NBA Trade Rumors: D.J. Augustin Trade to Indiana Pacers Smart for Both Sides

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Jul 122012
 

It appears that with their pursuit of point guard Ramon Sessions, the Charlotte Bobcats are ready to let go of D.J. Augustin, their ninth overall pick in the 2008 draft. A report from Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski indicates the possibility of Augustin heading to the Indiana Pacers in a sign-and-trade deal, with the Pacers’ Tyler Hansbrough among the players rumored to be headed to Charlotte in return.

The team that took the Heat to six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last May already inked George Hill to a five-year deal earlier in free agency, but the addition of Augustin would give Indiana a bench leader with NBA starting experience. Augustin chose a bad season to shoot 37.6 percent from the field and see a three point drop in scoring. However, Hill is more of a slashing and scoring point guard while Augustin is a facilitator.

Augustin averaged almost 6.5 assists despite the fact that the Bobcats made only 41.4 percent of its shots and was arguably the worst squad in NBA history, being outscored by 13.9 points per game and finishing with a 7-59 record. It’s doubtful he’s dying to remain a Bobcat.

The Pacers traded their best passer in Darren Collison to the Mavericks, and the only man behind Hill is Lance Stephenson who has shown considerable taunting upside but little on-court potential. Basically, the backup point guard spot is Augustin’s for the taking.

Indiana needs Roy Hibbert and Paul George to take extra steps in their development this season in order to challenge at the top of the East, but the addition of Augustin will make Pacers fans forget Darren Collison soon enough.

Kemba Walker is reckless at times, but his ability to create plays and his upside as a scoring point guard makes him a bigger part of the Bobcats’ future than Augustin. Augustin is a solid player, but one of the two had to go, and the Bobcats knew their choice before last season ended.

This is why, from a Bobcat perspective, receiving any young talent in return for Augustin is a boon. Hansbrough does not have the talent or consistency to be more than a seventh or eighth man, but the Bobcats’ popularity and attendance in North Carolina would be sure to see a boost if the hometown Tar Heel in “Psycho T” returned. There is no guarantee Hansbrough would be involved, but if he’s available then the Bobcats would be wise to pounce on that possibility immediately.

The Bobcats are trying to dig themselves out of a hole on the court deeper than owner Michael Jordan’s pockets. By ridding themselves of a reminder of the Paul Silas era and giving one of UNC’s all-time greats a chance for a fresh start, the Bobcats would be slowly inching towards respectability.

In a period where too many trades toss around large contracts for deteriorating players (Hello Rashard Lewis!), this deal gives the Pacers a top bench point guard and the Bobcats the chance to acquire some talent rather than let Augustin walk. The ship has sailed on Augustin and Hansbrough’s tenures with their current squads, and a fresh start for both should soon be in order. 

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Bobcats name Dunlap as head coach (Reuters)

 Denver  No Responses »
Jun 202012
 

(Reuters) – Mike Dunlap was named head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday, taking over a team that posted the National Basketball Association’s worst record ever last season. Desperate to turn around a franchise that won just seven games last season, Bobcats owner Michael Jordan rolled the dice selecting Dunlap, who has no NBA head coaching experience and spent the last two season as an assistant at St. John’s University. Dunlap takes over from Paul Silas, who was not offered a new contract after last season’s dismal 7-59 effort. …

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Bobcats offer unique season ticket deal

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Jun 022012
 

The Charlotte Bobcats are arguably the biggest struggle franchise in the NBA. The team finished 2011-2012 with the worst winning percentage in NBA history (7-59, .106). During the season, head coach Paul Silas almost got into a fist fight with one of their highest paid players. To top things off, they lost the Draft lottery to [...]

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Pacers, Lakers assistants might get interviews

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May 292012
 

More candidates might be in line to interview for the Bobcats coaching vacancy.

The Bobcats apparently will meet with Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and Los Angeles Lakers assistant Quin Snyder in the coming weeks, ESPN The Magazine reported.

After finishing the season with a 7-59 record and the worst winning percentage in NBA history (.106), the Bobcats are looking to replace Paul Silas, whose contract was not renewed.

Reports indicate that the Bobcats and owner Michael Jordan has previously interviewed a list of candidates that includes Jerry Sloan, Patrick Ewing, Nate McMillan and Silas son, Stephen.

Shaw and Snyder are hot, young candidates. Shaw was with the Los Angeles Lakers and Phil Jackson before joining the Pacers. Snyder has worked with the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers.

–Orlando Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing reportedly has a “good chance” of getting the Bobcats’ head coaching job.

The former New York Knicks star center interviewed for the Charlotte position May 24 and 25, and the New York Post reported that a source said he has a good chance to land the job.

Ewing has been an assistant coach with the Magic since 2007. He recently has been receiving interest as a possible head coach.

Ewing interviewed with Charlotte president Rod Higgins and general manager Rich Cho on May 24. Ewing also knows Charlotte owner Michael Jordan from his playing days.

Ewing completed his fifth season with the Magic and has been an assistant coach for nine seasons, also serving in Washington and Houston. Ewing has one year left on his contract with the Magic.

“My goal is to be a head coach,” Ewing told The Post in late March when the Magic visited the Garden. “I hope to get interviews everywhere there’s a job open.”

Ewing also may be considered for an assistant job with the Knicks if interim coach Mike Woodson is retained.

NOTES, QUOTES

–The Bobcats reportedly interviewed Jerry Sloan for their vacant coaching job on May 25.

Sloan, the former Utah Jazz coach, met with Bobcats owner Michael Jordan and other team executives, according to the Deseret News of Salt Lake City.

“They might come back, they might not,” Sloan told the newspaper. “I can’t judge that. We’ll just have to wait and see where it goes from there. … They want to make a decision when they can and do all their homework.”

Sloan, 70, coached the Jazz for 23 seasons before stepping down in February 2011.

–Ironic that the Bobcats, closing their season with the worst winning percentage in NBA history at stake, went head-to-head with the NFL draft. Most heads in Charlotte were turned to who the Carolina Panthers would draft ninth overall, not whether this team managed to hold off the Knicks at the end of a miserable season.

The measure of how bad this team was went beyond the lack of victories; most nights they weren’t even in games: They lost 21 games by 20 or more points and nine games by 30 or more points.

QUOTE TO NOTE

“A lot of things need to change about our culture. It’s not acceptable to lose.” — Shooting guard Gerald Henderson.

PLAYER NOTES

–F Corey Maggette seems a candidate for the amnesty clause, since eliminating his final season would knock about 12 million off the Bobcats’ salary cap.

–G Gerald Henderson lobbied for the Bobcats to bring back Paul Silas. Henderson thrived under Silas’ encouraging approach after struggling to satisfy Silas’ predecessor, Larry Brown.

–G D.J. Augustin played the finale despite severe knee pain from on-going tendinitis. Silas planned to play him just a few minutes against the Knicks but Augustin said if he was playing at all, then he was playing the whole game. He ended up playing 31 minutes.

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Jerry Sloan: Charlotte Bobcats to Interview Sloan for Head Coaching Job

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May 252012
 

A young Charlotte Bobcats team is reportedly considering adding some experience in the form of head coach Jerry Sloan.  

The news comes via ESPN:

The Charlotte Bobcats will interview Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan on Friday for their vacant head coaching position, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

The Bobcats are coming off a historically bad season in which they finished 7-59 and were forced to fire head coach Paul Silas.

The fact they need some coaching help is quite the understatement. 

 

Youth

Sure, the Bobcats put up a miserable record in 2012, but more importantly, this is an incredibly young team. Kemba Walker, 22, and Bismack Biyombo, 19, are the future of this team.

Additionally, the Bobcats are hoping to get the No. 1 pick so they can bring in 19-year-old Kentucky phenom Anthony Davis.

That’s three potential stars under the age of 23.

There is talent on this team, but the most important factor in their development will be getting the right coach who can get the most out of his players. 

 

Large number of candidates

According to ESPN, Sloan—if the report turns out to be true—would be the ninth known candidate for the Bobcats.

In addition to the longtime Utah Jazz head man, Patrick Ewing, Nate McMillan and Brian Shaw, among others, have reportedly been considered. There are some very intriguing candidates in there.

Sloan has one of the best resumes of any coach out there, but he has some impressive candidates that he will have to beat out for the job.

What this also means, of course, is that you shouldn’t expect a decision soon.

 

Follow @t_keen

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Ranking Doug Collins and Doc Rivers with the Best Coaches in the NBA

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May 222012
 

Doug Collins and Doc Rivers are two of the best coaches the NBA has to offer and we get to see them go head-to-head in the playoffs for the chance to go to the Eastern Conference Finals.

While they may be two of the best, where do they fit in with the other coaches in the NBA? Read on to see where Collins and Rivers are ranked along with other head coaches like Erik Spoelstra and Frank Vogel.

F.Y.I.: Paul Silas and Stan Van Gundy are listed with their former teams, even though they are no longer the head coaches.

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Boris Diaw Quietly Showing Signs of Former Self with Balanced Scoring Efforts

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May 192012
 

The San Antonio Spurs are a deep team. They have a nice balance of veterans and young talent on their roster that gives them a lot of options when it comes to matching up in the playoffs.

One player that has been performing at a steady rate has been veteran center/forward Boris Diaw. As a matter of fact, Diaw, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, could very well use his time with the Spurs to find another contract next season.

After coming over to Charlotte from the Phoenix Suns back in December 2008, Diaw went from being an integral part of the Bobcats team (franchise record 258 consecutive starts) to being benched by then head coach Paul Silas for, in part, being out of shape.

It got to the point where Diaw wanted out of Charlotte, and he got his wish when the team released him and he decided to reunite with former French National teammate Tony Parker in San Antonio.

Not only is Diaw in a winning atmosphere, he also has been able to find a role on a veteran-laden team and has been playing like his old self (with the Phoenix Suns alongside Steve Nash). He has been playing a better all-around game, and with his ability to play multiple positions, he gives the Spurs’ coaching staff another potential mismatch to exploit during the playoffs.

In the series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Diaw has been rather impressive in a starting role going up against high-flyer Blake Griffin. Diaw posted seven points, 12 rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes of play in Game 1.

In Game 2, Diaw posted 16 points, four rebounds and four assists, shooting a perfect 7-for-7 from the field in another victory for the Spurs, who now lead the series 2-0.

This is great for Diaw on a personal level, as he can show that he wants to continue his professional basketball career and is showing the rest of the league that he can actually do it. Additionally, he is doing it on a team that appears to be on a roll so far in the postseason.

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Ewing Meets With Bobcats

 New York  No Responses »
May 182012
 

Via NY Post

If Ewing is going to land a head-coaching job in the near future, this could be his best shot as the friendship and mutual respect he shares with Bobcats owner Michael Jordan can’t be overstated. The interviews are being conducted by president Rod Higgins and general manager Rich Cho, but Jordan is expected to make the final call.

One person familiar with the situation said this was hardly a courtesy interview, that Ewing has a “good chance’’ of being Paul Silas’ successor.

I’m rooting hard for Ewing to get the gig in Charlotte and, as the article states, don’t expect Woodson to reach out if he doesn’t get it. Could he be groomed by another ex-Knick assuming the Knicks actually make a phone call?

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