The search for a new coach results in Ryan Saunders (pg 11)

[KGdaBom]

I wouldn't be surprised if he conducts interviews or at least talks to other sources in Chicago next week at the lottery and draft combine.

On the flip side, let's say he interviews Ryan privately and Ryan absolutely kills it/he decides Ryan is a guy he want to work with; there is a legitimate chance that a search might not happen because of that. A lot of organizations handle these kinds of things (albeit generally in the front-office) privately when they can.

Congrats on getting engaged!

That's exactly right in my view. Rosas knows who is available out there and who isn't. He already knows without interviewing most of them that they are not a fit here. He'll talk to people in Chicago and he knows exactly what he's looking for. My guess is that Ryan fits that bill. I think all the talk of Ryan not being qualified is a bunch of bunk. I've heard through the grapevine opponent coaches are very impressed with the job he did under difficult circumstances. The key is to get Ryan the right set of assistants. A defensive guru is most important. A great shooting coach would help. Make that 2 great shooting coaches.

You can act like he is qualified all you want, but it's absolutely true that he doesn't have the usual qualifications that earn a head coaching job. Any support for him as head coach is based on believing he has the "it" factor.

[Worm Guts]

I wouldn't be surprised if he conducts interviews or at least talks to other sources in Chicago next week at the lottery and draft combine.

On the flip side, let's say he interviews Ryan privately and Ryan absolutely kills it/he decides Ryan is a guy he want to work with; there is a legitimate chance that a search might not happen because of that. A lot of organizations handle these kinds of things (albeit generally in the front-office) privately when they can.

Congrats on getting engaged!

That's exactly right in my view. Rosas knows who is available out there and who isn't. He already knows without interviewing most of them that they are not a fit here. He'll talk to people in Chicago and he knows exactly what he's looking for. My guess is that Ryan fits that bill. I think all the talk of Ryan not being qualified is a bunch of bunk. I've heard through the grapevine opponent coaches are very impressed with the job he did under difficult circumstances. The key is to get Ryan the right set of assistants. A defensive guru is most important. A great shooting coach would help. Make that 2 great shooting coaches.

Actually I don’t know where Rosas is in terms of head coaching candidates. Is it something he thought about when he was in Houston? Does he have candidates in mind? It’s not something he needed to think about before last week, we don’t really know where he is in that process.

[minimus]

David Blatt winning record in NBA is .675, as rookie coach coached in NBA Finals.
Jason Kidd winning record in NBA is .491, coached in Conf. SemiFinals.
Dave Joerger winning record in NBA is .498, coached in Conf. SemiFinals.
Mark Jackson winning record in NBA is .526, coached in Conf. SemiFinals.

[Klomp]

David Blatt winning record in NBA is .675, as rookie coach coached in NBA Finals.
Jason Kidd winning record in NBA is .491, coached in Conf. SemiFinals.
Dave Joerger winning record in NBA is .498, coached in Conf. SemiFinals.
Mark Jackson winning record in NBA is .526, coached in Conf. SemiFinals.

Those other three coaches didn't have a prime LeBron James.

[wildvikeswolves]

I’m hoping Ryan gets the gig. I liked what he did with what was given to him last year. I don’t see any options out there that I would prefer over him unless for some reason the Celtics were to move on from Stevens.

[minimus]

David Blatt winning record in NBA is .675, as rookie coach coached in NBA Finals.
Jason Kidd winning record in NBA is .491, coached in Conf. SemiFinals.
Dave Joerger winning record in NBA is .498, coached in Conf. SemiFinals.
Mark Jackson winning record in NBA is .526, coached in Conf. SemiFinals.

Those other three coaches didn't have a prime LeBron James.

Prime LeBron who made you out his team

[packforfreedom]

I always cringe when I read Mark Jacksons' name in these threads. Please don't do that to me.

[minimus]

I always cringe when I read Mark Jacksons' name in these threads. Please don't do that to me.

Agree. He should not be even considered.

[RazorC]

I always cringe when I read Mark Jacksons' name in these threads. Please don't do that to me.

Same. I'd rather see Jeff Vangundy on there. And you can cross Kidd off that list. He agreed to take an assistant job on Vogel's staff in LA. Would prefer they keep Saunders and give him a full season to work with though. I didn't mind what I saw out of them under his leadership.

[Nick K]

From Woj at ESPN.

"CHICAGO -- New Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas plans to interview candidates for the franchise's head-coaching job this week, including Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard and Portland Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool, league sources told ESPN.

Interim coach Ryan Saunders will remain a prominent candidate in Minnesota's coaching search, but Rosas plans to engage in a process with outside candidates before formalizing a decision on a new head coach, league sources said."

[Smirk]

Just so you guys know, it is being reported here in NOLA that you guys are interviewing Chris Finch as well, the Pelicans assistant coach and basically our "offensive coordinator".

The guy is a GREAT coach. It is almost universal among Pels fans that we wouldn't mind firing Gentry and giving the job to Finch. He deserves a HC job.

[minimus]

Why Rosas interviewes candidates with zero credentials? (sarcasm)

[minimus]

Just so you guys know, it is being reported here in NOLA that you guys are interviewing Chris Finch as well, the Pelicans assistant coach and basically our "offensive coordinator".

The guy is a GREAT coach. It is almost universal among Pels fans that we wouldn't mind firing Gentry and giving the job to Finch. He deserves a HC job.

Thank you, man! I hope NOP will have a good offseason.

[Nick K]

Why Rosas interviewes candidates with zero credentials? (sarcasm)

Touche'!

[Smirk]

Everyone here is kind of worried that you guys will hire someone else and then offer Finch more money for a lateral move. We really want to keep him. Guy is a great offensive coach.

He basically created the offense run around Jokic in Denver. Really smart guy.

[minimus]

Everyone here is kind of worried that you guys will hire someone else and then offer Finch more money for a lateral move. We really want to keep him. Guy is a great offensive coach.

He basically created the offense run around Jokic in Denver. Really smart guy.

We could use this guy!

[jpatrick]

Just so you guys know, it is being reported here in NOLA that you guys are interviewing Chris Finch as well, the Pelicans assistant coach and basically our "offensive coordinator".

The guy is a GREAT coach. It is almost universal among Pels fans that we wouldn't mind firing Gentry and giving the job to Finch. He deserves a HC job.

Is this the guy that was reportedly very close to Rosas from his time being the Rockets G-League coach and later a Rockets asst?

[KGdaBom]

Everyone here is kind of worried that you guys will hire someone else and then offer Finch more money for a lateral move. We really want to keep him. Guy is a great offensive coach.

He basically created the offense run around Jokic in Denver. Really smart guy.

We could use this guy!

I am so excited. For the longest time I've been told that keeping Saunders was a done deal. Here are Finch's zero credentials Minimus.

From Wiki on Finch's coaching career. Extensive Euro experience. Seems like he took a lateral move from the Nuggets to Pelicans after less than a year.

Coaching career

Sheffield Sharks

Finch started his head coaching career in England, with the Sheffield Sharks of the British Basketball League, the same team that he played on during his pro playing career. He led them to several titles during his tenure, making the franchise the most successful in league history. After winning the regular season title with Sheffield in the 1998–99 season, he was named the BBL Coach of the Year.[1]

Gießen 46ers

He then moved to Germany for a fresh challenge, where he was the head coach of the Gießen 46ers, in the German Basketball Bundesliga. The team had a horrible year, and Finch was fired, after having a record of 4-13, with the team being on the verge of relegation.

Euphony Bree

After his unsuccessful time in Germany, Finch moved to Belgium, where he was the head coach of Euphony Bree. He led Bree to their first and only Belgian Basketball League championship in 2005.[6]

Dexia Mons-Hainaut

In 2007, Finch moved to Bree's Belgian Basketball League rivals, Dexia Mons-Hainaut, bringing several players with him. With Finch in charge, Dexia Mons-Hainaut reached the final of the EuroChallenge 2007-08, where they lost to BK Barons Riga by a single point.[7]

Rio Grande Valley Vipers

In 2009, Finch became the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, of the NBA D-League. Under Finch, the Vipers went 34–16, finishing in first place in the Western Conference, and earned the franchise's first playoff berth. In the playoffs, the Vipers beat both Reno and Austin in 3 games, and swept Tulsa in the Finals to earn the franchise's first championship. Finch was named the D-League Coach of Year.[8]

Houston Rockets

Finch was hired as an Assistant Coach for the Houston Rockets in 2011. Finch is well regarded in the NBA as one of the top offensive-minded coaches. Finch was named Associate Head Coach in 2014.

Denver Nuggets

Finch was officially hired by the Denver Nuggets August 8, 2016 as the Associate Head Coach alongside Mike Malone.

New Orleans Pelicans

Finch was officially hired by the New Orleans Pelicans on June 8, 2017 as the associate head coach alongside Alvin Gentry.[9] .


Notice his associate head coach titles.
These are the type of credentials I've been talking about. I want this guy. Ryan can stick around as an assistant or he can go.

[Mattya]

Everyone here is kind of worried that you guys will hire someone else and then offer Finch more money for a lateral move. We really want to keep him. Guy is a great offensive coach.

He basically created the offense run around Jokic in Denver. Really smart guy.

If this is real, then he is the guy to hire. Bring back Ryan as a lead assistant.

[Klomp]

Finch would be at the top of this list for me, maybe even above Saunders who I believe in strongly. He not only helped build the Denver offense, but then moved on to New Orleans to work with Davis and Cousins. Coming here to work with Towns makes a lot of sense.

Even with two of the NBA’s premier big men — All-NBA forward Anthony Davis and All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins — the Pelicans will still put an emphasis on pace.

New assistant coach Chris Finch confirmed that principle during an appearance on WODT-AM, 1280, on Tuesday morning.

“We want to be one of the top five transition teams in the league, but that doesn’t mean we are going to be 'run, run, run, run' at the expense of defense,” Finch said on Chris Gordy's radio show. “It doesn’t mean we are going to be (completing a possession in) seven seconds or less or shooting wild and crazy shots, because we have guys that we want to get touches.

"But I don’t think you can be a good offense in the league unless you’re a transition team anymore, and we want to make sure we are maximizing our possessions. We want to lead the league or be in the top five in pace, and doing so means we are generating extra possessions.”

New Orleans finished last season a respectable ninth in pace but slumped to 13th after acquiring Cousins at the trade deadline.

Meanwhile, Finch, a longtime assistant for the up-tempo Houston Rockets, helped revitalize the Denver Nuggets offense last season. With Finch as an assistant under coach Mike Malone, the Nuggets jumped to the league’s best offensive rating in the second half of the season, powered in part by its No. 7 ranking in pace.

https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/sports/pelicans/article_9789c036-7700-11e7-adb7-b70d4db2b538.html