Here's one that's not realistic because he probably isn't interested: Tony Bennett. Former NBA player, he's been very successful at Virginia, excellent at player development, prioritizes defense and unselfish, team-first basketball on the other end. If you want a guy who you could maybe see becoming a Popovich-style coach, he's probably about as close as you're going to get. Tilman is probably too cheap to offer a big enough contract for Bennett to even consider it though, since he seems happy where he is.
Kenny Atkinson would be the best choice for this team. A guy that has the pulse on the game and knows how to utilize his players properly. Our young athletic talent mixed with some GSW style play? Yes please. Nurse would be a great get too.
Any coach from the outside, having read and heard what they have probably read and heard about this organization, will want their own assistants to make sure the communications with the GM and the owner go only through him. If I was being considered for the job, I would demand that I name my own assistants and I would make sure they were unimpeachably loyal to me before naming them. That this is a given is directly attributable to the horrid organizational performance so far.
#1 Atkinson; HC experience and now top asst for GS. Can develop and get the most out of his players. #2 Nurse; Bring him back. #3 Hammon; Intriguing choice for many reasons, but certainly a wildcard. We have to make changes this offseason and this is the most important in my estimation. Not matter what happens with our 1st pick, we have to get this right. The above three are where I'm at, thought about Abdelfattah, but really don't want to give the keys to anyone from our system.
Kelvin Sampson? Tillman pulls his U of H strings. Maybe we draft both Walker and Sasser. Move Porter to the 3 and Smith to the 5 WITH Sengun as 6th man. under Sampson watch… Sasser / Washington Green / Christopher Porter / Tate Walker / Eason Smith / Sengun Play defense or the next guy up will. Somehow Sampson finds a roll for Garuba, too.
Good choices, in my opinion. I agree that whoever we bring in ought to clean house and will want to. Someone asked why Becky Hammon should be a serious possibility. She spent several years as an assistant with Pop in San Antonio and he’s had nothing but praise for her and expects her to be a head coach someday. Popovich is about as good as you can find to learn under, in my opinion, and the league will have a woman as a head coach sooner or later. She’d certainly get us a load of publicity and I can see that appealing to Ferntits, which has nothing to do with why I think she deserves consideration. I like the idea of Atkinson or Nurse. Udoka would be controversial. I think our owner is controversial enough, but Udoka is good. I have mixed feelings about that possibility. Regardless, Fertitta needs to open his wallet. I’m a bit worried that he’ll try to save money on a hire, which would eliminate some of the best, in my opinion, but might help Becky Hammon.
I’m betting Silas stays. But I will never not want JVG back! I don’t even know that he’d be good for this squad. But I think he’d have them playing better defense and “hold them more accountable,” ie he wouldn’t on a smile. They’d know he was unhappy with them.
I've been beating the Atkinson drum for a while, but if Nurse leaves TOR he would certainly bring a sea change from Silas. For the reasons you outlined beautifully, I think Becky could be an interesting selection and I love her coming from Pop's tree. I'd stay away from Udoka and really have never been a Vogel fan.
