Ranking Denver Nuggets' Head Coaching Options
Amidst the Denver Nuggets' pursuit of a new head coach, it appears Mike Malone has recently entered the mix. ESPN.com's Marc Stein noted as much this week in a report that summarizes where the search currently stands.
"Sources told ESPN.com that Malone has joined Nuggets interim coach Melvin Hunt and former Suns, Knicks and Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni on the list of candidates known to be under strong consideration by Nuggets officials," wrote Stein.
That's a pretty good start for a franchise that's in a state of relative disarray. On the heels of a 30-52 season, the Nuggets need a savior—someone who can at least restore the club to its playoff tradition of recent years past. Denver has the talent, but it needs leadership. A veteran player or two wouldn't hurt, but a veteran coach could make a truly qualitative difference.
A handful of options have already emerged, and the search is well underway.
"I think the deadline is we want to have a coach as we head into the draft," Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly recently told reporters. "It's a pretty pivotal pick for us, and a pretty pivotal moment."
Including rumored candidates and a bit of wishful thinking, here's a look at Denver's best options. Will Melvin Hunt hold on to the job he took when the organization parted ways with Brian Shaw? Or is it time for new blood?
Honorable Mentions
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Jeff Van Gundy
It won't happen, but that won't stop some Nuggets fans from dreaming. ESPN and ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy is waiting for the right opportunity and fit. Denver probably isn't that.
But with almost every coaching vacancy, one can't help but imagine what Van Gundy might be able to do in the situation. Could he make a good club great or turn around a struggling lottery team like the Nuggets? They're questions that resemble speculation far more than reality.
Van Gundy would almost assuredly do good things in Denver, perhaps enough for a postseason return—maybe even enough to improve upon the franchise's nine first-round exits since 2003-04. With a couple of savvy personnel moves, it would be something of a dream scenario, in theory, anyway.
The reality might be a difficult one, particularly for Van Gundy. He's historically worked with much better teams anchored by veterans and his kind of (gritty) guys. That wouldn't be the case in Denver, not right away.
And that's why we probably won't see Van Gundy linked to this gig. He's waiting for something better, and the whole NBA world knows it. Van Gundy did interview for the New Orleans Pelicans job, but that would have entailed the chance to work with budding superstar Anthony Davis. That's a sales pitch Denver wouldn't be able to make.
Don Newman
Newman's name is likely far less familiar than Van Gundy's, but he's actually been linked to the Nuggets.
RealGM's Shams Charania reports that, "The Denver Nuggets received permission to interview Washington Wizards assistant Don Newman and discussed the franchise's vacant head coaching job with him in the past week, league sources told RealGM."
With 16 seasons of NBA experience, now may be the time for Newman to take the next step. The question is whether Denver should entertain such an experiment given the availability of more proven commodities.
For the record, Newman spent eight seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and has garnered credit for upgrading the Washington Wizards defense under head coach Randy Wittman. There's a strong track record here—just not enough of one for a team that really needs a proven chief executive running the show.
5. Mike D'Antoni
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The Denver Nuggets appear to be pretty serious about Mike D'Antoni.
Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported that, "Denver general manager Tim Connelly conducted a sit-down with D'Antoni in California on Tuesday, league sources said."
On its face, it all makes sense. As Wojnarowski further notes, "D'Antoni's vaunted running game fits into Denver's determination that it wants to play faster in the future."
The modern NBA virtually requires teams to play with pace, especially in the Western Conference. For all D'Antoni's defensive shortcomings, he certainly knows a thing or two about maintaining that kind of pace. Popularized during his successful years with the Phoenix Suns, it's a philosophy D'Antoni has taken with him to New York and later Los Angeles: Shoot early and often.
But D'Antoni hasn't proven success in two important regards. He hasn't coached successful defenses, and he hasn't dealt particularly well with adversity. From those perspectives, the Nuggets may not be the best fit.
In fairness, many arguments against D'Antoni are probably overstated. He's a good coach and a brilliant offensive mind. The problem in this case has more to do with fit. Does anyone really think D'Antoni would relish the opportunity to wait out this roster's maturation process? Would he be particularly enthused about overseeing a rebuilding process?
One should have some doubts about this scenario. Fun as it might be to watch, it's probably not the surest path to a sustainable turnaround.
4. Melvin Hunt
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Melvin Hunt has a few things going for him. He knows the Nuggets, and they know him. Hunt has served as an assistant with the organization since 2010, and some feel like his time has come. He has forward Danilo Gallinari's endorsement. Even Chauncey Billups likes the idea.
On the other hand, a familiar face may be the last thing this team needs. If the organization is serious about changing directions, a thorough facelift might be in order. Hunt would be a potentially counterproductive choice in that scenario. How can a guy who's been on the inside really change the culture and overhaul the status quo?
Apparently, the Nuggets don't see it that way—at least not yet. Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling reported via Twitter last week that, "Also from a source: Melvin Hunt is currently the front-runner for the Nuggets' coaching job. Mike D'Antoni has not interviewed with Denver."
More recently, it's emerged that D'Antoni has at least discussed the position with Denver, but that shouldn't detract from the thrust of Zwerling's note: the fact that Hunt is—or has been—a "front-runner."
The Nuggets may believe Hunt has unique insights into what ails this team. He's witnessed it firsthand, studied it. There may be no one more equipped to diagnose problems and prescribe solutions at this juncture.
Hunt may not be the long-term answer, and he might not make a lot of headlines. But he could be a steadying force for an organization that finds itself in full-on rebuilding mode. For the time being, that familiar face might not be so bad after all.
3. Mike Woodson
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In terms of sheer experience and pedigree, few have more to offer than Mike Woodson. He has head coaching experience with the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks to go along with a decade's worth of work as an assistant. It doesn't hurt that Woodson's coming off a season in which he almost certainly absorbed a little wisdom from the great Doc Rivers.
Woodson has always been well-liked by his players, and that could translate into a much-needed calming presence in Denver.
The Nuggets are apparently interested. The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn indicated via Twitter that he was "hearing... Woodson could be next to interview."
It's a logical choice and due diligence if nothing else. Woodson increased Atlanta's win total in each of his six seasons with the Hawks, qualifying for the postseason in the last three of those seasons. It was a slow but sure transformation of an organization that hadn't made the playoffs in eight years.
If Woodson could work that kind of magic in Atlanta, perhaps he could yield similar dividends in Denver. He's by no means a championship-caliber skipper, at least not yet. But he might be the NBA's version of a triage nurse, tending to a team's very worst wounds and restoring it to some semblance of health. That sounds like a fitting plan for the Nuggets, who won't be in the market for a top-shelf coach until they actually prove something.
Woodson is a patient man. He saw through a lengthy rebuild in Atlanta, and he helped bridge a complicated coaching gap in New York. He doesn't mind the occasional headache, and that's a good thing. This job would come with more than its fair share.
2. Mike Malone
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With only a season and change of experience at the head coaching level (with the Sacramento Kings), it remains a bit difficult to assess Mike Malone's coaching credentials. We do know that he worked wonders from 2011 to 2013 as an assistant for the Golden State Warriors, and we know he's the kind of defensive guru capable of returning the Denver Nuggets to playoff-caliber basketball.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein first reported via Twitter this week, "ESPN sources say that the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday interviewed former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Malone."
Ostensibly a leading candidate in Denver's eyes, there's good reason for Malone to garner interest. He helped transform the Warriors into one of the league's premier defensive clubs and has an extensive record as an assistant that included stints with the New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks. Through the years he's built a reputation as a no-nonsense professional, perhaps the type of personality who could hold these Nuggets accountable.
The challenge for Malone would be doing what Shaw never could: reaching a young team that's in desperate need of leadership. That kind of player-friendly disposition may not be in Malone's DNA.
So why's Malone so high on this list?
Now is no time to placate players—least of all the ones on this roster. This is a young team in need of significant guidance. Malone would command respect and perhaps become the architect of a broader cultural transformation. He gets things done and demands that others do the same. That's the kind of personality Denver needs: a doer, not a talker.
It's worth remembering that the Kings were a fairly respectable 11-13 when they fired Malone. He did a lot with a little, and he was never given the opportunity to do much more.
Perhaps Denver will change that.
1. Mark Jackson
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Here's what we can deduce from Mark Jackson's three seasons coaching the Golden State Warriors: This guy can turn franchises around, creating postseason opportunities where there previously were none.
Jackson famously transformed the Warriors into a team that's genetically indistinguishable from the one now participating in the NBA Finals. It didn't happen right away, but the club qualified for the playoffs with a 47-35 record in Jackson's second season as skipper, eventually taking the San Antonio Spurs to six games in the conference semifinals before bowing out.
Had the club improved upon that performance a year later, Jackson might still have a job in the NBA. Instead, Golden State lost in a seven-game first-round classic to the Los Angeles Clippers and subsequently decided it was time to pursue—and ultimately secure—Steve Kerr as the next head coach.
The bitter ending to that relationship should in no way tarnish Jackson's reputation. His limited body of work has been quite successful, and one suspects he has the kind of pedigree needed to reach a team that seemed to give up on Brian Shaw.
To be sure, there haven't been any reports yet linking the Nuggets to Jackson, but that could well change between now and draft time.
Stylistically, there's a lot to like about what Jackson might bring to the franchise—starting with the kind of classy professionalism that still typifies the Warriors' roster. As with Malone—who served as Jackson's assistant in Golden State for two seasons—defense would be a top priority, the kind of priority that could restore some respectability and consistency to this team.
Perhaps most importantly, though, Jackson knows how to inspire. And the Nuggets desperately need that kind of leadership. You could throw any number of X's and O's experts at this mess, but one should expect little improvement until these players begin playing up to their full potential on both ends of the floor.
It may take more than a coaching change to correct that effort deficit, but the right coaching change would be a start.
At the moment, Jackson is serving as a color analyst for ESPN and ABC broadcasts. It's hard to predict how amenable he'd be to a stint with Denver, but the club may have enough talent and trade assets to interest him.
