- Mike Bresnahan is the Lakers’ beat writer for the L.A. Times, and he’s done an excellent job with all the Jackson coverage. His latest piece doesn’t have a whole lot that we didn’t know yesterday, but it’s an excellent read if you need a refresher nonetheless. Plus, there’s this, which debunks the most common reasoning for Jackson possibly not taking the job: “The desire of Lakers fans and players to have Jackson return has been matched by management’s hope to have him back on the sidelines. There’s been speculation since Jackson’s departure in 2011 of a rift between Buss and the coach. That is not a deterrent in present discussions, according to a person familiar with them.”
- Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News has a piece on Phil Jackson. Most of it you probably already know, but this bit is interesting: “Jackson is looking at adding Scottie Pippen, his former Chicago Bulls star, to his staff, sources said. Bernie Bickerstaff is expected to coach the Lakers on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings.”
- Here’s NBA historian/writer Roland Lazenby, who did an excellent podcast on our site, on the same subject:
As Steve Kerr told me the other day, Pippen’s the greatest teammate ever. As Jerry Krause said, Pip’s very bright. Mystery he hasn’t coached@lazenbyRoland Lazenby - Also, here’s Chris Broussard of ESPN the Magazine with more on the Lakers’ coaching search: “The Lakers had a phone interview Saturday with former Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, a source told ESPN. According to the source, the interview went very well, ‘except it still feels like it’s Phil’s job to lose.’ There was no in-person interview with D’Antoni scheduled after Saturday’s initial phone interview, a source close to D’Antoni told ESPN. ‘Probably depends on Phil,’ the source said.”
- Former NBA coach Nate McMillan still has yet to be contacted by the @Lakers about their coach opening, a source tells Y! Sports.@SpearsNBAYahooMarc J. Spears
- Non-Phil news is a little light right now, but here’s an interesting note from Mitch Lawrence regarding the Nets and Gerald Wallace: “The Nets didn’t trade for Gerald Wallace because of how they could match up with the Heat or because they figured he could guard James, although that’s how GM Billy King is busy spinning it now. Nets insiders vividly recall that Wallace was imported from Portland because ‘we got burned by Dwight Howard,’ according to one team source, ‘and we were hoping that getting Wallace would help keep Deron Williams around.’ Back then, it was all about keeping Williams from bolting to the Mavs. The Heat/James angle wasn’t a big consideration.”
- In other Nets news, Kristie Ackert, also of the New York Daily News, talked to new SG Joe Johnson, who has been a little slow to start the season: “The Nets brought in Johnson this offseason to try and turn the page on their losing past in New Jersey. So far, Johnson’s transition to the Nets has been inconsistent. A five-time All-Star, Johnson too is trying to find his place with Williams. Johnson, averaging 13.8 points per game through the first three games, is slightly off his career average of 17.7 points per game. ‘It’s going to come for me. It just takes time. I just need to get acclimated with everybody, and I think things will come. Right now it’s early, we’ve only played three games. We just have a lot of room for improvement,’ Johnson said. ‘I’m getting there. I just thought (Friday) night I miss a lot of shots I normally make but I’m still learning Deron’s sweet spots on the court, the things he likes to do, the places he likes to catch the ball.’ “
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday talked to J.R. Smith about the Knicks’ undefeated start: “Smith admitted he’s a little surprised at the Knicks’ record and how well they’re playing. ‘Yes and no,’ Smith said after practice Saturday. ‘I say yes because of how old our team is and the injuries to Iman [Shumpert] and [Amar’e Stoudemire]. I say no because of the camaraderie we have, how much we talk and communicate one through 15, all of our guys. We all seem to be on the same on the page, as well as the coaching staff too.’ ”
www.brandxgear.net says
Hi, just wanted to tell you, I loved this blog post. It was inspiring. Keep on posting!