More Coaches May Hit Unemployment Line

Around the NBA, the coaching carousel continued to turn last week, with Brian Hill going toes up in Orlando.

A prime nominee for the ride no coach wants to take seems to be the Philadelphia 76ers’ Johnny Davis, who is expected to last until season’s end, but no longer.

Now Indiana’s Larry Brown is sounding as if he won’t be far behind.

“I’m sitting here watching, and I don’t see any passionate play,” he said of his Pacers.

“I’m talking about effort and unselfishness and responsibility, and that’s on me. They fire coaches all the time and move on. If I’m my owner or general manager and looking at our team, I’d be sick to my stomach.

“Coaches get a lot of credit when things go good, and I really, truly believe, when the team doesn’t respond, you can’t look anywhere else. Especially now, with the kind of athletes we have and longterm contracts and guaranteed money, you’ve got to look at the coach.”

Is it more difficult to coach in the NBA now - what with the players more in charge and the money so huge, the pressure to win coming more quickly?

Ask Hill. He guided the Magic to the Eastern Conference title two seasons ago but was fired as the result of a revolt by his players.

“It’s hard every time a coach goes down,” Miami’s Pat Riley said after Hill’s firing. “Based on his record, what he’s done in that organization, it’s unfair. But there’s no such thing as that. As soon as the next bad (loss) comes along, you’re on the block.”

Quotables

“Even the smallest mouse, when backed into the corner, will come out fighting for its life.” - Vancouver coach Stu Jackson explaining a loss to a Mavericks team with only eight men.

“I don’t think you’ll ever see a different Shawn Bradley. I think you have to accept some players for what they are.” - Former NBA coach and TNT analyst Chuck Daly.