The Boston Herald (John Tomase) reports: The Phoenix Suns dealt away the draft rights to Rajon Rondo two years ago, and here’s what they have to show for it: cash. That’s it. Hopefully it was a lot of money, because Rondo may just go down as the steal of the 2006 draft. It’s amazing to think that the 22-year-old starting point guard for the world champion Celtics [team stats] could have been had for so little. On draft day 2006, the C’s sent Cleveland’s 2007 first-round pick, which they acquired for Jiri Welsch, to Phoenix for the rights to Rondo, the 21st overall pick out of Kentucky. A year later, the Suns then shipped that pick (No. 24, Rudy Fernandez) and James Jones to the Trail Blazers for cash considerations.
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Suns announce coaching staff
The Phoenix Suns today announced that Alvin Gentry, Bill Cartwright, Dan Majerle and Igor Kokoskov will join head coach Terry Porter’s staff as assistant coaches.
“We’re thrilled to have been able to put together an extremely bright and versatile staff,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr. “Alvin and Bill provide great knowledge and experience for Terry with both having been head coaches in the NBA. Igor has worked with Terry on the Pistons’ staff the last two years and brings a wealth of experience both on the NBA and international levels. Dan’s passion and work ethic will make a huge impact with our players. We’re excited to add to our staff one of the most tenacious players in franchise history.”
“In putting together this staff, I wanted to surround myself with coaches with bench experience, guys who are knowledgeable about both ends of the basketball court and are strong teachers of the game,” Porter said. “The coaches we selected are guys who have worked or played together and who I have competed with or against, so I’m confident we will have a great rapport from the very beginning. Steve and I wanted to put together a staff that is accustomed to winning. This is a championship-caliber organization and this staff has experience at competing for and winning championships.”
Including Porter, the Suns’ new coaching staff has a combined 24 Conference Finals appearances as players and coaches, 10 NBA Finals berths and six NBA titles.
Amare Stoudemire declines Olympic roster spot
The Arizona Republic (Paul Coro) reports: Suns star Amaré Stoudemire declined the opportunity to be an Olympian this summer for USA Basketball. Jerry Colangelo, managing director for the USA Basketball senior men’s national team, said today that Stoudemire is not on the 12-man Olympic roster that will be announced Monday in Chicago. “Amaré has pulled himself out of consideration for the roster and that’s predicated on, despite the fact that he’s had an injury-free year coming back (from knee surgeries in 2005 and 2006), he’s a little hesitant on pushing the envelope too hard,” Colangelo said.
Suns line up interviews for assistant candidates
The East Valley Tribune (Matt Paulson) reports: The Suns began the interview process in their search for assistant coaches on Tuesday, bringing in former Chicago Bulls head coach Bill Cartwright. Buck Williams, an ex-teammate of new coach Terry Porter, will interview today. One of the Suns’ top priorities in filling out Porter’s staff is hiring a former All-Star big man known for being strong defensively and a good rebounder — a coach who can help bring along Amaré Stoudemire’s development… Also on the Suns’ list are Alvin Gentry and Jay Humphries, holdovers from former coach Mike D’Antoni’s staff. Suns TV color analysts Dan Majerle, who played with Porter in Miami, and Eddie Johnson are expected to interview, along with former player Jeff Hornacek.
Shawn Marion decision must come soon
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Ira Winderman) reports: The biggest decision for the Heat might be one that is due two days before it exercises the No. 2 pick in the June 26 NBA Draft. The opt-out window for forward Shawn Marion closes at 6 p.m. June 24. By then, he must decide whether to play out the final season on his contract, at $17.8 million for 2008-09, or become a free agent July 1. The timing is no coincidence. In extending Marion a six-year, $80 million contract in 2003, the Phoenix Suns wanted a definitive decision from the versatile forward in advance of the 2008 draft.
Terry Porter Suns salary info
The East Valley Tribune (Jerry Brown) reports: New Suns coach Terry Porter will make about $2.3 million (with the possibility of some performance incentives) for each of the next three years – a little more than half of what former coach Mike D’Antoni ($4.5 million) was scheduled to make this season. Porter said he and Kerr would build the coaching staff together, and a defensive specialist wouldn’t be necessary since he would personally implement the philosophy. Alvin Gentry, D’Antoni’s lead assistant last season, is a candidate for the staff along with ex-Sun Jeff Hornacek and Jerome Kersey, Porter’s former teammate in Portland and an assistant when Porter was the head man in Milwaukee.
Phoenix Suns hire Terry Porter as new head coach
The Phoenix Suns named Terry Porter the 13th head coach in franchise history, the club announced today.
“We are excited to have Terry as our new head coach,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr. “He is a strong leader and communicator, as fans of the NBA have seen since his days as a point guard. He is a tough-nosed competitor. Those qualities only enhance his experience as a head coach and assistant and provide a tremendous foundation for him to lead our basketball team.”
In Porter’s 22-year NBA tenure, his teams have made a staggering 20 playoff appearances, including two trips to the NBA Finals (1990, ‘92), six appearances in the conference finals (‘90, ’91, ’92, ’01, ’07, ’08) and eight division championships (’91, ’92, ’99, ’01, ’02, ’03, ’07, ’08). The former guard’s career spans two seasons as a head coach (Milwaukee), three as an assistant coach (Sacramento, Detroit) and 17 as a player in the NBA (Portland, Minnesota, Miami, San Antonio). It includes experience under some of the most respected coaches in league history: Jack Ramsay (1985-86), Rick Adelman (1989-94; 2002-03), Flip Saunders (1995-98; 2006-08), Pat Riley (1998-99) and Gregg Popovich (1999-02).
Porter takes the reins of his second NBA team after serving as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. In his rookie campaign, Porter’s Bucks were the highest scoring team in the Eastern Conference (fourth-highest in the NBA) while committing the East’s fewest turnovers. Milwaukee earned a playoff berth that season before being defeated by the eventual NBA Champion Detroit Pistons. The loss of starting point guard T.J. Ford for the entire 2004-05 season limited the club to a 30-52 record the following year. In two seasons with the Bucks, Porter’s clubs went a combined 71-93 and were an impressive 50-32 at home.
Porter’s wide-ranging basketball expertise is evident on both sides of the floor. As a player, his teams in Portland (1985-95) and Minnesota (1995-98) ranked in the top four in scoring offense in nine of his first 13 NBA seasons, including a league-best 117.9-point average in 1986-87 with the Trail Blazers. His last four seasons were spent in Miami (1998-99) and San Antonio (1999-2002) with clubs that each finished in the top three in scoring defense. As an assistant coach with Sacramento in 2002-03, the Kings finished third in the NBA in scoring offense. Porter takes the Suns’ helm after serving the last two seasons (2006-08) as an assistant with Detroit, who ranked in the top two in scoring defense both campaigns, and allowed a league-low 90.1 points in 2007-08.
The Milwaukee native is a two-time NBA All-Star (1991, 1993) and won the 1993 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, an honor also earned by Suns legend Kevin Johnson (1990-91) and current guard Steve Nash (2006-07). In 17 NBA seasons as a player, Porter established career averages of 12.2 points and 5.6 assists in 1,274 games after originally being selected with the 24th overall pick of the 1985 NBA Draft by Portland. The 6-3 guard retired following the 2002 season with 7,160 career assists, 11th-most in NBA history, including 5,319 assists as a member of the Trail Blazers, which still stands as a franchise record. Porter also still holds the NBA Finals record for most free-throws made in a single game without a miss (15; June 7, 1990).
The youngest of six children, Porter received his degree in communications from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In 1999, he was given the university’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Brian Shaw won’t be next Suns coach
The Orange County Register (Kevin Ding) reports: One less thing for the Lakers to worry about next season, when they’ll only be expected to go 82-0 with Andrew Bynum on this team: Brian Shaw isn’t going to coach Shaquille O’Neal with the Phoenix Suns. Shaw told me after practice today that he got word from Suns general manager Steve Kerr that Phoenix is going in another direction. “He wanted to have a coach that had experience in terms of being a head coach,” Shaw said.
Suns want Barbosa to take summer off
The East Valley Tribune (Jerry Brown) reports via a blog: The Suns have asked Leandro Barbosa to take the summer off to rest and skip the 2010 Olympic qualifying tournament for his native Brazil. Barbosa has complained of some right knee soreness since the end of the season and will be returning to Phoenix in June to have the knee looked at again. But the Suns are confident that the problem is minor and will require only some rest over the summer.
InsideHoops.com says: It’s always tough to ask international players to skip big events, and the assumption is they don’t want to unless they really have to.
Knicks to announce D`Antoni hiring Tuesday
On Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET the New York Knicks will introduce Mike D’Antoni as the team’s new head coach.
D’Antoni is an interesting hire, because he’s famous for the run-and-gun Suns style of play, which wouldn’t work quite as well if big players like Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry will be involved.
I think people are making a bigger deal out of that then they need to. D’Antoni is obviously smart enough to know that a style that works for one team won’t necessarily work for another. I’m sure he’ll adapt to the roster, and hopefully get them to adapt to a style of play that’ll work for them and make the team better as a whole.