Coach Free Agents
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 10:58 pm
Ime Udoka, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach
The former journeyman has fewer than three seasons as an NBA assistant under Popovich, but already has a number of fans around the league who have a ton of admiration for his basketball smarts, manner and personal journey.
Udoka was a fourth-round pick in the NBDL draft, and toiled in obscurity until he got an invite from his hometown Portland Trail Blazers, who were in search of a warm body, and he ended up starting 75 games. Naturally, the Spurs came calling, and he was adopted as family, spending three of the final five seasons of his playing career in San Antonio.
"He exudes a confidence and a comfort in his own skin where people just gravitate to him," Popovich says. "He's a fundamentally sound teacher because he's comfortable with himself, he knows the material and players read it. Often times, I'll say, 'Ime, can you go talk to so-and-so? Go talk to Patty Mills, go talk to Timmy, go talk to Kawhi.' And he'll do it better than I would do it -- and I'm not blowing smoke. The only thing I don't like about him is that he doesn't drink, so I can't enjoy a glass of wine with him. He's really boring at dinner."
Players and coaches who know him describe Udoka as a stoic with an even disposition, more of an inner intensity than a roaring fire. At Spurs U, he's at the finest graduate school in the league
Avery Johnson – 254-186 (.577): The former Coach of the Year could be a candidate for a playoff team looking to go in a different direction. Johnson led the Dallas Mavericks to a Finals appearance in 2006 and was let go two seasons following that run. Johnson wasn’t able to put it together with the Brooklyn Nets and was let go after going just 14-14 in what was his last season in Brooklyn. Since then, Johnson has re-joined ESPN as an analyst and appears set in his current position, but has left the door open to return to a good situation. Johnson has said publicly that his ideal situation would be one with great ownership and a star player, similar to what he had with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. The New Orleans Pelicans could be a situation to keep an eye on as Ric Bucher reported that Johnson could be a candidate to join the Pelicans should they fire Monty Williams.
The former journeyman has fewer than three seasons as an NBA assistant under Popovich, but already has a number of fans around the league who have a ton of admiration for his basketball smarts, manner and personal journey.
Udoka was a fourth-round pick in the NBDL draft, and toiled in obscurity until he got an invite from his hometown Portland Trail Blazers, who were in search of a warm body, and he ended up starting 75 games. Naturally, the Spurs came calling, and he was adopted as family, spending three of the final five seasons of his playing career in San Antonio.
"He exudes a confidence and a comfort in his own skin where people just gravitate to him," Popovich says. "He's a fundamentally sound teacher because he's comfortable with himself, he knows the material and players read it. Often times, I'll say, 'Ime, can you go talk to so-and-so? Go talk to Patty Mills, go talk to Timmy, go talk to Kawhi.' And he'll do it better than I would do it -- and I'm not blowing smoke. The only thing I don't like about him is that he doesn't drink, so I can't enjoy a glass of wine with him. He's really boring at dinner."
Players and coaches who know him describe Udoka as a stoic with an even disposition, more of an inner intensity than a roaring fire. At Spurs U, he's at the finest graduate school in the league
Avery Johnson – 254-186 (.577): The former Coach of the Year could be a candidate for a playoff team looking to go in a different direction. Johnson led the Dallas Mavericks to a Finals appearance in 2006 and was let go two seasons following that run. Johnson wasn’t able to put it together with the Brooklyn Nets and was let go after going just 14-14 in what was his last season in Brooklyn. Since then, Johnson has re-joined ESPN as an analyst and appears set in his current position, but has left the door open to return to a good situation. Johnson has said publicly that his ideal situation would be one with great ownership and a star player, similar to what he had with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. The New Orleans Pelicans could be a situation to keep an eye on as Ric Bucher reported that Johnson could be a candidate to join the Pelicans should they fire Monty Williams.
