Tag: Ty Lue

JJ Redick and Ty Lue are real options as the next Lakers coach, even if both feel unrealistic

JJ Redick and LeBron James do host a podcast together, after all.

Once the Lakers lost to the Nuggets in the postseason for the second year in a row, it was clear that Darvin Ham was likely out as head coach.

Even if Ham isn’t entirely to blame for all of the Los Angeles shortcomings, perhaps a change is necessary for next season. Assuming that happens, it is not like there is an obvious head coaching candidate waiting in the wings to take over.

Perhaps an assistant coach on the staff like Phil Handy could at least get an interview. But more likely than not, the next coach for the Lakers (assuming Ham is dismissed) is not currently employed by the organization.

RELATED: Darvin Ham is ‘highly unlikely’ to return as head coach of the Lakers, per reports. Here is why.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin recently joined The Dan Patrick Show to share more details:

“I would anticipate that there will be a coaching change there. You have to make that decision who that’s going to be to fill his role … Certainly LeBron’s opinion is weighed by Rob Pelinka when he goes about doing his business. He calls him a stakeholder … His influence matters.”

He also elaborated on why ESPN analyst JJ Redick and L.A. Clippers head coach Ty Lue are both “real” options:

“You get a guy with some cachet in JJ Redick. You would have pulled him off the number one broadcast team at ESPN and ABC right off the sidelines. Good-looking guy, looks good in a suit. They did this with Pat Riley many, many years ago. We saw how that worked out. JJ certainly is a real candidate if they do open up this coaching search. But I’d say there’s half a dozen folks out there, including possibly the guy who just lost last night against the Mavericks in Tyronn Lue. He has one year remaining on his contract. What’s going to happen with his deal for the Clippers? There will be a process there, there are several viable candidates that will get an interview.”

Redick and Lue both make a lot of sense for Los Angeles, especially with their connections to LeBron James.

RELATED: 5 candidates to coach the Lakers next season (including J.J. Redick!) if Darvin Ham is fired

While there are several other names who should earn consideration for the gig as well, Redick and Lue are probably near the top of the list.

There are concerns involving both candidates worth addressing, though.

It is clear that Redick and James have incredible chemistry together, especially when you listen to their Mind The Game podcast. But while obviously one of the smartest basketball minds in the media landscape right now, Redick does not have coaching experience beyond the youth level.

RELATED: LeBron James and J.J. Redick talking about court mapping on their new NBA podcast is outstanding

Redick has earned consideration as a head coaching candidates for NBA teams including the Raptors and (more recently) the Hornets. He could have options in basketball operations with the Pistons as well.

For a team on such a short timetable to win now as James gets closer to his retirement, a more experienced head coach could make more sense. Redick also has a good situation with his various media gigs, which may be hard to walk away from.

Lue, meanwhile, has plenty of coaching experience and he has also won championships as both a player and a head coach. He is, however, currently under contract with the crosstown rival Clippers.

Even if that is who James would potentially want as his coaching choice, who is to say that Lue would want the job after how it all played out last time he was candidate for the franchise?

He reportedly “felt insulted” by the Lakers when he interviewed with them in 2019. What has changed between then and now to make things right? We will find out based on how the next few weeks shake out for all parties.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1373]

Who would LeBron James want as his coach if he could choose?

If the Lakers fire head coach Darvin Ham, there is one man LeBron James would prefer to replace him.

This will be a big summer for LeBron James, and it could dictate how the remainder of his career plays out. For starters, he is set to represent the United States at the Summer Olympics in Paris, which will give him a chance to win his third Olympic gold medal.

More importantly, he can opt out of the last year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and become a free agent this summer. While plenty of people expect him to remain with them on a new contract, it will give him the opportunity to use his leverage and wield his power.

There is always the chance James pressures the Lakers to not only fire head coach Darvin Ham but also hire someone he prefers. One Eastern Conference executive believes that if James had his way, he’d have Ty Lue coaching him while remaining on the Lakers (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via Heavy Sports:

“If it was all up to LeBron, he’d have Ty Lue as his coach and he would do that with the Lakers,” the executive told Heavy Sports. “That’s his guy. Out of all the coaches LeBron has ever had, the one he singles out is Ty. Now he is in a position where he has free-agency on his side and he can maybe force the team to do something to get his guy if he gets fired.

“I think LeBron has a reputation for pulling strings and dictating moves, and that gets way overblown. Anyone who has worked with him will say, he is easy to work with. He has opinions and he will let you know and, really, you’d be crazy not to ask him his opinion. But he is not a puppet master like some people think.

“But if Ty Lue is available, I’d be really shocked if he did not push the Lakers to get him.”

Lue, of course, coached James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA championship in 2016. It was arguably the finest moment of James’ career, as his Cavs overcame a 3-1 series deficit to defeat a Golden State Warriors team that had won a league-record 73 games during the regular season.

The problem for him is that Lue is currently under contract for a Los Angeles Clippers team that is tied at 2-2 with the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. His contract runs through the end of next season.

However, a year ago, there were rumors that Lue was thinking of leaving the Clippers. If they flame out yet again early in the playoffs, those rumors could circulate again.

Lue was a backup point guard in the NBA for 11 seasons. He started his playing career with the Lakers during the 1999 season, and he won two world titles in 2000 and 2001 while playing alongside Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant.

Rajon Rondo on playing for Rick Carlisle, Doc Rivers, Ty Lue

Rondo even admitted his own coaching aspirations and his love for teaching the game.

Former Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo recently reflected on the effect of various coaches on his career during an interview with ex-NBAer JJ Redick, the host of the “Old Man and the Three” podcast.

The 2008 Celtics champ discussed how Doc Rivers helped him grow as a professional and manage playing with star teammates. He recalled how Doc allowed him to call plays during games, which gave him a unique perspective on managing the team’s dynamics.

He also mentioned Rick Carlisle’s non-traditional coaching style and Tyronne Lue’s attention to detail and preparation. Rondo even admitted his own coaching aspirations and his love for teaching the game.

To hear what the onetime Kentucky star had to say about the various head coaches he has had the privilege to play for, take a look at the clip embedded below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=590969556]

Every head coach to win the NBA Finals since 2015 has been fired except Steve Kerr

This is WILD.

As it turns out, winning a championship only goes so far as to help job security if you’re an NBA head coach.

After the Bucks moved on from coach Mike Budenholzer on Thursday, each coach who has won an NBA championship since 2015 except Golden State’s Steve Kerr is no longer with their respective teams.

Following an elimination during the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference, despite leading them to their first championship in franchise history, the Raptors moved on from Nick Nurse last month.

Ty Lue, who won a title with the Cavaliers in 2016, was fired by Cleveland in 2018. Although he won a championship in 2020, meanwhile, the Lakers fired Frank Vogel in 2022.

COACH TEAM YEAR STATUS
Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors 2015
Ty Lue Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 Fired (Oct. 2018)
Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors 2017
Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors 2018
Nick Nurse Toronto Raptors 2019 Fired (Apr. 2023)
Frank Vogel Los Angeles Lakers 2020 Fired (Apr. 2022)
Mike Budenholzer Milwaukee Bucks 2021 Fired (May 2023)
Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors 2022

The news about Budenholzer may not come as a surprise, though, after Milwaukee’s epic collapse against the Heat during the first round of the playoffs.

Nurse, as well as Milwaukee assistant Charles Lee and Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, are considered the top candidates to replace Budenholzer in Milwaukee.

[lawrence-related id=2051732,2047621]

Coaches around the league believe Sixers’ Tobias Harris is underrated

Coaches around the league believe that Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris is an underrated player.

NEW YORK–Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris remains one of the highest-paid players in the league, and he receives criticism for it, but he also remains one of the more productive players in the game.

He’s averaging 16.7 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 40.5% from deep and he continues to be a guy the Sixers can count on. Despite any role he’s given, Harris thrives in that situation.

He has gone from having to be the No. 2 scorer next to Joel Embiid to then having to be the No. 3 guy with the emergence of Tyrese Maxey and then he was bumped to No. 4 after the acquisition of James Harden. That could bother anybody, but Harris has accepted the change around him and he has excelled.

There are some coaches around the league who believe Harris is an underrated player as they have stated the following:

Ty Lue recalls being stepped over by Sixers legend Allen Iverson in the finals

Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue recalls being stepped over by Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson in the finals.

One of the most iconic plays in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers is Allen Iverson stepping over Los Angeles Lakers guard Ty Lue in the 2001 NBA finals. Iverson was sensational as he led the Sixers to a Game 1 win on the road.

The play everybody remembers came in overtime when Iverson was defended by Lue in the corner with Philadelphia leading by two points. Iverson then crossed over Lue, stepped back, drilled a tough jumper and then stepped over Lue as the Sixers went on to win.

Lue joined former Sixers guard JJ Redick on his “Old Man and the Three” podcast as he recalled the play:

It’s crazy because I’ll say, first of all, just growing up, and he’s only like two years older than me, but I still idolized him. Just coming into league, he was already in the league two or three years before me. It was Jordan then it was AI. That’s who I looked up to. 6-foot, braids, fast, so I don’t think I’ve ever said that, but I looked up to him. So having an opportunity, a chance to play against him in the finals, and he made the move and step over, but it wasn’t really a big deal. Like, people go crazy. He crossed me over, I fell down, then he shot, and he stepped. I mean, he snatched it back, I contested it, I fell and he stepped over me. I fell when I contested it. I fell into his foot, like, I rolled my ankle a little bit, fell down, he made a shot, and stepped over me like ‘Oh! That’s a step over!’ I’m like, ‘Okay, well, I mean, it’s AI’. That’s my guy, but like it’s not—he crossed me over, I fell, rolled over, he shot it, stepped over me. I mean, but no, it is what it is, but I think Doug Collins put a lot on it too though. Like ‘Oh! He stepped over him!’ and that add an extra to it and it became more and more but you know, it is what it is. You play hard, you’re gonna get dunked on, you’re gonna get crossed over, you’re gonna get a lot of things. And then guess what? I’ll always be in NBA history. They’re gonna show it all the time. So I’m always gonna be relevant no matter what happens!

Iverson mentioned he doesn’t like the video of him stepping over Lue because they are good friends. It’s good to see both sides are such good sports about the play in NBA history.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=70112]

[lawrence-related id=70120,70090,70084]

Gilbert Arenas warned Sixers not to hire Doc Rivers over Tyronn Lue

Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas warned the Philadelphia 76ers not to hire Doc Rivers over Tyronn Lue.

In two seasons as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, Doc Rivers has done a lot of good things on the sidelines for the team. He led them to the No. 1 seed in 2021, the franchise’s first since 2001, and he helped navigate murky waters in the 2021-22 season to win 51 games.

However, the Sixers have come up short in the playoffs. In 2021, they held a 26-point lead at home in Game 5 before blowing it to give the Atlanta Hawks a 3-2 lead, and then they lost Game 7 at home in the series.

Then Rivers made some comments about Ben Simmons when he was asked if Simmons can be a point guard on a championship team. Rivers answered with “I don’t know” and that set off a chain reaction as Simmons wanted out and that then led to him holding out and then he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden.

Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas warned Sixers GM Elton Brand not to hire Rivers when it came down to him or Tyronn Lue as Arenas pointed out on his podcast, “No Chill with Gibert Arenas”:

He was a losing coach before you gave him rock stars and then he won a championship now his legacy is built on that championship. Y’all value a championship. What did he do? After he won a championship. What did he do after that? Nothing. What has he done since then? Nothing. He has the same amount of talent. At least eight/nine years since then. He’s had impeccable talent on his team. What has he done with it? Nothing. You just standing on that one championship and I go about are you maximizing the player? Are you maximizing the talent? And that’s how I judge the coach. Are you maximizing? Are you putting the players in the right positions? If Elton Brand ever did an interview and he does an interview and he tells the truth, ask him. Ask him what I said. I said when he decided to get Doc, I said Doc is gonna ruin that team and Ben Simmons is gonna be out of there because he won’t know how to coach him when he hired him instead of Tyronn Lue.

Arenas’ points are valid. Rivers has had a ton of talent to work with as he has had the likes of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Joel Embiid, Simmons, and now James Harden since the 2008 championship. Yet, he has not reached the conference finals since 2012 with the Boston Celtics.

While Rivers has proven that he can get a team to the playoffs and have success in the regular season, he hasn’t proven that he can get a team over the hump outside of the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett-Ray Allen Celtics. It will be interesting to see what Rivers and the Sixers do to bounce back in the 2022-23 season.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=64491]

[lawrence-related id=64521,64509,64453]

Nebraska basketball prospect projected to be selected in the first round

Nebraska Basketball hasn’t had a first-round pick since 1998.

Now that the NBA Draft Lottery has been set, there are finally mock drafts able to project the entire first round of the NBA Draft. USA Today recently released their first-round mock, and it shows Nebraska basketball experiencing something that it hasn’t experienced since 1998, having a first-round draft pick. Bryce McGowens was projected to be taken by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 29th pick in the first round.

Nebraska Basketball has not had a first-round draft pick since Tyronn Lue was taken in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets. In fact, Nebraska has only three first-round selections in school history, with Eric Piatkowski being taken in the 1994 draft by the Indiana Pacers and Rich King being selected in the 1991 draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.

Tyronn Lue (10)

(AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Here’s what USA Today says about McGowens

29. Memphis
Bryce McGowens, Nebraska, guard, 6-7, 179, freshman

This draft is loaded with wings who like to beat their defender to the rim off the dribble. Count McGowens, is a skilled and versatile offensive player, in that group. McGowens, who played alongside his older brother, averaged 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds and shot 47.8% from the field. But he will need to become a better 3-point shooter

The NBA Draft will take place Thursday, June 23, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

Ty Lue and Daryl Morey might have the most random NBA feud in league history

NBA feuds are so petty and it’s awesome.

It’s normal to have a little spiciness flowing across the NBA. That’s what makes the league fun.

For example, you can’t tell me you didn’t really get a laugh out of Patrick Beverley trash-talking Russell Westbrook up and down the court when the Lakers played the Timberwolves.

Yes, we know Russ is great and he’s a Hall of Famer. But that’s legitimately funny. And that history there between them makes that interesting.

But there are times when there’s no apparent history there, yet it still feels like there’s beef. And that’s what this apparent thing between 76ers Team President Daryl Morey and Clippers coach Ty Lue feels like.

The two have been exchanging words through the media over the last few days and it feels…so random.

Let’s dig into it.

Watch our sneaker unboxing series, Special Delivery 

Clippers coach Ty Lue responds to Daryl Morey over criticism of Sixers stars

Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue responds to Daryl Morey about the criticism of the star duo for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The drama surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Clippers took another turn on Monday when Clippers coach Ty Lue took exception to Philadelphia president Daryl Morey’s comments in response to Lue.

This all started when Lue seemed to take a shot at Sixers stars Joel Embiid and James Harden for taking too many free throws which caused some issues for the Sixers. Morey then took to Twitter and responded to Lue by calling out the Clippers’ offense if it wasn’t for free throws.

On Monday, Lue explained his comments while also responding to Morey:

They took out of context. It was said like if we continue to foul those guys, they can score 50. We want him making field goals and not free throws because they’re crafty getting to the line, but in response to Daryl Morey, should he really be tweeting anything right now? The last time he tweeted he cost the NBA a billion dollars so I don’t think he should be doing too much tweeting. Just worry about his own team.

Lue, of course, was referring to Morey’s tweets about China while he was with the Houston Rockets. The saga between these teams seems to have reached its peak as they both look to move on.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=61842]

[lawrence-related id=61848,61839,61832]