offseason. The free agent pickings are slim: Emeka Okafor and Nenad Krstic are out of Dallas's price range and Primoz Brezec and Rasho Nesterovic aren't options. The Mavericks also don't have a first-round pick, having surrendered it to New Jersey in the Kidd trade. If Dallas is looking to replace Dampier, it will have to get creative.

The Mavs may also get creative in replacing Johnson. This will ostensibly be Cuban's first independent hire: He inherited Don Nelson when he bought the team in 2000 and allowed Nelson to groom Johnson as his hand-picked successor. While names of the usual candidates (Rick Carlisle, Paul Silas, Jeff Van Gundy) will be bandied about, it wouldn't surprise me to see Cuban make a big-money bid for Duke's Mike Krzyzewski or Michigan State's Tom Izzo. Krzyzewski flirted with the Lakers in 2004 while Izzo said recently that he would be open to talking to NBA teams.

The Mavericks are in line for an overhaul. Just how big is the only question.

[MajorMike]

Cuban has penis envy so bad he would take PJ if he hadn't just gotten a job.

[Agloco]

Man...that was quick. I'm shocked.

I see your sig........ If you can't beat em, join em eh?

[Agloco]

Who Has The Balls To Fire George Karl?

That Man Is Horrific


DANTONI and AVERY, both gone now and George Karl is still coaching. KARL has not gotten out of the first round since 2002. 4-24 record


NBA Coaches of the Year

2008 -- Byron Scott, New Orleans
2007 -- Sam Mitchell, Toronto
2006 -- Avery Johnson, Dallas
2005 -- Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix
2004 -- Hubie Brown, Memphis
2003 -- Gregg Popovich, San Antonio
2002 -- Rick Carlisle, Detroit
2001 -- Larry Brown, Philadelphia
2000 -- Glenn Rivers, Orlando
1999 -- Mike Dunleavy, Portland
1998 -- Larry Bird, Indiana
1997 -- Pat Riley, Miami
1996 -- Phil Jackson, Chicago
1995 -- Del Harris, L.A. Lakers
1994 -- Lenny Wilkens, Atlanta
1993 -- Pat Riley, New York
1992 -- Don Nelson, Golden State
1991 -- Don Chaney, Houston
1990 -- Pat Riley, L.A. Lakers
1989 -- Cotton Fitzsimmons, Phoenix
1988 -- Doug Moe, Denver
1987 -- Mike Schuler, Portland
1986 -- Mike Fratello, Atlanta
1985 -- Don Nelson, Milwaukee
1984 -- Frank Layden, Utah
1983 -- Don Nelson, Milwaukee
1982 -- Gene Shue, Washington
1981 -- Jack McKinney, Indiana
1980 -- Bill Fitch, Boston
1979 -- Cotton Fitzsimmons, Kansas City
1978 -- Hubie Brown, Atlanta
1977 -- Tom Nissalke, Houston
1976 -- Bill Fitch, Cleveland
1975 -- Phil Johnson, Kansas City-Omaha
1974 -- Ray Scott, Detroit
1973 -- Tom Heinsohn, Boston
1972 -- Bill Sharman, L.A. Lakers
1971 -- Dick Motta, Chicago
1970 -- Red Holzman, New York
1969 -- Gene Shue, Baltimore
1968 -- Richie Guerin, St. Louis
1967 -- Johnny Kerr, Chicago
1966 -- Dolph Schayes, Philadelphia
1965 -- Red Auerbach, Boston
1964 -- Alex Hannum, San Francisco
1963 -- Harry Gallatin, St. Louis


I think the firing of D'Antoni and Johnson are related in large part to expectations. I don't think the Nuggets, despite acquiring Iverson have such lofty goals. I don't ever hear of them speaking in terms of winning championships, just staying competitive.

[SPARKY]

I think Pop benefits from having someone with NBA HC experience on his staff.

[Obstructed_View]

I think Pop benefits from having someone with NBA HC experience on his staff.

Huh?

[SPARKY]

http://www.xeni.net/images/boingboing/wifebeater.jpg

Huhr?

[td4mvp21]

I would love to have Avery as an assistant-just never a head coach. As long as Pop is in charge over him, he would be a great addition.