Tag: analyst

One word for $1 million? (UPDATE: Or maybe not)

It is the basic rule of thumb for NBA players and coaches when it comes to drawing technical fouls. If you’re going to get teed up, make sure to get your money’s worth.

A tech, after all, results in a fine of at least $2,000.

Then there’s Chad Buchanan, interim general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers, who nearly got his team fined $1 million for saying one word.

“Yeah.”

This, (via ):

Witness a recent interview with Trail Blazers acting General Manager Chad Buchanan. When it was observed that it’s too bad there is no summer league scheduled, Buchanan replied, “Yeah.”

Shortly thereafter, the league threatened Buchanan with a $1 million fine, according to one source.

While the NBA lockout is in effect, the league office has dictated that team employees refrain from publicly talking about any aspect of it. That, apparently, includes agreeing with someone else’s observation. No word yet on how high the fine might have been if Buchanan had simply nodded his head at the Portland Tribune reporter. Or winked. Or offered a pre-arranged series of elaborate hand gestures (“Three claps means, ‘Yeah.’ “)

In the end, it appears the Trail Blazers weren’t actually assessed the $1 million fine. It was just David Stern’s friendly way of reminding team employees to keep their traps shut.

All this is to explain why you won’t be hearing so much as a peep from the Spurs front office for as long as the league’s labor impasse lingers. Not exactly the most gregarious types when it comes to discussing their roster plans with the media, general manager R.C. Buford and his band of mystery men are probably happy to have Stern prohibit them from conducting press briefings for the time being.

As far as we can tell, however, TV analyst Sean Elliott is free to continue to complain about officiating while on the golf course.

THURSDAY UPDATE: Apparently, Buchanan had more to say about the loss of Summer League than just, “Yeah.”  , he is quoted three times. Buchanan’s comments are fairly innocuous, but they do amount to a bit more than one word. It appears this story, which made the Internet rounds Wednesday, might be an example of lockout boredom run amok.

Lacob explains why he picked Jackson over Budenholzer for Warriors job

Golden State majority owner Joe Lacob personally interviewed three candidates before hiring ABC-TV analyst Mark Jackson as his new coach.

Others who were interviewed include Spurs lead assistant Mike Budenholzer and New Orleans assistant Michael  Malone.

Tim Kawakami in the San Jose Mercury-News mentions that Lacob to hire Jackson. Malone was close to joining Mike Brown’s new staff with the Lakers. But Lacob apparently sped up the process to hire Jackson and also add Malone to his staff as his lead assistant.

Dallas lead assistant Dwane Casey was left out because of Lacob’s determination to get the hiring done quickly.

Lacob had some interesting comments about his interview with Budenholzer. Here’s what he told Kawakami about it.

-Q: You flew out to talk to a Spur assistant coach…

-LACOB: That was one of them.

-Q: What was the tenor of the conversation like with Budenholzer when you met him?

-LACOB: It was a long, long conversation, because he was late in the process. I think he is technically a very good coach. Excellent.

I didn’t think he was the right fit for our organization at this time. I think he fits very well in the San Antonio organization. He’s been there for 15 years. I think he’s a very, very good coach. He was strongly in consideration, but he’s not the guy we chose.

Sometimes, it turns out that the best moves are the ones that aren’t made.

Budenholzer received a valuable lesson in job interviewing with his dalliance with the Warriors. He comes back to San Antonio as the favorite and most popular choice among most in Spurs Nation to replace Gregg Popovich with the Spurs when he hangs up his whistle.

It’s a lot cheaper to live in San Antonio than San Francisco. Budenholzer’s kids get to remain in their schools.  

That’s not a bad consolation prize.

Maxwell has harsh assessment of Shaq’s eroding physical skills

Boston analyst Cedric Maxwell didn’t have much good to say about Shaquille O’Neal’s return to the lineup in Game 3 of the Celtics’ playoff series with Miami.

O’Neal has been hobbled with an injured calf since he was hurt in early April. And when he returned to action Saturday, the 39-year-old Neal hobbled like he was too heavy and too old, according to Maxwell. O’Neal produced two points, an assist and a steal in eight plodding minutes.

“He looks bad. If he was a horse, they would take him out right now and he’d be glue tomorrow,” Maxwell said on . “He can’t run and physically he’s limping on that leg. Here’s a tremendous athlete who’s played all his career and has not had these kind of problems. 

“At the end of the day if you have a bald spot on one of your tires your car isn’t going to run right. And that’s a bald spot on the tire for him. Essentially, he looks like he’s got one of those walking boots on when you break your toe.”  

Yes, that’s the same Cedric Maxwell who used to wave the towel for everything Boston back in the day.

Now, he’s too busy snapping it on O’Neal’s hobbling and heavy frame as the Celtics prepare for Monday’s game against the Heat.