There are many good coaches in basketball, however, only thirty are good enough for head coach positions on NBA teams. Today I will be writing about five coaches that do not have a head coaching role on an NBA team! Let’s get right into it.
#5: Becky Hammon
I put Becky Hammon at the number five spot because she is not proven. Yes, she is learning under one of the best coaches of all time in Popovich. However, she has not shown her skills as a head coach, she does not have a head coach win-loss record yet. With that in mind, it would still be incredible to see Hammon as a head coach.
For a prediction, I see her staying at the Spurs until Popovich retires. Once Popovich retires, I think she takes over as the Spurs head coach. If she wants a head coaching position, her best bet is going to be the Bucks. If the Bucks don’t get Budenholzer, they will probably go to Monty Williams or Becky Hammon. If it goes her way, she may be the coach of Milwaukee next year. I still think Monty Williams has more experience and is a better option on a playoff contender. The Bucks are looking to compete, and I don’t think they take a risk on Becky Hammon. After Pop retires, I think she takes over as head coach for the San Antonio Spurs.
Prediction: Becky Hammon Coaches the Spurs Once Pop Retires
#4: Stan Van Gundy
Stan Van Gundy has an incredible resume, including coaching the Magic to the NBA Finals. His win-loss percentage is also .577%, which is better than the likes of Doc Rivers, Rick Carlisle, Mike D’Antoni, and Dwane Casey. With a proven track record, Stan Van Gundy is a fantastic coach.
I want to specifically focus on the Orlando Magic, as I believe they are his best bet. He was the head coach in Orlando from 2007 to 2012. As soon as he came, they went from a losing record to a winning record. When he left, the Magic had a losing record. Take a look at this chart provided by Basketball-Reference.
As you can see, in the 2006-07 season an in the 2012-13 season they had losing records. However, during Stan Van Gundy’s Magic era, they had winning records and always made the playoffs. He turned the Magic from a not very good team to a finals contender. I believe Orlando would be happy to take him back, especially because right now they are rebuilding.
Prediction: Stan Van Gundy Is Hired By Orlando
#3: Monty Williams
Monty Williams was the coach of the Pelicans for 5 years, including playing in 2 playoffs. He also led the 2010-11 team to the 3rd seed. It will be interesting to see if he returns to coaching, as he hasn’t coached since the 2015-16 season because of the tragedy, his wife died. If he returns will he be coaching on a contending team or a rebuilding team?
That question for me lies in Milwaukee. I believe next season Monty Williams will be coaching Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. NBA expert Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted:
Monty Williams has already been interviewed by the Bucks. I feel that with his experience he will beat out the other candidates.
Prediction: Monty Williams Is Hired By Milwaukee
#2: Dwane Casey
This might be the biggest surprise of head coach firings, as the coach of the year was fired by the Raptors. And the problem with Casey is that the only available jobs are the Pistons, the Bucks, and the Magic. If Stan Van Gundy goes to the Magic, and Monty Williams goes to the Bucks, then Dwane Casey’s only option is the Pistons. Even if Monty Williams is not signed by the Bucks, I don’t think they will sign Casey due to the fact he has not received an interview yet.
Therefore, I believe the Pistons will sign Casey. He is a great regular season coach, proven by leading the Raptors to the #1 seed in the East. The Pistons have a lot of talent especially in their frontcourt, and Casey can help them in terms of the seeding aspect. The problem lies in the playoffs. Casey has a 21-30 record in the playoffs, which isn’t the best considering he has always had a top 3 seeding in the past 3 years. I still think the Pistons want to get in the playoffs and don’t have a better option.
Prediction: Dwane Casey Is Hired By The Detroit Pistons
#1: Mike Budenholzer
Mike Budenholzer is also going to be an interesting free agent head coach. From the 2013-14 season to the 2016-17 season, Budenholzer had a record of 151- 95, meaning he won 61% of the games. Plus, he is a very good playoff coach as he has won 17 playoff games as a head coach, with 8 of those coming in the 2014-15 playoffs.
Budenholzer would be a fantastic signing for the Raptors, and I think he is the reason they fired Casey. Budenholzer wants to be on a contending team, he wants to win a championship. He is a coach that can lead a team such as the Raptors far into the playoffs.
Prediction: Mike Budenholzer Is Hired By The Raptors
Those are my predictions for head coach signings! Also, I just wanted to let people know that my website’s name has been changed from fourfootnuttin.wordpress.com to fourfootnuttin.com. Thank you for reading this post and have a great day
Four Foot Nuttin 