Westphal和AJ见面了，顺利的话可能很快就会成为小牛助教。

6.14

曾在NBA做过7年主帅的Paul Westphal成为了加入小牛主帅Avery Johnson教练组的强力候选。前NBA全明星Westphal在Pepperdine大学执教四年后于2005年卸下教鞭。过去两年他在洛杉矶地区做电视工作。

Johnson的教练席有两个空位——一个要取代转变为顾问角色的Del Harris，另一个要填补上个月被任命为山猫主帅的Sam Vincent的空缺。

56岁的Westphal预计今儿要在小牛的小型训练营上和Johnson聊聊。他可能是Johnson的教练组所需要的那种有经验的声音。Westphal曾是个6-4的后卫，在NBA打了12个赛季，5次入选全明星阵容，打了107场季后赛。1974年他曾随凯尔特人赢得总冠军。

作为主帅，Westphal曾带领太阳进入1993年NBA总决赛，后不敌Michael Jordan和公牛。他作为NBA教练的战绩为273-168。他的最后一份NBA教练工作是在超音速，在那儿他执教了两个完整的赛季，进入过一次季后赛，2000-01赛季打了15场比赛后被解雇。

Johnson也在和可能取代Vincent的人选接触，Mario Elie是一个可能。Elie曾任马刺和勇士助教，但上赛季没有执教。Elie还是加入火箭的Rick Adelman教练组的候选。前火箭助教Tom Thibodeau据说也是Johnson教练组的一个可能人选。

Ex-coach Westphal interests Mavs

He will talk to Johnson today about opening on bench

09:53 PM CDT on Wednesday, June 13, 2007

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Paul Westphal, who was a head coach in the NBA for seven years, has emerged as a strong candidate to join Mavericks coach Avery Johnson's staff.

Westphal, a former NBA All-Star, has been out of coaching since 2005 after spending four seasons at Pepperdine University. He has been doing television work in the Los Angeles area the last two years.

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Johnson has two openings on his bench – one to replace Del Harris, who is moving into a consultant's role, and the other to fill the spot vacated by Sam Vincent, who was named coach of the Charlotte Bobcats last month.

Westphal, 56, is expected to visit with Johnson today as the Mavericks' minicamp continues. He could be the kind of veteran voice Johnson wants on his staff. Westphal was a 6-4 guard who played 12 seasons in the NBA, making the All-Star Game five times and playing in 107 playoff games. He won a championship with Boston in 1974.

As a coach, Westphal led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals in 1993, losing to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

He has a 273-168 record as an NBA coach. His last NBA coaching job was with Seattle, where he coached two full seasons, making the playoffs once, before being fired 15 games into the 2000-01 season.

Johnson also is talking to prospects about Vincent's spot on the bench, with Mario Elie a possibility. Elie has been an assistant coach at San Antonio and Golden State but spent last season out of coaching.

Elie also is a candidate to join Rick Adelman's staff in Houston. Former Rockets assistant Tom Thibodeau has been mentioned as a possibility for Johnson's staff.

Westphal might join Mavs' staff soon

Posted on Fri, Jun. 15, 2007

By JEFF CAPLAN

Paul Westphal, a former NBA All-Star point guard and head coach, met with Mavericks coach Avery Johnson on Thursday to discuss one of two openings on Johnson’s staff, a team source confirmed.

If things go well, Westphal could be hired in the next few days.

Westphal, 56, last coached in the NBA in Seattle. He was fired early into his third season in 2000-01 and then spent five seasons as head coach at Pepperdine. Out of coaching last year, Westphal would replace Del Harris.

Harris recently accepted a consultant’s role with the Mavs.

Former NBA guard Mario Elie, who’s been an assistant in San Antonio and Golden State, but didn’t coach this past season, could be in contention for the Mavs’ other assistant position.

Elie is also reportedly a candidate for a spot on Rick Adelman’s staff in Houston.

Tom Thibodeau, an assistant for Jeff Van Gundy when he coached the Rockets, is reportedly a candidate with the Mavs and possibly Orlando, and has interviewed for an assistant job with the Suns.

Van Gundy was fired by the Rockets in May.

-- Jeff Caplan

Mavs closer to adding Westphal as assistant

Posted on Sun, Jun. 17, 2007

By JEFF CAPLAN

Star-Telegram staff writer

Paul Westphal, a five-time NBA All-Star and head coach for seven seasons, is close to joining the Mavericks as an assistant coach.

Contract negotiations to add Westphal to Avery Johnson's staff could begin Monday, a team source confirmed. Westphal, who last coached in the NBA in 2000, met with Johnson over dinner Thursday night.

Westphal, 56, would replace veteran coach Del Harris, who recently accepted a consultant's role with the team, and would join third-year assistant coach Joe Prunty on a staff that has one more vacancy.

Johnson is sifting through candidates to replace Sam Vincent, who left last month to become head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats.

A point guard for 12 seasons in the NBA, Westphal could help Johnson in the ongoing development of Devin Harris, who is striving to become the Mavs' starting point guard in his fourth season.

A 1972 draft pick by the Celtics, Westphal played in Boston for three seasons, winning an NBA title in 1974 before being traded to Phoenix. He led the Suns to the 1976 Finals, where they lost to the Celtics.

He became head coach of the Suns in 1992. With Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson, Dan Majerle and Danny Ainge, the Suns advanced to the Finals in Westphal's first season, losing to Michael Jordan and Chicago.

The Suns never made it back to the Finals and parted ways with Westphal during the 1995-96 season. He was an assistant at an Arizona high school for two years before returning to the league as coach in Seattle.

Westphal has been out of the NBA since being fired in 2001 after two full seasons in Seattle. He spent five seasons as coach at Pepperdine, taking the Waves to the NCAA Tournament in his first season.

But after going 7-20, Westphal, a California native, was fired in March 2006. Last season he was a TV analyst for Lakers and Clippers games in Los Angeles.