croco

Griz to retain Iavaroni as coach

By Ronald Tillery
Thursday, May 1, 2008

Marc Iavaroni will return to coach the Grizzlies next season, ending speculation that he would be fired after the team finished with a 22-60 record for a second straight season.

Iavaroni will enter the second of a three-year deal after what was described by a source as a "difficult" meeting Thursday with team owner Michael Heisley. The performance review delved into Iavaroni's growing pains as a rookie head coach but centered on defense -- specifically the team's inability to guard -- and set up Iavaroni's main objective for the 2008-09 season.

The Grizzlies tied for the NBA's worst field goal percentage allowed (.480) and yielded the third-most points per game (106.9). Memphis was 11-52 when its opponent scored 100-plus points.

Iavaroni and Heisley met for the first time since the season ended April 16. Speculation about Iavaroni's job status began several months ago with national media reports suggesting that Heisley was already courting successors.

In the end, Heisley decided against firing a coach after just one season and sent the message that he is seeking stability. Iavaroni is the team's fifth coach in the seven seasons that the Grizzlies have been in Memphis.

Last May, the Grizzlies hired Iavaroni to replace interim coach Tony Barone Sr., who took over for Mike Fratello with more than 50 games left in the 2006-07 season. Heisley chose Iavaroni over legendary coach Larry Brown, who was recently hired by the Charlotte Bobcats.

Iavaroni has always indicated that turning around a franchise that owned the NBA's worst record a year ago would take more than one season, and even more so given the Grizzlies' dramatic changes during this campaign.

It was a tale of two seasons with Iavaroni coaching a group led by 7-footer Pau Gasol until February when the Griz traded their franchise player to the Los Angeles Lakers for draft picks and salary-cap relief.

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thaKEAF

Good. There's no reason anyone should be calling for his head just yet.

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MemphisX

22-60

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thaKEAF

Honestly though I don't know if any coach could have got this roster to a respectable record. Not saying it was impossible but I just don't think that record was all the way on the strength of his coaching.

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HKF

I can't see firing this guy until Wallace adds more talent to the roster and he fails to deliver. The Grizz lack talent (specifically in the frontcourt). Every pick from now until 2011, should be on bigs who either can play now, or have potential to improve (but must have great hands).

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HB

By the way is this guy related to the owners of the Kentucky Derby winner. Some Iavaroni was on TV today

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Rawse

Good decision, but if he goes 6-24 in the first 30 next season ala Mike Fratello, we're in for yet another coaching change for sure.

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Zuca

We had a bit of improvement in the end of the season, without that pair of old lazy bigs who didn't wanted to be here at all (Gasol and Stro).

If we draft a good big, I believe that we can't be worst than we were with Gasol and Stro when this running season started. Which would be our draft picks (after the Gasol trade)?

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