"The common train of thought surrounding the current
Sixers coaching search is that the team is trying to target a fresh basketball
mind, as opposed to an established individual. It is assumed that the Sixers
want an assistant of some sort, who is eager to break into the big time, with a
set of fresh ideas and the patience to help the Sixers right the ship.
In short, they don’t want another Doug Collins. Or
Larry Brown.
They don’t want a coach that is going to kill the
team with over-enthusiasm and expectations, and they certainly don’t need
another coach opposed to developing young talent.
Instead, a coach who is willing to adapt, adjust,
allow young players to mature, and is well in-tune with today’s style of NBA
basketball would be ideal. So, the idea of an ‘up-and-comer’ search makes
sense.
Brian Shaw, an assistant with the Pacers is a
popular name, but he will have several suitors for the Sixers to compete with
this summer. There are other options outside of Shaw, but one candidate the
Sixers may consider isn’t any sort of assistant, but instead he was the head
coach of one of the NBA’s most exciting playoff teams this season.
The Sixers would be doing themselves a disservice if
they didn’t at least do their due diligence and talk to Vinny Del Negro. Yes he
has taken a lot of heat for poor roster rotations and maybe giving Chris Paul a
little bit too much control, but he also led the Clippers to their best record
in franchise history while handling some of the biggest stars in the game.
He has been outcoached in the Playoffs by some of
the league’s elite, but at this point playoff performance shouldn’t be the
team’s biggest concern, considering they just need a coach to get them there
first. Just as players improve and expand, so do coaches. So while he hasn’t
led any deep Playoff runs, Del Negro has led his teams to the postseason in
four out five seasons as a head coach, compiling an impressive overall record
of 210-184. While resumes only carry a certain amount of weight, Del Negro’s is
short and solid.
At the relatively ripe age of 46, Del Negro could
serve as a long-term solution if the two sides were able to find some success
and grow together. It may not be a match, but it can’t hurt to talk to one of
the more successful coaches currently available."
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