Despite trading away Rudy Gay last season, the Memphis Grizzlies remained a very good team in the Western Conference this season. Their record of 50-32 didn’t quite measure up to that of recent years, but that could be attributed to missing Marc Gasol for a quarter of the season due to a knee injury.
Bottom line, though, is that they were out after the first round of the playoffs after taking the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games. They would have had a better chance to win the series if Zach Randolph wasn’t suspended for Game 7 after throwing some cheap shots in a blowout game against rookie Steven Adams in Game 6. Whatever the reason, Memphis failed to progress, Robert Pera apparently has been fighting with CEO Jason Levien for a long time, and the owner decided to take some strong actions on Monday, according to Marc Stein of ESPN:
Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera has abruptly ousted team CEO Jason Levien and assistant general manager Stu Lash.
The team announced the stunning moves Monday afternoon, saying “the decision was made for Jason Levien and Stu Lash to depart the organization” after discussions with management.
ESPN.com first reported the departures earlier Monday, with sources close to the situation saying a breakdown in the relationship between Pera and Levien — who helped broker Pera’s purchase of the franchise from Michael Heisley in June 2012 — led to a major shakeup in Memphis for the second successive spring.
[…]
But sources say the futures of Joerger and executive vice president of basketball operations John Hollinger — who was hired away from ESPN — are immediately unclear. Both were handpicked choices by Levien.
Sources told ESPN.com on Monday that Pera expressed internal dismay with Joerger early in the season and contemplated firing him before the Grizzlies steadied themselves after the return from injury of Marc Gasol lifted Memphis back to the level of success it was accustomed to under Hollins.
Pera appears to be much more involved in the day-to-day activities for the team than your average owner, from Sam Amick of USA Today:
Pera has become increasingly involved in the day-to-day operations, and his hands-on approach reached an unorthodox point following the Grizzlies season in which they recovered from the injury to center Marc Gasol to win 50 games for the third time in franchise history (they were 50-32) before losing in a seven-game first-round series to the No. 2 seed Oklahoma City Thunder. According to a second person with knowledge of the situation, Pera even conducted end-of-season player meetings at a hotel and independent of the front-office and coaching staff after the season. Typically, players meet with a team’s general manager and head coach.
This is certainly an unusual turn of events for the team. In the West, especially, the results are truly circumstantial in the playoffs. One play here, one injury there can turn the tide for any team, so it’s not necessarily fair to say that the Grizzlies are starting to decline. We don’t fully know the nature of what really went down, and there’s no guarantee that advancing in the playoffs was going to change Pera’s mind on this one.
So now moving forward, one option for Pera could include the following, from Bill Simmons of Grantland:
Hearing that, if the Grizz totally clean house, the Memphis owner will look to trade for Tom Thibodeau + give him an SVG/Pistons-type deal.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) May 19, 2014
Memphis has a great overall foundation with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find a replacement. It just may turn out to be unfortunate for current members of the front office (like vice president John Hollinger), whose futures look bleak at best at this point.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR PHIL JACKSON?
Now that Steve Kerr is out of the equation, Phil Jackson has a lot of people to consider to take over the New York Knicks’ coaching position. Most assumed he would only go after those who are very familiar with the Triangle offense, but that might not necessarily be true at this point, from Ian Begley of ESPN NY:
The Zen Master is “open” to talking to Mark Jackson about the Knicks’ opening, sources tell ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne. Phil Jackson’s preference, though, is to hire a coach who he’s worked with in the past, either as a player or as an assistant, Stein and Shelburne report. That’s why names like Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis, Luke Walton and Tyronn Lue are mentioned as potential head coaching candidates.
Jackson hadn’t shown a proclivity to go after anyone he hasn’t had a prior relationship with. But after being spurned by Steve Kerr, it appears his thinking may have changed. As Stein and Shelburne reported on Sunday night: Jackson has limited options at his disposal after missing out on Kerr. And that could prompt the coach to start looking outside of his inner circle for the next Knicks’ coach.
That’s where Mark Jackson comes in. Mark Jackson and Phil Jackson have no prior relationship, so the Zen Master would have to be comfortable hiring someone he doesn’t have a prior relationship with to bring Jackson into the fold.
As mentioned in the article above, Derek Fisher is a name of interest for Jackson, given his understanding of Jackson’s schemes to great detail. Fisher, of course, is still playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. Given that he doesn’t even know if he wants to retire yet, it makes sense that coaching isn’t something he’s even considered at this point, from Sam Amick of USA Today:
“I literally have not given any thought,” Fisher told USA TODAY Sports when asked specifically whether he wants to be a coach. “I’ve kept all my options open for years for that reason. I’ve been asked for more than a decade what I’m doing next.
“(But) I think you have to want to do anything you decide to do that requires the type of time and effort that coaching requires. You go through your process at the appropriate time, and then you decide from there.”
[…]
“Obviously (Jackson) is busy in terms of trying to make the changes he needs to make there, but I have a day job as well and I think he respects that more than anybody,” Fisher said. “He taught me a lot about how to operate during this time of year.
“We talk every offseason. I’m sure we’ll talk again when the season is over, but I don’t have any intentions on reaching out to him and I think he respects the space that I’m in as well… It’s just tough to wrap my mind around anything other than playing basketball. I’ve been doing this for a very long time, and to think about (how) every week or two there’s a chance it could be my last week. That part in itself is tough enough.”
One thing is for sure: Jackson is a polarizing figure and is well-respected around the league. He will capture the attention of anyone he may have interest in, including Jeff Van Gundy (although he is likely a long, long shot), from Begley of ESPN NY:
“If Phil Jackson ever wanted to talk basketball with me, which, listen, who knows if that’s true, but if he ever did, of course I would take the time, because I’m sure I could benefit from the conversation,” Van Gundy told O’Connor.
“I think it makes sense for him to talk to people that he philosophically shares a great deal of agreement on,” Van Gundy told O’Connor. “But even if you haven’t coached, certainly, in a triangle system, I don’t think that will preclude him from looking at people, because while you may not have had expertise, or experience coaching in the triangle, most coaches believe in unselfishness, floor balance, and defensive rebounding.
“So I’m not sure that whoever he hires is going to have had to have worked for him. I think it would be a benefit if he had worked with him before, but I think a lot of people could coach in a manner in which he would find it as a positive.”
It’s going to be a process for Jackson to fix the Knicks from top to bottom. He still has that whole Carmelo Anthony situation to consider. Trading Raymond Felton isn’t going to be cakewalk, and neither is acquiring another point guard who can run the Triangle. He has to get through one thing at a time, though, and don’t necessarily have any reason to rush to any conclusions at this point.
THE NBA RELEASES OFFICIAL STATEMENT ABOUT DONALD STERLING:
Some have wondered why it has taken the league so long to remove Donald Sterling as the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. That wait is now over, at least from the league’s side, after they released an official statement explaining the full extent of what they’re doing against the troubled owner of the Los Angeles Clippers:
The NBA initiated a charge Monday seeking to terminate the ownership of Donald Sterling in the Los Angeles Clippers. If the NBA Board of Governors sustains the charge by a 3/4 vote, all ownership interests in the Clippers will be terminated and the team will be sold to new owners.
The NBA Constitution provides Mr. Sterling with the opportunity to respond to the charge by May 27, as well as the right to appear and make a presentation at a special meeting of the Board of Governors. This hearing, which is planned for June 3, will be presided over by NBA Board of Governors Chairman Glen Taylor, the controlling Governor of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The charge asserts that Mr. Sterling engaged in conduct that has damaged and continues to damage the NBA and its teams. Among other things, Mr. Sterling disparaged African-Americans and “minorities”; directed a female acquaintance not to associate publicly with African-Americans or to bring African-Americans to Clippers games; and criticized African-Americans for not supporting their communities.
Mr. Sterling’s actions and positions significantly undermine the NBA’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion; damage the NBA’s relationship with its fans; harm NBA owners, players and Clippers team personnel; and impair the NBA’s relationship with marketing and merchandising partners, as well as with government and community leaders. Mr. Sterling engaged in other misconduct as well, including issuing a false and misleading press statement about this matter.
All of these acts provide grounds for termination under several provisions of the NBA Constitution and related agreements.
KEVIN LOVE UNLIKELY TO SIGN EXTENSION WITH THE TIMBERWOLVES:
With news that Kevin Love is looking forward to moving on from his days in Minnesota, what can Flip Saunders do with his prized power forward? If there is one thing he can feel good about, it’s the list of options he has. Brian Windhorst of ESPN listed some of the possibilities:
The Kobe plan
Led by owner Glen Taylor, this is the path the Wolves have been openly posturing toward.
In 2007, Kobe Bryant famously and publicly asked to be traded from the Los Angeles Lakersbecause he was upset with the direction of the franchise. The Lakers, who had Bryant under contract, responded by rejecting the notion and telling him to trust their plan. Eight months later, they traded for Pau Gasol and made three consecutive Finals. Bryant has since signed two contract extensions.
The bottom line is the team doesn’t bend to the pressure applied by the player, and stays the course with the belief that the star will choose to stay.
The Chris Paul plan
If Minnesota comes to the conclusion that Love must be traded — and this is what agents and executives think will be the ultimate reality — they can involve Love in the process, much like the New Orleans Hornets did with Chris Paul in 2011.
Even if Love were completely happy, it would not make complete financial sense to sign an extension to his current contract. The rules favor his letting it expire next summer and starting with a new deal. The same goes with any team Love would be traded to. This unquestionably limits his trade value because teams will be wary of trading for a player on the last year of his contract.
The Deron Williams/James Harden plan
If the Wolves decide they want to trade Love, they can attempt to reduce distraction and maximize their leverage by using the auction method the Utah Jazz executed with their 2011 trade of Deron Williams, and one the Oklahoma City Thunder followed in 2012 when they dealt James Harden. Both deals were done in relative stealth, and very quickly, once a decision to trade the star was reached, the Williams deal coming together in less than 24 hours.
There are a lot of ways in which this can play out. Maybe Minnesota surprises everyone and becomes a power house with some luck (they’ve dealt with so many injuries in recent years) and some great picks in the draft. Love may be determined to change uniforms now, but that can certainly change if the circumstances are right. If not, the team still has enough assets and talent to turn things around, even if they decide to move him. The bottom line is that for one reason or another, they’ve not had one winning season with Love on the team. That should give Saunders plenty to think about, even if he dreads the idea of having to make a tough move down the stretch.
Key words there were “down the stretch”. Glen Taylor isn’t going to allow any trades to happen in the near future involving Love, from Jerry Zgoda of Star Tribune:
Amid renewed media reports that three-time All-Star Kevin Love intends to leave Minnesota in July 2015 and the Timberwolves are reconsidering their position, Wolves owner Glen Taylor reiterated on Sunday the team doesn’t intend to soon trade him.
Taylor said he hasn’t discussed that option recently with Flip Saunders, the team’s president of basketball operations, and said Love has not asked for or told the team to trade him. Taylor has remained hopeful the team, searching for a coach to replace Rick Adelman, will show enough improvement next season to convince Love his future is with a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in a decade.
OTHER NEWS FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE:
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Serge Ibaka is not ready to call it a season just yet, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports: “Far from the beginnings of these Western Conference finals, far from these unfortified Oklahoma City Thunder, Serge Ibaka is defiant and determined for the world to witness his Willis Reed moment. Ibaka, so proud, so professional, is respectively raging against his injury diagnosis. Ibaka is back in Oklahoma City for Games 1 and 2 – ruled out of the playoffs with a lower leg injury – but his willingness to play with pain, his loyalty to the championship cause, has him thinking about starting some stationary shooting late this week, a league source told Yahoo Sports on Monday. How the ever-conservative and protective Thunder will react to Ibaka’s eagerness is uncertain, but coach Scott Brooks repeated over and over late Monday: “He’s not coming through those doors. … He’s not coming back.” 
The highly-coveted Kevin Ollie may no longer be available to coach in the NBA, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports: “No longer considering himself a candidate for NBA coaching jobs, University of Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie has agreed in principle to a $3 million-plus annual contract extension, sources told Yahoo Sports on Monday. The deal could be worth more than $15 million over a five-year term, sources said. The contract still needs to be finalized and signed, a source said. It will more than double his previous salary. After leading UConn to a national title in April, Ollie became one of the hottest coaching commodities in the sport. Several NBA teams expressed interest in him, but the Cleveland Cavaliers were the most aggressive suitor, league sources said.”
Marcin Gortat opens about initial fear of going to Washington and what kind of point guards he wants to play with in the long run, from Brandon Parker of Washington Post: “Coming here to Washington, I had a lot of fear. I didn’t know how it was going to be,” Gortat said. “I was afraid of the city, I was afraid of the team. There was a lot of rumors about John (Wall) and what kind of player he is. And I’m not going to lie, wins help you to find yourself in your environment. I think that’s what happened with me. It took me time to find sweet spots in the city. Now I can say I like this city.” Granted, there is one aspect of D.C. that still turns off Gortat… “There’s a lot of different things,” Gortat said when asked about the factors he’ll consider in free agency. “But number one thing is probably the point guard. I can’t play with blind point guards. I can’t do that. I have to play with a guy who’s a willing passer, who wants to get better, who wants to play pick and roll and John is probably on top of that list.”
- Some good news about officiating, from Ira Winderman of Sun Sentinel: “Just been informed the NBA WILL have a centralized replay center for next season’s games. So these playoffs last games with on-site review.”
James Park is the chief blogger of Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on twitter @SheridanBlog.
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