Iavaroni fired

[cordobes]

Report: Grizzlies let go of head coach Iavaroni

By NBA.com staff reports
Posted Jan 22 2009 10:33PM
A source tells TNT's David Aldridge that the Memphis Grizzlies have fired head coach Marc Iavaroni. Assistant coach Johnny Davis will take over the team on an interim basis, the source said.
The Grizzlies are currently on a seven-game losing streak with an 11-30 record. They have lost 15 of their last 17 games and in last place in the Southwest Division. Iavaroni's overall record in Memphis was 33-90.

Iavaroni is a 17-year veteran of the NBA as both a player and coach and was hired as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies on May 31, 2007. For Iavaroni, this was his first head coaching position in the league.
Prior to joining the Grizzlies Iavaroni spent the previous five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, during which time they made four trips to the NBA Playoffs, including two appearances in the Western Conference Finals. Over the course of the five seasons Iavaroni spent with the Suns, the team compiled an impressive regular season record of 250-160 (.610).

Interim head coach Davis has over 30 years of NBA experience. He was head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers for the the 1996-97 campaign (22-60) before joining the Grizzlies as an assistant coach.
Iavaroni's firing makes him the seventh NBA head coach to be fired this season. Reggie Theus, Sam Mitchell, Maurice Cheeks, Eddie Jordan, Randy Wittman and P.J. Carlesimo were also let go by their organizations.

Good news. They were playing very uninspiring, boring, selfish basketball. Plus, the defence was not good. Maybe now the other players besides Gayo will have a chance to touch the rock here and there.

[orrzor]

I don't get how an assistant from the Suns could've had such a bad offense. He had the athleticism in Gay and Mayo to have a special offense I thought. Maybe he let them dominate things too much and they don't share the ball enough? It did seem like they used a lot of isolation plays.

[nickagneta]

Well, that's one smart move. Now if Chris Wallace just fires himself, everything might work out for the Griz in a few years after all. It amazes me to think that this franchise won 49 games just two and a half years ago.

[Andy Jick]

i don't know what some of these gm's expect...

they put together a roster of 1) crappy players, or 2) kids with no nba experience and expect a miracle worker to come and make them winners when they honestly have no chance at winning.

iavaroni is a good coach and i hope he lands on his feet somewhere, most likely as a top assistant.

if you watched the orlando game tonight doug collins made a great point (on the tnt broadcast) praising danny ainge for sticking with doc rivers as his coach, allowing him to stay and build this thing in boston.

but chris wallace is proving himself to be a moron, and apparently this guy who was so smart with the heat should just stick to writing his blue ribbon basketball magazines out of his basement because he doesn't know his head from a hole in the ground when it comes to actually assembling an nba roster.

[Who]

Iavaroni had too many voices in his head (D'Antoni, Sloan, Riley, Cunningham) .... never decided what type of coach he wanted to be.

[KCattheStripe]

The Grizz have some real weapons and could be very good in the future. Gay may never be a superstar but he's still getting 20 or so a night even with Mayo controlling the offense. Marc Gasol can really play and is a fantastic third piece to build around.

[Brickowski]

I was totally underwhelmed with Mayo when I saw the Grizz play this week.  He's only a rookie and already a coach killer.  He's selfish.  The Griz don't pass the ball at all.  Mayo dribbles the ball up and shoots while the other 4 guys stand around.  Terrible.

The league has a new Iverson.  Manhattan will be under water before any team with Majo wins consistently.  Oh, he'll have great individual stats, but at the expense of his team.

[wdleehi]

I just remember everyone being in love with him to be a head coach.

[Donoghus]

I just remember everyone being in love with him to be a head coach.

He was definitely one of those hotshot coaching prospects.  Can't say I'm terribly surprised at this development, though.

[QuinielaBox]

Iavoroni shoulda used Antione Walker 

That was his only mistake.

Seriously, the parts don't fit in Memphis and I don't see any plan down there. What is going on Chris Wallace?

(Well, Quin, we don't use a PG in our system and we traded Joe Forte to Seattle for financial reasons)

[RebusRankin]

I agree with Andy. If you give a coach nothing to work with, what do you expect?

[cordobes]

I agree with Andy. If you give a coach nothing to work with, what do you expect?

Right, but at least they could try to play basketball. Marc Gasol said that they had no idea what to do on the floor, that they were playing like chickens with the heads cut and everybody was making excuses. That's on Iavaroni. One thing is to loss games, another one is to run clearouts for 2 players 95% of your offensive possession.

[nickagneta]

Iavoroni shoulda used Antione Walker 

That was his only mistake.

Seriously, the parts don't fit in Memphis and I don't see any plan down there. What is going on Chris Wallace?

(Well, Quin, we don't use a PG in our system and we traded Joe Forte to Seattle for financial reasons)

Quin I thought the strategy in Memphis was quite clear. Wallace is going to screw up the franchise and then he's going to have the owners hire Danny Ainge to come in, be his boss, and clean up the pathetic mess that's left. Wallace figured it worked in Boston, why not Tennessee?!

[Brickowski]

Memphis actually has some good pieces.  I like Marc Gasol, and I'm still high on Conley.

Unfortunately, those are the only two guys who play any semblance of team basketball. The others are immature gunners who never saw a shot they didn't like.  Mayo, Gay and Warrick are the three biggest culprits.  It's really awful to watch.

I will point out that MN, with Love, has won 8 out of 10, even though people here and elsewhere have endlessly bashed McHale for being a horrible GM, just like they are bashing Chris Wallace now.  The difference is, MN is playing together, particularly after Mc Hale wisely sent McCants to the end of the bench.  And they've done it without Corey Brewer.

Memphis, with Mayo, is 1-9 over the same stretch, and after watching the Grizz and Mayo play last week, I'm surprised it wasn't 0-10.  I never saw such horrible team basketball. Mayo isn't a point guard, he's a gunner without a conscience.

[QuinielaBox]

Iavoroni shoulda used Antione Walker 

That was his only mistake.

Seriously, the parts don't fit in Memphis and I don't see any plan down there. What is going on Chris Wallace?

(Well, Quin, we don't use a PG in our system and we traded Joe Forte to Seattle for financial reasons)

Quin I thought the strategy in Memphis was quite clear. Wallace is going to screw up the franchise and then he's going to have the owners hire Danny Ainge to come in, be his boss, and clean up the pathetic mess that's left. Wallace figured it worked in Boston, why not Tennessee?!

DOH!

Perhaps, Chris Wallace is hoping that Jim O'Brien will get fired in Indiana so he can hire Jim O'Brien back and they can go bombs away from the 3 point line.