Denver Nuggets: Top 5 Candidates To Replace George Karl
With George Karl‘s sudden and somewhat unexpected departure from Denver, the Nuggets lost their coach and elite GM in the same offseason. Now that the winds of change are blowing through Mile High City, the question in Denver is, “Who will replace George Karl?” Never mind the fact that the loss of Masai Ujiri will undoubtedly prove to be the bigger blow in the long run, because with so many elite coaches available, the Denver Nuggets’ opening as head coach has become a much more interesting discussion. For the sake of realism, we’re going to leave out Phil Jackson in this article because he’s not coming back and it’s time people accepted that. Here are the top five candidates to replace George Karl as the head coach of the Denver Nuggets.
Honorable Mentions: Alvin Gentry and Mike Dunlap
5. Stan Van Gundy:
Why the Nuggets should hire him – I found it somewhat surprising when no one scooped up Stan Van Gundy following his departure from Orlando, but don’t think that means his time as an NBA head coach is behind him. Van Gundy’s won 64 percent of his games in eight seasons (we’re counting the 21 games he coached in 2005-06 before “resigning” for Pat Riley) and has historically done well with teams that have talent. Denver is certainly one such team. He coached a team that went to the NBA Finals with only Dwight Howard in his prime and a bevy of perimeter shooters; imagine what he could do with so many borderline All-Stars.
Why it might not work – Van Gundy seems like a bit of a long shot right now and not only because there have been no reports of the Nuggets reaching out to him. And considering all the drama surrounding SVG and the Dwightmare, the Nuggets may be looking to go in a different direction. Van Gundy is known for expressing his sometimes radical opinions and he’s not exactly delicate when it comes to telling his players how he feels. The majority of the Nuggets would be able to handle and respond to SVG’s rough criticism, but with so many young guys (and guys like JaVale McGee), Denver needs a coach capable of imposing discipline without getting his his players’ heads.
4. Jerry Sloan:
Why the Nuggets should hire him – The whole reason for firing George Karl was so that the Denver Nuggets could find someone qualified enough to handle such a well-balanced roster. They need a good basketball mind capable of managing Denver’s unique range of personnel. So although Sloan has been retired for a few years now, the possibility of a return, especially to a team talented enough to make it worth his while, means you can’t rule this option out just yet. It’s actually a little surprising the Nuggets haven’t reached out to Sloan yet, considering he is third on the all-time regular season wins list (1,221) as a head coach who led the Utah Jazz to the playoffs for 15 consecutive seasons. Most importantly, his brain for pick-and-roll could transform Ty Lawson into a superstar. Sloan has the kind of winning tradition Denver needs to bring in to ease this transition period and he could test what this well balanced roster can do in the postseason.
Why it might not work – First of all, the Nuggets seem interested in only Brian Shaw and Lionel Hollins at this point. Second, Jerry Sloan hasn’t coached a game since the 2010-11 season. At the ripe age of 71, would he still be an effective NBA coach? Especially for a team other than Utah, where he coached for 22 seasons? Finally, it’s important to point out something critical to Denver’s whole coaching situation: The Nuggets fired George Karl because he couldn’t get results in the playoffs. Karl racked up wins in the regular season, but in his nine seasons in Denver, the Nuggets lost in the first round eight times and the only time they didn’t, they fell short in the Western Conference Finals. Jerry Sloan has a slightly superior resume during his 15-year stretch of consecutive playoff appearances, but not by much: seven first-round exits, three conference semifinals eliminations, three conference finals defeats and of course, two NBA Finals losses to Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls. It’s hard to fault Sloan for losing to the greatest player of all time twice and his pick-and-roll schemes could turn Denver into a well-oiled offensive machine, but it’s also hard to ignore the fact that the dynamic John Stockton–Karl Malone duo never won a title.
3. Lionel Hollins:
Why the Nuggets should hire him – Just look at the Grizzlies’ surprising emergence as a force in the Western Conference over the last few years and you can see why teams are eager to capitalize on Memphis letting Lionel Hollins go. Hollins’ teams have posted a 143-87 record in the last three years and when everyone wrote the Grizzlies off following the Rudy Gay trade, Memphis responded with a 26-11 finish to the season. After handling a star-studded Los Angeles Clippers team and a Russell Westbrook-less Oklahoma City Thunder squad, the Grizzlies’ season came to a disappointing end in a sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. But considering the fact that Memphis’ only respectable perimeter player was Mike Conley, it’s hard to fault Hollins and his defensive mind. Flop the Nuggets’ roster with the Grizzlies’ and I think Hollins finds a way to stop Stephen Curry in the first-round matchup that sent Denver packing.
Why it might not work – As great as Lionel Hollins has done with the Memphis Grizzlies over the past three seasons, we can’t forget the fact that his teams play a brand of basketball that’s almost the complete opposite of the Denver Nuggets. The Grizzlies play tough, gritty defense and rely on the two-headed interior attack of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. The Nuggets are nearly devoid of defense at times and instead choose to beat their opponents with a relentless offensive attack that relies on speed and ball movement. McGee, Kosta Koufos and Kenneth Faried could certainly benefit from Hollins’ defensive influence, but it’s not hard to imagine Denver’s once potent offense stalling if he were named head coach.
2. Jeff Van Gundy:
Why the Nuggets should hire him – Jeff Van Gundy has said many times that he might be tempted to give up the life of an NBA commentator if the right coaching situation came along. I can’t think of many situations that would be peachier than taking over for George Karl in Denver with so much young talent and tenacity. JVG posted a 430-318 record in 11 seasons and his teams liked to get out and run, which is an area the Denver Nuggets have shown brilliance in. Like his brother, Jeff Van Gundy isn’t exactly the most patient guy in the world and he’s certainly not shy about speaking his mind (just ask Mike Breen). But Van Gundy seems much more likely to take it easy on guys like McGee and would find a way to get the best out of his players.
Why it might not work – As much as he says he’s thought about returning to coaching, Van Gundy still hasn’t bitten on anything. I think he might be content where he is on the sidelines, listening to Mike Breen “BANG!” and going on flopping rants at the slightest provocation. And since the Nuggets haven’t expressed interest in JVG, this great match-in-the-making might not come to fruition.
1. Brian Shaw:
Why the Nuggets should hire him – It’s somewhat of a surprise to see a guy who has zero head coaching experience at the top of a list with guys like Sloan, Hollins and the Van Gundys, but Brian Shaw seems like the most likely candidate for the job at this point in time. Shaw is the perfect balance of realism and coaching talent, making him No. 1 on the list. Shaw’s experience includes assistant coaching jobs with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Indiana Pacers this season (a team that was one win away from the NBA Finals). Simply put, Shaw is a winner and a young candidate that would be able to flourish with such a talented and well balanced roster at his disposal.
Why it might not work – There are really only two obstacles to Brian Shaw getting the Denver gig: the Los Angeles Clippers and Lionel Hollins. The Nuggets are interested in Shaw, but he’s already interviewed with Lob City and Denver is also considering Hollins. It’s only a matter of time before Shaw makes the jump to a head coach position, but it may or may not be in Denver.