THE COACHING CAROUSEL
2023-05-28 · 1 min read · NBA/Basketball
Rob Gray/USA Today Sports | Sports Illustrated
One of the big storylines going around the NBA right now are how many high profile coaches without a job.
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Furthermore, several notable teams are still entrenched in their searches. And with the latest domino to fall being former Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin to Milwaukee, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the coaching holes fill up. Here’s my prediction on how things might shake down.
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Philadelphia 76ers: Monty Williams
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After a semi-collapse against Boston in the second round, Philly moved on from Doc Rivers in a move that shocked no one. But now, heading into a summer of uncertainty with James Harden’s impending free agency looming, they could go a number of different ways. Williams is the smartest choice here. Not considered a great tactician, but a culture builder and a motivator, Williams could help bring the best out of Joel Embiid.
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Nick Nurse is another name that would make sense in terms of bringing the best out of the roster, but the only problem is, another team could snatch him up first. Such as…
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Phoenix Suns: Nick Nurse
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Nurse has been in high demand, rumored to be in the mix for a number of teams. But out of all of them, Phoenix makes the most sense. One of, if not the most innovative and creative tactical minds in the game, he’d be a perfect guy to put a system around elite scorers Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Furthermore, his championship pedigree and attention to detail would bode well for a team that’s been on the cusp for a couple years now.
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If Phoenix was smart, they’d lock Nurse up before someone else can.
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Detroit Pistons: Mike Budenholser
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For all the jokes made about Mike Budenholser, he’s quite a good system coach who’s best attribute is his ability to raise a floor, while his main Achilles heel is being able to make adjustments to get his teams over the hump.
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That wouldn't matter in Detroit though, a talented young roster that at this point is just trying to establish a winning culture and get their feet under them. Budenholser would be a nice fit here to try to elevate the Pistons into a potential play-in berth next season.
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Toronto Raptors: Steve Nash
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After parting ways with Nurse after a horrible season across the board, Toronto has interviewed anyone who’s been to a basketball game at this point.The wide net they’ve cast isn’t surprising, but it's beginning to linger too long now, and I’m sure they’ll want to get something done before the draft in late June. Out of all the names, and there has been a bunch, including Las Vegas Aces head Coach Becky Hammon, Nash has been the one that’s gotten the most traction, and truthfully, the one that makes the most sense.
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Nash got the short end of the stick being thrust into a complete circus in Brooklyn, consistently getting undermined by prima donna superstars at every turn. He deserves a chance to get his hands on a young, rebuilding team. Plus, the delightful “Captain Canada comes home” narrative is the cherry on top.
By: Eddie Huband
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