I think we all want Scotts, because we all know that he is really capable of taking this team to the next level. But if he weren’t to join the blazers again, who would you want to fill the coach position?
Mark Jackson or Monty Williams
Kenny Atkinson isn’t really a guy who you would want to win a championship and he’s not a great X’s and O’s adjuster in the playoffs, but he’s had a great track record developing young talent (especially point guards). I’d be down to hire him - if we are running into issues with his X’s and O’s losing us second round playoff series down the road, that’s a good problem to have.
John Wooden
Bauncey Chillups
I wouldn’t want Stotts again either tbh just because we know his limitations. I’d be open to it but looking for someone else
I’d want someone who has extensive knowledge of the modern game and experience coaching it. And that wouldn’t necessarily exclude those who haven’t been head coaches before. Known high-quality assistants frequently turn out to be good head coaches like Will Hardy who I think is really good, or someone who was a HC long ago but then became long-term quality assistants under great coaches like Mike Brown was under Kerr. Especially from certain “coaching-trees” - like Popovich assistants, Budenholzer assistants, etc. Becky Hammon falls into this category, as well as Sam Cassell.
If there’s a situation where someone like Frank Vogel is out there whenever we look for a new head coach (someone with championship experience who arguably got let go unfairly) I say we jump at that opportunity. But I think there would be good choices for first time HC’s like Cassell/Hammon