Who Is Being Considered For The Nuggets Coaching Job?
By Chris Kirby
When Melvin Hunt took over the Denver Nuggets on March 4th, the team had lost 19 of its previous 21 games. They were on a fast-track to nowhere, which eventually led to the dismissal of former head coach Brian Shaw. Since that time, the Nuggets have become one of the more entertaining (and successful) teams in the league.
Brian Shaw had employed a slow-it-down offensive approach that didn’t fit the personnel on his team. Melvin Hunt has picked the pace up, and the team has responded by reeling off six wins in his first nine games roaming the sideline.
Tim Connelly, the Nuggets general manager, will have the tough task of deciding on whether the franchise should remove the ‘interim’ tag from Hunt’s job title when the offseason rolls around. He recently confirmed what many fans have been thinking — that Hunt should be a candidate to keep this job on a full-time basis.
"“As an organization, we have all been impressed with the job Melvin has done thus far,” Tim Connelly told The Denver Post on Monday. “When the season concludes, he will be one of the candidates as we begin an exhaustive search to find a head coach.”"
At one time, the Nuggets seemed like a sure-fire pick to be a contender in the NBA draft lottery. As it stands today, they have a 10.0-percent chance of receiving a top-three pick, and only a 2.8-percent chance of picking first overall. If they keep up their current pace under Hunt, Denver could pick as low as 12th overall.
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While Hunt will surely be a candidate, there are a number of other names floating around in connection to Denver’s head coaching vacancy.
Scott Skiles coached 13 years in the NBA (with the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks), compiling a 443-433 career record. He made the Playoffs in six seasons but he advanced to the second round only one time (2007, with Chicago). Skiles likes his teams to play defense and he may try to slow the offense down if he were to become coach.
Michael Malone was a victim of a mid-season termination by the Sacramento Kings earlier this season. He went 39-67 in one and a half seasons as the Kings coach. He didn’t see eye-to-eye with the team’s management but he was a popular coach among players. He coached the team a 9-5 record earlier this season, before DeMarcus Cousin missed 10 games with viral meningitis.
Mark Jackson was the head man for the Golden State Warriors the past three seasons, before being replaced by Steve Kerr. He oversaw the franchise as it returned to relevancy, winning 121 games during that time span. He made the Playoffs twice and they advanced to second round both years.
Vinny Del Negro seems to be the setup man in coaching circles. He took over the Chicago Bulls as Derrick Rose was entering the league. He was let go in 2010, right before the team made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Directly after being let go by Chicago, he began coaching for the Los Angeles Clippers, making the Playoffs in two of his three seasons on the job. Del Negro has a 210-184 career coaching record.
Nate McMillan has been known as a strict coach from his 12 years as an NBA head coach with the Seattle Supersonics and Portland Trailblazers. He made the Playoffs five times, advancing to the Western Conference Semi-Finals in 2005, with the Supersonics. He is currently the associate head coach of the Indiana Pacers.
Alvin Gentry has had mixed success as a head coach in the NBA. He coached parts of 12 seasons, leading the Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns. He has a career 335-370 coaching record, but he has advanced in the Playoffs on two separate occasions, including a Western Conference Finals berth with the Suns in 2010. He is also a current assistant coach, working with Kerr in Golden State.
Mike D’Antoni seems to be one of the names that keeps getting mentioned as a frontrunner for this job. He has previously coached the Nuggets, leading them to a 14-36 record during the lockout-shortened 1999 season. Overall, he has a 455-426 record (with the Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers), with six Playoff appearances on his resume. He has had success with a run-and-gun style that could fit the Nuggets personnel well. His offensive system helped the Suns advance to the Western Conference Finals in 2006.
No matter what happens the rest of the season, Hunt should at least get some consideration to keep on coaching for Denver. There are a number of qualified candidates on the coaching market right now, but the best man for the job could be in their own backyard as we speak.
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