As the New Orleans Pelicans search for a new head coach continues narrowing in, Jason Kidd may be one of the finalists for the position.
As the New Orleans Pelicans narrow on their coaching search, more and more names are coming to the surface as potential candidates. On Tuesday, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the team interviewed Stan Van Gundy, who is considered one of four finalists.
Kidd was apart of the Los Angeles Lakers staff that captured the 2020 NBA championship on Sunday. The 2019-20 season marked the first year in week Kidd was an assistant coach after five seasons leading both the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks.
A flurry of names in recent days seems to indicate that the Pelicans’ coaching search is narrowing in on candidates. Ty Lue is also slated to have a meeting with the Pelicans this week. Chris Finch, an assistant for the Pelicans, is considered a frontrunner for the Pacers head coach position, which may expedite New Orleans process if they desire to keep him.
Considering that Wojnarowski noted the team is expected to have four finalists for the position, the four names mentioned this week connected to the position may not be a coincidence.
New Orleans Pelicans assistant coach Chris Finch is considered a frontrunner for the Indiana Pacers head coaching job.
While the New Orleans Pelicans are focused on former head coaches for the current job opening, one of their own may be scooting away right under their nose. Pelicans assistant Chris Finch, one of the more respected assistants in the league, has interviewed for head coaching positions around the league this off-season and appears to be a favorite in at least one.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported on Tuesday afternoon that Finch is considered a front runner for the Pacers head coaching position. Indiana has interviewed a number of candidates, including Chauncey Billups and Dave Joerger, and will interview more assistants moving forward in Chris Quinn and Dan Craig, both with Miami.
Finch has spent three seasons as an assistant with the Pelicans, joining the franchise after spending one season in Denver and five seasons in Houston. This off-season, though, Finch has become a serious candidate for head coaching positions.
On top of being a serious candidate for the Pacers position, Finch has also interviewed with the Rockets. While it hasn’t been reported that Finch has been interviewed by the Pelicans, Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday that the Pelicans were expected to have four finalists for their head coach opening. Only two of those names – Stan Van Gundy and Ty Lue – have been reported, leaving the possibility Finch is in the mix.
Known as a strong coach on offense, Finch has worked as an NBA assistant with the Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and New Orleans Pelicans.
New Orleans Pelicans assistant Chris Finch is also part of Houston’s search to replace head coach Mike D’Antoni, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. It’s not yet clear whether he’s among the group to have already interviewed.
Per Iko, the candidates on Houston’s radar are Finch; recent Los Angeles Clippers assistants Tyronn Lue and Sam Cassell; Minnesota assistant David Vanterpool; Dallas assistant Stephen Silas; Denver assistant Wes Unseld Jr.; former Brooklyn head coach Kenny Atkinson; former Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy; and current assistant John Lucas.
There is no clear timetable for a hire, and Iko notes that other names could potentially join the search, as well. Completed interviews, as of Thursday morning, included Atkinson, Unseld, and Silas.
#Rockets offseason notebook, Vol. 1: Inside the hiring process for new head coach
Now 50 years old, Finch previously worked with GM Daryl Morey and the Rockets organization for seven seasons — from 2009 through 2016.
In 2009-10 and 2010-11, Finch was head coach of Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Those teams effectively served as a testing ground for many of Morey’s beloved analytic principles, and Finch guided the Vipers to their first championship in 2010.
Then, after Kevin McHale was hired as head coach in 2011, Finch was brought to the Rockets as an assistant, and he remained in that role until the start of the Mike D’Antoni era in 2016. That period included James Harden‘s first four seasons in Houston. Since then, Finch has served as a top assistant with the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans. At the moment, he’s also believed to be a head coaching option for Indiana.
I wrote about Chris Finch, an offensive guru with ties to inverted plays ran by Denver, when Jokic became the playmaking fulcrum, as well as the double-big Pelicans
For a team with Sabonis as the hub, on the merits of role reversals & continuous spacing. https://t.co/mUvWkUNGz9
In New Orleans, Finch worked for Alvin Gentry — who was previously a top assistant to D’Antoni and is known for utilizing similar principles. That could make for a good fit with the Rockets, who are already accustomed to that style of offense and have a roster well suited for it. During his one season in Denver, Finch earned praise for helping develop big man Nikola Jokic as the playmaking focal point of the Nuggets’ offense.
Stylistically, Finch is known best for his “read and react,” motion-based offenses. His coaching background profiles similarly to Toronto head coach Nick Nurse, who happens to be a close friend of Finch and someone to whom he has often been compared. Both men began their coaching careers in the late 1990s in the British Basketball League.
For decades, Raps assistant Nick Nurse and Pelicans assistant Chris Finch have circled each other. It continues: https://t.co/yQORX5zhBF
Nurse took over the Vipers job in 2011 after Finch was promoted to the Rockets. Then, after earning an assistant position with the Raptors in 2013 and staying in that role for five seasons, he became the head coach in 2018-19 and promptly led the team to its first NBA championship.
Should Finch land the job in Houston, that’s the template that Morey could be hoping to replicate with the Rockets in the 2020-21 season.
Over the new few weeks, we’ll be looking at the pool of available candidates for the Rockets head coaching position. Who are they looking at? Who should they be looking at?
The Rockets don’t currently have a head coach under contract for the 2020-21 season. Led by Mike D’Antoni, here’s a list of seven options.
With the 2019-20 season now complete for the Houston Rockets, the franchise is at a unique spot. Between James Harden and Russell Westbrook, they have an All-Star backcourt of recent NBA MVPs — and at 31 years old, there’s a clear emphasis on winning now.
On the surface, they’ve certainly had their share of wins. The Rockets have the NBA’s longest current streak of eight straight playoff appearances, and they’re the only Western Conference team to have won at least one playoff series in each of the last four seasons.
Yet, they’ve also been eliminated in the second round of the playoffs for two straight years, suggesting that there’s a clear gap between the Rockets and the top tier of contenders. And given the ages of their star players, time is of the essence if GM Daryl Morey and owner Tilman Fertitta are going to steer the Rockets to an NBA title in this era.
At least some changes are probably necessary to get over the hump, but the problem is that it’s difficult (at least on paper) to envision a radical reconstruction of the roster. Houston has no salary cap room for the foreseeable future, and most of the team’s current rotation players are already under contract for multiple seasons moving forward.
The most notable position that isn’t under contract for the 2020-21 season and beyond is head coach. Mike D’Antoni‘s four-year contract is now up, and there’s no money committed to him beyond this seasoon — which makes for a clean financial breakup, if the team wants one.
With or without Mike D'Antoni, an unrestricted free agent who will explore his options, the Rockets are likely to run it back with small ball next season. https://t.co/jNAR0QSiuD
Morey has spoken glowingly of D’Antoni in recent months, but he might feel compelled to gamble on the upside of a change, given the clear gap between the Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2020 playoffs. After all, it doesn’t seem that LeBron James or Anthony Davis are going anywhere for the time being.
Without a clear route to greatly improving the roster, the coaching situation might be Houston’s best shot at an upgrade. Keep in mind that in addition to lacking cap room, the Rockets are also short on future draft picks due to last offseason’s blockbuster trade of Chris Paul for Westbrook. For contenders who don’t have talented prospects to tempt other teams in trades, future picks are often the “sweetener” for deals.
Now the downside: All the picks HOU can possibly TRADE to improve the team in 2020-21:
2021 FRP (worst of HOU/OKC/MIA)* 2021 SRP (better of HOU/PHI) 2022 FRP* 2023 SRP (worst of HOU/DAL/MEM) 2024 SRP (GSW) 2027 FRP^ 2027 SRP^
Then again, given D’Antoni’s track record as the winningest coach (by win percentage) in franchise history and his clear rapport with the franchise, it would be silly to rule out a reunion. After Saturday’s series-ending loss, D’Antoni himself expressed an openness to returning:
We’ve got a great organization, great city, great fans, team’s great. I mean, everything’s good here. We’ll see what happens, but I couldn’t ask for a better situation. I had four years. Hopefully it keeps going, but you just never know. But everything is good on this side, for sure.
“It was fun. It’s still fun. You always hate to lose. It’s always a little bittersweet, but I couldn’t ask for better people to work with and better players to work with. A lot of things stand out, a lot of little things, but I had a great four years, for sure.
With a perennial MVP finalist (Harden) under contract for at least two more seasons, it should be viewed as an attractive job, with league-wide interest from a variety of candidates. The established status of Morey as one of the league’s best and most respected GMs should help, as well.
[lawrence-related id=38200]
The Rockets and D’Antoni could still choose to stay the course — but at least at the moment, the job is open and with no one under contract. Led by D’Antoni, let’s take a look at seven plausible candidates.
Mike D’Antoni
Pros: He’s familiar with the players, and the current “micro-ball” roster and scheme is optimized for his skillset as a coach. He has a great relationship with the front office and with Harden, who says he wants D’Antoni back. Harden is one of the best offensive players in NBA history, and D’Antoni is regarded as one of the top all-time coaches on that end.
The 69-year-old has the top winning percentage in franchise history in the regular season, and No. 2 in the playoffs. Morey has said that he sees D’Antoni as one of the best coaches in NBA history.
Cons: The Rockets have been knocked out of the playoffs in the second round in back-to-back years, and with no salary cap room and most players already under contract for future seasons, their roster is hard to change. They might need to gamble on a coaching change to get over the hump. There also could be a financial angle, since the Rockets tried to extend D’Antoni in 2019 but couldn’t come to an agreement.
Jeff Van Gundy
Pros: He’s been rumored as a strong candidate for months, should the job open. Now 58 years old, Van Gundy still has a strong relationship with Morey, dating back to when Van Gundy coached the Rockets upon Morey’s 2006 arrival. He still lives in Houston, and has repeatedly praised Harden over the years. He’s worked with both Harden and Westbrook through USA Basketball. He took the Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals.
Historically, Van Gundy is regarded as an excellent defensive coach, and the Rockets ranked No. 15 in the NBA on that end during the regular season. Previous owner Les Alexander pushed Van Gundy out after the 2006-07 season and preferred D’Antoni during the 2016 search, but Tilman Fertitta is now running the show in Houston.
There have been rumbles in coaching circles for weeks that the Rockets will strongly consider Jeff Van Gundy to replace Mike D’Antoni if they make a coaching change
GM Daryl Morey, remember, had interest in rehiring Van Gundy when Houston hired D’Antoni instead in May 2016 https://t.co/CJXIul5WgY
Cons: What about offense? When Van Gundy was last an NBA head coach in 2007, his offenses were consistently among the slowest-paced and lowest-scoring in the league. That’s the complete opposite of the recent formula for these Rockets, though it is worth noting that Van Gundy’s philosophy on offense seems to have evolved over his years as an announcer. There’s also the question of whether he would want to leave his plush ABC analyst job for the stress and grind of coaching, and it might take a lot of money to bring him out of coaching retirement.
Kenny Atkinson
Pros: The former Brooklyn head coach was listed as a potential candidate by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, and he has experience with Houston as the Rockets’ director of player development during the first season of Morey’s tenure. The 53-year-old very analytics-minded, with a history of playing fast-paced, smaller lineups.
Cons: While he took over a disastrous situation with the Nets and clearly improved it, he only had one winning season in four years, and that was at just 42-40. He hasn’t had proven success in the playoffs, and the Rockets are clearly in a win-now mode. There’s also no known connection between Atkinson and either Harden or Westbrook.
Coach watch: “Kenny Atkinson, the #Rockets' director of player development during the first season of Morey's tenure. Pelicans associate head coach Chris Finch. His résumé as a head coach includes championship won with the Rockets' G League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers.” https://t.co/PCRaLWmlB9
Pros: The current New Orleans assistant coach has a strong working relationship with Morey, having been a Rockets assistant for five years and the head coach of the G League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He has an offensive background and profiles similarly to Nick Nurse, who has clearly elevated the Toronto Raptors after being hired in 2018. ESPN’s MacMahon listed the 50-year-old Finch as a candidate.
Cons: He hasn’t held an NBA head coaching job before. With a veteran-laden roster and a win-now emphasis, would Houston take the gamble?
Breaking down Alvin Gentry/Chris Finch's offense The Pelicans' is a motion-based offense that relies on continual movement of both player and ball. In this instance, all five are involved but the primary action is a corner screen set by Kenrich Williams to free Brandon Ingram. pic.twitter.com/PqbrUiLYwN
Pros: The Dallas assistant was a surprising finalist for the Rockets job in 2016 before it went to D’Antoni, which suggests that he interviewed very well with Morey and the front office. His Mavs just finished up a season in which they had (statistically) the most efficient offense in NBA history. At 47 years old, he’s among the youngest of the popular options and could conceivably be around for a long time.
In addition to Mike D'Antoni, Rockets seriously weighing Stephen Silas as coach with Lionel Hollins as his top assistant, source said.
Cons: As with Finch, he hasn’t previously been an NBA head coach. Is this the time for the Rockets to take that risk? There also doesn’t seem to be a clear link between Silas and either Harden or Westbrook.
Sam Cassell
Pros: The Los Angeles Clippers assistant has interviewed for the Houston job in the past. He has 11 years of experience as an assistant, and as a former player from Houston’s championship teams in 1994 and 1995, he’d be a very popular pick with the fan base. While he hasn’t been a head coach, the Clippers have repeatedly made the playoffs over his tenure, which has given him opportunities on the big stage.
He has worked for years under Doc Rivers, who is respected as one of the NBA’s best coaches. Rivers recently said that Cassell “should be a head coach, period,” pointing to his “incredibly high basketball IQ.”
Current Rockets guard Austin Rivers, who previously played for his father and Cassell with the Clippers, has praised Cassell’s work as a skills developer. At 50 years old, Cassell is relatively young as a candidate and should be able to relate very well to modern players.
Houston is where it all started n the NBA for Sam Cassell,an ass't with @LAClippers.He'll b honored tonight,part of Rockets 50th anniversary pic.twitter.com/Jg74vnoIQ2
Cons: As with Finch and Silas, he hasn’t previously been a head coach. Do the Rockets want a proven commodity? Also, going back to his playing days, Cassell has long been known how valuing the mid-range game on offense. Is that a potential stumbling block with Morey and the analytics-driven Rockets, who have become known for a “3-pointers, free throws, and layups” philosophy in recent years?
Furthermore, since Cassell’s Clippers are still in the playoffs, would the Rockets be willing to wait until the Los Angeles season ends to do an interview? That could take until mid-October. Even if Cassell was willing to do an interview while his team is still playing, it would have to be in a “virtual” setting, since he can’t leave the NBA “bubble.”
Pros: He’s a five-time NBA champion and widely viewed as one of the best coaches in basketball history. The Spurs are in somewhat of a rebuilding mode, having just missed the playoffs for the first time in 23 years. He’s spoken very fondly of Harden in the past, and at 71 years old, he likely only has a few years left as a head coach.
It would be understandable if Popovich preferred a more winning situation for his final NBA years. He also has extensive experience with Harden and Westbrook as the head coach of USA Basketball.
Pop said he doesn't watch game tape on the opponent this time of year. "Except for the Rockets. Harden is ridiculous."
Cons: Given his legendary status in San Antonio, would Popovich really leave the Spurs after more than 20 years — and for an in-state rival? The Brooklyn Nets allegedly had interest in Popovich before hiring Steve Nash, but that pursuit didn’t seem to go anywhere. And would Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, who has taken a financial beating in 2020 thanks to the impact of COVID-19 on his restaurant and hospitality empire, shell out the significant cash that it would take for Popovich to even consider it? It’s a extreme longshot. but a pursuit would make sense on some levels.
