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Was it irony or an omen the other night in Milwaukee when Mike Dunleavy Sr. was seen hanging around the Bradley Center. He was waiting for his son, Mike Jr., to finish up so they could grab a late bite after the Bucks win vs. the Nets. Now, two days later, Dunleavy's name keeps popping up on lists, and high up, as the Nets try to replace Avery Johnson.
Peter Vecsey, Chris Broussard, Stefan Bondy all say he's on the list ... and apparently he wants the job.
On "Off the Dribble", a show he co-hosts on Sirius XM Radio, Dunleavy sounded like he was campaigning for it, starting with this quote. "I'm from Brooklyn. Coaching there would be a dream come true." That's not all. When Justin Termine, his co-host asked, "Is the Nets job a premiere job in the league?", the Nazareth High grad responded, "I think it is now that they're in Brooklyn."
Dunleavy also likes the Nets roster. In talking about its versatility, he told Termine, they can play big and they have great guard play. And what's the first thing the new coach will have to do, "The first thing you have to do as a coach is get (Deron Williams) shots in his comfort zone."
Later after being joined by Stefan Bondy, Dunleavy said the key to getting DWill off his slide is "putting him in position to restore confidence."
He's coached the Lakers, Bucks, Trail Blazers and Clippers, the last job as both a GM and coach. He was the NBA Coach of the Year in the lockout-shortened 1999 season. He last coached in 2009-10, resigning during the season. His career record is 613-716, but 38-33 in the playoffs. He reached the NBA Finals once, in 1991, his first year with the Lakers after replacing Pat Riley.