Who might replace interim coach Melvin Hunt as the top guy in Denver?
The Brian Shaw experiment was a disastrous failure for the Nuggets that culminated in the head coach's firing Tuesday following two disappointing years. Now, the team has to pick up the pieces and find a new coach to get things back on track.
Three prominent former NBA coaches have already been named as candidates. Mike D'Antoni, Avery Johnson and Alvin Gentry are "likely to be contenders" for Denver's head coaching gig, according to Marc Stein of ESPN. The team hasn't started its search yet because it "needs to decide direction and then look at best fits," per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, but it appears we're getting an idea of one possible direction GM Tim Connelly could go.
All three coaches named by Stein have significant experience on NBA benches and would be a departure from someone like Shaw, who was a disciple of Phil Jackson but quickly proved over his head in his first head coaching job. If Connelly seeks someone who's been there and done that, those three make some sense in a coaching landscape lacking one no-brainer option.
It's also likely that the Nuggets consider a wide variety of possibilities, since they're only a day removed from putting their entire team in flux. As management looks to avoid making another mistake like pushing George Karl out the door, it could be best to turn to a talented assistant who's seeking to take the next leap on the coaching ladder. Shaw's issues shouldn't scare the team from inexperienced options.
Interim coach Melvin Hunt is on the bench in Denver for now, but here's a look at some of the Nuggets' possible options to take over in the near future.
Mike D'Antoni
One person who seems to think it'd be a great idea for Denver to hire Mike D'Antoni is Mike D'Antoni. The former Suns, Knicks and Lakers coach reportedly named the Nuggets as his preferred destination when discussing his desire to return to coaching recently. USA Today's Sam Amick says D'Antoni would "definitely have interest" in the job.
So there's obvious interest on one side, though it's not clear whether the Nuggets are reciprocating. D'Antoni got his first NBA coaching gig in Denver back in 1998, but lasted only one lockout-shortened season before getting the ax. He thrived for years as the main guy in Phoenix, spreading word of his "Seven Seconds or Less" offense, then failed to sustain that success in stints with New York and Los Angeles.
The mixed track record also isn't helped by a reputation for being high-maintenance and likely large salary demands. D'Antoni has only thrived when the roster is suited to his talents, and it's hard to imagine the Nuggets having that kind of roster anytime soon.
So while the 63-year-old seems excited about the possibility, and Denver might ultimately be interested, it's easy to see why a reunion might not make sense.
Avery Johnson
Like D'Antoni, Johnson is another former coach who's seen lots of highs and lows. His coaching career started in incredible fashion with the Mavericks, but that winning reputation quickly took a hit during a poor stint with the Nets. Still, if you're looking for a head coach, Johnson has some impressive marks on his resume.
Dallas hired Johnson late in the 2004-05 season after his mentor, head coach Don Nelson, resigned from the team. He quickly took the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in his second season while putting together a 60-22 record. The next year, he led the Mavericks to a league-high 67 wins.
That's where the dream starts to crumble, though. Johnson's Mavericks lost in the first round to the eighth-seed Warriors in a massive upset, which led to the awkward situation of Dirk Nowitzki accepting his NBA MVP award after the team's collapse. The team won just 51 games the next season and got knocked out of the playoffs in the first round again. Dallas fired Johnson and he ended up with the Nets in 2010, where he posted a 60-116 record in two-plus seasons.
There's still a lot in Johnson's favor, including the fact that he played two brief stints in Denver. But like D'Antoni, it'd be a hiring based largely on a reputation forged years ago.
Alvin Gentry
Here's an option that could make a lot of sense for both sides. Gentry, currently the top assistant under Steve Kerr in Golden State, hasn't been a head coach since Phoenix fired him in 2013, but his combination of experience and affordability could fit the Nuggets' wishes.
The man who replaced D'Antoni in Phoenix, Gentry knows all about running a fast-paced team and could work wonders with Ty Lawson running and gunning. The 60-year-old hasn't had a ton of success in several head coaching gigs outside of an impressive run to the West Finals with the Suns in 2010, but that was also the first time he had really been given a quality roster.
Gentry is a key coach on arguably the league's best team, and he may be comfortable there. However, if he's still looking to get back to head coaching, the Nuggets might be one of his best chances to do so.
Other options
The Nuggets will also likely consider a variety of names outside those already discussed in reports. We've seen a number of former assistants do stellar work in head coaching gigs recently -- guys like Atlanta's Mike Budenholzer and Memphis' Dave Joerger come to mind -- and Denver may hope it can unearth its own assistant to build around.
David Vanterpool in Portland, Jim Boylen in San Antonio or Adrian Griffin and Ed Pinckney in Chicago could be possibilities. There are loads of other talented assistants around the league, too, and when it comes to cracking into NBA head coaching, a lot of guys aren't too picky. If the team doesn't feel like pursuing or spending on bigger names, it could try to entice a longtime assistant with the chance to take the next step.
There's also the college game, where guys like Kevin Ollie of Connecticut, Fred Hoiberg of Iowa State and Tony Bennett of Virginia are considered possible NBA options.
Taking a chance on inexperience didn't work with Shaw, who spent years cutting his teeth as an assistant with the Lakers, but it's proven to be a sound strategy for teams across the league. While older, experienced coaches will always get chances as long as they want them, getting a brilliant coach at this point would likely mean taking a risk on someone who's unproven.
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