Tribe Weekend Recap: At Least They Didn’t Get Swept!
May 24, 2010While We’re Waiting… Jesse Owens Day, Sizemore’s Knee and Firing Mike Brown
May 25, 2010When he spoke about the release of head coach Mike Brown, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert mentioned that there are times when “risk must be taken in an attempt to break through to new, higher levels of accomplishment.” And given what the Cavaliers (and Gilbert) have at stake, this is unfortunately one of those times.
Reports have circulated that LeBron James has not played any cards that would cast a light of a player forcing a coach out of a job. But with 37 days remaining until the NBA free agency period begins, he did not have to. Gilbert has approximately five weeks of time to provide his best (and likely biggest) sales pitch of his entire business career. It is during this period of time where only he and his ownership team can talk with James, make any necessary moves and show that the staff is equally – if not more – committed to winning an NBA Championship.
And it will start at the top, as the team looks for a new head coach. But the problem at hand is the continued level of uncertainty that laces the greater Cleveland area.
As Rock waxed poetic earlier this morning, there are plenty of big names available (or at least they are on their collective radar) as Gilbert eyes up yet another epic move. The 11-man trade was two seasons ago, adding a 330 lb veteran center in Shaquille O’Neal, or acquiring an All-Star power forward for a second-round draft choice – all moves that will pale in comparison to what Gilbert has to do prior to the start of the 2010-11 season. But with James eying up free agency in July – something that he has essentially prided himself on over the past three seasons – Gilbert is faced with the dilemma of drawing top flight coaching talent to a team that is in a massive state of flux.
If general manager Danny Ferry had struggles in bringing MLE-esque talent to Cleveland for the long term one season ago, those players at least had one guaranteed season of playing along side LeBron James and notching 60-plus wins. A retread veteran coach who had been unemployed for at least a season or two will not entice James and/or other top level players. A rookie head coach would likely be considered as a step back from Brown, a coach who had been criticized for his lack of experience prior to joining the Cavaliers. So this leaves Gilbert with the marquee names – the Phil Jacksons and Mike Krzyzewksis of the world. Men with winning teams in areas that adore them. The downside of what they could be left with if LeBron James were to leave would be gigantic.
But money talks. And Dan Gilbert – despite not exactly breaking the bank over the course of the last two seasons – is arguably one of the most willing spenders that the city of Cleveland has ever seen. The fact that the Cavaliers could be devalued by over $100 million in the event of James leaving may make the money needed to sway either Jackson or Krzyzewksi be considered marginal at best.
Name aside, Gilbert understands what it will take to keep his investment afloat. If he can find away to work the same magic he has since purchasing the team back in 2005, continuing his commitment to bringing the city of Cleveland an NBA Championship, and providing LeBron James with a roster – and coaching staff – that he feels can get the Wine and Gold to the next level, he could go down as the most adored owner in the history of Cleveland professional sports.
There is no denying that Gilbert can be seen as the victim here. Seemingly held hostage by the one he’s attempting to woo, Gilbert is forced to take the risks that he laid out in his announcement regarding last season’s Coach of the Year. Whether he likes it or not, the firing of Mike Brown has already started the proverbial swinging motion. Gilbert sees the pitch coming and has cocked back to take aim. If he can find a way to lure a coach that can accomplish all of the above, there will undoubtedly be a flurry of fireworks. But if he comes up with nothing but air, the fall could be one of incredible size and scale.
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51 Comments
No surprise LeBron gets mentioned when talking about a new coach it’s only natural since LBJ is the heart and soul of the Cavaliers. I’m sure his opinion/thoughts on a potential new coach will be sought and considered. Like I said before as far as I’m concerned satisfying LBJ would be my first priority. The key is balancing that with a coach who can actually coach and make his team better. Brown didn’t really HELP his team he just went along for the ride. A ride that squarely rested on the back of #23.
Lot’s of conjecture in this post….I smell a strongly-worded Matt#2 post on the horizon! Nice piece Scott.
“MLE-esque talent” – Peter King is blushing somewhere.
I see Coach Kryshsdflsdfji as a more realistic option that than Phil Jackson, although I don’t know how realistic any of them are. The only way to do it is if there was an understanding between LeBron and the coach that they will both be in Cleveland next year. Performance wise, I like Phil for all the obvious reasons. Personnel wise, I like Coach K. Think any of the Redeem-Team liked him and would be interested in playing for him and with LeBron (specifically Bosh and Wade… hell, even Boozer)? Lets have a little Summer 08 reunion!
Larry Brown is far more likely
I hope there is a plan in place other than “let’s hope we can kiss enough Lebutt, and hope he stays, or unload the team for $100,000,000 less than it was worth in 09.
Clown Baby,
funny.
on another day, you’d be absolutely right.
alas,
I am super-busy today and trying, sorta, to reform my habits.
If anything, Cleveland journalists/bloggers everywhere are dreading having to write “Krzyzewksi” for the next few weeks. They thought they had it rough with Szczerbiak…
Canning Brown now, rather than upon the potential hiring of super-coach: Is that the most considerate move, e.g. allowing Brown to be active on the market before the season starts?
“Is that the most considerate move”
Yes, but it is also the most cost-effective, e.g. avoiding Randy Lerner-type payrolls of paying former coaches
Thoughts of Coach K on the sidelines at the Q gets my heart a-flutter. Figuring everyone has a price, we have a motivated owner and the Ferry/Duke connection sets everything up for an epic letdown. I’m still going to dream. Anyone that can manage the egos of that Olympic team while simaltaneously earning their respect is alright in my book. I have no idea if that translates into NBA success but Coach K is a proven winner and would almost guarantee a re-up with LBJ. Please.
@Matt#2 – the cavs had to make a move one way or the other by midnight of last night as they would have owed him 4.5 million bones for next year.
Im not sure why anyone would take the job before knowing what leDiva plans on doing next year… Coach K would be sweet, and make it more attractive to free agents tho
Hi Boogeyman the coach is gone now I look forward to your next escape goat.
Let’s also recognize that getting either of the Big 2 next year is a real long shot. Jackson likes his year off between gigs to grow ’em, smoke ’em, and write a book. Coach K is 60+ years old and may not be up to a relocation and those long NBA seasons and road trips. Gilbert’s pitch to either guy: come, win and you might be considered the greatest coach in basketball history.
But money talks. And Dan Gilbert – despite not exactly breaking the bank over the course of the last two seasons – is arguably one of the most willing spenders that the city of Cleveland has ever seen.
____________
Huh?
Dan Gilbert is among the top 3 spending owners in the NBA.
MC
Eating $4.5M on the strange event of landing present-day-super-coach seemed small potatoes to me for the insurance of keeping present-day-darn-good-coach (my opinion of Brown)at hand.
I don’t think anyone is saying Brown was fired simply because he was owed 4.5 million. If Brown had shown improvement from last year or won a championship, Gilbert would have gladly paid him the money. If Gilbert was committed to firing him no matter what, why wait and pay him that much and then can him anyways?
Carl, I think you’re a little bit cornfused.
Chicken/Egg
I just want to be the first to throw out there, based on nothing, maybe Danny Ferry will be the coach next year. BOOM! I just blew your minds.
Egg/Chicken
Clown Baby
It’s hard for me to gauge whether Brown showed improvement. Maybe his failure to show a clear improvement was gauge enough, though.
Does that mean it’s goodbye Mo and DeLonte?
Should Ferry have seen this coming with those two earlier?
Is it goodbye Ferry?
This is like a cliffhanger episode of Batman.
Chiggen/Eck
@13 You mean scape goat? Well if you don’t think Brown was part of the problem then your probably in the minority. Dan Gilbert agreed with me and that’s all that matters. Besides this in a previous post I gave Danny Ferry some of the blame too. I guess you missed that comment.
If you want to blame players start with Delonte Distraction West and then Mo Notti Williams.
If you think he meant “escapegoat” seriously, then you’ve missed all of Denny’s comments.
@25 I try to miss as many of his comments as possible but thanks for the 411!
You button-hooked me
If the Cavs fail to retain LBJ and go into blow-up mode, which is what they’ve committed to doing by canning Brown…
I would gladly watch a season of Cheryl Miller as coach.
@28 – I feel like this move is the opposite of committing to full blow up mode….I feel like this is a we’re going to do whatever it takes to keep LBJ here mode. With the way that group just rolled over on Brown during the post season I doubt if MB was retained LBJ would want to re-up for that played out situation again.
I feel like had they had kept Brown it would have been more of a commitment to blow the team up and start fresh with the guy who got you there before.
How about Larry Miller? I would insist he do his levels of drunkenness at every press conference. We’re going to Mexico!
stin
I wrote that poorly. I meant that, if retaining LBJ fails, the Cavs are – without Brown – at ground zero.
One season of Larry Miller with tv access to the locker room – priceless.
@Boogeyman why are you going to call the cops –
the champion in the corner wearing the white pants and brown jersey over his orange teddy bear costume…..DENNY!
the challenger in the opposite corner always ready to share his negative outlook on the cleveland sports landscape….BOOGEYMAN!
let’s keep it funny gentlemen and come out swinging.
the egg came first. This is one of the sillier cliches in history. Whatever animal laid the egg that popped out the genetic mutation that became the chicken, the egg was laid, by something that wasn’t quite a chicken.
egg first. Sign a head coach. Hope LBJ doesn’t dick the city over. Go for broke on best coach available n pay the man like Cribbs – if LBJ leaves, the Cavaliers need a winner to restructure the team for victory.
@ hans – ARE YOU CALLING LEBRON A CHICKEN?! HE’S SO BIG AND STRONG HE CANNOT BE A CHICKEN.
Going to say it again LeBron owes it to Gilbert to tell him what he plans to do. And before the end of the summer too. Time to grow up LeBron.
@33 Don’t quit your day job Denny!
@Hans,
But who laid the egg?! Ehhh?? Ehhh??? Ahhhhhh.
The more I think about the way Gilbert is talking, I think this means there is going to be a total blockbuster offer to K.
But I don’t know why he necessarily would take that if he turned down an offer from the nets of 12-15 mil.
@ 40
something deep down tells me the same. we don’t know alot of what goes on behind the closed doors of Gilberts office, Lebrons mind, or Ferrys trade offer sheet. What we do know is tha Dan Gilbert didn’t get rich being dumb. He’s a salesman/businessman extraordinare.
That being said I want to believe he’ll put that same strategy together when selecting a head coach. I’ve not been on the planet long but in my 30 years I’ve never seen a scenario like this before without the other shoe dropping pretty quick.
Let’s just hope Dans got the other shoe ready to go.
/hoping for the Lebron, Gilbert, Ferry, Coach K secret meeting as well.
I am not a huge basketball fan or anything by any means… but it seems strange to me how LBJ is essentially part of management of the Cavs. That, in no way, is a good thing for a franchise trying to win. Players play. LBJ can give some input just like any other, but giving LBJ or any player what they want in terms of coaches, teammates or w/e is not the way to win.
Coach K has an absolutely perfect situation right now at Duke. He’s already considered one of the best coaches of all time, he’s coming off a national title, has most of the title team returning along with some superb recruiting, personally embodies one of the biggest/best basketball programs in the country, and has turned down NBA offers over the past 30 years including an offer of coaching the Lakers AND being part owner WITH Kobe just a few years ago, when he was NOT coming off a successful season.
What’s the extra incentive to coach in the NBA? Money? Like he needs that. He’s set for life at Duke already and will be for as long as he wants to be. Legacy? He’s not young and already has a legacy that’s the envy of almost every coach in the history of basketball. He’d have to start building a legacy in a league/system he’s never coached before starting at the age of 63 – if he doesn’t experience Bulls-era Jackson success, he’ll be labeled an NBA failure. Opportunity to coach talent? He can do that as the national team coach (which, let’s not forget, he did before the 08 Olympic win).
As a current Duke grad student, I’d be pretty damn happy with K in Cleveland. I just don’t think that “the opportunity to possibly coach LeBron” trumps everything else. Look at it realistically.
Gilbert can be seen as the victim? Are you kidding me? If anything Lebon has been held hostage by Gilbert/Ferry. They are the ones who thought it was a good idea to surround James with throw aways, has beens, and inexperienced coaches. Turning your franchise player,who’s developing over to a rookie coach, who’s developing is just flat out stupid. If Gilbert didn’t want to be in this position he should have made better decisions. You can go all the way back to when Lebron was first drafted and see the foolishness. No matter who owned or managed the team, it was obvious there was no plan in place for winning. If Gilbert had built a team instead of an over rated bench, then his back wouldn’t be up against the wall.
@44 – why would they surround him with younger developmental guys like Ariza if he only signed a 3 year deal and wanted to win right away? Lebron forced that hand by not signing long term…therefore you can’t blame gilbert/ferry.
“As a current Duke grad student, I’d be pretty damn happy with K in Cleveland.”
@44: As a current Carolina adjunct faculty member, I’d also be pretty damn happy with K in Cleveland. /just sayin
stin
They did not surround him with top shelf players. I think that was the bill. They did not foot it.
I still think its crazy to think that a NBA franchise is centered around 1 guy, no matter who that is. The franchise should do what is best for them and not what the superstar wants or thinks. I think this does fall on Ferry and Gilbert. they should have been trying to establish long term success and not a quick fix. Looking at the moves they have made, everyone was pumped at the time, but they really mean nothing now. I just feel they should have been more prepared and have younger players on the verge of breaking out and having that be what makes LBJ stay. Getting more 30+ year old guys arent doin it. If, or when, LBJ leaves, the only young guy that had any potential we’ve seen is JJ. that is not a good way to win.
@45 Lebron was drafted in 2003. If the Cavs had a game plan that included young athletic talent,then the talent would have been in place before his rookie contract ran out giving Lebron a real reason to sign long term. Lebron would have been a fool to have signed his career away to the Cavaliers. And as far wanting to win right away? Man, give it a rest. Lebron was on two or three different teams during his rookie season. It was the Cavs in all their incompetence who wanted to win right away. Whether it was Gund or Gilbert or Paxson or Ferry, the Cavs were so afraid of losing Lebron they couldn’t do what was necessary to keep him. Things like getting a point guard. Not an undersized, mediocre shooting guard pretending to be a point man. Or NOT blowing money on, and getting sentimental about 7’3″ centers that can’t play in the post, get up and down the court in a timely manner, or guard anyone. Silly things like avoiding bringing barely serviceable talent to the team like Anthony Parker, a player that if he were really worth a damn he’d still be in Toronto playing with Chris Bosh. Ever wonder why the Raptors let the 35 year old, undrafted player who sat on their bench go? And what does Ferry with all his acumen do? He grabs Parker off the trash heap, and brings him to Cleveland as a starter. I repeat my material. It has been Lebron who’s been held hostage. If he leaves, and he should, Gilbert and Ferry will have no one to blame but themselves.
@44 – Right on Washington! This mess is Gilbert’s own making. The Cleveland model of developing a championship team with a superstar is a failure while the OK City model looks like it has a good chance of success.