DENVER -- George Karl isn't telling the Cleveland Cavaliers how to run their team. Then again, maybe he is.Karl admits he's providing an "amateur fan evaluation'' regarding his son Coby Karl, a guard for the Cavaliers. But how many fans throwing out opinions on Coby have more than 930 NBA coaching wins?
Unless Lenny Wilkens, Don Nelson, Pat Riley, Jerry Sloan, Larry Brown, Phil Jackson, Bill Fitch or Dick Motta have spoken up, that would be none.
George Karl, the coach of the Denver Nuggets, doesn't understand why the Cavaliers might sign guard Antonio Daniels, which could result in his son being waived after making Cleveland's opening-day roster.
"For me, it's kind of crazy picking up a guy that didn't even go through training camp,'' George Karl said in an interview with FanHouse about Daniels, who had his contract bought out last week by Minnesota but never was in the Timberwolves' camp. "Of course, familiarity sometimes makes those decisions easier. I know Mike (Brown, Cleveland's coach) and Antonio were together in San Antonio (early this decade when Brown was an assistant and Daniels a Spurs guard).''
George Karl said he has talked to his son about rumors he soon could be waived. But he believes Coby should have an opportunity to play for the Cavaliers, perhaps ahead of Anthony Parker or Jamario Moon.
"I look at their roster and how they like to play, and I think he does different things than the guys that they have, and he does them well,'' George Karl said of Coby, who was used sparingly as a rookie with the Lakers in 2007-08 and played mostly in Spain last season. "I think he understands the game as a playmaker better than a Parker or a Moon. Moon and Parker are more athletic and better defenders, but there's a piece that Coby does in my mind, I don't know if coach Brown feels the same way. "In my mind, (Shaquille O'Neal) and LeBron (James) probably like what Coby does. If you got Shaq and LeBron, there's not many other options. So the athleticism of Parker and Moon, when does that window open up? Is it when the bench gets in the game? With LeBron, that's about four to six minutes a game. With Shaq, it's larger. ... In L.A. (Coby) never really could get on the court other than a blowout. I think he's closer to getting on the court.''
Still, it's possible that, if Daniels, 34, is signed, Coby, 26, might not make it past the opener for the Cavaliers, who played host Tuesday night to Boston. Daniels agent, Tony Dutt, told FanHouse his client is looking at options in addition to Cleveland, and that nothing is certain.
"I've heard both,'' George Karl said of whether the Cavaliers might sign Daniels. "I've heard it's going to happen and I've heard from some other agents they don't think that it's going to happen. But it's only agents (talking so far to Karl).''
Even if the Cavaliers do add Daniels, it's possible they could waive guard Jawad Williams, who, like Coby Karl, has a non-guaranteed contract. Nevertheless, the father has told his son rumors likely aren't going away any time soon.
"If it's not Antonio Daniels (that the Cavaliers sign), there will be other gossip,'' said George Karl. "Next week it will be someone else. Next month it will be someone else. That's just the way the system is. For teams trying to win a championship, adding a piece to the puzzle is always a part of our philosophy. ... He's got to take the opportunity and be ready if he gets an opportunity to get on the court.''If Coby Karl does get cut, his father said he likely will go to the D-League rather than again go overseas because he would want to be available for a return this season to the NBA.
"He's committed to the league,'' George Karl said of his son, who averaged 5.7 points and shot just 26.5 percent in the preseason, although he was hampered a few games by being ill. "He's not going to go even if he's tricked or intrigued by European (teams).''
For now, Coby is still a member of the Cavaliers. And, if you ask George Karl, he should be getting minutes for them.
Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
The Cavaliers need to concentrate on maybe a two or three for one trade, trying to get someone at least as big as Varajao, at least as good from mid range as Hickson, to start ahead of both, to guard Gasol. Can`t bet the fate of the franchise on a cross match up, James at a position he hasn`t played before, power forward, having not just to be mvp and an all pro small forward, but having to guard an all star center/forward, in Gasol, or pontential all star, in Bynum, at center, if O`Neal guards Gasol. The team can`t start Ilgauskas against Bynum and O`Neal against Gasol if it goes for speed over size against every other team in the course of the year. Avoiding a bad trade, making a good decision here, will likely decide whether this summer the franchise is sold and moved and James and O`Neal leave it as free agents, the city maybe never getting a replacement franchise, since it is only in the 24th market and sliding, or if the team raises the championship banner. There may be no middle option for this team. As for Coby, he`s mediocre, mediocre shooting percentage for a shooting guard, but he has legit wing size, which Dan Gibson doesn`t, and Wild West and Mo Williams don`t, and isn`t a converting forward like Moon, Jawad Williams, or a guy let loose by a losing team for not cutting it as starting wing guard like Parker. The Cavs would be wiser to take some time sorting out the wing guard spot, not cloud the issue further now, with a 34 year old, for the coach maybe to kiss, like he did James on tv, when he can kiss him off camera without him being on the team, and can pick him up after the trade deadline if he feels he`ll actually make the maybe 8 man rotation, which I doubt he would.
classic "let my boy play" syndrome. Karl is not the Hall of Fame coach everyone hypes him up to be: he's just been in the league a long time.
the only reason we know who Coby Karl is is because of who his father is, and he's proven multiple times after his cancer scare that he's not even remotely ready to play a role on anyone's team. Daniels, Parker, and Moon are all athletic, useful role players who bring more talent in their pinky toes than Coby will ever max out at. Please stop acting like he's GOOD or something...
Coby and George are probably the ugliest sea monster looking father-son professional athlete dual in the history of sports.
Yeah, Karl is a proud poppa, though he admits his boy is more a combo guard, less athletic, but adequate size at 6`5 for the wing. He was a pro guard himself, and hopes his son would be a welcome glue guy blending with the Cavs all stars. And Daniels WAS more athletic when he was 26, but he`s 34 now. A two or three for one swap probably wouldn`t include Karl, he isn`t proven enough, and would open a spot or two. Depending what was given up, so what needed to be replaced, Daniels might get one of those spots, and the chance to compete for time. But Delonte shouldn`t be traded right now, his trade value has been lowered. Cleveland started the decade as the top metropolis in Ohio. It will end the decade slipping behind Cincinnati and Portland, maybe losing the team if it gets upset again this season, to Montreal, Cincy, Nassau county New York, among many other possibilities. And over the next decade, it will likely slip further, maybe to 31st in the US, in a currently 30 team leauge. So Karl isn`t the only one wondering were he might try to play next if things don`t work out well, the whole franchise is in that position. For Karl fans, hopefully his shooting will improve as he and his teammates learn each other better. He`s a willing passer, so guys may be willing to pass to him, knowing he`ll get the ball back to them if they have a better shot. But the Cavs are still is best chance of making a good team this season. But he`ll likely only be a role player at best this season, if he is on a decent team.