Calipari turns down Cavs offer

[Jumper_Dad]

After a 3-17 start, the Nets went 13-17 for the remainder of that season, so Calipari's successor managed to stop the bleeding.

 

Also new coach got Stephon Marbury (via trade) who arrived one game prior to Cal being fired.

 

Here is how NBA Writer Chris Broussard broke it down

But it all came tumbling down -- literally -- in the first game of the season, a thrilling, brutal, fight-marred loss at Atlanta. Already without the injured Kittles and Rony Seikaly, the Nets watched Cassell sprain an ankle and Williams suffer a broken nose, courtesy of a Dikembe Mutombo elbow. Cassell, the team's quarterback, would miss 13 of the next 17 games, putting three of Calipari's top seven players on the sidelines.

 

Williams continued to play but, armed with his new contract and face-of-the-franchise status, he was no longer gung ho about busting his tail in Calipari's punishing defensive schemes. The two never hit it off anyway, and Williams, team president Michael Rowe and GM John Nash felt no sympathy for Calipari as the Nets crumbled amid the injuries. Calipari had Cassell, Van Horn and Kittles in his corner, but Seikaly, Gill and assistant coach Don Casey were in the Williams/Rowe/Nash camp.

 

As the Nets' record got worse and worse -- 2-9, 3-12, 3-15 -- Calipari's detractors grew more emboldened and pounced on him, convincing the team's new ownership that the polarizing coach had to go. By the time the Nets made what they thought could be a season-saving trade, sending Cassell to Milwaukee in a three-team deal that landed them Stephon Marbury, Calipari's fate was sealed.

 

The day after Marbury made his Nets debut, Calipari, with hardly any allies left within the organization, was fired with a 3-17 record, 72-112 overall.

 

"We hit a bump in the road, but I wanted to push forward and get over it,'' he said on the day of his dismissal. "It's funny -- Bill Parcells called me today and said his third year in New England he was 6-10, and in his fourth year, they went to the Super Bowl.''

[PurplePride92]

3-17. Were Doc Rivers or D'Antoni ever fired for such a poor start following a playoff season?

 

You are comparing apples to oranges. Calipari lasted less than 2-1/2 seasons in the NBA. Rivers and D'Antoni have both had long, successful careers and have won over 50% of their games.

 

All I am reading are excuses for Calipari's brief, unsuccessful NBA coaching career. Excuses are all you have because Coach Cal was not around long enough to accomplish anything that you can hang your hat on.

 

Face it, some guys are just better fits for the college game and Calipari is one of them. There is no shame in that.

 

I'm not making excuses for Calipari. I simply said UK players and Lebron would explore the possibility of playing for Cal regardless of where he is at and you disagreed.

 

You said the Nets went to the playoffs and Finals after Cal was fired and I said yeah, with a whole new roster.

[PurplePride92]

I do hope Cal stays at UK. I don't think he'll ever have it better than how he has it now. He's proven to be one of the top college coaches in the game and I'd like to see him continue to build at UK.

[Mitch Rapp]

I'm not making excuses for Calipari. I simply said UK players and Lebron would explore the possibility of playing for Cal regardless of where he is at and you disagreed.

 

You said the Nets went to the playoffs and Finals after Cal was fired and I said yeah, with a whole new roster.

Let's go through this one last time. I never said that UK players would not consider playing for Calipari. That is what you have incorrectly claimed that I said not once but twice. What I said was that UK players would not flock to Calipari. In other words, his NBA resume is not going to draw star players anywhere where they would not already planning to go or considering.

 

It's fine if you want to disagree with my positions, just stop misstating them. Calipari was a flop in his short stint as an NBA head coach. Whether you agree or disagree - that is my opinion.

[PurplePride92]

Let's go through this one last time. I never said that UK players would not consider playing for Calipari. That is what you have incorrectly claimed that I said not once but twice. What I said was that UK players would not flock to Calipari. In other words, his NBA resume is not going to draw star players anywhere where they would not already planning to go or considering.

 

It's fine if you want to disagree with my positions, just stop misstating them. Calipari was a flop in his short stint as an NBA head coach. Whether you agree or disagree - that is my opinion.

 

I forget how technical you can be. My bad. Misstating you happens because you argue about every single word that is said and your stance/point gets lost in the shuffle.

 

My stance:

 

Lebron and UK players would consider playing for Cal regardless of where he is at. While they may not "flock" to Cal they will strongly consider it due to relationships they have developed. Having WWW to help doesn't hurt either. I don't think any of the people I am speaking of will care about Cal's past performance in the NBA.

[Mitch Rapp]

I forget how technical you can be. My bad. Misstating you happens because you argue about every single word that is said and your stance/point gets lost in the shuffle.

I had to correct you twice for the same mischaracterization. Please don't blame your misstatement of my position on me.

 

My stance:

 

Lebron and UK players would consider playing for Cal regardless of where he is at. While they may not "flock" to Cal they will strongly consider it due to relationships they have developed. Having WWW to help doesn't hurt either. I don't think any of the people I am speaking of will care about Cal's past performance in the NBA.

If Calipari had a decent NBA track record to his credit, then his past performance might be a factor in their decision.

 

I don't think that Calipari will seriously consider returning to the NBA unless somebody is willing to pay him way more than he is worth. Just as Pitino did, Calipari will flirt with the NBA to milk more money from UK but I don't think that he will make the mistake Pitino did in returning to the NBA a second time.

[PurplePride92]

I had to correct you twice for the same mischaracterization. Please don't blame your misstatement of my position on me.

 

If Calipari had a decent NBA track record to his credit, then his past performance might be a factor in their decision.

 

I don't think that Calipari will seriously consider returning to the NBA unless somebody is willing to pay him way more than he is worth. Just as Pitino did, Calipari will flirt with the NBA to milk more money from UK but I don't think that he will make the mistake Pitino did in returning to the NBA a second time.

 

Forgive me. You're a hard cat to follow once the argument starts. One has to pay super close attention to you to keep up and I don't always pay attention. My bad. All this over the word "flock".

 

 

I don't think he'll go back to the NBA either. I think he'd be dumb to do so.

[futurecoach]

This was a fun thread to read lol. I do think we will see a thread Title next season saying Calipari has accepted the Cavs job.

[Ari Gold]

This was a fun thread to read lol. I do think we will see a thread Title next season saying Calipari has accepted the Cavs job.

 

I don't know, given all the trouble they have had this season. Plus, Lebron probably has 4 "Lebron" seasons left. I'm not buying it. The hype will continue after every season, but that is all it will be.

[futurecoach]

I don't know, given all the trouble they have had this season. Plus, Lebron probably has 4 "Lebron" seasons left. I'm not buying it. The hype will continue after every season, but that is all it will be.

 

I am not sure why people find it so hard to believe that Cal would leave UK. Shoot Cal even said the day he took that job that UK is a type of job that a coach can't stay at for to long 10 years is the max he even said. Then he even said that one of the only reasons he didn't take the Cavs job last year was because of the Harrisons coming back. So he basically has given us little hints over the years that him leaving is a good possibility. It just would take the right situation that he believes he could win at in the NBA and that would be that situation with Lebron.

[footmaster]

You never know... But it seems that in the NBA, more often than not, players get more credit for championships.... In college, coaches get more credit. I think Cal's ego loves getting the credit and so I think he stays at UK.

If he leaves, coaching Lebron would be the only thing that could drag him to the NBA anytime soon IMO. I still don't see it happening though.

[Eagle2013]

This was a fun thread to read lol. I do think we will see a thread Title next season saying Calipari has accepted the Cavs job.

 

I agree 100%. I can see Cal taking the Cavs job next season.

 

 

You never know... But it seems that in the NBA, more often than not, players get more credit for championships.... In college, coaches get more credit. I think Cal's ego loves getting the credit and so I think he stays at UK.

If he leaves, coaching Lebron would be the only thing that could drag him to the NBA anytime soon IMO. I still don't see it happening though.

 

I think this is very much why he goes back to the NBA. He is looked at as failure as an NBA coach. Cal's ego can't take that. His ego will force him to go back to change that opinion.

[footmaster]

I think this is very much why he goes back to the NBA. He is looked at as failure as an NBA coach. Cal's ego can't take that. His ego will force him to go back to change that opinion.

 

I would agree totally if Lebron hadn't already won championships. To me, people would view it more as Lebron winning one for Cal instead of the other way around.

[jvdfc]

I believe Cal stays at UK until he retires. JMO.

[John Anthony]

With the Vitale comment I think the BBN is wearing Cal down, I still think he finishes at UK just not sure how long it will be.