Avery Out!

[Censored by Laurie]

HAZZAH!!!!

Bring on Mike D'Antoni!!!

[UNTflyer]

That didn't take long

[UNTflyer]

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Dallas Mavericks and head coach Avery Johnson have parted company, ESPN reports.The move comes one day after the team's disappointing early exit from the NBA playoffs.Johnson became the head coach of the Mavericks in 2004 and led the team to four-straight playoff appearances and one trip to the finals. Johnson's amassed a 194-70 record as head coach, but an under .500 mark in the postseason at 23-24.

[Quoner]

HAZZAH!!!!

Bring on Mike D'Antoni!!!

I would rather get cancer in my anus than have him coach this team.

I guess the Suns and Mavs have always had their destiny linked, but it is a shame that they are going to fall off the map together. Very interested to see NO does against the Spurs. Not very interested to see how the Lakers do against the Jazz.

The "most competitive west ever" sure panned out:

4-1 NO

4-1 SA

4-0 LA

And that other unwatchable series continues....

Go....Atlanta Hawks?

[Eagle1855]

D'Antoni is a SPARE.

Bummer for Avery. Was against the Kidd trade and look how THAT turned out... hope he finds another good gig elsewhere

[Quoner]

D'Antoni is a SPARE.

Bummer for Avery. Was against the Kidd trade and look how THAT turned out... hope he finds another good gig elsewhere

He was for the Kidd trade. I'm not sure where people are getting that all the sudden.

The problem was he thought he traded for 1999 Avery Johnson rather than an older version of Kidd.

Just think how much people would have traded for Howard at one point.....sigh....

[Green Mean]

D'Antoni is nothing but a Don Nelson starter kit. He seems to be a better coach than that to many peoples eyes because he had players Nelson never had...big, lengthy, athletic players that just put up highlight reels. No doubt he's a decent coach but we know that system does not work in the playoffs.

[UNT_92_Fan]

He was for the Kidd trade. I'm not sure where people are getting that all the sudden.

The problem was he thought he traded for 1999 Avery Johnson rather than an older version of Kidd.

Just think how much people would have traded for Howard at one point.....sigh....

Not so sure if he was for the trade. I have had more than a couple talks up at work with Harper and the other sports guys and Avery wasn't very excited about this trade... He and Kidd never clicked and it killed J-HO as well. Just going off what Harper had to say about it... he wasn't down

And If D'Antoni shows up here... I am going to slit someone's wrist... vertically

[Green Mean]

Not so sure if he was for the trade. I have had more than a couple talks up at work with Harper and the other sports guys and Avery wasn't very excited about this trade... He and Kidd never clicked and it killed J-HO as well. Just going off what Harper had to say about it... he wasn't down

And If D'Antoni shows up here... I am going to slit someone's wrist... vertically

I dont think we will never know the real story but on the Ben and Skin postgame shows, their inside sources in the Mavs organization said that Johnson was totally for the trade and that it had to be done. This was right before Cuban wrote like an 11 million dollar check. Its hard to say what really happened but I would have never done the trade in the first place.

[UNT_92_Fan]

I dont think we will never know the real story but on the Ben and Skin postgame shows, their inside sources in the Mavs organization said that Johnson was totally for the trade and that it had to be done. This was right before Cuban wrote like an 11 million dollar check. Its hard to say what really happened but I would have never done the trade in the first place.

Agreed... I just went off what I was told from the Harp... Who knows...

[Quoner]

Not so sure if he was for the trade. I have had more than a couple talks up at work with Harper and the other sports guys and Avery wasn't very excited about this trade... He and Kidd never clicked and it killed J-HO as well. Just going off what Harper had to say about it... he wasn't down

And If D'Antoni shows up here... I am going to slit someone's wrist... vertically

The team also hated Harris, which I think clouded judgment. Other than the j-ho + devin 4 eva circle jerk, most of them reportedly hated playing with Harris.

I have heard a ton of stories of Harris being a dick around Dallas -walking bar tabs, stiffing waiters, etc., but never anything worth mentioning elsewhere.

The moral of the story - don't trust people who look 12 or wear adult braces.

[Green Mean]

The team also hated Harris, which I think clouded judgment. Other than the j-ho + devin 4 eva circle jerk, most of them reportedly hated playing with Harris.

I have heard a ton of stories of Harris being a dick around Dallas -walking bar tabs, stiffing waiters, etc., but never anything worth mentioning elsewhere.

The moral of the story - don't trust people who look 12 or wear adult braces.

I'm sure Harris smokes out with J-Ho. Its just so creepy to think where this team was after game 2 of the 2006 finals and what they are now. Talk about a made for TV movie.

[Eagle1855]

I dont think we will never know the real story but on the Ben and Skin postgame shows, their inside sources in the Mavs organization said that Johnson was totally for the trade and that it had to be done. This was right before Cuban wrote like an 11 million dollar check. Its hard to say what really happened but I would have never done the trade in the first place.

I heard the opposite. So I agree, we'll probably never know the real reason.

If Mav fans truly believe all the problems with the team lie with Avery, you're going to be in for a rough 08-09 as well...

[Green Mean]

I heard the opposite. So I agree, we'll probably never know the real reason.

If Mav fans truly believe all the problems with the team lie with Avery, you're going to be in for a rough 08-09 as well...

I agree with you...the whole vibe and culture needs to change around here. I say build this thing around Dirk and Bass and for heart purposes I dont mind seeing Terry sticking around. You can still get Howard and Kidd for something...probably not of equal value but you still have your superstar in Dirk and a rising young player like Bass.

[Quoner]

I agree with you...the whole vibe and culture needs to change around here. I say build this thing around Dirk and Bass and for heart purposes I dont mind seeing Terry sticking around. You can still get Howard and Kidd for something...probably not of equal value but you still have your superstar in Dirk and a rising young player like Bass.

You are overvaluing Bass the way that everyone once overvalued Howard. He is one of the best 7th men in the NBA and a great role player, but don't confuse him for a rock.

Eagle1855 is right,. You have 2-3 great years of Dirk left and it is going to take something drastic to get him a post buddy and SF to open things back up for him.

[Green Mean]

You are overvaluing Bass the way that everyone once overvalued Howard. He is one of the best 7th men in the NBA and a great role player, but don't confuse him for a rock.

Eagle1855 is right,. You have 2-3 great years of Dirk left and it is going to take something drastic to get him a post buddy and SF to open things back up for him.

You're right about overvaluing Bass but he was really a bright spot this year and he showed up just about every game in this series and he's only 22. I see him only getting better. I dont think you will get good value for him as he's still somewhat of an unknown. So rather than giving him away I would rather see him in a uniform next year and see how he does. But afcourse if he has value and you can get something good for him then I am all for it.

[Quoner]

You're right about overvaluing Bass but he was really a bright spot this year and he showed up just about every game in this series and he's only 22. I see him only getting better. I dont think you will get good value for him as he's still somewhat of an unknown. So rather than giving him away I would rather see him in a uniform next year and see how he does. But afcourse if he has value and you can get something good for him then I am all for it.

My apologies - I didn't mean to imply that you were dumb for liking him nor was I advocating for trading him. It is just amazing how much better a player looks when he tries while the guys around him aren't. I wish Najera never left too and felt he was very valuable when he was here, but it is getting harder to get attached to the hustle guys when the supposed main guys keep letting us all down.

Despite all of the Mavs problems, I am very excited to see how the Hornets do in the next round. If they beat the Spurs, does everyone feel a little bit better? It doesn't matter for me because our effort was so poor, but I would like to get a better idea of how good that team really is.

[greenminer]

Man I love having Kidd around. Hope he works out.

For anyone who wasn't stupid enough to think this game was a win and it all would click, you saw flashes of how much easier the offense is about to be to Dirk. He dunked a few times and had looks that he used to had to struggle for. Howard and Terry didn't seem to click with what was happening yet, but Dampier was better than expected (I had bet friends he would take a ball to the face before the game was over.) It will take a few weeks for this to get going, and probably this summer to fully compliment it, but you can see the potential underneath the crappy fourth quarter.

In the mean time, should we all crap our pants in fear of Kurt Thomas to SA?

[Quoner]

Man I love having Kidd around. Hope he works out.

Devin Harris went to a god-awful conference to a team that was one game out and could not elevate anyone to catch the Hawks.

Dirk did get better and no one saw the Josh Howard disaster coming.

I never expected anything big from this team other than maybe a series win, but, unlike most, I don't think undoing this trade helps either. You'd probably have Golden State instead of the Mavs if this had not gone down. Harris had his ass eaten alive just as badly by the star point guards and - as I have repeated:

The Jazz, Hornets, Lakers and Blazers are coming. Beware.

Edited April 30, 2008 by Quoner

[UNT_92_Fan]

THis is just my take on the Galloway interview this afternoon...

Avery was not fully into the Kidd Trade. Devin Harris was looked at like a son and he admits his biggest regret is not getting him on the court sooner and shaping him sooner... doesn't sound like a guy that was on board with shipping him east to suck...

[Mean Green 93-98]

From a CBS Sportsline blog:

This just in: Mark Cuban's insane

And I like Mark Cuban, most of the time anyway.

But firing Avery Johnson was a stupid knee-jerk reaction to a problem that wasn't of Johnson's creation. Unless it turns out that Johnson was the primary force behind the season-killing trade of Devin Harris for Jason Kidd, he just took the fall for the Dallas front office, which thought older-and-slower was the best way to win the wicked West. New Orleans' Chris Paul blew a hole in that theory, running circles around decrepit Kidd, and Avery Johnson is the one who pays with a pink slip?

Unacceptable. Avery Johnson didn't go from coaching savant to idiot overnight. But if there's any karma in the NBA, the Mavericks will go from the playoffs to the lottery as quickly as Johnson went from coach of the year to unemployment.

Who's next in Dallas? No clue, but I hear Louisville's Rick Pitino has had his eye on an NBA return for some time. Neither side will confirm this -- in fact Pitino's spokesman flatly denies it -- but I've been told by multiple sources on the periphery that a representative of Pitino spoke with the Miami Heat about their recent opening. Don't be surprised if Pitino speaks with Cuban about this one.

Link

[Quoner]

THis is just my take on the Galloway interview this afternoon...

Avery was not fully into the Kidd Trade. Devin Harris was looked at like a son and he admits his biggest regret is not getting him on the court sooner and shaping him sooner... doesn't sound like a guy that was on board with shipping him east to suck...

It makes sense. But then again, Harris has had several quotes about how Avery's system held him back and he was glad to be out, so perhaps this is a bit of posturing as well on Avery's part.

Devin did not want to be there and Howard was doing everything in his power to get rid of his coach and show him up publicly. It is just a weird situation all around and probably one from which the franchise will not recover from fora few seasons.

One more thought on Brandon Bass - remember how much we all loved Marquis Daniels after he played well in a 5 game loss to Sacramento a few years ago? We all suck.

I also read on SI that Coach K and Tom Izzo could be contacted for this job. Would a Coach K led-Mavs team be the most hated team in the last five years?

[Green Mean]

It makes sense. But then again, Harris has had several quotes about how Avery's system held him back and he was glad to be out, so perhaps this is a bit of posturing as well on Avery's part.

Devin did not want to be there and Howard was doing everything in his power to get rid of his coach and show him up publicly. It is just a weird situation all around and probably one from which the franchise will not recover from fora few seasons.

One more thought on Brandon Bass - remember how much we all loved Marquis Daniels after he played well in a 5 game loss to Sacramento a few years ago? We all suck.

I also read on SI that Coach K and Tom Izzo could be contacted for this job. Would a Coach K led-Mavs team be the most hated team in the last five years?

I think Kobe would be totally shocked if we lured Coach K because he totally wanted Coach K to coach the Lakers when Jackson left. The arguably best player in the world could not lure Coach K in coming to the Lakers...I just cannot see Cuban being able to do it either.

[Green P1]

THis is just my take on the Galloway interview this afternoon...

Avery was not fully into the Kidd Trade. Devin Harris was looked at like a son and he admits his biggest regret is not getting him on the court sooner and shaping him sooner... doesn't sound like a guy that was on board with shipping him east to suck...

I find it extremely hard to believe that Cuban would have pulled the trigger on the 2nd and more expensive version of the Kidd deal were his head coach not eager for it to be done. I think Avery was dying to get Kidd in here because he assumed that an all time great PG would be perfect for HIS system. It seems to me that the only type of style Avery can/will coach is the style he himself played in SA.

[GreenBat]

I find it extremely hard to believe that Cuban would have pulled the trigger on the 2nd and more expensive version of the Kidd deal were his head coach not eager for it to be done. I think Avery was dying to get Kidd in here because he assumed that an all time great PG would be perfect for HIS system. It seems to me that the only type of style Avery can/will coach is the style he himself played in SA.

Not a bad style. It's produced four NBA Titles in the past 9 years.

Did you know Dallas is the only Texas-based NBA team not to have at-least two NBA World Championships?