playa2 wrote:

knicks1248 wrote:I think is a good analyst, a pretty boring one, but good at reconizing certain things...His coaching is less to be disired..Like some said, he has no connection to players ( other then MJ) and that makes him sort of a dweeb.

The one thing you have to give him credit for is his understand of the game.

Understanding the game and working with NBA players are two different things.

The ones who do both stay working in the league longer.

I give him a year & half before he gets fired again

http://blog.nola.com/hornets_impact/print.html?entry=/2010/05/avery_johnson_seeks_dual_role.html

Avery Johnson seeks dual role with New Orleans Hornets
By John Reid, The Times Picayune
May 20, 2010, 10:37PM

If Avery Johnson is to have a role with his hometown’s NBA franchise, it might not solely be on the bench.A source close to Johnson said the New Orleans native wants a dual position with the New Orleans Hornets, as the team’s head coach and vice president of basketball operations.

The source said Johnson would join the Hornets only if minority owner Gary Chouest buys George Shinn’s 75 percent share of the team. Johnson is thought to be Chouest’s top choice to lead the franchise, and team officials said last month they’d be open to hiring someone to oversee basketball operations.

Since interviewing for the Hornets’ head-coaching job two weeks ago, Johnson has become concerned about the snail’s pace of negotiations between Chouest and Shinn on the purchase price of Shinn’s stake in the franchise, according to the source.

Johnson interviewed for the Atlanta Hawks’ head-coaching job earlier this week and will meet New Jersey Nets officials next week to discuss their vacancy. Johnson was a candidate for the Philadelphia 76ers’ job, but former NBA coach Doug Collins is expected to be hired. He was negotiating a contract with the 76ers on Wednesday.

Despite the uncertainty of the ownership transfer, the Hornets have put forth a thorough coaching search. Chouest, President Hugh Weber and General Manager Jeff Bower have interviewed eight of their nine targeted candidates since May 4. Collins was expected to meet with team officials before the 76ers settled on him.

If Johnson is not hired, the Hornets are likely to pursue an assistant coach, Portland’s Monty Williams, Boston’s Tom Thibodeau or Utah’s Tyrone Corbin.

Williams and Corbin are viewed as rising talents, and Thibodeau is a veteran assistant whose defense has been key to the Celtics’ 2008 title, their elimination of league MVP LeBron James and his Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals and their 2-0 advantage over the Orlando Magic in the conference finals this season.

Despite the Hornets’ long list of candidates, NBA analyst and former player Jalen Rose said Johnson would be his top choice.

“If I had a head-coaching job opening, I would no doubt give Avery the job, ” said Rose, who works with Johnson at ESPN. “You cannot underestimate the experience of an ex-player, and he was successful with the Mavericks (leading them to 2006 NBA Finals). And it just so happens he is a hometown kid, so it works.

“But before a coach takes a job, he wants to know who his boss is. Anytime there is an influx at the top, there is going to be a trickle-down effect. The boss is the ultimate bargaining chip that sets the tone for the organization, so that (ownership transfer) has to happen.”