Dallas officially named Jim Cleamons as the teams new head coach.  Terms
of the deal were not released, but the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported
it as a 4 year contract.  The Mavs had received permission from the Bulls
on May 17 to talk with Cleamons, with the condition that the talks remain
secret.  Credit should be given to director of player personnel Keith
Grant for obtaining this permission.  Frank Zaccanelli, interim GM and
minority owner, and Grant went to Chicago on May 20 and talked with
Cleamons for 6 hours.  A few days later, majority owner Ross Perot went to
Chicago and talked with Cleamons for several hours.  Minority owner David
McDavid and Zaccanelli went to Chicago on May 28 and 29 to again interview
Cleamons.  The deal was finalized on May 30.  Cleamons was the unanimous
choice among the three owners and Grant.

The Mavs had also interviewed Paul Westphal, Chris Ford, Brad Davis, and
Dave Wohl (Miami executive VP and the mystery candidate).  Everyone had
assumed that it was a two man race between Westphal and Ford.  Word had
not leaked about Cleamons being interviewed and it was pretty much a
surprised when we found out on Thursday that Cleamons was to be the new
coach.  [A sign of the new regime: no way would this have remained a
secret under the old regime.]  The announcement of Cleamons as coach
shined a bright light on the new owners.  The grumblings of clumsyness and
cluelessness towards the new owners quickly turned to praise and apologies
about prior comments about the owners.
Zaccanelli: "We were all aware that if word leaked, Jerry would pull the 
plug.  Since this is the guy we really wanted, we had to live by that 
rule."
Grant: "Our hat is off to Jerry [Krause, Bulls VP basketball operations].  
Chicago wanted things to be low-profile.  So, we played by their rules."

Cleamons returned to Chicago and will remain with the Bulls through the
Finals.

Cleamons will likely hire three or four assistant coaches.  Look for John
Bach to become Cleamons' head assistant.  Bach has been an assistant in
Charlotte for the past two season and prior to that was an assistant in
Chicago.  Bach had been in serious negotiations with Detroit to become an
assistant for Doug Collins, but Bach reportedly called the Pistons on
Thursday and told them that he was also talking with the Mavs.  Bach is a
defensive minded assistant.

In Chicago, Cleamons is the first assistant and takes over the team when
Phil Jackson is ejected from a game.  Jackson would also periodically
allow Cleamons to run practices.  The Bulls' practices have been known to
stress many bball fundamentals.  Reports are that Cleamons has a strong
rapport with the players.

Cleamons played for Dick Motta's 1979-80 Washington Bullets team.  Motta
had given Cleamons the opportunity to join the Mavs inaugural team in 1980
as a player and to become the team's first captain.  Dallas refused to give
Cleamons a guaranteed contract, so he declined.

Maybe we can finally stop all of those Jackson trade rumors.  Both Cleamons
and Jackson went to Ohio State and the two have known each other since
Jackson was a high school junior.  Jackson also attended the Bulls' game 1
and game 2 of the Orlando series.  Cleamons had good things to say about
Jackson in the press conference and Jackson had good things to say about
Cleamons in the paper.

Bring on Cleamons also looks good for the free agent market.  Cleamons has
a good relationship with free agent Horace Grant (yeah, it probably won't
happen).
Perot: "Jim Cleamons is a very hot commodity.  We've heard from a lot of 
free agents.  There are a lot of guys who want to play for Cleamons."

I was able to listen to the press conference and a radio interview with
Cleamons and was impressed with what I heard.  Cleamons stressed 
discipline, team work, and chemistry.  He showed a bit of humor and seemed
very happy to be the new coach.  When asked about how he planned to have
the Mavs play he said that on defense he believes in pressure,
overplaying, fundamentals, blocking out, and rebounding.  For offense, he
said that he would play to the strengths of the players that he had.  Yes,
he mentioned defense first and in detail.  We might actually see some
defense played in Reunion next season, and not just by the opponents.  He
presented a winning attitude.  I'm excited.  Now if they'll just name
Kupchak as GM, I'll be really thrilled.

In other Mavs news, the GM search still continues.  The Mavs have
interviewed John Nash (former Washington GM) and Mitch Kupchak (LA Laker
GM).  Zaccanelli, who is in charge of the search, said that he would
probably interview two more candidates next week.  Steve Patterson (former
Houston GM) and Dick Van Arsdale (Phoenix director of player personnel)
are the two names in the paper.  Kupchak might have a little bit of an
inside track as he played with Cleamons in Washington.

To go with the ownership change, the Mavs have moved their practice
facility to the Baylor-Tom Landry Sports Medicine and Research Center in
East Dallas.  The facility includes a regulation NBA court with a
shock-absorbing floor.  The facility will be refurbished for the Mavs.
The Mavs have been practicing since the early 80s in Donald Carter's gym
that is next to his Home Interiors & Gifts company in Addison (North
Dallas).  [I'm sure that some of the players who live in North Dallas
won't be too thrilled with the move.]
   
Quotes
Jim Cleamons:
  "It made me feel good that the Mavericks wanted me.  Our visions are the 
  same."

  "Well, it's a multiyear contract, I can tell you that.  Coaches in this 
  business are hired to be fired.  My job is to delay that firing. There's 
  no secret we're in a tough industry and the better I do the longer I'll 
  be around."

  "I think that I'm approachable.  I would think that I'd be a players'
  coach."

  "Discipline is the cornerstone of my life and that's what I think life is 
  all about.  At times, I put my arm around players and then at times I get 
  the whip out.  You can't have a team without harmony.  Basketball is 
  the ultimate team sport."

  "For the last seven years, and throughout my career, discipline has been
  an important cornerstone of my life, what I think life is all about."

  "The greater the challenge the greater the reward.  I can't think of a 
  better opportunity than to be in this place at this time."

  "Players have to learn to put their egos aside if they want to win.  I 
  know I have a challenge here.  But the greater the challenge the greater 
  the reward."

  On the team's feuds
  "There's a lot of rumor and innuendo, of which I don't have firsthand
  knowledge.  So I think the first thing I should do is sit down and talk
  to those parties involved, to see exactly what the problems were, if the
  problems still exist, to see what page everyone's on.  You can't have
  a basketball team if there's no harmony."

  "Even if I had the experience up the gazoo, I would still want to have a
  strong X's and O's [assistant].  A good staff should complement each
  other.  I don't want yes men.  I want people who are going to challenge
  me intellectually.  I want assistants that are good teachers, people who
  are willing to beat me to work, and when I leave, they're still going
  to be there.  And I'm going to be there pretty early most days."

Frank Zaccanelli:
  "His defensive strategy and ability to communicate with today's players 
  set him apart" from the other candidates.

  "All the coaches we interviewed were impressive, but what set Jim Cleamons 
  apart was his competitiveness, his mental toughness, his intelligence, and 
  his single-minded focus on winning.

  "There's an intensity and discipline about Jim that is exciting.  He 
  brings to our organization a work ethic, an attention to detail and a 
  winning attitude that we're confident will bring about results. He likes 
  the teaching aspect of coaching and will be a great fit with our young 
  team."

  "The discipline factor and his intensity and his winning attitude, and
  the organization he's coming from, those were the key."

  "Jim Cleamons' discipline, his determination, his mental toughness and 
  his attitude toward the game just set him apart from everyone else we 
  talked to.

  "I think Jim Cleamons is as defensive-minded and as tough and disciplined 
  as anyone we talked to.  But he has a finesse about him that enables him 
  to coach talented players.  If you take a look at this guy, he's a very 
  well-rounded individual."

Ross Perot Jr:
  "It didn't bother us that he had never coached in the NBA.  Some people 
  said it was a bold move but we think it was a safe move because of all the 
  experience he has.  And he's hungry and very intense.  He just leaps out 
  at you as a candidate."

  "He was hungry, he was very intense.  When you get him one-on-one, this
  guy leaps out at you that he is going to put together a championship
  operation."

  "We would expect him to get the [assistant] coaches he wants.  As far as 
  trades go nobody is sacred inside this organization."

Keith Grant:
  "[Cleamons] brings a lot of qualifications.  He's got a lot of upside.
  He's worked with the superstars and stars.  He comes from a great
  organization.  All those things made him very attractive."

Former coach Dick Motta:
  "I know he's very well-spoken, very well-read, and very likable.  Chances
  are, he'll adapt to the team.  There's no reason he can't achieve in
  Dallas."

Jason Kidd:
  "I'm excited.  With the experience he has had, as a player and with the 
  Bulls the past few years, I think the management is doing the right thing 
  by bringing experience like that to an inexperienced team."

  "I know he's been around the best basketball player in the world.  That
  experience can only help.  He's seen how they handle the egos so well.
  Scottie [Pippen] and Michael [Jordan], and now Dennis Rodman.  So, it's
  going to be exciting.  I know I'm excited."

Jim Jackson:
  "I think he will be a great fit for the Mavericks."

  "Jimmy is as prepared as a coach can be."

  "Coach Cleamons is a very intense guy, as far as his character and the
  way he goes about things.  That's the way he played , and I think that's
  the way he'll coach."

Michael Jordan:
  "He has been very instrumental in our success here in Chicago.  Dallas 
  made an excellent choice.  I'm very happy for J.C."


patricia