If you've watched the Utah Jazz during the playoffs, you may have wondered who the tall assistant with the familiar face is on coach Jerry Sloan's staff.
The coaching staff won't be the only sideline change for the Bulls next season. The team announced a major shakeup Tuesday of its broadcast teams.
There have been some fabulous games in the NBA playoffs, but the best part of TNT's coverage comes after the games. That's when the cable network's studio show, ''Inside the NBA,'' hits the air and the fun begins.
John Jackson: One man's trash is another man's treasure, so don't be surprised if Avery Johnson -- fired Wednesday as the Dallas Mavericks' coach -- shoots to the top of the list of candidates for the Bulls' vacancy. Johnson, 43, has a track record of success that's difficult to ignore. In three-plus seasons in Dallas, he compiled a 194-70 record and won at least 60 games in two seasons.
John Jackson: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so don’t be surprised if Avery Johnson – fired today as Dallas Mavericks coach – shoots to the top of the list of candidates for the Bulls' vacancy. Johnson, 43, has a track record of success that’s difficult to ignore.
John Jackson: Being a broadcaster for a local team would be a dream job for many fans, but that doesn't mean it's an easy job. Team broadcasters -- at least the good ones -- have to walk a tightrope of sorts while doing their jobs. They must slant the broadcasts to the interests of the home team and its fans without being overly enthusiastic cheerleaders.
There has been no indication that Larry Brown is among the coaches general manager John Paxson is considering for the Bulls' vacancy. That's unfortunate because Brown might be the best candidate to help the Bulls bounce back from this season's disappointment.
John Jackson: In recent years, watching the telecast of the first day of the NFL draft was like trying to sit through the entire Jerry Lewis telethon. It went on and on, and after a few hours, it was impossible to tell who was punchier -- you or the talking heads rambling on the set.
The Bulls' coaching search barely has begun, but former coach Scott Skiles -- four months since his dismissal after a 9-17 start -- already has landed his next gig. Moving with surprising speed, the Milwaukee Bucks didn't interview any other candidates before announcing the hiring of Skiles on Monday.
Hiring Donnie Walsh as team president this month was a good move. Firing Isiah Thomas as coach Friday was an even better one.
Rarely have the NBA playoffs seemed so wide open, especially in the Western Conference, where only seven games separated first place from eighth. Expect a few upsets along the way -- and plenty of hotly contested series. But when the smoke clears, it says here the top-seeded Celtics and Lakers will meet in a turn-back-the-clock NBA Finals.
John Jackson: Before a recent Bulls game at the United Center, a reporter who isn't around the team often tried to ask Jim Boylan if he had any regrets from his short tenure as interim coach. It's a legitimate question but was presented in an awkward, rambling manner that lasted 45 seconds and touched on nearly every negative during the last four months -- and that's quite a long list.
