Coaching Candidates for next season (merged)
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Shaw was an atrocious fit in Denver. I think he had problems connecting to the players too, which is certainly a big deal, but they paired a coach who came from a triangle coaching tree with one of the most up-tempo/athletic/small-ball teams in the league at that time. Much like Karl with us, the personal has to match the philosophy of the coach to be successful
Shaw would probably be 5th or 6th on my list. Certainly ahead of guys like Mitchell, Jackson and VDN
Shaw would probably be 5th or 6th on my list. Certainly ahead of guys like Mitchell, Jackson and VDN
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Agreed.
Hollins wouldnt be bad but he has massive issues with overbearding GMs and owners and wouldnt go for us at all i feel given the stigma associated with Vivek etc.
His perfect world i, dont tell me; what to do, who to play, what to say to media/star players/scrubs - ill do as i wish and we will win - any directive coming from the top down is seen as overstepping - you empower me to coach and you stay the hell away. No chance that goes down here unfortunately, like it or not Vlade will always be the link, the cog that sets the tone for what we should be doing on court and unless he sees eye to eye with Hollins defense first directive, fat chance he walks through the door.
Hollins wouldnt be bad but he has massive issues with overbearding GMs and owners and wouldnt go for us at all i feel given the stigma associated with Vivek etc.
His perfect world i, dont tell me; what to do, who to play, what to say to media/star players/scrubs - ill do as i wish and we will win - any directive coming from the top down is seen as overstepping - you empower me to coach and you stay the hell away. No chance that goes down here unfortunately, like it or not Vlade will always be the link, the cog that sets the tone for what we should be doing on court and unless he sees eye to eye with Hollins defense first directive, fat chance he walks through the door.
agreed.
further to this, this season i saw the wiz move backwards trying to 'embrace' the fallacy which is what is seen as the future of the nba - this warriors style of play.
The Wiz tried to reconfigure the way they play to; leverage their backcourt duo, push the tempo and emphasize the long ball. They have done this to the detriment of their defense and unsurprisingly have had a very average season.
They have all the pieces to be a successful inside/out team - real strength in the middle with gortat and nene, great wings in ariza and portor and a good guard rotation of wall, beal, temple - but they are too enamored with trying to push the tempo and ball. Their move from big line up to small has got them killed on the glass and has been a complete misadventure. If anything they are the kings of the east, it all there but not leveraging it appropriately.
further to this, this season i saw the wiz move backwards trying to 'embrace' the fallacy which is what is seen as the future of the nba - this warriors style of play.
The Wiz tried to reconfigure the way they play to; leverage their backcourt duo, push the tempo and emphasize the long ball. They have done this to the detriment of their defense and unsurprisingly have had a very average season.
They have all the pieces to be a successful inside/out team - real strength in the middle with gortat and nene, great wings in ariza and portor and a good guard rotation of wall, beal, temple - but they are too enamored with trying to push the tempo and ball. Their move from big line up to small has got them killed on the glass and has been a complete misadventure. If anything they are the kings of the east, it all there but not leveraging it appropriately.
Why udoka and Walton? Not directed only at you but others who want them. Why choose udoka over ettore Messina if you are going after a Spurs assistant? Though not NBA head coaching experience, Messina does have head coaching experience and did well. Also as I've brought up before, I'm not on the Luke Walton because I don't know how much of it was him vs his team already built to win. I knew of Walton as an assistant coach but never heard highly of him as an up and coming one and surprised when he took over for Kerr. But let's say gentry never left and kept the lead assistant role and took over for Kerr. I'm fairly sure he would have done the same or close to what Walton did. Would we be all over Walton or would gentry be at the top of everyone's list?
We've seen Gentry and his coaching when in Phoenix. I think people like the next up and comer or hope to find that diamond in the rough, Luke may or may not be it. We have nothing to base it on except when he was coaching under interim purposes, which is not a reason you hire him so there has to be more when interviewing him and going through the whole coaching search process.
you can wait for others to weigh in, if you'd like, but if you're asking "why udoka and walton," i did offer a useful list of traits that enforce my belief that they will be successful head coaches in the nba: they are "up-and-comers who are as close to a 'sure thing' as you're likely to find with a first-time head coach. both were roleplayers/effort guys during their playing days, both have a very high basketball IQ, both have been mentored by great nba minds, both have been paying their dues as assistants (as opposed to making the jump straight into head coaching a la jason kidd and derek fisher), and both are highly regarded around the league."
ettore messina is an interesting candidate to consider, as well, but from most accounts, hiring messina also means that you're hiring a fairly sizable ego, and after the george karl fiasco, perhaps it's better for the kings to avoid head coaches with that kind of baggage...
as for walton, there's a difference between successfully standing in to coach a team already built to win and leading that team to a 39-4 record. i don't care how exceptional the roster may be; 39-4 is a ridiculous mark for any assistant to achieve in his head coach's stead. it speaks to both possibility and opportunity with a young assistant like walton, whereas alvin gentry is a known quantity at this stage of his career. we know what he brings to the table--and what he doesn't. it may turn out that walton is nothing special on the sidelines, but among assistants looking to make the leap into the head coaching ranks, it seems pretty clear to me why insiders around the league aren't overlooking walton's work as a stand-in for steve kerr...
ettore messina is an interesting candidate to consider, as well, but from most accounts, hiring messina also means that you're hiring a fairly sizable ego, and after the george karl fiasco, perhaps it's better for the kings to avoid head coaches with that kind of baggage...
as for walton, there's a difference between successfully standing in to coach a team already built to win and leading that team to a 39-4 record. i don't care how exceptional the roster may be; 39-4 is a ridiculous mark for any assistant to achieve in his head coach's stead. it speaks to both possibility and opportunity with a young assistant like walton, whereas alvin gentry is a known quantity at this stage of his career. we know what he brings to the table--and what he doesn't. it may turn out that walton is nothing special on the sidelines, but among assistants looking to make the leap into the head coaching ranks, it seems pretty clear to me why insiders around the league aren't overlooking walton's work as a stand-in for steve kerr...
compared to Harden? Absolutely!
Yes there are times when he complains and doesn't get back but he draws a charge every game and has become an effective shot-blocker. Karl had those guys looking like clowns out there on defense. A smart coach could get enough out of Cousins to be above average defensively. No doubt.
Well Messina is on Vlade's rumored list so he'll be considered. Outside of standing in for Pop I've never seen him coach so I can't speak to his personal style and tendencies. But he would be an older first-time head coach. Still, he is absolutely worth a look.
Part of my bias towards Udoka (and to a slightly lesser extent Walton) is that I think a younger, former NBA player will have an easier time relating to the guys on his roster.
Both Udoka & Walton are heady guys and I like what I've seen of their temperament and ability to communicate effectively.
And honestly I wonder if the Kings will move in the direction of a rebuild if things don't go their way next season so hedging bets with a young head coach who can function as a teacher is a consideration.
Part of my bias towards Udoka (and to a slightly lesser extent Walton) is that I think a younger, former NBA player will have an easier time relating to the guys on his roster.
Both Udoka & Walton are heady guys and I like what I've seen of their temperament and ability to communicate effectively.
And honestly I wonder if the Kings will move in the direction of a rebuild if things don't go their way next season so hedging bets with a young head coach who can function as a teacher is a consideration.
One name that might pop out of nowhere might be Zeljko Obradovic. He is a Serbian coach that Vlade knows very well and he is as highly rated in Europe as Messina or Blatt have been. He has won everywhere he has gone (mind you he has had very good teams everywhere he has coached).
Having said that, personal opinion is that I don't think he would be a great fit in terms of his approach. He is very hands on, dictatorial type of coach and given that he has no NBA exposure that might just pee a few players off.
Having said that, personal opinion is that I don't think he would be a great fit in terms of his approach. He is very hands on, dictatorial type of coach and given that he has no NBA exposure that might just pee a few players off.
I would prefer Kevin McHale, a guy who played hockey goalie in Hibbing until he got too tall. As you can tell much of my reasoning behind liking him is not only because he is a Hall of Famer who is probably a decent coach but because he is from my home state and my alma mater in college. I don't think he will be a slam dunk success but will be more than adequate. I would be quite content with Walton. If he is a smoothed out version of his dad, he is very bright academically and also as to the NBA. His brief stretch as a temp head coach with the Warriors was quite satisfactory. Walton may have a high ceiling if we cam steal a term from the jargon we use when discussing draft picks.
It seems like Vlade is interviewing a bunch of mediocre types who might in fact give better results than Karl but waiting for Luke to become available gives Vlade plenty of time to interview as many people as he wishes.
I hope whoever the person is who is chosen is run by Pop, Adelman, and Boogie.
It seems like Vlade is interviewing a bunch of mediocre types who might in fact give better results than Karl but waiting for Luke to become available gives Vlade plenty of time to interview as many people as he wishes.
I hope whoever the person is who is chosen is run by Pop, Adelman, and Boogie.
I'd have absolutely 0 problems with bringing on Walton. He's probably my #1 at this point.
- 39-4 is incredibly hard to do, no matter what roster you have. And I fully believe he was in complete control of the team; if you guys had been following Kerr's back injury and the pain and rehab he's had to go through, it's hard to believe that he'd be back-seat coaching. All reports said the Warriors loved playing for him as well.
-Says something that the Warriors turned to Walton over a grizzled vet assistant like Adams. I think that speaks to his communication skills and ability to connect with the players. Again, a major plus with a star player like Boogie who's soured on every coach but one during his time in the league.
- I don't want to hire a dinosaur. Our next coach should be someone we can pencil in to coach the team for the next 10 seasons, performance willing. Even if Karl did work out and we won 50 games this year, it's hard to believe he would have been able to make it to the end of his deal. We've done a horrible job, other than Malone, in bringing in coaches who are feasible long-term solutions for coach.
-Great coaching tree. Dude basically sat on the bench next to Phil for 5 years and has been in a great situation the last 2 in Golden State.
- We take him away from the Lakers. Now, not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but if they're going to be dumb and keep Scott while passing on Luke, all the better for us.
- 39-4 is incredibly hard to do, no matter what roster you have. And I fully believe he was in complete control of the team; if you guys had been following Kerr's back injury and the pain and rehab he's had to go through, it's hard to believe that he'd be back-seat coaching. All reports said the Warriors loved playing for him as well.
-Says something that the Warriors turned to Walton over a grizzled vet assistant like Adams. I think that speaks to his communication skills and ability to connect with the players. Again, a major plus with a star player like Boogie who's soured on every coach but one during his time in the league.
- I don't want to hire a dinosaur. Our next coach should be someone we can pencil in to coach the team for the next 10 seasons, performance willing. Even if Karl did work out and we won 50 games this year, it's hard to believe he would have been able to make it to the end of his deal. We've done a horrible job, other than Malone, in bringing in coaches who are feasible long-term solutions for coach.
-Great coaching tree. Dude basically sat on the bench next to Phil for 5 years and has been in a great situation the last 2 in Golden State.
- We take him away from the Lakers. Now, not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but if they're going to be dumb and keep Scott while passing on Luke, all the better for us.
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Not sold on Walton...but not against him either. He'll bring some serious (recent) street cred to the locker room, and may quiet some of the media criticism of the organization (for a little while)--I also think "coaching trees" are important, and he comes from a really good one. I'm still in the McHale camp, however.
Walton, McHale and Udoka are the guys I like the most of the coaches rumored to be on Vlade's list.
My only concern with Walton is how he'd utilize a big man like Cousins, though I'm guessing his dad would give him some pointers.
McHale might not be the most exciting name but I'm confident he'd make good use of Boogie. His previous experience as a GM is a nice bonus as long as there are no Joe Smith type incidents.
With Udoka I like his pedigree, his ability to communicate and teach and his experience as a player in different leagues and on a lot of different teams. Part of why I think journeymen players often make good coaches is that (1) they had to rely on playing hard and fundamentally to stay in the NBA and (2) playing under a lot of different coaches and being in a lot of different locker rooms lets those guys see what works and what doesn't and helps them shape how they want to do things as a coach.
My only concern with Walton is how he'd utilize a big man like Cousins, though I'm guessing his dad would give him some pointers.
McHale might not be the most exciting name but I'm confident he'd make good use of Boogie. His previous experience as a GM is a nice bonus as long as there are no Joe Smith type incidents.
With Udoka I like his pedigree, his ability to communicate and teach and his experience as a player in different leagues and on a lot of different teams. Part of why I think journeymen players often make good coaches is that (1) they had to rely on playing hard and fundamentally to stay in the NBA and (2) playing under a lot of different coaches and being in a lot of different locker rooms lets those guys see what works and what doesn't and helps them shape how they want to do things as a coach.
My top choices for a coach for the Kings are:
Kevin McHale - experienced big man who would know how to use Cousins best.
Kevin Ollie - top college coach with vast NBA experience as a player.
Ime Udoka - Top assistant with the Spurs, learning the Spurs way under Pop. Good NBA experience
as an NBA player.
Adrian Griffin - Assistant under Thibs and Orlando coach. Tough scrambler as an NBA player.
Knows defense as a quieter, more player friendly Thibs.
Luke Walton - VERY HIGH BB IQ. The reason I don't have him higher is his lack of Assistant experience. Could he handle Cousins?
I wouldn't mind any of these as our next coach, and wouldn't even mind Blatt.
Kevin McHale - experienced big man who would know how to use Cousins best.
Kevin Ollie - top college coach with vast NBA experience as a player.
Ime Udoka - Top assistant with the Spurs, learning the Spurs way under Pop. Good NBA experience
as an NBA player.
Adrian Griffin - Assistant under Thibs and Orlando coach. Tough scrambler as an NBA player.
Knows defense as a quieter, more player friendly Thibs.
Luke Walton - VERY HIGH BB IQ. The reason I don't have him higher is his lack of Assistant experience. Could he handle Cousins?
I wouldn't mind any of these as our next coach, and wouldn't even mind Blatt.
I personally think we need new blood. Walton. Udoka. Larranga.
McHale, Vinny Del Negro, Jackson, Woodson, etc. We've seen their stuff. It's ok. It's not bad. It's not great. All their gameplans are based in the older way of playing basketball. I would love to get Luke because I think he really understands how basketball is played today.
McHale, Vinny Del Negro, Jackson, Woodson, etc. We've seen their stuff. It's ok. It's not bad. It's not great. All their gameplans are based in the older way of playing basketball. I would love to get Luke because I think he really understands how basketball is played today.
I don't know enough about Udoka's coaching personality to recommend him or not but I did like him as a player. I'm wary of going the assistant route though because we're a veteran team now and we need to find a coach who'll be here for a long time. I suppose if you're reasonably confident in their abilities and attitude you could role the dice with a first-time NBA head coach, but my preference would be to go with someone with a track record. I like Nate McMillan and Mike Woodson or possibly Sam Mitchell.
I'm not sold on Kevin McHale. He's a no-nonsense kind of guy and I like him as a commentator but he drove Kyle Lowry out of Houston leaving a massive hole in their lineup (and he's become one of the best PGs in the league since). Then they had to trade Omer Asik because McHale couldn't make it work with Dwight Howard and Omer Asik on the floor together. He represents a compromise between Vivek's obsession with Pace and Vlade's more traditional roster construction choices, but if it were up to me I'd go full anti-Warriors with the slowest pace in the league and just suffocate the other team with overwhelming size on the inside and constant defensive pressure. That's Woodson or Nate McMillan
I'm not sold on Kevin McHale. He's a no-nonsense kind of guy and I like him as a commentator but he drove Kyle Lowry out of Houston leaving a massive hole in their lineup (and he's become one of the best PGs in the league since). Then they had to trade Omer Asik because McHale couldn't make it work with Dwight Howard and Omer Asik on the floor together. He represents a compromise between Vivek's obsession with Pace and Vlade's more traditional roster construction choices, but if it were up to me I'd go full anti-Warriors with the slowest pace in the league and just suffocate the other team with overwhelming size on the inside and constant defensive pressure. That's Woodson or Nate McMillan
I don't know enough about what went on with Lowry to comment on that but I'm not going to hold the Asik/Howard thing against McHale. Both are big guys who can't play away from the basket at all. I mean, Dwight Howard doesn't have a post up game OR a face up game so I'm not sure how you can work things to have those two playing effectively off one another.
Duncan/Robinson worked because Robinson was more of a face up player. Divac/Webber worked because both guys could work from the elbow or the top of the key or in the post and both were good passers. Howard/Asik really had no way of working out well.
Duncan/Robinson worked because Robinson was more of a face up player. Divac/Webber worked because both guys could work from the elbow or the top of the key or in the post and both were good passers. Howard/Asik really had no way of working out well.
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Scott Brooks has agreed to deal to become the Washington coach, league source tells @TheVertical
Scott Brooks has agreed to deal to become the Washington coach, league source tells @TheVertical