Silas canned

slugking50

All-Star
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2018311
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Updated: Mar. 21, 2005, 11:15 AM ET
Cavs have dropped 9 of 12 games
ESPN.com news services





CLEVELAND -- Paul Silas was fired as coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday with his team fighting for a playoff spot after being in first place earlier in the year.

Silas told The Associated Press he was called in Monday morning for a brief meeting with general manager Jim Paxson and new owner Dan Gilbert.

"They released me," Silas said. "They didn't think the team was performing as well as it should be and they wanted to make a change."

Despite having league superstar LeBron James, the Cavaliers have struggled since the All-Star break, losing seven of 10 and nine straight road games, including Sunday's 105-98 loss to Toronto when James scored a franchise-record 56.

The team also fired Silas' son, assistant coach Stephen Silas. Assistant coach Brendan Malone will be the interim head coach.

The Cavaliers, according to league sources, are interested in Cleveland native Flip Saunders as the possible successor to Silas, Marc Stein reports. Since his firing in Minnesota, Saunders has said he plans to sit out the rest of this season, but his ties to the city and his lengthy experience coaching another star player out of high school -- Kevin Garnett -- have Cleveland's attention.

Information from ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein and The Associated Press was used in this report.
 
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just saw that... thought he was doing a decent if not good job in cleveland. Silas doesn't seem to get much respect from GMs...
 
Holy quick trigger Batman. Gotta love the EC -- if you're a GM doesn't matter how much garbage you assemble on one team because you're considered entirely within your rights to just go ahead and can the coach as a scapegoat.

But what do I know -- just because Cleveland's roster looks like the Hornet's + 1 20yr old kid, doesn't mean they shouldn't be contenders this year right? :rolleyes:
 
As I was posting before I was so rudely booted....

Amazing how GMs do such stupid things. Silas was doing a great job AFAICT. I dont have LP so I didnt see them nightly but cmon. A lil quick on the trigger. You have to giv him atleast 3 years to see how the team gels and how good it can be. I guess Paxson caved into the "Win Championship Now. We have King James" pressure?!
 
They had some issues this year, but still, it looks like the Cavs just wanted to enter the Phil Jackson sweepstakes. What better time than now, with Silas' comment about Boozer, and the recent slide. It would not be good PR to fire him if the team does indeed make the playoffs.

Phil Jackson: decisions, decisions, decisions...
 
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slugking50 said:
As I was posting before I was so rudely booted....

Amazing how GMs do such stupid things. Silas was doing a great job AFAICT. I dont have LP so I didnt see them nightly but cmon. A lil quick on the trigger. You have to giv him atleast 3 years to see how the team gels and how good it can be. I guess Paxson caved into the "Win Championship Now. We have King James" pressure?!

Problem with Cleveland is their GM....he flat out sucks. He can't evaluate talent(got lucky to get the first pick in the draft when Lebron was there) and his drafts have been horrible. Also, the whole Boozer thing should have gotten him fired in the first place.
 
Packt said:
They had some issues this year, but still, it looks like the Cavs just wanted to enter the Phil Jackson sweepstakes. What better time than now, with Silas' comment about Boozer, and the recent slide. It would not be good PR to fire him if the team does indeed make the playoffs.

Phil Jackson: decisions, decisions, decisions...

Actually that's a good point about PJ -- would not surprise me at all. Be jsut the sort of situation PJ loves --getting to come in with one of the best players int eh league already on his squad. To seal the deal though, Cleveland should really look to find some way to bring in a second superstar so PJ doesn;t end up feeling threatened by a potential 45 win season.
 
I don't agree with "canning" Paul Silas so quickly...with 15 games left Silas was their best option as a head coach...now what? are they gonna bring in some interim coach with ZERO head coaching experience and expect him to perform at or above the level Silas was at as a head coach...to me thats a big risk with the season winding down

Now supposedly Lebron and Silas got into a little confrontation over Jeff McInnis playing time yesterday...the players didn't like how Jeff was benched during the game (end of the game something--i don't know i didn't watch the game) and Lebron spoke on behalf of Jeff when confronting Paul...apparently it didn't go that well...some people think thats why he got fired...gotta keep Lebron happy....

but still its not the right time...he should of at least finished out the season...plus what is Paul Silas to do...they 1 guy well maybe 2 when you count Z...they are missing that 3 rd offensive option...a really good SG to put them over the hump...kinda like what happened to Boston once Walker came back....he helps Paul and Ricky on the offensive side and then all of a sudden they are winning games

its just not fair IMO....though i will say that i think Paul Silas has an attitude problem
 
oh wait they are gonna look into Saunders for last 15 games and really expect him to make a difference with a team he barely knows...yeah right...
 
wow! this is pretty dam stupid! i think silas did a great job for the pieces that were given to him. i mean all he has is lebron and scrubs. what they need to do is try and keep ilguaskas for cheaper than they have him now, get rid of all the other chumps and sign redd in the offseason. firing silas wasnt the answer to the problems in cleveland. infact now its gonna get even worse
 
WOW, I didn't see this one comming.

I was in shock when I first heard this. I feel bad, Paul is like my favorate coach not named Carlisle.

I am sure he will land on his feet. I don't think he was a good match for that team anyways.
 
Bricklayer said:
Actually that's a good point about PJ -- would not surprise me at all. Be jsut the sort of situation PJ loves --getting to come in with one of the best players int eh league already on his squad. To seal the deal though, Cleveland should really look to find some way to bring in a second superstar so PJ doesn;t end up feeling threatened by a potential 45 win season.

I'll eat my shoe if Phil decides to live in Cleveland for 3-5 years.
 
[badjoke]
Well, I guess he won't be seeing Carlos next Tuesday, after all.
[/badjoke]
 
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I echo some of the previous comments. I think this GM is really under the gun after the Boozer thing and IMO he should of been the one to get the ax. He is trying to save himself now. I have always regarded Silas as a good coach and someone that at least from news stories seems like that "Dusty Baker" type.

Wonder what went wrong? Did they expect to win the title this year in Lebrons second year?
 
Gargamel said:
I'll eat my shoe if Phil decides to live in Cleveland for 3-5 years.

Anybody got any shoe salt? Gargy is going to need something to flavor up that piece of leather he'll be chomping on this summer. And, that is my prediction. Remember that you heard it here first. :D
 
I know Lebron is the next NBA superpower on the horizon, but the Cavs aren't "one great coach" away from a championship like the Jordan/Pippen Bulls or the Shaq/Kobe Lakers. I'm not sure Phil would be sold on coaching there, especially if Lebron want to go somewhere else 2 years from now.
 
PixelPusher said:
I know Lebron is the next NBA superpower on the horizon, but the Cavs aren't "one great coach" away from a championship like the Jordan/Pippen Bulls or the Shaq/Kobe Lakers. I'm not sure Phil would be sold on coaching there, especially if Lebron want to go somewhere else 2 years from now.

Tonight on Grants show the announcer for the Cavs was saying Phil would be the talk of a lot of rumors. They need some pieces to become contenders but surely their late season decline wasn't Silas's fault.They have to put that blame on the players.
 
btw, BigWaxer, regarding your signature, is that a real quote from Barry Bonds? Did some reporter actually ask him about his...uh...equipment?
 
PixelPusher said:
btw, BigWaxer, regarding your signature, is that a real quote from Barry Bonds? Did some reporter actually ask him about his...uh...equipment?

He made that statement a few weeks ago the day he reported to camp. He was addressing questions about steroids and all that but doing a little Giambi trick and not really answering the questions. Anyway (preface this with I like Barry a lot) he loves to kinda do the Webber (I like cwebb 2) thing when responding to the media.

There is more to the quote but this is a family channel so I left some of it out. He is talking about his BARRIES in depth :) haha I couldn't resist that.
 
6th said:
Anybody got any shoe salt? Gargy is going to need something to flavor up that piece of leather he'll be chomping on this summer. And, that is my prediction. Remember that you heard it here first. :D

If they're gonna pony up 7 figures per year, I'll eat a DVD without syrup.
 
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