Several candidates deserve consideration as coaches
PHILADELPHIA – The Coaching Life is not for the squeamish. Yet people are attracted to it like a moth to a flame. This summer, a handful of NBA teams (Memphis and Charlotte to be sure; maybe Seattle, Boston and Toronto) will be looking.
There will be any number of former coaches – Larry Brown, Rick Adelman, Stan Van Gundy and Paul Silas, to name a few – at the top of everyone’s wish lists. But there are other guys who should be in the pipeline.
Here are a few names that, in our view and the view of others, should also get serious consideration:
“Mark Jackson, broadcaster, ABC, YES Network. The former New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers star has made no secret that he wants to run a team someday.
“He’s one of those players that will make the transition very well, because he’s very smart,” says Pacers chief executive officer Donnie Walsh, who twice traded for Jackson.
“Mike Budenholzer, assistant coach, San Antonio. He’s been in San Antonio for 13 years, including 11 on the bench with Gregg Popovich. He has Popovich’s ear, and has an eye for how to make subtle changes in defensive coverages during games. He’s not afraid to tell the head man when he’s doing something crazy.
“Jeff Bzdelik, head coach, Air Force. Bzdelik, the former Denver Nuggets head coach, has done an amazing job at Colorado Springs, going 47-14 in two seasons while leading the Falcons to an NCAA bid and an NIT berth this season.
It’s more likely that Bzdelik will have his choice of college jobs, from the University of Colorado to the University of Minnesota. But a smart NBA team would know what he brings to the table.
“Brian Shaw, assistant coach, Los Angeles Lakers. In his third season on the Lakers’ bench, Shaw gets high marks for his ability to communicate while challenging players to improve. He has a varied resume.
He played with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish in Boston, and picked Red Auerbach’s brain. He saw how Brian Hill dealt with a young Shaquille O’Neal in Orlando, and how Phil Jackson dealt with an older Shaq and a young Kobe in L.A.
“I’ve been taking notes,” Shaw said by phone Friday.
“Marc Iavaroni, assistant coach, Phoenix. He’s everyone’s hot assistant, having interviewed in Portland in 2005, and being linked to the Toronto Raptors’ job because of the presence there of former Suns general manager Bryan Colangelo. From the Pat Riley wing of the coaching fraternity, Iavaroni is the defensive boss in Phoenix and will continue that mission when he hangs out his own shingle.
“Terry Porter, assistant coach, Detroit. We’re still not sure why Porter got cashiered by Milwaukee in 2005 after two years in which he made the playoffs once and missed them the following season while T.J. Ford rehabbed all year to return from a serious back injury. But Porter should get another look if the Pistons have a long postseason run.
“P.J. Carlesimo, assistant coach, San Antonio. There are some people who still ask him about Latrell Sprewell. It came up in Minnesota two years ago, when Carlesimo almost got the Timberwolves’ job. Popovich’s top assistant, Carlesimo is the guy the Spurs players would miss the most if he left.
“Larry Drew, assistant coach, Atlanta. Drew has had the misfortune of being on the Hawks’ bench the last few years, but he hasn’t forgotten the skills he’s developed over 13 years as an assistant in Detroit, Los Angeles, New Jersey and Washington.
Out of sight shouldn’t be out of mind for a guy who knows the X’s and O’s but also knows how to get after players when he has to.
“Michael Curry, vice president, player development, NBDL. Curry helped negotiate the last collective-bargaining agreement as president of the Players’ Association, and he’s helping players grow on and off the court for the league. But he’s also expressed a desire to sit in the big chair on an NBA bench.