Help For Jay? P.J To The Rescue?

The Fan 590 and ESPN are reporting that the Raptors will be adding to the coaching staff. P.J Carlesimo has former head coach and assistant coach in the NBA and former NCAA head coach on his resume. P.J was most famously was part of the incident with Latrell Sprewell in which Sprewell attempted to apply a choke hold on his head coach Carlesmio. His last job was as head coach with Seattle/Oklahoma City, where he was fired after a 1-12 start when the team first landed in OKC. His career record as a head coach is less than impressive with a 204-296 record and was only 3-9 on the post season. He has had success as an assistant most notably with the San Antonio Spurs from 2002-2007. Before heading to the NBA he was the head coach at Seton Hall for 12 years 1982-1994. He has also spent time working in T.V at various points in between coaching jobs.

The word is that the Raptors are adding P.J and this will not mean another assistant is being shown the door. The speculation is that Carlesimo would help with the X and O's for the Raptors. This would allow Jay Triano to focus more on his players. This was something Triano admitted he did not do well last season. It also puts another former head coach on the Raptors bench. Joining Mark Ivaroni who coached the Grizzlies.

It is being reported that Raptors and Carlesmio have agreed to terms and this should be announced shortly. While the Raptors roster is very much in flux with recent Hedo Turkoglu comments and Bosh's impending free agency and likely departure. Jay Triano has only one year plus a team option on his contract. It is just guess work to know what Triano will have to work with next season in terms of a roster. However if he failed to meet expectations at the very least Carlesmio would be a viable replacement even if only on an interim basis. The pressure on Triano likely gets a little more as a result. But looking at it from a positive point of view this is clearly an upgrade to the staff as a whole.

Carlesmio may also prove to be helpful to the younger players on this roster with his long run in the NCAA. Carlesmio made Seton Hall a viable team in the ultra competitive Big East for many years. He could be an asset in helping develop young players like DeRozan, Weems and whatever could come the Raptors way via the draft or trades.

Carlesmio has always been well respected throughout the league and has left the Sprewell incident behind him. He is a good person and well respected and liked from anything I have every come across in reading or listening about him over the years. Let's just hope he is more successful than the Raptors last P.J was. P.J Tucker out of Texas was a Raptor 2nd round draft choice did not exactly work well. The "Baby Mule" last whereabouts was playing somewhere in Europe.

P.J Tucker was one and done. Let's hope P.J Carlesmio has a longer and brighter future with the Raptors.