Kevin Ollie and OKC

[CallMeBruce]

I'd be surprised if Durant doesn't jump at the chance to go play with the Wiz and Wall, Beal, Gortat and Nene. But he could probably get more $$ to stay in OKC. Probably much more to do with whether he wants to play with Westbrook.

DC is just such a better market. And under the new CBA, the money is going to be ape.

 

[Husky25]

If he is, I'd like some answers as to why UT over us...

Ollie was still in the NBA when Durant was being recruited.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

Only if he stays at UConn.

Right. In the meantime i can understand players holding off until they know he is going to stay. Afterwards though it increases his value. i'm sure if these rumors grow real legs Ollie is shut it down so that it doesnt hurt recruiting.

 

[djct1999]

KD will make the max no matter where he goes. His new shoe deal makes the extra money from OKC negligible.

 

[Uconn77Duke74]

Wouldn't it make just as much sense for every other NBA team to want KO in order to lure Durant over in free agency?

 

[CallMeBruce]

Wouldn't it make just as much sense for every other NBA team to want KO in order to lure Durant over in free agency?

It makes exactly the same amount of sense, which is none. I love KO, but the idea that Durant is going to make any decision based on where he's coaching is preposterous. Durant wants to be as marketable as possible, so he's going to leave for a real media market. Washington seems like a great fit.

 

[Stainmaster]

Can someone explain how we go from "Durant had great things to say about Ollie as a teammate in an interview this one time" to "Durant wants Ollie as his HC"?

 

[PcketknfNiels]

...for one season.

Which is why I think Ollie leaves next year to join Durant in LA.

 

[uconnell]

As my son said "does Ollie want to be an teacher or babysit a bunch of millionaires?"

 

[CallMeBruce]

Can someone explain how we go from "Durant had great things to say about Ollie as a teammate in an interview this one time" to "Durant wants Ollie as his HC"?

I've been making this point since last year. The media has trumped up this Durant/Ollie connection to such an absurd degree. They played 25 games together. That's it. Durant has 500 bigger considerations in where he plays next.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

I posted the article merely to validate the rumor, not to demonstrate its likelihood. After K turned down LAL at a relatively spring chicken-esque 56 years old, it would henceforth be a solid bet he'd be a Durham lifer.

My point is that that article gives no credence to that rumor. That espn link validates David Kahn's ineptitude more than anything else.

I don't think you can draw any comparisons to any post 2004 Coach K rumor and what we're going through with Ollie right now. K killed that Kobe rumor quickly, I just hope Ollie does the same.

 

[djct1999]

For what its worth, the beat writers and OKC newpaper are using Adam Zagoria as their source.

 

[Gurleyman]

Kids don't care if their coach has played in the NBA. Kids care if the coach can get them to the NBA. Even though he played for Ollie for as long as he did Calhoun, Napier is considered Calhoun's kid. Boatright may be drafted and he'll play in the summer league, but he very well may not make a final NBA roster. He, BTW, is also considered a Calhoun kid. Ollie has to get some of his recruits (Daniel Hamilton, Shonn Miller, Rodney Purvis) to the NBA (and in all likelihood, into the lottery) before he can effectively play that card.

I don't think anybody thinks of Bazz and Boat as Calhoun "kids". Calhoun recruits, sure. But Ollie coached them up - as both an assistant and a head guy. Ollie can also point to Kemba's huge one year improvement in his first year as an assistant as being the sort of difference he can make with his coaching and it wouldn't be an outrageous statement.

 

[tcf15]

Which is why I think Ollie leaves next year to join Durant in LA.

Tell that to Zags. He'll quote you as a source close to the situation.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I don't think anybody thinks of Bazz and Boat as Calhoun "kids". Calhoun recruits, sure. But Ollie coached them up - as both an assistant and a head guy. Ollie can also point to Kemba's huge one year improvement in his first year as an assistant as being the sort of difference he can make with his coaching and it wouldn't be an outrageous statement.

When Bazz was a national name, Ollie was his coach. Bazz is Ollie's.

 

[aceboon]

For what its worth, the beat writers and OKC newpaper are using Adam Zagoria as their source.

they must not know him well

 

[ctchamps]

I'm not worried. Not one bit. I have no problem with PcketknNiels being convinced or worried or whatever he feels about this situation. I bet KO has already told the recruits he isn't going anywhere. We'll learn about it soon enough. Agree with UConnFanNVA, it only adds cache to KO.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

Tell that to Zags. He'll quote you as a source close to the situation.

Obviously I want Ollie to stay, but if he ever wanted to coach in the NBA, going this year or next and joining Durant (if the opportunity is really there) is the time to do it. If Ollie is still the UConn coach at the start of the 2016-17 season then I assume he'll be around for a long time.

 

[djct1999]

they must not know him well

the life cycle of a rumor................chief and andre go out for lunch and get hammered. chief then tells amore that okc has interest in ko. amore quickly calls up zags to look cool and gain street cred. zags goes public.

 

[johnhuskies95]

I've been making this point since last year. The media has trumped up this Durant/Ollie connection to such an absurd degree. They played 25 games together. That's it. Durant has 500 bigger considerations in where he plays next.

Yeah, unless you're Kevin Durant you have no idea what his priorities are about where he plays next.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Yeah, unless you're Kevin Durant you have no idea what his priorities are about where he plays next.

But what if I am?

 

[Husky25]

I don't think anybody thinks of Bazz and Boat as Calhoun "kids". Calhoun recruits, sure. But Ollie coached them up - as both an assistant and a head guy. Ollie can also point to Kemba's huge one year improvement in his first year as an assistant as being the sort of difference he can make with his coaching and it wouldn't be an outrageous statement.

Seriously? How often do you hear that Ollie won the National Title with Calhoun's kids from those outside southern New England? Often enough that it can't be to ignored.

Of course, what you say may be true. However, there is a certain perception outside the borders of this state, and that perception is Ollie's reality until he can overcome it. How? He needs to put his own kids (soup to nuts) in the NBA, preferably the lottery.

 

[Husky25]

My point is that that article gives no credence to that rumor. That espn link validates David Kahn's ineptitude more than anything else.

I don't think you can draw any comparisons to any post 2004 Coach K rumor and what we're going through with Ollie right now. K killed that Kobe rumor quickly, I just hope Ollie does the same.

As I said, the likelihood of the rumor coming to fruition notwithstanding, it was out there.

 

[Lefty2one]

Has Brooks even been fired yet?

 

[Jerry1714]

I really don't want to have to do this every offseason for the next 20 years....

If we are doing this every offseason for the next 20 years then we are in a great place.

Once we have a coach no one wants then Ill complain