Larry Brown to Interview In Minnesota

Yes, the Minnesota Timberwolves are crazy.  Specifically their GM David Kahn.  He just sort of loves doing and saying weird stuff.  Would you consider interviewing former Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown for the newly (right?) vacant head coaching gig crazy or weird?

If you consider that the T-Wolves roster is chock full of what I’d characterize as non-traditional players.  Let’s start at center…DARKO MILICIC!!!!  Larry Brown and Darko reunited?  Could you imagine?  This whole concept launched likely the most subversive and interesting NBA blogs of all time in FreeDarko.  I actually just got the FreeDarko Presents:  The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History.  Larry Brown, in a lot of people’s estimation, would be blamed with keeping Darko Milicic under-wraps and holding back a #2 overall pick’s development.

Wait, didn’t Minnesota have the #2 overall draft pick this past draft?  Picture for me, Larry Brown working with Derrick Williams.  Yeah, I’m seeing a whole lot of “There’s more to this game than dunking, son.”  Bench that guy, forget about developing his talent for at least 2 years.  He might not even talk to Williams because drafting him wasn’t even Larry’s idea!

Larry’s signature?  Point guards.  Ahh, the point guards.  Raymond Felton was ok, until DJ Augustin was there at #9…Larry had to have him.  Then DJ didn’t develop and Ray was going to be let go and Larry pitched a fit and basically decided he didn’t want to coach what was left at the beginning of the 2010-2011 Bobcats campaign.  Imagine what Larry would do with Ricky Rubio, coming in speaking pretty good English, but having been coached completely differently and having been a big deal overseas for years.  Yikes.  The incumbent starter, Luke Ridnour might be Larry’s favorite player on the team.  He’d certainly spend most of his time with him.

I haven’t even gotten to the really big names up in the great white north.  (Pun unintended)  Kevin Love, fundamentally sound and a rebound-machine, who knows how those personalities would rub.

I picture Larry Brown walking up to Michael Beasley and giving him the tough old grandpa breakdown, “You like smoking the reefer?  You think that’s how you get ahead in life?” That whole thing.  “You like pulling your hair into funny braids?  Like a lady huh?”

Needless to say, I don’t see things going well if Larry were to be hired as head coach in Minnesota.

Wait?  What’s that?  Before the Minnesota interview Larry Brown has put out feelers for the assistant job in Boston?  You don’t say…

Assistant coach though?  With Boston coaches leaving town like somebody threw up in the coaches’ offices, Boston does need an assistant.  Congrats to Lawrence Frank by the way.  It was a shame he lost a head coaching gig in the first place but after one year on Doc’s bench, it shows you how good this guy is.  His predecessor as lead assistant in Boston was Tom Thibideau, who was named Coach of the Year for his performance last year leading the Chicago Bulls.  Thibs, Frank, Brown…one of these doesn’t fit.

Lawrence Frank had been a head coach and got fired.  He was however, the youngest head coach ever in the NBA, if I’m not mistaken.  So maybe he wasn’t ready.  But both guys are and were on their way up.  Larry Brown, decidedly, emphatically, though he likely doesn’t characterize it like this, is on the way down…and out.  He’s floated his name for college coaching gigs, the Boston thing, the Minnesota deal…all less than a year after being fired for the second time in as many jobs.  It’s, dare I say, sad.

I respect Larry Brown.  I truly do.  I love what he did for the Bobcats organization; while the team was in flux and sort of trying to see what they wanted to be when they grew up, Larry was the guy who said “Here’s what we’re going to do.”  He took the Bobcats to the playoffs for the first time.  He also imploded the team and churned the roster to the point where we don’t recognize the players who suit up, whenever that might be thanks to the NBA Lockout.  He did the same in New York with the Knicks and you could even blame him for what Detroit is dealing with now.

The man is 70 years old, which isn’t what it was 10 years ago, but it’s aged.  He’s a crochety old man who wants everything, and I do mean everything, to go his way.  I don’t see him agreeing to be anyone’s assistant.  I certainly don’t think it’s time for a team to turn over a promising young roster to him for 2 years until he gets good and pissed off and pitches some fit, doesn’t quit and just ruins everything until the folks in charge finally decide “Alright, Coach Brown, you’re out…”