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The Knicks have painted this as a Leon Rose-led decision, but few in league circles seem to be buying it. Rose and Thibodeau were close long before Rose became the Knicks' lead basketball decision-maker in March 2020. The Knicks, in fact, hired Thibs as their new coach entering the 2020-21 season at Rose's strong insistence. Dolan, meanwhile, has long been described by league observers well-acquainted with New York's organizational dynamics as a non-fan ... which some attribute to Thibodeau's connections as a staff member to what one source described as "the old Knicks." It's a reference to the Knicks' teams coached by Jeff Van Gundy in the late 1990s that, until the past five seasons with Thibs in charge, stood as the last previous successful era of Knicks basketball.
Hornets assistant Josh Longstaff among candidates for Suns head coaching job
Michael Scotto: Sources: Hornets assistant Josh Longstaff is among the candidates for the Suns head coaching job. He was an assistant for Bulls coach Billy Donovan, former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, Team USA for Jeff Van Gundy, Erie BayHawks head coach, a Knicks assistant, and worked for OKC.
When Celtics consultant Jeff Van Gundy left to join the Clippers’ coaching staff after Boston won the NBA title last June, Mazzulla asked president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to consider Waitzkin for the role. It would be an unusual move considering Waitzkin’s lack of basketball experience, but Stevens approved.
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A more thorough process is expected this time. The Suns could very well have potential candidates on current playoff teams like assistants Chris Quinn with the Miami Heat, Jeff Van Gundy with the Los Angeles Clippers, Jerry Stackhouse of the Golden State Warriors, Lloyd Pierce of the Indiana Pacers and Johnnie Bryant of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ty Lue on how much credit goes to Jeff Van Gundy for the team's defense: "All the credit"
Ivica Zubac becoming one of the league’s premier defensive anchors has helped. So have the additions of Dunn, Batum and Jones, all of whom are defensive-minded players. But ask anyone on or around the Clippers who’s most responsible for the team’s leap from 16th in defensive rating last season to third this season, and they all give the same answer: A bespectacled 63-year-old former broadcaster who, before this season, hadn’t coached an NBA game since 2007. “He’s changed the identity of our team,” Clippers wing Norm Powell said of Van Gundy. “His addition,” added Batum, “might have been the best of our offseason.”
Vinny Benedetto: Nothing on the Last Two-Minute report re: the Nikola Jokic vs. Jeff Van Gundy and Jasen Powell wrestling match late in regulation. The L2M's only missed call: Aaron Gordon should've been called for a foul on Kawhi Leonard in the final minute of overtime:
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Van Gundy joined forces with the team’s longtime trainer, Jasen Powell, to prevent Jokic from yanking the ball away in a bizarre interruption of Denver’s eventual Game 1 win. The visiting bench wasn’t issued a delay-of-game, despite Jokic’s protests. “I mean, my guys have gotta step it up. If we’re allowed to just grab the ball and stop plays from happening and it’s not a delay of game, what have we been doing all year?” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman said. “I was an assistant, so what was I doing all year? So if that is OK to do, and I guess that’s OK, then I guess we should start doing it. I’ve never seen that before, to be honest.”
Van Gundy, 63, joined Ty Lue’s staff in Los Angeles this season after being laid off by ESPN, where he was the network’s lead NBA color commentator for more than a decade. He has been a head coach for the Knicks, Rockets and Team USA. “He looked pretty good. I mean, he held his ground,” Nuggets guard Christian Braun said. “Held onto the ball pretty well. It’s pretty embarrassing for Jok. But he was in the weight room afterward, so that’s good.”
Jokic didn’t seem as amused by the situation as Adelman and Braun. The three-time MVP center alluded to his 2023 playoff incident with Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who famously flailed backward in a theatrical display after Jokic similarly tried to take the ball from him. The only difference was that Ishbia was technically a fan watching from a courtside seat, whereas Van Gundy and Powell are officially team personnel. Jokic was issued a technical foul for the Ishbia incident. “It seems like it’s part of basketball nowadays,” Jokic said Saturday. “I think definitely, it’s not supposed to happen. Because I think the NBA wants to make a quick-speed game. Inbound the ball quicker. Because that was definitely emphasized before the season. They said that sometimes when I (tie) my shoes and this and that, and steal a couple of seconds, they said that I cannot do that anymore. But it seems like they can do it.”
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