They’re arguably the two most successful coaches in NBA history, regular season and playoffs. Yet neither the Bulls’ Phil Jackson–first overall in regular-season and playoff winning percentage–nor Miami’s Pat Riley–second in regular-season and fifth in playoff winning percentage–has been asked to guide either of America’s premier showcase basketball teams, the NBA Dream Teams that compete in the world championships and the Olympics.
“I think philosophically and historically, I’m a little bit of a maverick over there,” Jackson said, referring to USA Basketball officials, who select the coaches. “I don’t know if that’s it or not. But they also understand I’m a private person in a lot of ways and I have a style of coaching that’s probably not applicable to short-term All-Star teams.”
Said Riley: “I’ve thought about it. I think just about any coach would love to do it. But I think sometimes they take a look at coaches they want for a particular scenario, so I don’t know if they want a hard-driving taskmaster for that. I get the feeling they don’t.”
The question comes up now as USA Basketball gets set to name the final two players for the team that will compete in the world championships this summer in Greece. Tim Duncan of the Spurs is considered a certainty. The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant was a strong possibility, but concern over his selfish play in the NBA All-Star Game may have hurt his chances.
That could open the way for Dallas’ Michael Finley or Boston’s Antoine Walker, with the league hoping to promote young stars leading up to the 2000 Olympics in Australia.
It would be logical that Riley or Jackson coaches that team, following Chuck Daly, Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson and now Rudy Tomjanovich as Dream Team coaches.
Both wonder if they’ll ever get the chance.
Jackson concedes he’s never truly wanted to coach an Olympic team because the Bulls’ seasons have extended so long and because of some of the stories he’s heard.
“I think it puts undue strain on the coach,” he said. “I looked at the Don Nelson situation (in 1994) and the ordeal he went through with that group. It didn’t look like any fun for him. It got to be a little bit of a mess. But no, I’ve never been asked.”
And neither has Riley.
“I would like to one day,” Riley said. “For some reason, I’m not in the mix. I mean, I’m an easygoing guy now.”
T-wolves sag: Minnesota has stumbled to the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, and it may be just one more playoff season after this for the promising young team. The Timberwolves had lost 11 of 16 after falling to Dallas last week, and 11 of their last 15 on the road.
“We’re lucky we played well and built up a little cushion for the playoffs,” coach Flip Saunders said. “Mentally, we’re as worn down as we’ve been all year. They’re trying to get to the reserve tank, and right now the reserve tank is running on fumes.”
The bigger problem is the expected ramifications of Kevin Garnett’s $126 million contract. Ownership isn’t expected to retain free agent Tom Gugliotta, who is out the rest of the season after ankle surgery, and Stephon Marbury probably will leave as a free agent after next season.
“I don’t think, in a market our size, we can pay three guys at the top of this thing,” owner Glen Taylor said. “Can you sign three guys and be profitable? Maybe two, but not three. I think it would be very hard at these levels. We are not losing money (now). But I think we could go right down the same road.”
Garnett said he was “disappointed because of the commitment they said they were going to make. That makes it a little difficult. It ain’t like he ain’t got it.”
Spin doctors: They can’t win games, but they can make them sound better. The Golden State Warriors hired high-powered public relations firm Burson-Marsteller to held rebuild the team’s image in the wake of the Latrell Sprewell-P.J. Carlesimo incident.
Team counsel Robin Baggett called it “a kind of physical examination for the organization,” and said the agreement called for a six-month evaluation. “They’ll talk to our employees, talk to our fans and see what needs fixing and what needs to improve.”
Better players could help. Donyell Marshall, one of the few productive Warriors this season, finally seems to have shed his “bust” label, averaging almost 16 points and nine rebounds. He, too, has hired a publicist; Marshall is miffed that the Warriors haven’t done any media campaigning to get him the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.
Dan’s the man: The Nuggets hired Batavia native Dan Issel, a longtime franchise fixture, as general manager, which may not be much of a favor. Figure Issel to fire coach Bill Hanzlik and make fruitless tries for the Bulls’ Jackson and Sonics coach George Karl. Issel, a University of Kentucky grad, also might make a run at Kentucky coach Tubby Smith.
Regardless, Issel also will have some explaining to do. He’s a business partner of LaPhonso Ellis, who is a free agent and wants to stay in Denver, but whose play has slipped. And most recently Issel was a sports radio host and has been calling top draft choice Tony Battie “El Busto,” in reference to Battie’s poor play this season. Battie, in almost 50 starts, has had double-figure rebounds only five times on a poor rebounding team.
But Battie isn’t worried. “When I’m `the Man,’ they’re going to remember they didn’t pick me and they’re going to wonder why,” he said in a poster-child statement for today’s clueless young player.
Unknown quantity: The Rockets are 10-0 this season with their starting lineup of Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Willis, Mario Elie, Clyde Drexler and Matt Maloney, with Charles Barkley off the bench. They can be dangerous in the playoffs if they’re healthy.
“We’re dangerous because we never know which team is going to show up,” Barkley said. The Rockets, just behind Portland in seventh in the West, will open the playoffs against Seattle, Utah or the Lakers, and Barkley seems most concerned with the Lakers. “Not saying Seattle or Utah is easier, but the Lakers cause a lot of matchup problems for us.”
