Clippers eyeing Isiah as coach, GM

[JoRain]

this is just hilarious they finally get rid of Dunleavy and when it seems they can't do worse...

Clippers eyeing Isiah as coach, GM

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/Los-Angeles-Clippers-Isiah-Thomas-020510

NBA Hall of Famer and current men’s basketball coach at Florida International University Isiah Thomas has emerged as one of the candidates to run the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to a source close to the situation, the Clippers have reached out to Thomas -- who coached the Indiana Pacers and also the New York Knicks -- to take over coaching, general manager and president duties.

He would replace Mike Dunleavy, who was relieved of his coaching duties earlier this week but remains the general manager.

Thomas, 49, was hired this past April as the head coach at Florida International down in Miami.

He took over a downtrodden program that has endured nine consecutive losing seasons. FIU is 7-18 this season, but Thomas and his staff will add a talented recruiting class next fall that includes a Top 50 player.

Thomas was previously the owner of the CBA, head coach of the Pacers and also held the coach, GM and president positions with the New York Knicks.

A 12-time NBA All-Star in his 13-year NBA career with the Detroit Pistons, Thomas joined the Knicks as the president of basketball operations before taking over the head coaching job in 2006. He was 56-108 in two seasons before being fired in 2008.

The Los Angeles Clippers are 21-28 and in 12th place in the Western Conference. Top pick Blake Griffin has yet to play a game this season after suffering a season-ending knee injury.

I guess - be glad that Suns are owned by Sarver not Donald Sterling

 

[elindholm]

Bill Simmons is preparing to light himself on fire. His friends must be all over his case already.

 

[Sunburn]

Wow. Well he probably couldn't do any worse than he did in New York. Maybe he learned something. Still this organization is screaming for top level coaching and management.

 

[carey]

I seriously LoLd when I read this.

 

[slinslin]

To be fair Isiah Thomas gets a bit too much hate for his GM/Coach job. He made some bad decisions and some good decisions. He was just much more under the microscope than anyone else in New York and with a big name.

 

[JoRain]

To be fair Isiah Thomas gets a bit too much hate for his GM/Coach job. He made some bad decisions and some good decisions. He was just much more under the microscope than anyone else in New York and with a big name.

he drafted David Lee. Other than that, what other good decisions has he made?

 

[slinslin]

Drafting TMac for example.

He has a great overall drafting record actually I think.

 

[Sunshooter]

Good for another 4 teams

 

[tobiazz]

Isiah also drafted Marcus Camby at #2 in 1996 which was fairly controversial at the time. Camby has outlasted many of the guys taken after him even though some had better single seasons.

 

[Gaddabout]

I thought this was going to be a link to an Onion article, some over-the-top "how could the Clippers get worse" kind of deal.

Isiah has an eye for talent. He has no sense of chemistry or how the pieces fit. He ruined two teams, basically ... or made them worse in the case of the Knicks and bound them so they were going to be awful well after he was gone. I still can't believe he signed Vin Baker and Jared Jeffries. They didn't make sense at the time and the never did anything on the court to make me change my mind. And he traded the farm away for a broken Penny Hardaway and Stephon Marbury.

I wouldn't mind him on my draft team, but I wouldn't touch him as a GM or a coach.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Bill Simmons is preparing to light himself on fire. His friends must be all over his case already.

First thing I thought of as well.

 

[TucsonDevil]

To be fair Isiah Thomas gets a bit too much hate for his GM/Coach job. He made some bad decisions and some good decisions. He was just much more under the microscope than anyone else in New York and with a big name.

You can't be seriously defending him. He also ruined the CBA, and sexual harassed a female employee while with the Knicks. The guy is a joke.

 

[mojorizen7]

It's the CLIPPERS......this isn't shocking. They have no idea what kind of team they want to be(let alone build one)......and they're playing in LA.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Isiah also drafted Marcus Camby at #2 in 1996 which was fairly controversial at the time.

I know my memory isn't what it used to be but why in the world would that have been controversial? Camby was a dominant college player with legit height/length. I do remember the Damon pick being a little controversial but I don't recall any real concerns centering around Marcus (other than the agent issue but that surfaced later I believe).

Steve

 

[AzStevenCal]

To be fair Isiah Thomas gets a bit too much hate for his GM/Coach job. He made some bad decisions and some good decisions. He was just much more under the microscope than anyone else in New York and with a big name.

Actually I thought he was given more leeway in New York than anyone else would have received. And I'd be hard pressed to say that he was anywhere near .500 with his decisions. However, I do agree with your basic point. Many of his bad decisions were the result of trying to score big on gambles because he had an almost bottomless checkbook and an urgent timetable. He'd be facing a much different scenario in LA and he'd also have a much better payroll and roster to work with. If he gets the job and is given anywhere near the authority and freedom that Dunleavy had I think he'll do much better than Mike. He'll succeed at least until his ego gets the better of him again like it did in Toronto.

Steve

 

[hsandhu]

Bill Simmons is preparing to light himself on fire. His friends must be all over his case already.

Bill Simmons reaction to this will be EPIC

 

[tobiazz]

I know my memory isn't what it used to be but why in the world would that have been controversial? Camby was a dominant college player with legit height/length. I do remember the Damon pick being a little controversial but I don't recall any real concerns centering around Marcus (other than the agent issue but that surfaced later I believe).

Steve

I just remember radio guys saying he was good but he shouldn't have gone number two. I don't know if that was the general consensus but I heard it a few times.

 

[JCSunsfan]

To be fair Isiah Thomas gets a bit too much hate for his GM/Coach job. He made some bad decisions and some good decisions. He was just much more under the microscope than anyone else in New York and with a big name.

Isiah Thomas has been a disaster wherever he has managed or coached. Yes, he was under the microscope in NY, which made it even worse.