I hope Silas takes this, and pisses all over shinnridge in the process

Silas to accept Cavs' coaching offer

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By Marc Stein
ESPN.com


The Cleveland Cavaliers offered their coaching position to Paul Silas, and he will accept the job possibly as soon as Monday, league sources told ESPN.com.

That lines up Silas, who was fired by the New Orleans Hornets on May 4, to be LeBron James' first pro coach.

Sources said that Silas is the Cavaliers' choice after the club conducted two interviews each with Silas and ex-New York Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy.

ESPN.com reported Friday that Silas was the Cavs' leading candidate entering the weekend, despite persistent speculation that Van Gundy was mulling over a lucrative offer. Van Gundy, who along with Silas has also interviewed with the Houston Rockets, said Thursday that a return to coaching next season was only 50-50.

"I don't have an offer from either team, " he told USA Today.

Van Gundy was expected to demand more money and personnel control than Silas, who turns 60 in July and fits the veteran profile established months ago by Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund.

Earlier in the season, Gund's interest was piqued by the Memphis Grizzlies' turnaround under Hubie Brown. That prompted Gund to make a rare road trip to Memphis to do some firsthand research on Brown's methods.

Silas could not be reached for comment Saturday, but told ESPN.com last month that he would relish the opportunity to coach James, in spite of the intense scrutiny surrounding the teen phenom.

"A kid like that only comes around only every so often," Silas said at the time. "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."

Cleveland would be Silas' third stop as a head coach. After a stint with the San Diego Clippers in the early 1980s, Silas had to wait 15 seasons before getting another shot to run a team. He spent four-plus seasons with the Hornets, quickly establishing himself as a players' favorite. Silas also reached the playoffs in each of his four full seasons with the Hornets despite a steady stream of difficult circumstances.

Silas helped hold the team together after the tragic death of Bobby Phills in January 2000 and through last season's lame-duck campaign in Charlotte before the move to New Orleans. With the move to Louisiana looming, and despite losing Jamal Mashburn for half the 2001-02 season to a mysterious bout with vertigo, the Hornets played their home games in a near-empty building and still made the second round of the playoffs.

The Hornets were knocked out in six games by Philadelphia in this season's first round, but were forced to play at times without injured stars Baron Davis and Mashburn. With a Hornets' record of 208-155, Silas was fired two days after they were eliminated.

 

He might very well but the Hornets are only goung to be in the east one more year. Then he'll be left to piss all over us.

 

Good things DO happen for those who wait.

 

i hope the cav fans don't freak when lebron rides the pine for his first year. not saying it's bad, but silas sat baron till baron could really prove himself. i don't see lebron being able to cut the mustard as a pro PG straight outta high school. especially on a team that lacks finishers. ricky davis is the only baller on the team and he's not a silas favorite.

wonder where PJ brown will end up....

 

There's no telling when BD would have gotten his shot if David Wesley hadn't been injured early in training camp of Baron's second season. But I think Lebron will play a lot sooner. I think there'll be rioting in the streets of Cleveland if Silas doesn't play him.

I hope P.J. winds up with the Lakers. He'd be a good fit there. I could see him playing with TD in San Antonio, too.