From the start, Avery Johnson was a perfect fit as coach of the Dallas Mavericks.
At the end, it was pretty obvious he wasn’t.
Johnson lost his job Wednesday, a move the team referred to as “relieving him of his duties.” The softer tone made sense considering that in three-plus seasons, Johnson guided the Mavericks to the finals for the first time and to a club-record 67 wins the following season.
Yet for all the high points, there were some serious lows — blowing a 2-0 lead in those finals, getting dumped in the first round of the playoffs after that 67-win season and then, the final straw, getting knocked out in the first round again this season after Dallas shook up its roster and mortgaged some of its future to acquire Jason Kidd.
Over those three straight postseason wipeouts, the Mavericks lost 12 of 15 games, including all nine on the road.
“Was it time for a change? I guess,” said Dirk Nowitzki, who became the league MVP under Johnson’s watch. “I think this franchise, we owe him a lot. Unfortunately it’s just one of those situations where everybody’s got to move on.”
The final mark during Johnson’s tenure: 194-70 in the regular season, 23-24 in the playoffs.
Johnson got the news during a meeting at his condominium Wednesday morning. Donnie Nelson, the team’s president of basketball operations, was there, while team owner Mark Cuban joined via cell phone from Chicago.
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PARTY FOUL
A late-night party to celebrate Josh Howard’s birthday after Sunday’s Game 4 loss turned Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson livid and led him to cancel Monday’s practice, two sources confirmed. Which players attended is unclear. Upon learning of the party, the sources said, Johnson entered the locker room and asked the players who attended to stand up. Infuriated, Johnson lit into his team and called off practice.
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POLL POSITION
Apparently Chicago wouldn’t be a bad place for Avery Johnson to land, if some Bulls fans had a say. Chicagosports.com asked: “Who do you want as the Bulls’ next coach?”
Mark Jackson4.0%
Rick Carlisle11.2%
Mike D’Antoni21.5%
Avery Johnson35.5%
Tom Izzo8.4%
Tom Thibodeau2.2%
Michael Curry0.4%
Tyrone Corbin8.2%
Someone else8.6%
