This topic contains 25 replies, has 11 voices, and was last updated by AvatarAvatar B-ball fan 15 years, 2 months ago.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 7:38am #27627
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    Scottoant93
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    Calipari Wants to Coach NBA Again

    Hours after Kentucky’s loss the UConn in the NCAA semifinals, the New York Daily News’ Mitch Lawrence is reporting that UK head coach John Calipari is interested in returning to an NBA bench sometime in the not-too-distant future.

    Lawrence cites a source claiming that Calipari "wants back in," and considering the fact that a strong majority of Coach Cal’s most positive coaching assets are that he continues to bring hoards of NBA talent to college programs.  Why coach kids like Derrick Rose, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Brandon Knight for a single year on the college level when he could potentially end up with one of those guys much longer-term in the NBA?

    Calipari’s most recent recruiting class includes four of the top 25 prospects in the nation—all of whom were McDonald’s All-Americans this year—and three of those four are rated in the top ten.  One particular player—Chicago native Anthony Davis—already is considered a candidate for 2012’s top overall draft pick. 

    The problem with Calipari’s desire to return to the pros isn’t that he can’t coach NBA talent; it’s that he’s accustomed to coaching NBA talent when it’s still young and responds to his particular abrasive style.  Part of the reason he was fired by the New Jersey Nets 20 games into the 1999 season was that players weren’t responding to him anymore.

    Before Saturday night’s Bulls game at the United Center, media were asking Derrick Rose questions about whether or not he was rooting for the University of Kentucky and his old coach John Calipari to win against Connecticut, and Rose got to reminiscing about how tough Coach Cal was on his players.

    "No joke, he would chase you up the sideline to yell at you," Rose said laughing, which inspired one reporter to relay a story about when Calipari coached the New Jersey Nets.  In a game against Michael Jordan’s Bulls, Cal got particular vehement at his players—so much so that at one point Jordan ran by the Nets bench and asked the players, "Why do you take that from him?"

    Will today’s everyday NBA player any different from those in 1999?  Has Calipari learned enough in twelve years since leaving the League to come back and have a second, more successful go at it? 

    Considering the shortage of qualified NBA coaches, it’s not unreasonable to think he’d get a shot, maybe even coaching Cousins in Sacramento/Anaheim.  The difference this time around is that it would be Cal calling for the NBA, not the other way around, and who knows if any team will find it worth the big money to take so big a risk.

    It’s just one of many questions surrounding whether Coach Cal could return to an NBA sideline in the next couple years.  In the meantime, he’ll have plenty of talent to play with next college season, and knowing the way he recruits, there will be plenty of talent the year after that, too—if he’s still in Lexington, that is.

     

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 7:42am #517199
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    BKKnicksfan
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    Hmmm….Maybe Calipari to New York? He did recruit Stoudemire and that’s a big job for him.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 7:44am #517201
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    RUDEBOY_
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    …

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 7:45am #517200
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    JimmeredYaWabafet
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     Kings new coach!!?? I want this guy! http://bumpshack.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/calipari.jpg

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 7:46am #517204
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    RUDEBOY_
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    ..

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 7:47am #517203
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    Scottoant93
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    It would be the ultimate revenge to go across the river of where he got fired(nets), but the I think the Knicks need a more experianced sucessful coach to run the team, it mentioned that players stopped responding to him after a while, thats what the knicks need.Maybe jerry sloan

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 7:53am #517209
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    RUDEBOY_
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    ….

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 7:58am #517210
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    WizardofOz
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    Thom Loverro on 980 thinks there’s a chance Calapari is the next Wiz coach. He thinks Flip is on his way out of DC, and he thinks that Calipari will inevitably want to try his hand at the NBA again. The Wizards make a natrual fit because of John Wall and because of the youth movement that includes lots of college age players. He also factored in Leonsis potentially wanting to make a spalsh. He put the overall odds of Calipari to the Wizards at 50-50.

    I follow his reasoning, I just don’t see it happening this summer. But if there’s a short season next year because of the lockout, the chances go up IMO. I can see the Wiz hanging on to Flip for one more year, and then looking for a new coach. If that happens, then I think Calipari becomes a legit possibility for the reasons mentioned above. Not sure how I feel about it, but it would at least be interesting to watch and would garner lots of national attention.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:06am #517214
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    BKKnicksfan
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    The Wizards would be interesting because you have young pieces, but if your Calipari, you wanna win today.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:21am #517227
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    knicksfan7
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    If Calipari coached the Knicks I would take my fan rights to South Beach. The guy isn’t going to be successful in the NBA. He failed once, he’ll fail again. He is too power hungry to be successful in the NBA.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:23am #517228
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    JimmeredYaWabafet
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     the Knicks should hire http://smartasssports.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Isiah-Thomas.jpg

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:27am #517230
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    BKKnicksfan
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    I disagree, when Calipari went to New Jersey, he only coached UMass and didn’t have much contact with great players and struggled. I think now, he’s gotten experience with great players, he’s learned how to coach them and groom them, and even show them how to fit into their offense.

    Do I think he would be a all time great coach? No, but I don’t think he’d be a bad coach. Also, he did bring New Jersey to the playoff in 1997 and I’d argue got fired because the Nets made a trade and didn’t mesh well in time, along with some issues with power got Calipari fired.

     

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:31am #517235
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    knicksfan7
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    If I had to chose between D’antoni and Calipari, I’ll take D’antoni. I don’t like D’antoni because of his no defense style, but at least he knows how to coach NBA players. Now if the Knicks can somehow hire Avery Johnson I would be a very very very happy man. Lawrence Frank would be ideal as well.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:35am #517238
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    ghettosermon
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    The Wizards do make a ton of sense hey with John Wall, Jordan Crawford, Nick Young, Mcgee, Blatche, Booker, Seraphin, etc, plus 2 first rounders this year in which he could draft Terrence Jones if he wanted, but still the Wizards are likely not a high profile enough team to lure Cal into the NBA ranks. I do agree that Flip Saunders needs to be fired. Nothing against the guy but he simply is not great at handling young players without veteran leadership. To be honest after being on the bench for a couple seasons now with Flip as a Wizards assitant, I would give Sam Cassell a fair interview for the head coaching job. He has a strong bond with the players and he is constantly hands on with the players talking mid game adjustments as opposed to Flip who looks miserable coaching the Wizards.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:36am #517239
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    ProudGrandpa
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    Coach Cal is a shady character.  I hope he doesn’t take over my pacers.  I hope my grandchilren never grow up to be like him.  He is a cheater and he is hurting the environment with the Chlorofluorocarbons from all of his hairspray.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:37am #517240
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    knicksfan7
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    Flip Saunders looked miserable coachng the Timberwolves and Pistons as well, lol.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:41am #517241
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    BKKnicksfan
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    If I had to chose between D’antoni and Calipari, I’ll take D’antoni. I don’t like D’antoni because of his no defense style, but at least he knows how to coach NBA players. Now if the Knicks can somehow hire Avery Johnson I would be a very very very happy man. Lawrence Frank would be ideal as well.

     

    But you’re saying that like Calipari never won anything in the NBA. He did lead a team to the playoffs. I think Calipari is a good NBA coach now that he has more experience under his belt.

    D’Antoni is a offensive coach, that’s it. He’s not a winning coach, nor is he a defensive coach. He’s a good coach if your in a average market, not in a market like New York

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:44am #517243
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    knicksfan7
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    Calipari took the nets to the playoffs once, a 1st round exit. The guy is not going to be a successful/championship NBA coach, and in NY that’s what we want. D’antoni isn’t the answer either, but I’d rather stick with D’antoni than Calipari.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 8:46am #517244
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    BKKnicksfan
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    Yes, but how do we know Calipari can’t be a good NBA coach now? Like I keep saying, he litterary jumped from Umass to New Jersey. He didn’t even have much experience then.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 9:12am #517253
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    Scottoant93
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    How about Jerry Sloan, Saunders,Scot Skiles,Jeff Van Gundy,Lawrence Frank,Bob Macadoo

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 9:27am #517259
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    Meditated States
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    I would like to see him take a shot at the L again. I think your live,learn,and Grow so I suspect he does better the next time around. He will do well getting his former players to maybe even come to his team in Free agency.

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 10:20am #517280
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    SwatLakeCity
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     I think if Calipari went to Coach in the NBA again I think he would coach either the Wizards or the Kings. The Wizards because he would get to coach John Wall again, and the Kings because he would get to coach Tyreke and DMC again. Also if the Kings get Irving in this year’s draft I think Calipari would not mind coaching him either. 

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 10:21am #517282
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    BKKnicksfan
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    I think if Calipari went to Coach in the NBA again I think he would coach either the Wizards or the Kings. The Wizards because he would get to coach John Wall again, and the Kings because he would get to coach Tyreke and DMC again. Also if the Kings get Irving in this year’s draft I think Calipari would not mind coaching him either.

    He wouldn’t go to either. He wants to win RIGHT AWAY

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    • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 10:26am #517283
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      WizardofOz
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      "He wouldn’t go to either. He wants to win RIGHT AWAY"

      And how do you know this?

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 10:30am #517285
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    BKKnicksfan
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    Because last year, he was linked with Miami and all those teams that were courting LeBron James. Last real college coach to get approached was Billy Donovan with Dwight Howard and Orlando.

    I don’t think Calipari is saying "Man, I’d love to coach Sacramento because I know Evans, or Man, Washington looks good…and they got John Wall!" I think he wants a great job where he can win and some building blocks are there. That’s why I think a team like a New York, like a Miami, like a Los Angeles Lakers job would be more ideal if he left. Otherwise, I think he stays at Kentucky.

     

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  • Posted on: Sun, 04/03/2011 - 10:50am #517298
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    B-ball fan
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     I am not a big fan of his coaching.  Whenever I have seen Kentucky play, they never seem to have great ball movement or offensive execution.  They rely on dribble penetration, which is all good when you have John Wall against college athletes.  I like coaches who demand better offensive execution.  Yeah, he has coached a lot of freshman, but those Kentucky players had played about 38 games together before they came into that UConn game chucking up threes.

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