Head Coach thread

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Scalma

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Haven’t seen one, figured it’d be useful since it’s pretty much inevitable that Stotts will be fired.

Who you hiring and why?

ESPN ran an article on some candidates back in September, and broke it down in different categories

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...rospects-tyronn-lue-tom-thibodeau-chris-finch

Rising stars

Charles Lee- Milwaukee
in his sixth season working under Mike Budenholzerin Atlanta and now Milwaukee. Fans of Lee, who played professionally overseas before spending a couple of years as an equity trader on Wall Street, tout him as a five-tool coach who is every bit as comfortable having meaningful conversations with a backup point guard as he is dining with a team owner. Those who have worked with him say he has an intuitive sense of how to inspire improvement from players but also understands high-level strategy and the preparation required to implement it. He is, in the words of one peer, someone who is "categorically going to be an NBA head coach."


Wes Unseld Jr- Denver
15-year assistant who oversees the defense for the Denver Nuggetsis finally beginning to attract attention for his combination of steadiness, smarts and empathy. Growing up around the NBA and his work for a variety of head coaches has given him a firm understanding of the dynamics that drive staffs and organizations. He may not be the firebrand his boss Michael Malone is -- but these days that's an asset, especially with veteran rosters.

Jordi Fernandez- Denver
Fernandez, who was courted by both Minnesota and Memphis in recent seasons for key positions on their staffs, is the kind of coaching Renaissance man front offices are increasingly seeking. He has been a member of a championship organization in Cleveland, served as a G League head coach, worked with the Spanish national team and grinded in the video room.

Pat Delaney- Orlando
Whether it's the Heat family or members of the Van Gundy brothers-Clifford coaching tree, Delaney has huge fans around the league. They believe there are few assistants with greater fluency of the NBA game. Clifford certainly agrees, and he entrusts Delany with control of the Magic's late-game strategy. If Delany doesn't receive an interview this offseason, the time is not far off.

Steve Hetzel- Orlando
Praised for his work with Kemba Walker in Charlotte and this season with Markelle Fultz, Hetzel carried his reputation as a teacher and communicator into an interview for the Cleveland vacancy last summer. Having come up as a video coordinator, Hetzel has always had a knack for detail. In recent years, players and coaches have admired his ability to establish trust with players through sweat equity -- he tells them the unvarnished truth and furnishes them with information that will make them better.

Brian Keefe- Oklahoma City
Yet another alum of the Spurs' video room, Keefe has engendered the confidence of the Thunder organization with his sharpness, and they were thrilled to bring him back to serve beside Billy Donovan. Keefe is a question-asker, the voice in the room who's inclined to suggest a contrary approach with thoughtfulness. He forges positive relationships with players and is a big-picture person.

Darvin Ham- Milwaukee
would command the instant respect of current players with his voice and manner as a hard-nosed NBA vet. He also brings a strong development background as a longtime assistant to Budenholzer, who offers an annual clinic in the art of team building and management.

Ime Udoka- Brooklyn
has the unanimous respect of the Spurs organization from top to bottom, having served on Popovich's staff for seven seasons following a seven-year NBA playing career. Now with Philadelphia alongside the since-fired Brown, Udoka is a reliable, process-oriented coach with measured confidence and a way with players.


Former head coaches

Kenny Atkinson- LAC
will be among the most sought-after candidates on the market. Whatever transpired in Brooklyn, Atkinson is still regarded as a multiskilled coach who is an expert teacher, culture maven and expansive thinker who understands how to work his team's strengths.

Jason Kidd- LA
has received favorable reviews as an assistant under Frank Vogel for the Lakers. He's eager for another chance as a head coach and will likely have opportunities to make a pitch to owners and execs in the near future.

Mark Jackson
often mentioned as a candidate with high favorable ratings among players.

Dave Joerger- Philadelphia
Last September, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski asked Erik Spoelstra and Doc Riversto name an opposing head coach for whom it was particularly tough to prepare. Both coaches cited Joerger for his creativity and game management. There are competing books on Joerger, who spent three seasons each in Memphis and Sacramento. Either he's a strong tactician with some jagged edges, or he's a basketball savant who was unceremoniously fired by two notoriously dysfunctional front offices. Several executives and veteran head coaches say they're curious to see how Joerger could perform in a more stable situation.
 
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My preference is Ettore Messina. He is very experienced and also spent 5 years next to Popovich.
 
new head coach must be someone whos never been a head coach in the nba

so either assistant nba coach or a younger head coach from the ncaa
 
Playcalling has never been less important

It's the player, not the play, who will determine a coach's fortune. As coaching has evolved from craft to art in today's NBA, fewer possessions are strict interpretations of the coach's playbook. Sets that were once ordered by the sideline are now basic actions that promote playmaking opportunities in a free-flowing system.
Devising a coverage scheme is a task that can be delegated to a bright assistant, but listening to a player, demanding accountability from him and his 14 teammates, and voicing a message that inspires rests with a head coach.
 
Playcalling has never been less important

It's the player, not the play, who will determine a coach's fortune. As coaching has evolved from craft to art in today's NBA, fewer possessions are strict interpretations of the coach's playbook. Sets that were once ordered by the sideline are now basic actions that promote playmaking opportunities in a free-flowing system.
Devising a coverage scheme is a task that can be delegated to a bright assistant, but listening to a player, demanding accountability from him and his 14 teammates, and voicing a message that inspires rests with a head coach.

"....demanding accountability from him and his 14 teammates, and voicing a message that inspires rests with a head coach."

And that is where Stotts seems to have fallen well short since the beginning.
 
I want any head coach that can recruit us an all-star wing defender to play for him/her.
 
Out of the available options from the OP I like Udoka out of the rising stars category, both Kidd and Joerger would be fine with me from the former head coach pool.

One former head coach that I love for this team would be Brian Shaw. Shaw didn't get much of a chance in Denver and the biggest complaint was that he was too demanding. I think this team needs that.

The best part about it is that he has the longest relationship with Dame of anyone in the NBA. So I think Dame would lead the team to be open to Shaw's propensity for accountability.
 
Out of the available options from the OP I like Udoka out of the rising stars category, both Kidd and Joerger would be fine with me from the former head coach pool.

One former head coach that I love for this team would be Brian Shaw. Shaw didn't get much of a chance in Denver and the biggest complaint was that he was too demanding. I think this team needs that.

The best part about it is that he has the longest relationship with Dame of anyone in the NBA. So I think Dame would lead the team to be open to Shaw's propensity for accountability.
jason kidd is terrible, why on earth would you want him
 
Why? just curious.

Besides his strong religious views that most would feel go beyond just being a Christian, which is fine whatever, he said and did some things at GS that are enough that he hasn’t gotten another job yet. There’s a reason for that. Or reasons. When his assistant secretly recorded him over the course of several weeks because he was so alarmed and thought it was such a weird environment, that speaks volumes. That same assistant immediately got another job. And then another job. He recorded the head coach and was NOT blackballed but the HC was/is? That tells you what was recorded or going on was pretty damning against MJax. He didn’t get along well with management as well and GS management isn’t hard to get along with. Maybe I’m biased but the fact that Jackson got run out of GS tells me all I need to know.
 
Yeah, I think Jackson is a decent coach in terms of getting young players to buy into a defensive mentality, but he creates a toxic environment due to his own paranoia and desire for power and he's unimaginative as a coach anyway.
 
Yeah, I think Jackson is a decent coach in terms of getting young players to buy into a defensive mentality, but he creates a toxic environment due to his own paranoia and desire for power and he's unimaginative as a coach anyway.

He would be at best a lateral move from Stotts.

At worst he would be a step back (as scary as that is.)
 
My list has Becky and Udoka at the top, and that’s based on who they’ve coached under and a gut feeling about how they handle players. Joerger seems like a good fit for what this team actually needs, but I know nothing about his relationship with players, which I think should be valued, to a certain degree. For example, I don’t think they should hire someone like Vanterpool just because Dame likes him. But if he checks other boxes, it also can’t hurt.
 

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