Where Does OKC Thunder Turn If Scott Brooks Can't Get Job Done This Season?
If the Oklahoma City Thunder decide that head coach Scott Brooks isn't the man who can lead them to a championship, who should they look to replace him with?
Since taking over as head coach during the 2008-09 season, Brooks has compiled a regular-season record of 293-170 (63.3 percent). In the playoffs, his mark is 39-34 (53.4 percent). He's finished under .500 once and has led the Thunder to the postseason every year for the past five seasons. He's been to the Western Conference Finals twice, including a trip to the Finals during the 2011-12 season.
Despite all of that, Brooks is one of a handful of coaches that are on the hot seat this season, according to BasketballInsiders.com's Steve Kyler:
"There is no question that the Thunder are on the clock, especially with star forward Kevin Durant inching closer to free agency in the summer of 2016. The Thunder have preached a message of continuity and instituted a strong development program, and that has paid dividends in OKC, but failing to reach the NBA Finals again before Durant’s free agency could spell disaster for the Thunder as the outside voices creep into the discussion and try to lure Durant out of OKC.
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If Brooks were to get fired, Oklahoma City would become arguably the most attractive coaching destination in the league. With Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and a slew of young prospects, the right guy could turn the Thunder into a dynasty. However, if things don't work out with Brooks, what should general manager Sam Presti look for in his next coach?
While the current coaching fad has been to hire players fresh out of retirement or the next hot assistant, the Thunder need someone a bit more seasoned. He should have considerable postseason experience and be able to bring the best out of this talented roster. Most importantly, he should be someone respected enough to keep Durant and Westbrook from considering playing elsewhere when their contracts are up.
Here are a few candidates that would fit those requirements.
Mark Jackson
Prior to Mark Jackson's arrival as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors in 2011, the team had made the postseason just once during the previous 17 seasons. In three years, Jackson led the W's to the playoffs twice.
During the last two seasons, the Warriors were a combined 98-66. Jackson helped transform them from an NBA laughingstock to an exciting young squad that was solid at both ends of the court. Jackson's teams were in the top 12 of both offensive and defensive ratings the past two seasons.
Still, those numbers couldn't spare Jackson from the firing squad this past season. According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, Jackson's dismissal was less about the team's inability to make deep postseason runs and more about personal conflicts:
"Jackson clashed constantly with management and struggled to manage his coaching staff during his Warriors tenure. Jackson's lack of interest in game preparation and reluctance to practice despite a mostly young and gifted roster played a part in management's reluctance to commit long term to him, league sources said.
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While Jackson's personality and lax practice habits are certainly red flags, the hope here is that Jackson would learn from his mistakes in his second coaching stint. As much as he battled with the front office and his fellow assistants, his players seemed to adore him.
Point guard Stephen Curry, during a promotional event for the upcoming NBA 2K15 video game, called Jackson's firing "hard to deal with."
As an NBA point guard for 17 years, Jackson's vast experience would come in handy developing one of the league's most explosive floor generals, Russell Westbrook. His commitment to excellence on offense and defense would be great for a team with the NBA's best scorer in Kevin Durant and one of its best shot-blockers in Serge Ibaka.
Jackson's coaching legacy shouldn't end with the fatal flaws he made with Golden State. Very few young coaches hit the ground running the minute they are handed a clipboard. Doc Rivers had to fail with the Orlando Magic before becoming an NBA champion with the Boston Celtics.
However, Jackson's ability to take the Thunder to a higher level would be dependent on him raising his game as well. Unlike in Golden State, he would be inheriting a team with a mandate to win now. The feuding with coaches and sub-par training habits aren't going to fly in Oklahoma City.
He would need to bring his uptempo style to a team that was built to run. With a stronger commitment to the game, Jackson could find redemption on his way to an NBA championship.
Jeff Van Gundy
Jeff Van Gundy hasn't manned an NBA sideline since the 2006-07 season with the Houston Rockets, but his name seems to pop up every year when there's a coaching vacancy. Earlier this offseason, his name was linked to the Memphis Grizzlies, per ESPN's Marc Stein.
Van Gundy has spent the last seven years as an analyst for ESPN. Even in the booth, Van Gundy's love for the game shows through in his opinionated style. Every time he's on the mic, you get the feeling that he wants to come back to coaching.
Detroit Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy, in a May appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, suggested that his brother is waiting for a good spot to come along:
"I was only going to take a great job and I think Jeff's the same way. If the right situation came around, where he really felt aligned with ownership, I think he would do it."
The chance to take over one of the NBA's elite sure seems like the "right situation." He would take over a group with far more talent than any of his teams with the Rockets or the New York Knicks. During his 11 years coaching both squads, Van Gundy missed the playoffs just twice.
During the 1998-99 season, he famously led the eighth-seeded Knicks to the NBA Finals, where they lost to Tim Duncan's Spurs in five games. He has a career record of 430-318 in the regular season (57.5 percent) and 44-44 in the playoffs (50 percent).
Van Gundy would be an intriguing choice for the Thunder. Throughout his career, his forte has been a commitment to defense and preparation. His teams in New York and Houston didn't rate very high offensively though.
It would be interesting to see what Van Gundy could bring out of Durant and Westbrook defensively. Together, they could carry an offense with their ability to score from anywhere. Imagine how great both would be if Van Gundy could sharpen their skills on the other end of the court as well.
Van Gundy also built his teams around strong big men, which was a testament to his defensive approach. He had Patrick Ewing and Marcus Camby on the Knicks. On the Rockets, he had Yao Ming. In Oklahoma City, he'd have to build around wing players like he did with Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston in New York.
What truly makes Van Gundy a solid candidate is the reputation he built with those he coached in the past. His former players talk about him with the utmost respect and have fond memories of their time together (h/t Moke Hamilton of BasketballInsiders.com).
"I loved playing for him. There was no situation that I have faced in a game that I wasn't prepared for," said Shane Battier, who played under JVG in Houston. "Our teams were always prepared, always played hard and if you wanted a winning culture, he was your guy."
Hamilton also added this:
"That’s a sentiment that all of Van Gundy’s former players would agree with, even those who he had a tough time motivating, including, at times, the aforementioned (Tracy) McGrady. The same can be said about Steve Francis. Francis and Van Gundy had a major falling out in Houston immediately prior to Francis’ trade to the Orlando Magic back in June 2004, but Francis is on record as saying that he never doubted that the changes that Van Gundy requested of him were all done in the name of winning.
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After a long time away from coaching, the key to Van Gundy's success in today's NBA will be his ability to adapt. In Oklahoma City, he'd have the best one-two punch in basketball in Durant and Westbrook, as well as the big man he typically covets in Ibaka.
Together, the mixture of Van Gundy's defensive teachings and the bevy of scorers on the roster should combine for one of the most balanced teams in the league.
George Karl
If Brooks' job were to become available, the search for the Thunder's new leader should begin and end with George Karl. During his last 21 seasons as a head coach, Karl's teams have never finished below .500. The last time he had a losing season was when he coached the Golden State Warriors...during the 1987-88 season.
When we last saw Karl, he was leading the Denver Nuggets to a franchise-best 57 wins en route to earning the 2012-13 NBA Coach of the Year award. Despite that, the team still fired Karl after the season because of a contract dispute.
Karl has the sixth-most wins of any coach in NBA history with 1,131 wins. His career winning percentage is 59.9 percent. If there's a knock on Karl's illustrious career, it's that his playoff record is 80-105 (43.5 percent).
Still, throughout his career, Karl has been the brains behind some fantastic teams. He coached the Seattle SuperSonics from 1991-1998 with Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton leading the way. During the 1995-96 season, Karl led the Sonics to the NBA Finals before falling to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in six games.
From there, he coached the Milwaukee Bucks for five seasons, molding such rising talents as Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson. He was one win away from his second Finals appearance in 2000-01, when he lost the Eastern Conference Finals to Allen Iverson's Philadelphia 76ers in seven games.
The last nine years of Karl's coaching career came in Denver. During his tenure, he presided over the likes of Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Ty Lawson and other young stars. For the most part, those Nuggets teams struggled to get out of the first round. The lone exception came in 2008-09, when the team made the Western Conference Finals and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
After a year away from the game, Karl is interested in returning to coaching, per ESPN.com.
"I'd be interested in the right coaching opportunity, but I respect the coaching profession too much to become a distraction to the process," Karl said. "I would love the opportunity to probably talk to people, when they think I'm a person they should be talking to."
Karl is 63 years old and not far removed from a battle with cancer. While his desire to coach again is understandable, there's the issue of: for how long? His time with the Nuggets was the longest he's ever spent with any one team and, at this point in his career, he's more of a short-term fix than a long-term solution.
Still, with his history of winning and guiding young players, he'd be the perfect coaching upgrade for the Thunder. Even if Oklahoma City only got a handful of seasons out of Karl, they could feel safe knowing they have a respected veteran with a long track record of success at the helm.
One potential problem that could arise is Karl's desire to play more proven players over developing young talent. He was criticized by the front office during his final season in Denver for not playing the team's younger players, which was a claim he disputed in an interview with The Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman following Karl's firing.
"We won 57 games and are in a great place. Continuity, consistency, togetherness all are so much more valuable than what they have on their priority list of playing JaVale McGee or the young players. And first of all, it shouldn't be that I didn't play young players. It's I didn't play young players enough, because we played a lot of young players—Kenneth Faried, Kosta Koufos, Evan Fournier at the end of the year, Ty Lawson. And, I never had a meeting where there was disappointment, in that part of it, voiced to me. I heard through whispers. I'm sorry that 57 wins doesn't make you happy.
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Regardless of which side you believe, Karl's hesitance to play someone like McGee shouldn't tarnish his record with young players, nor should it give the Thunder a reason to steer clear of him. Karl's time developing legendary talents like Payton, Allen and Anthony should speak for itself.
If Karl is ready to come back and Oklahoma City has a spot for him, he should be the Thunder's guy.
As for Brooks, this is a make-or-break season for him. His reluctance for change as well as his commitment to declining veterans such as Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha have been his downfall in the past.
The Thunder have a roster capable of winning a championship. Durant and Westbrook are top 10 players. Ibaka continues to get better. Reggie Jackson is playing for a new contract. The team has depth now with Steven Adams, Jeremy Lamb and Anthony Morrow. There are no more excuses.
The clock is ticking for Brooks. With plenty of qualified candidates ready to take his spot, he will either adapt or become a casualty.
(All statistics courtesy of BasketballReference.com, unless noted otherwise.
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