Knicks · New Knick Assistant Coach was Durant's designated assistant coach (page 1)

Brian Keefe has joined Derek Fisher's staff with the New York Knicks. It is the second Thunder staffer Fisher has taken with him. Josh Longstaff, a video analyst and player development coach, also joined Fisher's staff.

by Darnell Mayberry Published: July 14, 2014

After seven seasons with the franchise, Thunder assistant coach Brian Keefe is moving on.

Keefe has joined Derek Fisher's staff with the New York Knicks.

Photo - Thunder assistant coach Brian Keefe on the bench during an NBA basketball game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Monday, Feb. 4, 2013. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman

Thunder assistant coach Brian Keefe on the bench during an NBA basketball game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Monday, Feb. 4, 2013. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman

It is the second Thunder staffer Fisher has taken with him. Josh Longstaff, a video analyst and player development coach, also joined Fisher's staff.

Keefe spent the past five seasons as an assistant coach after serving as a player development coach in his first two seasons with the franchise. Keefe was instrumental in the development of Kevin Durant, working with the league’s reigning MVP as his designated assistant coach before and after games and practices.

The Thunder recently promoted Darko Rajakovic as an assistant coach. Rajakovic had spent the previous two seasons as head coach of the NBA Developmental League's Tulsa 66ers, who are owned by the Thunder.

Keefe is only the fourth Thunder assistant who has gone on to another opportunity since the team arrived in 2008. He joins Ralph Lewis, Ron Adams and Maurice Cheeks

http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-thunder-...

based on past history hard to picture a scenario where we get him but I certainly like that we continue to add from winning programs

I think a Melo/Durant 4/3 would work, I'm the team is capped out though by that time with Dragic and Gasol.

I don't see Durant and Melo working but I do think we can get Marc gasol and another guy. Dragic would be great but who knows if we will afford qualities players after just maxing out Melo. Gonna be hard winning a championship with that team but at least we would consistently be in the mix.

The xfactor is how we draft. Always will be

Melo and Durant occupy the same space, both below average defenders. It was one or the other. We chose Melo which I understand. As opposed to waiting on Durant then He re-ups with OKC and we are Lebron'd again

I did not want Melo back but would've had no problem if he took a significant discount like $110-115. Bosh kinda screwed ith melo's value. Bosh does have rings though. It would've taken a lot for Melo to leave another $7mil on the table. If he really wanted to win he would have but be always wants his came and then Wants to eat it too. Money has historically been his number one priority. Again that's up to him. We just brace ourselves. Odds are we are due for a championship in the next 25yrs. We are at 42yrs and counting

From what Phil said he is not going to have the money for another star so they will be looking for 2 Robins to Melo's batman. Guess we will find out if Melo is batman. Hopefully the 2 Robins are Robins and not Another broken down former star/malcontent. Can't keep shopping at hyundai & settling for these guys because we don't have the caps pace to shop at Mercedes

gunsnewing wrote:Melo and Durant occupy the same space, both below average defenders. It was one or the other. We chose Melo which I understand. As opposed to waiting on Durant then He re-ups with OKC and we are Lebron'd again

No they don't, Melo is more of post/elbow scorer, Durant is a operates off the ball way more with Westbrook and dribble drives from the 22-17 foot area. I think they would play off of each other in triangle at a high level.

Anji wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:Melo and Durant occupy the same space, both below average defenders. It was one or the other. We chose Melo which I understand. As opposed to waiting on Durant then He re-ups with OKC and we are Lebron'd again

No they don't, Melo is more of post/elbow scorer, Durant is a operates off the ball way more with Westbrook and dribble drives from the 22-17 foot area. I think they would play off of each other in triangle at a high level.

good points ... but if Durant wants to get to the next level and win a ring he better get himself a postgame or he can continue to be shut down by the toney allens of the league. Its a gaping hole in his game.

mreinman wrote:

Anji wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:Melo and Durant occupy the same space, both below average defenders. It was one or the other. We chose Melo which I understand. As opposed to waiting on Durant then He re-ups with OKC and we are Lebron'd again

No they don't, Melo is more of post/elbow scorer, Durant is a operates off the ball way more with Westbrook and dribble drives from the 22-17 foot area. I think they would play off of each other in triangle at a high level.

good points ... but if Durant wants to get to the next level and win a ring he better get himself a postgame or he can continue to be shut down by the toney allens of the league. Its a gaping hole in his game.

That's were playing with an elitle post up player like Melo would help him, but I agree. There is no reason for Durant not to have a post up game that rivals his face-up/dribble game.

Anji wrote:

mreinman wrote:

Anji wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:Melo and Durant occupy the same space, both below average defenders. It was one or the other. We chose Melo which I understand. As opposed to waiting on Durant then He re-ups with OKC and we are Lebron'd again

No they don't, Melo is more of post/elbow scorer, Durant is a operates off the ball way more with Westbrook and dribble drives from the 22-17 foot area. I think they would play off of each other in triangle at a high level.

good points ... but if Durant wants to get to the next level and win a ring he better get himself a postgame or he can continue to be shut down by the toney allens of the league. Its a gaping hole in his game.

That's were playing with an elitle post up player like Melo would help him, but I agree. There is no reason for Durant not to have a post up game that rivals his face-up/dribble game.

Durant and Melo would play great together and be unstoppable. And, if durant develops a post game then he and Melo would be sick.

Durant does everything Melo doesn't do. He moves without the ball, gets in the lane, and sets up his teammates. I think he would get Melo much easier shots and take pressure off of him.

What does "designated" assistant mean. He only coached Durant? Or was each player assigned a go-to coach and Durant was one of his guys?

VDesai wrote:What does "designated" assistant mean. He only coached Durant? Or was each player assigned a go-to coach and Durant was one of his guys?

No. It said in the article that he was the coach that worked with Durant before and after games.

Next week we'll hire his nanny as a scouting consultant, and then promote his 3rd grade teacher to defensive assistant. 2016 Free agency here we come! KD come leave home!

Anji wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:Melo and Durant occupy the same space, both below average defenders. It was one or the other. We chose Melo which I understand. As opposed to waiting on Durant then He re-ups with OKC and we are Lebron'd again

No they don't, Melo is more of post/elbow scorer, Durant is a operates off the ball way more with Westbrook and dribble drives from the 22-17 foot area. I think they would play off of each other in triangle at a high level.

Agree with this, but their combined defense would still be a major concern. If we don't get really good help defenders we would be giving up as many points as we get out of these two.

meloshouldgo wrote:

Anji wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:Melo and Durant occupy the same space, both below average defenders. It was one or the other. We chose Melo which I understand. As opposed to waiting on Durant then He re-ups with OKC and we are Lebron'd again

No they don't, Melo is more of post/elbow scorer, Durant is a operates off the ball way more with Westbrook and dribble drives from the 22-17 foot area. I think they would play off of each other in triangle at a high level.

Agree with this, but their combined defense would still be a major concern. If we don't get really good help defenders we would be giving up as many points as we get out of these two.

Yea ignoring this would be a huge mistake. It was one or the other we chose Melo which I'm fine with if he didn't take the max. I understand locking up Melo and not waiting around only to be Lebron'd again. Now we have to hope we have enough cap space to build a legitimate contender or we are stuck for another 5yrs

I don't think the plan behind signing him was to attract KD (we'll have no cap space in 2016), but so he can work with Melo- he wasn't afraid to get in KD's face and tell him like it is and call him up on his body language and effort etc. Fish and Phil probably decided they want someone who'll do that with Melo.

phuching reigning MVP and dudes picking his game apart?

you got a 7 foot dude with a handle and some want him banging down low?

Melo is built for that.

Do I want him? He might extend for all we know. He might not even want any part of NY scene?
Today Do I want the Reigning MVP? Hell yeah!

I'll let Phish (Phil and Fish) figure it out.

Before we get to that lets see how we round out the roster.

Nalod wrote:phuching reigning MVP and dudes picking his game apart?

you got a 7 foot dude with a handle and some want him banging down low?

Melo is built for that.

Do I want him? He might extend for all we know. He might not even want any part of NY scene?
Today Do I want the Reigning MVP? Hell yeah!

I'll let Phish (Phil and Fish) figure it out.

Before we get to that lets see how we round out the roster.

You can't be serious.

Lebron won a few MVP's and then realized that he needed a post game to up his game, no? MJ? Kobe?

mreinman wrote:

Nalod wrote:phuching reigning MVP and dudes picking his game apart?

you got a 7 foot dude with a handle and some want him banging down low?

Melo is built for that.

Do I want him? He might extend for all we know. He might not even want any part of NY scene?
Today Do I want the Reigning MVP? Hell yeah!

I'll let Phish (Phil and Fish) figure it out.

Before we get to that lets see how we round out the roster.

You can't be serious.

Lebron won a few MVP's and then realized that he needed a post game to up his game, no? MJ? Kobe?

Serious. Durant is not Lebron. Much better shooter. I don't see lebron posting much of late.
Serious. Read up on Ralph Simpson, they ruined his legs trying to make him what most 7 footers were. Durant is who he is.
You don't want him because he don't have a post game?
Besides Lebron you can punch holes in every player.
We all can.
See what they are, not what they are not.