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Michigan basketball head coach Dusty May shocked the college hoops world by taking the Dallas Mavericks' NBA coaching job on Monday. So many parts of this move are stunning. The question is a simple but powerful one: Which aspect of this decision is more surprising than the others? Let's dive right into this:
One obvious reason this move is so surprising is that Dusty May and Michigan just won the national championship. Coaches and teams, having scaled the mountain, usually want to see if they can go back to back. Dusty May didn't ultimately view that as something he had to do.
This is another jarring element of Dusty May's decision to go to the NBA: He had a Michigan roster which was expected to be Final Four-good. This new roster lost a few pieces from the championship team, but not many. Michigan really was in position to make a run at another title. This was not a rebuild or a "take five steps back" year. May left a very good situation -- not just overall, but this coming season specifically.
Dusty May could have gone to North Carolina, the ultimate Cadillac job in college hoops, if he wanted. He chose the Dallas Mavericks not only over Michigan, but also UNC. That seems really strange. Speaking of the Mavericks ...
If a college basketball coach has just won the national title and the NBA is considered a possibility, one would think a coach would leave an ideal college situation only for one of the most prestigious NBA jobs. The Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks are uniquely alluring. The Mavs, though? Dallas is not in the same league.
If Dallas still had Luka Doncic and was coming off its 2024 NBA Finals appearance, and Dusty May walked into that situation, okay -- that's a different story. The current Mavericks are mired in mediocrity and are trying to build themselves into a half-decent team.
Dusty May took a Western Conference coaching job over an Eastern Conference job. May now has to guide the Mavericks at a time when the OKC Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are ruling the roost in the West. Dusty May could do a great job with the Mavs and lose in the first round of the playoffs every year. The second round of the NBA playoffs could be his ceiling. Had he taken a job in the East, which is a lot more open, he would have had a more realistic path to the NBA Finals. This is the most shocking aspect of May's move, even more than leaving a national championship team for a non-royalty NBA franchise.
This is something Michigan basketball fans have to be hating, as much as the fact that May is no longer coaching the Wolverines: Dusty May could have made overtures through his agent/representation that he wanted the Detroit Pistons job. The Pistons could have fired JB Bickerstaff and hired May. How did this not happen? It has to be something which is lighting Detroit sports talk radio on fire today.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Dusty May to Mavericks is surprising mostly because it's a dumb move
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Reigning national champion
One obvious reason this move is so surprising is that Dusty May and Michigan just won the national championship. Coaches and teams, having scaled the mountain, usually want to see if they can go back to back. Dusty May didn't ultimately view that as something he had to do.
Michigan has a chance to defend its title
This is another jarring element of Dusty May's decision to go to the NBA: He had a Michigan roster which was expected to be Final Four-good. This new roster lost a few pieces from the championship team, but not many. Michigan really was in position to make a run at another title. This was not a rebuild or a "take five steps back" year. May left a very good situation -- not just overall, but this coming season specifically.
North Carolina was available
Dusty May could have gone to North Carolina, the ultimate Cadillac job in college hoops, if he wanted. He chose the Dallas Mavericks not only over Michigan, but also UNC. That seems really strange. Speaking of the Mavericks ...
Not the Lakers, Celtics, or Knicks
If a college basketball coach has just won the national title and the NBA is considered a possibility, one would think a coach would leave an ideal college situation only for one of the most prestigious NBA jobs. The Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks are uniquely alluring. The Mavs, though? Dallas is not in the same league.
No Luka Doncic
If Dallas still had Luka Doncic and was coming off its 2024 NBA Finals appearance, and Dusty May walked into that situation, okay -- that's a different story. The current Mavericks are mired in mediocrity and are trying to build themselves into a half-decent team.
East versus West
Dusty May took a Western Conference coaching job over an Eastern Conference job. May now has to guide the Mavericks at a time when the OKC Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are ruling the roost in the West. Dusty May could do a great job with the Mavs and lose in the first round of the playoffs every year. The second round of the NBA playoffs could be his ceiling. Had he taken a job in the East, which is a lot more open, he would have had a more realistic path to the NBA Finals. This is the most shocking aspect of May's move, even more than leaving a national championship team for a non-royalty NBA franchise.
Detroit Pistons
This is something Michigan basketball fans have to be hating, as much as the fact that May is no longer coaching the Wolverines: Dusty May could have made overtures through his agent/representation that he wanted the Detroit Pistons job. The Pistons could have fired JB Bickerstaff and hired May. How did this not happen? It has to be something which is lighting Detroit sports talk radio on fire today.
Contact/Follow@College_Wire on X and@College_Wires on Threads. Like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sports news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Dusty May to Mavericks is surprising mostly because it's a dumb move
Continue reading...
