Brown’s future still an issue
Larry Brown made a hasty exit at practice Monday before anyone asked him about the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are eager to become Brown’s next employer.
But while Brown stayed silent on the issue, the rest of the league couldn’t stop talking about a major subplot to the Eastern Conference finals that was threatening to become a distraction to the Detroit Pistons.
Trailing 2-1 to the Miami Heat in the series that resumes tonight, the Pistons were trying to keep their minds on the task at hand while at the same time dealing with questions about the uncertain future of their coach.
The latest report said the Cavaliers had asked Brown to decide by Monday whether he would become their president of basketball operations. Brown is known to have had discussions with Cavaliers’ representatives, but he also has been insistent that he wants to address a health problem after the season ends before deciding exactly what his next career move will be.
“All the stuff that I’ve been hearing is he-say, she-say, because obviously if it was true he’d let us know,” said Tayshaun Prince, who said the issue would only grow into a problem if Brown failed to keep his players informed.
Reached Monday by the Associated Press as he watched a Star Wars movie with his daughter, Brown refused comment other than to say: “If I’m healthy, my goal is to be the coach of the Detroit Pistons. That’s the only thing that’s really real.”
Of course, the other thing that’s real for the Pistons is trying to find a way to even the series and avoid going back to Miami in a 3-1 deficit.
Miami got 36 points from Dwyane Wade, 24 from Shaquille O’Neal and 19 from Eddie Jones in Game 3, and the Heat’s 113 points were the most scored against the Pistons since Philadelphia had 115 in the third game of their first-round series. Detroit bounced back in Game 4 against the 76ers and quickly finished off Philadelphia, and the Pistons turned around their second-round series against Indiana in Game 4 after falling behind 2-1.
Detroit also came back from deficits of 3-2 against New Jersey in the second round last year and 3-1 against Orlando the previous year.
“Regardless of how dangerous it is, we’re in that position and we’ve got to respond,” said Lindsey Hunter, whose defense against Wade stifled the Heat’s emerging superstar over parts of the third and fourth quarters before Miami pulled away down the stretch.
Brown said he would again use Hunter on Wade, though he would not commit to using Hunter more than the 13 minutes he played in Game 3.
Cavs nab Pacers’ top assistant
Indiana Pacers associate head coach Mike Brown is going from coaching one high-school-to-the- NBA All-Star to coaching another one in the same division.
Brown has agreed to a four-year deal reportedly worth about $9 million to coach LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. A press conference is expected this week.
“He’s got the whole package and he’s been great for our franchise,” Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said.
Among his protégés was former prep star Jermaine O’Neal.
“There’s no doubt in my mind he was the perfect pick for Cleveland and LeBron James. He’s technically sound and he’s close with the players, that makes a great coach. This is the start of a good coaching career. In our franchise, we like to see our people get opportunities elsewhere if they can’t get them here.”
Houston prep commits to agent
High school star guard Gerald Green has hired an agent after applying last month for early entry in the NBA draft.
The 6-foot-8 shooter from Houston’s Gulf Shores Academy picked Andrew Vye of Atlanta-based Kauffman Sports Management, Green said in a release Monday.