Ric Bucher: Idea that Mikhail Prokhorov wants John Calipari is "absurd

Two days after his former colleague, Marc Stein, suggested that Mikhail Prokhorov might be interested in hiring John Calipari, Ric Bucher dismissed the idea as "absurd." The former ESPN reporter, now working for Comcast in the Bay Area, said in part that the Nets owner wouldn't want a coach whose players have disappointed in the pros.

Speaking of the players Calipari has coached, Bucher writes on Sulia: "When I look at how that talent has by and large performed at the NBA level, I have to wonder why anyone would still think he's capable of being an championship-caliber NBA coach. I do know Prokhorov was genuinely interested in Phil Jackson; the idea that he might consider Calipari as a worthwhile fallback option seems absurd."

He adds "I appreciate how Calipari has evolved as a coach, overall; he's grown measurably since his days at Memphis. But there's no basis to believe that he could take what the Nets have and make it appreciably better than it is right now."

• Ric Bucher's post on Basketball - Ric Bucher - Sulia