After the Cavaliers yesterday parted ways with coach Mike Brown, the team will begin next season "with their third coach in as many years," and team Owner Dan Gilbert "has now parted ways with three general managers and four head coaches since purchasing the team nine years ago," according to Jason Lloyd of the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL. Brown's "second reign in Cleveland lasted 384 days," and Gilbert will "swallow the remaining four years on the deal and the balance" of the Brown's $20M contract. The Cavs yesterday also announced that acting GM David Griffin would be retained in the position. As it "became clear within the Cavaliers organization" that Griffin would stay on, the "concern then shifted to how well Griffin and Mike Brown could coexist in a general manager/head coach relationship." Griffin was brought to the Cavs by former GM Chris Grant prior to the '10-11 season. He came to the team "after spending 17 seasons with the Suns, starting as an intern and working his way up" to VP/Basketball Operations (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 5/13). In Cleveland, Mary Schmitt Boyer notes the appointment of Griffin "had been expected, but Brown's firing was a bit of a shock." The coaching search "now heads Griffin's list of things to do, along with preparing for the NBA Combine this week in Chicago, the lottery next week in New York, and the NBA Draft on June 26 in Brooklyn." The Cavs reportedly were "finalizing details on Griffin's contract until Saturday night, so it's unclear how much input he had in the decision to fire Brown." It is possible Gilbert "made it clear that's how he was leaning when he told Griffin he had the job" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/13).
DAN IN REAL LIFE: In Cleveland, Bill Livingston writes, "The Dan Gilbert wrong guy/wrong time carousel spins on." Gilbert announced the firing "with a statement, instead of facing questions at a news conference, which is getting to be standard procedure for him." Livingston: "Exactly why Gilbert decided Brown was just the guy to lure [LeBron] James back this off-season, when he can become a free agent, was unclear." The whole Brown approach "seemed stale to those who had seen him for five years at the Cavaliers' helm in the last decade" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/13). Also in Cleveland, Bud Shaw notes Gilbert "called the NBA a 'tough' business" as the team released Brown. Shaw: "No argument there. It’s just not nearly as tough as he’s making it look." People have given Gilbert "too much credit for wanting to win and for lashing out at James on behalf of the city after The Decision." Until he "gets it right, Gilbert is not part of the solution," but is "part of bad joke" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/13).
