Vernon Maxwell makes his case for Sam Cassell as Rockets coach

“I get tired of these owners and general managers, they just recycle all these coaches,” Maxwell said. “You’ve gotta try something new.”

For several days, former Rockets guard Vernon Maxwell has shown support on Twitter for Sam Cassell as Houston’s next head coach.

The 50-year-old Cassell, who is currently an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, played with Maxwell in Houston during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. Known as the “Clutch City” era, those remain the only two NBA championship teams in the history of the franchise.

But besides his personal friendship, Maxwell sees legitimate basketball reasons for Cassell as the best fit for the Rockets. In a new interview with Michael Pina of GQ, he elaborated on what those reasons are:

I just feel like it’s his time. He’s been on the bench as an assistant coach for 15 years [Cassell started coaching in 2009]. I get tired of these owners and general managers, they just recycle all these goddamn coaches. You’ve gotta try something new. You’ve gotta give them a chance to see what they can do, and I don’t think that’s fair to guys like Sam. They need to give him a chance and a legit shot. Let him bring in his people that he wants, and I think he’ll do fine. He’s ready now. …

He’s been on the sideline behind great coaches. I know Doc [Rivers] hasn’t been finishing series the way he should, but Doc is a great coach. Sam is a jolly personality. He’ll keep the team upbeat. I think he’ll do real well with the Rockets, with the guys that they have on a team. They should probably bring in a big, though. That’s first and foremost. Gotta get him a big. But other than that I think he’ll do a great job, because he’s a people person and he’ll be just fine if given the opportunity.

Cassell and fellow Clippers assistant Ty Lue are reportedly among Houston’s top candidates, though the search will likely be much broader.

During the 2020 playoffs, Rivers made an emphatic case for why Cassell deserves to be hired for a lead job. Among his comments:

Sam Cassell should be a head coach, now. He’s got an incredibly high basketball IQ, and I hope he gets a shot. He’s paid every due that is possible and he’s yet to get a job, so I’m hoping that happens.

With the Clippers surprisingly eliminated last week from the 2020 playoffs, both Cassell and Lue should be available now for interviews.

It isn’t yet clear if Maxwell’s strong backing will carry any weight, since GM Daryl Morey will make the final decision. But it certainly can’t hurt.

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