Collins was fired after three seasons, at which time James headed to Toronto, where he helped the Raptors improve from a 20-win club to a playoff team in two seasons. He's almost like a son or little brother to me. There also are rumors that former Northwestern coach Kevin O'Neill, who spent last season with the New York Knicks, may be headed to work with his friend Rick Carlisle in Detroit. Jim Stack finally is getting a head coaching opportunity, even if it's just as coach of one of the six teams at the pre-draft camp at Moody Bible Institute. Stack, who spent 13 seasons with the Bulls as Jerry Krause's assistant, just concluded his first season as Isiah Thomas' assistant with the Indiana Pacers.
GMs are here to evaluate players.
I don't see this as coaching. I look at it as informing guys where they need to be and what needs to happen in terms of playing as a team. You have such a small amount of time to teach things. Though Stack never was officially listed as an assistant coach with the Bulls, he said his experience made the transition to the Pacers' bench a smooth one. I knew what to expect after being through 13 training camps with the Bulls.