Sam I Am. Nowadays I think the best coaches are former players who have also worked as long-time assistants. Sam was an all-star has rings too - our kids would listen to him.
first of all they are all upgrades and we will be a lot better next year with any of them. if I had to rank all of the names attached to our search... 1. Nurse - player development, well rounded on both ends of the court, game management and strategist too 2. Vogel / Atkinson - Vogel is the most proven winner left but doesn't have the player development background. Atkinson is the best player development coach left who had some success winning too, although some have questioned how weak the conference was when he made the playoffs with the nets. 3. Udoka / Griffin - Udoka made it to the finals, but the C's haven't missed a beat without him. Some question how much of the success was him vs the ready to contend roster or his staff who are both successful this year (hardy, mazzula). Griffin is an amazing defensive coach with leadership skills. deserved a chance somewhere. 4. Borrego / Brooks - Sure, why not, better than Silas, real nba coaching. 5. Young / Kalamian - one offensive coordinator, one defensive coordinator. both too risky as first time HC candidates. we can't afford another 3 years like Silas if things don't work out. we need someone who's more of a sure thing.
The candidates linked to the Rockets are pretty good so far. I don’t want James Borrego or Scott Brooks…. Even Vogel would be a strong hire because he has won a title, gets players to play hard and is a solid teacher for a year or two… players just tune him out eventually, but that goes for a lot of coaches.
I like Nurse and Atkinson right now. We need someone willing to develop the youth. Give them structure, discipline.
she's a good senior coach, tho noelle easton is also good. I'd go with abella danger as our strength and conditioning coach
My number 1 for a few years has been Kelvin Sampson; but Ime and Nurse get my ok if Sampson has to be bought out of his contract. #1 Ime Udoka- I feel that Boston situation is very similar to this current Rockets roster. Rockets using a non conventional PG in KPj just like Boston converted Marcus Smart to PG. Robert Williams = ?Garuba? (both 6'8"..took Williams a while to learn his role) Jaylen Brown = Jalen Green (or KPj) Tatum = Jabari......not the facilitator or shot creator (yet) Grant Williams = Tari.....hustle guys Horford = Sengun.....Ime will ask Sengun to work on his 3's Marcus Smart = KPj.....Smart the excellent defender...KPj the better Offensive skills M Smart = Harden.....I feel Harden is coming back. Harden top 5 PG in the NBA. Ime didn't get to work with Brogdan Added plus: Kenyon, Tate, Christopher Draft? Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Scoot, Jarace (?Robert Williams?), Cam Whitmore (bigger Marcus Smart at 6'8") #2 Nurse- had Kawhi, Siakim , Lowry & threw in 2-3 zone, 1-3-1 zone, 3-2 zone, box & 1 zone to keep Valanciunas and then (traded Val for Marc) Gasol to protect or keep near the basket. Those zones caught teams off guard then.....not so much now. But I've posted recently about the Rockets moving back in the draft or buying a second round Zach Eddy. 7'4" younger version of that Valanciunas slash Marc Gasol on a rookie contract. Lowry < Harden Siakim = Jabari Gasol/Valanciunas = Eddy.....I also have us trading Sengun, Tate, JC x Cam Johnson and (Claxton..#2 shot blocker in NBA...back line of 3-2 zone Clax-Bari) Anunoby = Kenyon (defensive potential should be there) Plus I have us bringing in Cam Johnson, Torrey Craig. I like how Nurse likes an abundance of good size wings. I've been preaching that for years.
Those two and Kenny Atkinson. Frank Vogel is the wild card for me. But the rest need to be ignored. The other are not proven.
ex rockets deserve a chance. in no particular order kenny smith, mario elie, sam cassette, jerry lin, kenny smith.
Am I the only one who would be fine with Vogel? He's not my first choice, but I'd be totally fine with him. Defensive minded coach. Won a championship. Went to the Conference Finals twice with the Pacers and left as the franchise's all-time leader in wins. He's also pretty young, too, at 49.
i don't think that's allowed under the current cba. he needs to let his contract run its course until 2043 first.