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ESPN: Kiki To Take the Reigns

by Tommy Dee on November 30th, 2009 at 6:46 pm

Via Marc Stein:

“…The New Jersey Nets are on the verge of naming general manager Kiki Vandeweghe as the replacement for fired coach Lawrence Frank, according to NBA coaching sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that Nets president Rod Thorn wants Frank’s replacement in place before Tuesday’s practice, and the word sweeping through league coaching circles Monday night was that Vandeweghe would take over for the rest of the season with longtime NBA coach Del Harris hired as a virtual co-coach.

Sources said Vandeweghe did not want to move to the bench, given his lack of head coaching experience, without a seasoned assistant. Harris was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1995 with the Los Angeles Lakers and has successful stints in Houston and Milwaukee as well. He served in a similar lead assistant/mentor role in Chicago last season to first-year Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro…”

I heard from a source yesterday morning that this would be the case, on the heels of AW’s report on Yahoo. There was initial interest in Mark Jackson, but it never got anywhere. The team also discussed, I was told, analyst Mike Fratello, because of his ability to handle young players but have settled on the ex-Knick Vandeweghe.

And again, should the Mikhail Prokorov situation go through, a source has told me that Ettore Messina may be his long term solution at head coach making him the first European head coach in NBA history.

David Blatt has been rumored for years to be a leading candidate to coach in the NBA as well, but has not been mentioned in these conversations.
  • Dave the Rave

    Rick Barry for coach! Time to shake things up! ; )

    If Mark Jackson wants a head coaching job, why isn’t he getting some training in the D league or at least as some pro team’s assistant coach?

  • bartnyk

    My mistake I thought this was theKNICKSblog.com

  • Myles A. Mills

    The Knicks play in a league called the NBA. Last time I checked they’re not the only team in it.

    The Nets are across the river and they play them four times a year. Plus, this coaching search and the outcome of this season for the Nets is directly related to their success in free agency this upcoming summer which affects the Knicks greatly.

  • Knicks4life

    Plus Kiki is an ex-Knick.

    Man we should have never traded the X-Man.

  • bockersORbriefs

    because Rave, there have been a host of successful head coaches who never did assistant or D-league type duty … Doc Rivers, Doug Collins, and, I think, Rudy T. I’d put my money on a guy like Jax being successful with his communication skills, knowledge of the league, and leadership as a top NBA floor general for more than 15 years.

    I think the deal that had Jax coaching the Knicks before D’ant became available was similiar to Kiki’s … a veteren coach as Mark’s top assistant.

  • Boots

    I may be wrong, but I seem to recall that X-Man walked on the Knicks.

  • Boots

    Yep, just checked. He signed as a free agent with the Celtics in 1992.

  • bockersORbriefs

    Hey, I say the Nets can be an attractive team in 2010 (even for us Knick fans) with these moves …
    1) sign FAs Boozer as the PF & Nate as the super sub.
    2) if lottery pick is top 5 but not # 1, draft Derrick Favors or Cole Aldrich to develop behind Brook & Boozer.
    3) if pick is # 1, take John Wall & trade Harris for a player & a late 1st rounder.
    4) hire Mark or Patrick head coach, with a former NBA head & the N-yet’s owner’s man as assistants.
    5) if moving to the BK gets squashed, move to the Rock … for future Jersey Transit/PATH train playoffs !
    6) sign Jersey native Al Buckets if he’s available for left over money.

    Potential 2010 Nyet rotation:

    Lopez – c
    Boozer – pf
    Al Buckets – sf
    Coutney Lee – sg
    Harris or John Wall – pg

    bench – KryptoN8, Terrance Williams, Yi, CDR, lotto pick Aldrich or Favors (if Wall isn’t picked with # 1 overall).

    and Marv Alpert with the play by play … damn, that’s a toatally better package than what the Knicks can present if LBJ, Wade, and Bosh stay put … thoughts ?

  • Mucha

    They are more attractive talent-wise but the lottery pick is the big difference in my opinion. What if the Knicks had John Wall, Danilo Gallinari and Jordan Hill to offer?

    Imagine :

    Wall
    Johnson
    Gallinari
    James
    Hill

    Yes the Nets have a better supporting cast to offer (Brook Lopez is a stud and they’ll pick a great prospect next summer), but they are not 0-17 for nothing. I think the pick makes the difference.

  • bockersORbriefs

    Mucha, the problem with your imaginary 5 is that LBJ is a long shot & it WON’T be possible to get Wall. The Nyet squad I projected is entirely plausible. That’s why Donnie Basketball’s blunder in not taking BJ3 (a critical position of need in D’ant’s offense) could go down as one of the worst draft screw ups in Knick history … and there have been a bunch !

  • Mucha

    That was my point, the Knicks will never be in a position to aquire John Wall and IT is the big difference between the Knicks and the Nets.

    Blue and orange LeBron James jerseys would already be on the market with a 2010 first round draft pick (John Wall, Willie Warren, Evan Turner) in my opinion.

    Obviously we WON’T have a lottery pick.

  • bockersORbriefs

    Hey, I think the Nets also have a 2nd 1st rounder (from Dallas) in 2010 as part of the Jason Kidd trade. Although that pick will be late in the 1st, maybe that can be a Knick target if we offer our 2nd rounder (at this pace it’ll be in the top 5 of the 2nd) and cash ….I mean ruples …

  • bartnyk

    Why wouldn’t NJ try and sign Wade or LBJ or Bosh or even Dirk why Boozer?

  • http://theKnicksBlog.com Tommy Dee

    Something I’ve been thinking for a while, tho Mucha. 5 million on the cap guaranteed…

    that’s why people think the nets have more cap space, they aren’t factoring in the rookie.

    That 5 million, to me, is more important for 2010 bc it can be spent on a playoff proven vet…

    obviously would like to be able to trade jeffries and have the pick

    just sayin

  • bockersORbriefs

    They can try, but I don’t see any the BIG 3 being lured to the swamp. That’s why I inserted Boozer, who fills a definite need with several other pieces already in place. And signing N8 would allow him to stay in the NY area spotlight as a crowd favorite at the ROCK or in the BK … It’s a realistic scenario for the Nyets … more realistic than some of the ones we Knick fans fantasize about …

  • Mucha

    Good point.

    I can’t front lol.

    But I’d rather spend 5 mill on John Wall or Willie Warren than a proven vet who’d ask for more than 5 mill (if he’s really a significant aquisition).

    I would sacrifice a 1B player for John Wall in less than a second.

  • Mucha

    The Nets are anti-fresh.

    LeBron wearing one of those ugly jerseys = end of the NBA.

  • josh h

    lol i totally agree. I feel like i get sent back 8 years everytime i step foot in the izod center

  • BiggieSmalls

    i thought the Nets were irrelevant and No free agents would sign there.

  • BiggieSmalls

    or Willie Warren for that matter.

  • HaS

    The Cavs jerseys are kind of wack too.

  • Dave the Rave

    Maybe….I would not hire anyone with no prior job experience. Frank proved he was a great coach. Replacing him with a nobody like Kiki is stoopid. The GM made the Nets the mess they are. Frank was their best asset.