Report: Jeff Van Gundy to come out of booth, coach USA basketball in World Cup qualifying

 
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 27, 2017 8:18 am    Post subject: Report: Jeff Van Gundy to come out of booth, coach USA basketball in World Cup qualifying

http://nba.nbcsports.com/2017/06/27/report-jeff-van-gundy-to-come-out-of-booth-coach-usa-basketball-in-world-cup-qualifying/

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Report: Jeff Van Gundy to come out of booth, coach USA Basketball in World Cup qualifying


For reasons that confused thinking people everywhere, FIBA — the body that oversees international basketball competitions — changed the timing of the qualifying for the 2019 Basketball World Cup from the summer to the fall and winter. That would be during the NBA season, and the seasons of other major leagues around the globe. Many if not most of the world’s best players cannot now take part in qualifying. (This isn’t soccer, where breaks are traditionally built in the season so players can go to the national teams for a couple of weeks, that’s not happening with hoops, certainly not the NBA.)

The USA — which has to qualify, despite winning the last World Cup (and last Olympics) — will have games next November and February. A team of primarily D-League players will represent the USA in those games.

Jeff Van Gundy will come out of the broadcast booth to coach those teams, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

Jeff Van Gundy will coach USA Basketball’s roster of non-NBA professionals who will try to qualify for the Americans for the World Cup in 2019, league sources told The Vertical.

Van Gundy, an 11-year NBA head coach and currently a TV analyst for ESPN, will coach a roster compromised largely of NBA Development League and overseas American players in tournaments over the next several months.

It will be Van Gundy’s first formal coaching assignment since resigning as the Houston Rockets coach in 2007. Van Gundy has talked with several NBA teams about returning as a head coach in recent years, remaining immersed throughout his TV career in continuing to polish his coaching craft.

Could this be the first step in Van Gundy returning to the sidelines in the NBA? Maybe. That’s really up to Van Gundy, he’s had the opportunity to return before. He will keep getting those calls.

However, he should be perfect for this. He’s a smart, quality coach who can work with the talent given to play an up-tempo international style taking advantage of the USA’s general superior athleticism to its opponents. That may not be the style of play Van Gundy’s Knicks teams were known for, but he is certainly a coach capable of more than one style of play. Plus, he’s a guy who will get the instant respect of his players because of his standing.

Gregg Popovich will coach a team of NBA players in the 2019 World Cup in China. If the USA is one of the two best teams from the Americas in the World Cup — a highly likely result — that will qualify the USA for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Popovich will coach that as well (with likely much of the same roster from 2019).

Getting to the World Cup will fall on the D-League stars and Van Gundy.
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 9:41 am    Post subject:

Wouldnt be surprised if this is a direct attempt to try to keep the USA from qualifying.
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