New Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce says defense is ‘who I am’
ATLANTA » At the start of his first news conference as the Atlanta Hawks coach, Lloyd Pierce looked down at a row filled with four of his new players.
His thoughts immediately turned to his passion: Defense.
“If we weren’t doing this press conference right now, I’d probably have these guys doing some defensive drills,” Pierce said Monday. “That’s who I am.”
Pierce, the former Philadelphia 76ers assistant whose agreement to become the Hawks coach was announced Friday , said his first priority will be assembling a staff. Pierce will be looking for assistants who share his passion for defense and his proven ability to connect with young players.
A young Atlanta roster is about to add much more youth in next month’s NBA draft.
The Hawks leaned heavily on such young players as rookie John Collins and second-year forward Taurean Prince this season. More youth is coming in the June 21 NBA draft. The Hawks have three firstround picks and hope to land the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery.
Pierce worked as an assistant with Cleveland, Golden State and Memphis before his five years with Philadelphia. His role in the 76ers’ rebuilding process was especially important to the Hawks, who face a similar challenge after posting the worst record in the Eastern Conference this season.
Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said Pierce’s “experiences in Philadelphia, keeping that positive vibe, that winning environment with what they went through” helped make him the right fit for the Hawks.
Four Hawks players — DeAndre Bembry, Mike Muscala, Kent Bazemore and Isaiah Taylor — sat together during the news conference.
Igor Kokoskov takes aim at resurrecting Suns franchise
PHOENIX » Igor Kokoskov is the first NBA head coach born and raised outside North America, but he reminded everyone at his introductory news conference with the Phoenix Suns on Monday that he didn’t exactly just get off the plane.
“I don’t consider myself as a European coach,” he said. “I’m an NBA coach.”
Kokoskov, 46, just finished his 18th season as an NBA assistant coach. He’s been with six different teams. Some played slow. Some played fast. He has been on the staffs of seven squads to reach the conference finals. This game is not new to him.
“As a coach, I’m not spoiled,” he said. “I think your job is to build and create from what you have in front of you. I’m the kind of guy who loves my team. I love my guys and they can feel it.”
Kokoskov was named head coach of the Suns last week but, as an assistant with the Utah Jazz, he had to finish his work in the playoff series against the Houston Rockets before turning his attention to the desert.
He was an assistant with the Suns from 2008 to 2013 and became a U.S. citizen during a ceremony on the court at Phoenix’s Talking Stick Resort Arena.
“We really, as a family, the Family Kokoskov, consider Phoenix as a home base,” he said. “This is always home base.”