NBA: Top 5 Possible Destinations for Former Utah Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan
Jerry Sloan has retired from the Utah Jazz.
Just typing it gives me goosebumps.
This man has been coaching the Jazz longer than I have been alive, and every time I tuned into a Jazz game, there he was with his usual frown, signaling instructions from the bench. It is something I took for granted.
I always pictured Sloan retiring the day he won a championship, unfortunately Michael Jordan never allowed that to happen.
Sloan is a class act, and for him to just leave Utah, should tell us there is something going on in Salt Lake City that we are not aware of.
Sloan is by no means finished with his NBA coaching career, and I will now take a look at teams he may be coaching in the near future.
5. Los Angeles Clippers
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Yes, I am aware Vinny Del Negro was recently hired by the Clippers, but how long will this marriage last?
The Clippers have a decent starting roster, but are falling short of expectations. They are still fighting for the playoffs this season, but will undoubtedly have a low seed. What they need is a proven coach to take them to the next level.
Sloan never won a championship, but he has made it to the big game and probably would have won at least one, but the best basketball player ever was too busy building his own legacy.
The Clippers will always sit in the Lakers' shadow, but if they hire Sloan, they will establish a legitimacy within their fans.
4. Charlotte Bobcats
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Paul Silas has been the interim head coach of the Bobcats since December, but how formidable would it be for Jordan to hire Sloan?
The man who prevented him from winning the Larry O'Brien trophy could hire him to help win one for an organization that is desperate for some type of spark.
Jordan would also help himself by hiring Sloan. Sloan is a Hall-of-Famer, so this status alone would increase season ticket sales and help establish that the organization is serious about winning.
The Bobcats are going to be in need of a coach, and Sloan will no longer be in Utah. Can we say we are on to something here?
3. New York Knicks
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I would not be surprised to see D'Antoni gone at the end of the year, even with all the media hype surrounding the Knicks, they are barely above .500.
Of course we cannot blame this all on the coaching, but they are the first ones to go. In his first two seasons in New York he owns a .372 win percentage, the Knicks will make the playoffs this year, but will not go very far.
If the Knicks are looking for a coach this summer, we can see them going after Sloan. Who wouldn't want a Hall of Fame coach sitting on their sidelines?
2. Los Angeles Lakers
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We all know about the health concerns that Phil Jackson has, but will this season be it for him? Even if he does stay one more year, I can see Sloan taking some time off to have an opportunity at the Lakers' job.
The Lakers front office does not balk at hiring accomplished head coaches, so this would not be a long-shot.
Phil Jackson's time is coming to an end in LA, and with the Lakers being a Western Conference power, I can see Sloan taking a final attempt at a championship.
1. Boston Celtics
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Doc Rivers scared all of Boston with his talks about retiring from the game to spend more time with his family, but maybe this year is the year. Doc Rivers might just win a championship and call it quits, and when he does the Celtics will be in search for a new coach.
Jerry Sloan will see the Celtics as a chance to win that ring he did not get, and might really consider the Boston option. Now, Rivers might end up staying in Boston, but this is also a legitimate destination for Sloan.
Maybe He Won't Come Back
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There is also that chance Sloan might just retire to Florida and spend the rest of his life away from the game of basketball, but I see that as highly unlikely.
Sloan is a basketball man, he will come back.
