As Doc Rivers packs his bags from Los Angeles to move to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Clippers begin their head coach search.
They join a group of four other teams looking for a head coach: the Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans.
The Doc Rivers departure from Los Angeles and signing with the 76ers likely won’t affect the Thunder’s coaching search. While Philadelphia switching gears does take them out of the running for coaches reports had tied them to including Mike D’Antoni and Ty Lou, Oklahoma City is likely not in the running for these established coaches.
His assistant coaching decisions may make a difference, though.
If Alvin Gentry joins Rivers’ coaching staff, a move which Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reported is under consideration, that takes another coach out of the pool.
That would leave playoff hopefuls in the Clippers, Rockets, Pelicans and Pacers chasing brand names including Lou, D’Antoni and Nate McMillan.
If those three each get one of the aforementioned teams, that leaves one team falling into a category the Thunder may be searching in: young or inexperienced coaches getting their first or second shot at leading a team.
This group may include a coach like Adrian Griffin or David Vanterpool.
Oklahoma City also may have interest in coaches who have a little more experience, though not the track record — or price tag — of D’Antoni, McMillan or Lou.
Maurice Cheeks, who is currently a Thunder assistant coach, falls into this category, as do Kenny Atkinson, Dave Joerger and David Fizdale.
That’s all speculation, and it’s almost certainly not the extent of the coaching search. Oklahoma City needs a coach who can help develop young talent and, if the corps remains, try to coach Chris Paul’s Thunder team back to the playoffs.
If Oklahoma City is, in fact, going through a rebuild, a coaching target may see greater upside from a team who has more immediate playoff hopes.
