Hello and welcome to the Evening News.
As the Finals continue, we’ll keep you updated every evening. What’s happening today?
Here’s the latest from around the league:
Chauncey Billups says Blake Griffin is “too nice”
Chauncey Billups appeared as an on-set guest on ESPN’s “First Take” and discussed a wide array of topics ranging from the Clippers’ early exit from the playoffs to the 36-year-old’s future plans. Most interestingly, however, was Billups’ response when asked about Blake Griffin’s reputation as “soft” from players around the league: 
“I don’t agree that Blake Griffin is soft. But what I will say about Blake is that he’s maybe too nice of a guy,” Billups said. “Because there’s been times in games where people take shots at Blake. And I tell him if that’s me, you’re going to have to take this two or three game suspension, and I’m going to punish somebody. That’s just how I’m built. Blake is not really built like that. He’s too soft of a guy inside for him to be like, ‘All right, I’m just going to hurt somebody.’ He just won’t do it. I wish he would, and I think that people would look at him a lot different if he did that. But he’s just not that kind of person.”
Billups went on to say that “there’s nobody that works harder” than Griffin but admitted that the Clippers could benefit by adding “a veteran down low to help him … to push him along a little faster.”
Griffin won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in 2010-2011 but has seen his scoring and rebounding averages decline in every season since. While it is easy to point to his team’s drastic improvement as the main reason why Griffin’s output has diminished, it is obvious that Griffin has not come along as fast on the offensive end as his coaches would’ve liked. He still struggles mightily from outside the paint and is still a work-in-progress defensively against the league’s best big men.
USA Basketball announces coaching staff
On Monday, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo announced team USA’s coaching staff for the men’s national team through 2016.
Mike Krzyzewski, who has led the team to a 62-1 overall record since taking over in 2006, will return again as he seeks to lead USA to the gold medal for the third straight time. 
Returning to Krzyzewski’s staff will be his longtime friend, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.
Joining Krzyzewski and Boeheim for their first times will be Bulls’ head coach Tom Thibodeau and Pelicans’ head coach Monty Williams.
Thibodeau and Williams will replace Nate McMillan and Mike D’Antoni.
“Circumstances change for individuals, and it was time to make some coaching staff changes. We’re excited about the coaches we have coming on board . . . I also want to acknowledge and thank our previous national team assistant coaches Mike D’Antoni and Nate McMillan,” said Colangelo. “They were both huge parts of our successes over the last seven years, and I want to publically thank them for all their time and many contributions.”
Krzyzewski spoke excitedly about the additions and believes his staff will work well together:
“I think the different personalities that we have on this staff and the different strong suits of each coach will make all of us better,” Krzyzewski concluded. “I’m anxious to get started.”
The team’s full roster will be announced later this month. The team will begin its training with a mini-camp in Las Vegas at the end of July.
Jason Kidd interviews for Nets job
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Jason Kidd met with the Brooklyn Nets today to discuss his qualifications for the team’s head coaching vacancy.
Nets meeting with Jason Kidd took place today, according to a source
— Stefan Bondy (@NYDNInterNets) June 10, 2013
Kidd, who announced his retirement from the league one week ago, is considered to be a long shot for the job but has gotten the support from several respected basketball minds and will reportedly receive fair consideration from the Nets’ front office. 
“He certainly has the intuitive skills to know what’s going on out there,” said Gregg Popovich before Game 2 of the NBA Finals. “Obviously, he would be able to have relationships with the players that he’s had with his coaches throughout. So if that’s what he wants to do, and that’s who [the Nets] want to hire, I think he’s got an opportunity and a possibility to be really, really good at it.”
ESPN.com reports that if Kidd were to get the job, the team would require him to surround himself with a staff full of former head coaches to aid him in his first season and to lessen his learning curve.
Lawrence Frank, who coached Kidd with the Nets in New Jersey, is speculated to be a potential assistant if Kidd does get the job. Unsurprisingly, Frank gave high praise for his former all star:
“I think Jason could become a great coach,” Frank said on NBC’s “Mike’d Up” on Sunday night. “Think about his training: 19 years of playing, an NBA championship, two Olympic gold medals. … [He’s] one of the smartest players to ever play the game, a great leader who has a great presence. I think Jason could be a great head coach.”
