<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Silas is extremely hot free agent on market -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Marc Stein ESPN.com DALLAS -- Just days since his dismissal by the New Orleans Hornets, Paul Silas has already emerged as a highly coveted coaching free agent. Silas, in Dallas at the invitation of Mavericks coach and former Celtics teammate Don Nelson, told ESPN.com that he will interview with the Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers in coming days. At Nelson's behest, Silas arrived in town Thursday to serve as a playoff consultant for the week. Silas will fly with the Mavericks this weekend for Games 3 and 4 in Sacramento and then proceed to L.A. to meet with the club that gave him his first coaching job in 1980. The Clippers were based in San Diego at the time, but Silas was still coaching the team when Donald T. Sterling assumed ownership control. "Elgin (Baylor) gave me a call to come in and talk about things," Silas said of his forthcoming California trip. "I've worked there before, so we'll see where that goes. I'm also going to meet with the Cavaliers." The Clippers and Cavaliers still have interim coaches in place: Dennis Johnson and Keith Smart, respectively. The Cavaliers, though, announced shortly after the season that they plan to include Smart as part of a full-scale search, and ESPN.com reported Monday that Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund is leaning toward a veteran presence to succeed Smart, in the mold of Memphis' Hubie Brown. Gund made a rare road trip to Memphis earlier in the season to do a little Hubie research of his own. After a chaos-filled season, the Cavaliers need a strong coaching presence -- doubly so if they win the May 22 lottery and the right to draft Ohio native LeBron James with the No. 1 overall pick. James is expected to attract more scrutiny than any high school-to-the-pros rookie in NBA history, especially if he winds up in his home state. "A kid like that only comes around only every so often," said Silas, who turns 60 in July. "He's got the potential to be truly great, but he's going to need some guidance and some fatherly love. And that's what I would give him." The Mavericks, meanwhile, continue to insist that Silas isn't auditioning for a future role with Dallas, even with the coaching portion of Nelson's contract expiring at the end of the season. Nelson's contract calls for three more years as general manager and five more seasons beyond that as a consultant, but Mavericks owner Mark Cuban -- while insisting he won't address Nelson's status until the off-season -- said recently that "there is no reason to think (Nelson) won't be back" as coach. Silas watched Thursday's Mavericks-Kings game from the stands, a few rows off the floor at American Airlines Center. Back in New Orleans, speculation on Silas' replacement continues to center on TNT analyst Mike Fratello, a longtime colleague of Hornets co-owner Ray Wooldridge. </div> Hey...it'll be good to see him go to Cavs/Clips
i think he'd be very good for a young team, such as cavs and clippers, i think he can give enough discipline to the younger guys that would help them learn.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting "sunsfan1357":</div><div class="quote_post">I'd like to see him in Clevland to knock some sense into Ricky Davis.</div> id like to see him come to TO and knock some sense into VC
How do you know, your unreliable. you also said Shaq would retire next year! I think the chances of him becoming a raptors coach is still very high.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting "pchotsauce":</div><div class="quote_post">LOL HE'S NOT GOIN TO TO....jeez...raptor fans r so anxious to get a coach that doesn't belong</div> first of all, back up why hes not going to come, and explain why he doesn't belong. He is a free agent coach, and the raps are looking for one... so how the hell r u so sure.
He's good with young talent so come to Utah Paul, ....They wont have Stock/Malone and their hole team apart from Andre Miller and Tag will have under 5 years experience. Hopefully Jerry goes so the Stock+Malone+Sloan=Playoffs formula can be 100% efficient. And I want to see something different to a pick and roll.
i hope chris wallace becomes a hot on the market now that danny ainge is the president. anything to get him out of boston
The only thing i can think of is the Raps needing a new Head coach. better be Silas, JVG, or detroits assistant head coach.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">first of all, back up why hes not going to come, and explain why he doesn't belong. He is a free agent coach, and the raps are looking for one... so how the hell r u so sure.</div> For the most part I have seen Rap fans explain that Silas and Lenny Wilkins have too similar of styles when coaching so getting Silas would be like going through Lenny Wilkens part two.
stupid decision by the hornets to let him go. their supposed reasons were that silas hadn't taken the hornets to the level they wanted. the question one has to pose is: who could have done better with what silas had to work with? especially with injuries and all. he'd gotten an improvement every year as well out of the team, and the players loved playing for him - the hornets will regret this majorly
especially when they get a top 10 pick in the draft because they missed the playoffs. Nice to see you posting so often Sir Desmond. Hope to see you stick around
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting "Phi_Slamma_Jamma":</div><div class="quote_post">especially when they get a top 10 pick in the draft because they missed the playoffs. Nice to see you posting so often Sir Desmond. Hope to see you stick around</div> haha thanks - i just changed from slamonline forums to here instead, it's a lot friendlier here just catching up with the latests topics here
the hornets are making a mistake letting silas go. without him PJ Brown is likely gone and the hornets are probably going to enter the draft without a headcoach in place. silas showed he can coach and get the most out of his players, he also had to deal with several injuries to his star players over the year. i wouldn't be surprised if silas waits a year and sees what's available. i think the pacers, nets, bucks, wizards, and the new charlotte franchise might be available next season. i doubt he wastes his time as an assistant coach and i also don't see him going to the raptors or clippers. i think the raptors will sign a young coach and not spend millions on a head coach unless they can get JVG. the clippers have too many question marks and the ownership is not interested in winning, it's interested in making money.
agreed shapecity. silas likely won't waste his time with the clippers or the raptors, and jobs will open up. how long will doug collins stick around tho? the way he was influenced by jordan can't help his cause with abe pollin...
i don't think Collins has the support of his players either, which usually means change. especially since it's the younger players who are not agreeing with him. i don't think he makes it through the season next year. wes unseld is also gone, which doesn't help the doug collins cause, but is great news for wizards fans. he has made some of the worse trades.
