NBA Betting: Who Will Be the Next Coach of Cleveland Cavaliers?
by Bovada Sportsbook Staff | May 16, 2014
The head coaching job for the Cleveland Cavaliers was a pretty in-demand gig from about 2003 through 2010. Why those years? Some guy named LeBron James played in Cleveland then and any coach worth his salt would have loved to coach James and have a chance to win a title, even if he didn’t want to live in Cleveland.
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Since James left in the summer of 2010 for Miami, the Cavs’ job has been one of the worst in the NBA. The team hasn’t sniffed a .500 record in the following four seasons, the front office has undergone a few makeovers and owner Dan Gilbert has gotten a bad rap around the NBA for how he torched James’ decision to leave his native state.
Gilbert fired Mike Brown after the 2009-10 season, something he later admitted he regretted. The Cavaliers replaced Brown with Byron Scott, but he was dumped after the 2012-13 season with a record of 64-166 in three seasons. In a pretty surprising move, Gilbert then hired Brown back before this season. LeBron had always liked Brown so it was perhaps seen as step one in an attempt to lure James back to Cleveland as a free agent this summer.
Despite a talented roster that included the early-season trade for Bulls All-Star forward Luol Deng, the Cavaliers were one of the biggest disappointments with a record of 33-49 in a season that Gilbert had all but guaranteed would end in a return to the playoffs. So, Brown was fired and now Gilbert has to pay him
four more seasons at $5 million each.
Who will replace Brown? Gilbert has very deep pockets and will likely aim high as he always has. For example, he once tried to lure Tom Izzo from Michigan State (Gilbert’s alma mater) and nearly succeeded. Already there is talk the Cavs are hoping to talk to Kentucky coach John Calipari, who is tight with LeBron. But if Coach Cal wouldn’t take the Lakers job, he’s not going to coach in Cleveland unless James guarantees his return. That’s not happening.
Bovada has released odds on the next Cleveland coach. There are a few reasons it would be a decent job. There’s young point guard Kyrie Irving, plenty of salary cap room and another lottery pick this season. Here’s a look at each contender.
Adrian Griffin (2/1): The former NBA player, once involved in a blockbuster trade involving the Cavaliers (he was a big part), has been an assistant with the Bulls under Tom Thibodeau since 2010. He interviewed for jobs with Philadelphia and Detroit last year but lost out. It’s simply a matter of time before someone hires Griffin.
Mark Jackson (9/4): Of course Jackson was recently fired after a very successful tenure with the Golden State Warriors. Jackson’s players loved him and he was more let go because of off-court reasons. He helped improve Steph Curry so maybe he can do the same with Irving.
George Karl (4/1): He was out of the NBA this season after winning Coach of the Year honors in 2012-13 with Denver. Karl has won everywhere he’s been – other than Cleveland. He spent his first two years as a head coach (1984-86) going 61-88 there.
Alvin Gentry (5/1): Current Cleveland GM David Griffin used to be an executive with the Suns and Gentry, an assistant with the Clippers. He was fairly successful (145-116) as a head coach there in four-plus seasons.
Mike D’Antoni (13/2): No one questions that he’s an offensive guru, but his previous two jobs, with the Knicks and Lakers, didn’t end well.
Lionel Hollins (7/1); Hollins led Memphis to 56 wins and a spot in the 2013 Western Conference Finals but wasn’t brought back this season. Hollins already has made it known he’d like the job.
Mike Brown (600/1): Maybe he has embarrassing photos of Gilbert or something that would convince the owner to hire him a third time? Wouldn’t that be a story!
