[But, still, he's a pretty big name to be waiting by the phone at this late juncture, isn't he?] He started for an NBA championship team last year, ... For him to still be out there, I would say that's pretty unusual, yeah. |
[Gabriel points out that Jackson also appears to be a victim of the new NBA economics. With so many teams at or near the expected luxury tax threshold, there just isn't the same demand for players seeking mid-level money.] A lot of players think they can get it, ... But they find out the market just isn't there. |
[Walsh and other longtime executives say they don't necessarily blame players for requesting a trade. They just wish they would come to them first, rather than go to the media.] It really is better for both parties if it's done privately, ... Usually it can be a win-win process if it's done that way. |
For me personally, it was kind of nice to see that, |
He's as close as they get physically, and does a great job, ... He just has to learn to put it together on a consistent basis. |
He's as knowledgeable about the game as any coach I've ever worked with, ... He'll do a great job in Boston, because he has the ability to adapt [to his personnel]. |
I think this will definitely give me some confidence. We definitely need to work on passing more and we should not be trying to take it all by ourselves. |
I thought he did a good job in Phoenix. I thought at the time he was destined to be coaching in the league for a long time. |
It's not an easy call by any means, ... The risk can be enormous if you're talking about a lot of money. It can be a crippling blow for a franchise. |
It's really a cash and [salary] cap problem, ... You not only lose the player, and still have to pay him, but his salary still counts against the cap. That affects what you can do going forward in terms of putting together the rest of the roster. |
Our goal all along has been to give Grant the best chance to get healthy. At this time, and in consultation with the medical experts, we are in agreement that the risk of him returning this season to game action could be detrimental in regard to achieving the overall goal. |
We realized on Friday, since we were having a faculty meeting on Monday, that we'd better have a faculty. |
With Grant Hill , our doctors gave him full clearance, ... We had every reason to believe he would play ... You just never know what can happen with these types of things. |