Sunday, June 3, 2007

Hope you like college Billy, because you're dead to the NBA

We've all had times where we're not sure we made the right decision. This frequently happens to me. I'm not sure that it was a good idea to supersize my Big Mac meal at McDonald's last night. But sometimes you just gotta live with your decision.

Especially when you make a $27.5 million decision.

For Billy Donovan, once he signed that contract with the Orlando Magic last week, that should have been it. No second guessing, no looking back. No "pulling a Kobe." Donovan had always been interested in the NBA and now his greatest long-term goal was finally coming to fruition.

But some time over the weekend, that changed. We're not sure how this is going to play out, but we know one thing. Billy's up shit creek, seeing as right after he inked his contract with the Magic, 200 season ticket packages were sold. It seems that Billy will get a hefty fine if the Orlando Magic let him go.

And let's be honest here. The Magic have to let him go even though he inked that deal. Imagine the first day of training camp if the Magic kept him. "Hi guys, I'm your new coach, and as you probably well know, I don't want to be here."

Not exactly inspiring. But the longer term problem here for Donovan is that his one time goal of coaching in the NBA will now never be realized. I don't think he'll have any problem going back to college and recruiting. College is a very forgiving place if you won a lot there as a coach. And Florida is a marquee hoops power now. Kids will still want to come and play for Billy.

But if I'm an NBA team, regardless of how many more NCAA Championships Donovan wins, I'd never in a million years think of hiring him. He balked at a fairly decent NBA job with great pay that was close to his home after he signed a contract. He's a liability, you don't know what he'll do. And until some other news comes out, you also have to assume that Donovan was scared to make the leap and start coaching pros.

None of these things are qualities you want in an NBA coach.

We hope you enjoy college Billy, because the odds of an NBA team - including the Atlanta Hawks - ever knocking on your door again are slim to none.

-WCK

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