Blazers GM Neil Olshey is a very busy man right now, with his summer signings yet to be finalized. But the new additions aren’t the only thing that Olshey has been busy with – he’s also making sure that the appropriate head coach is chosen to lead the team in the upcoming season. The Blazers currently have a pretty solid roster, including the likes of Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Evan Turner, Maurice Harkless, Meyers Leonard, Allen Crabbe, and of course CJ McCollum’s brother, Noah.
Damian Lillard is going to have a lot of people vying for his attention this year, including Pat Boylan, Vance Walberg, and Michael Malone. The Blazers are in an interesting spot this season, as they’re unlikely to be able to make a play for the playoffs but also unlikely to give up on their future. Lillard will be able to pick and choose his next coach, and he’ll be able to pick who he wants to run his offense (if he even wants a coach to run his offense).
After a rough start to the year, Damian Lillard has turned things around . Heading into the All-Star break, the twenty-two year old Blazers point guard is averaging over 20 points, six assists, and four rebounds per game. For his efforts, he’s earned first place votes in the All-Star fan voting for both the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams.. Read more about where is damian lillard from and let us know what you think.The Portland Trail Blazers didn’t make their first big move of the offseason right away. 24 hours after losing to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, Portland decided to part ways with coach Terry Stotts. After four first-round eliminations in the last five years, it was clear that something had to change on the team, and it appeared that Stotts was at the top of the list. Damian Lillard has already made it clear that he will remain in Portland, despite rumors linking him to a move to the Blazers. Therefore, team management must take the necessary steps to ensure that Lillard not only has what it takes to be competitive in the West, but more importantly, that he remains happy. He may have built a relationship with Stotts over the years, but it would be surprising if Lillard had absolutely no say in the trainer change. Now it’s time to move on. The Blazers begin the search for a new head coach – or maybe it had begun long before Stotts was fired. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Blazers have narrowed their choices down to four final candidates: Sources from ESPN report that candidates for the vacancy with the Blazers are among those being considered: Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups, Jeff Van Gundy, Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni and Michigan’s Juwan Howard. – Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 5, 2021 All four are excellent candidates for the recent Portland vacancy, and today we look at the credentials of each. Below, we list the top four candidates to succeed Terry Stotts as head coach of the Blazers.
4. Juwan Howard
Few names have caused more controversy in college basketball in recent years than Juwan Howard. The two-time NBA champion has done a great job as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. Howard has been nothing short of amazing since he signed with the program in 2019. Last season, Howard coached the Wolverines to a 14-3 record and their first Big Ten title in seven years. Howard has deservedly received recognition from several publications, and being named Associated Press College Basketball Coach of the Year is one of many accolades he has received. Michigan entered the NCAA tournament ranked number one. The only downside for Howard is that he has no NBA coaching experience. It would be risky for the Blazers to hire an inexperienced coach, especially considering what they are trying to accomplish right now. On the other hand, several rookie coaches have led their teams to the NBA championship in recent years, such as Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors in 2019. If anyone can pull off such a feat, it’s Howard. Finally, it should be noted that Howard played one season with the Blazers during his time in the NBA (2009-10). He already has a base in the organization.
3. Jeff Van Gundy
Next up is Jeff Van Gundy. Unlike Howard, JVG has no lack of coaching experience at the NBA level. Van Gundy was head coach of the New York Knicks for seven seasons, from 1995 to 2002. He worked four years for the Houston Rockets, from 2003 to 2007. Although he has not been a head coach for 14 years, Van Gundy has always stayed close to the game. He is a long-time commentator for ESPN and has always contributed to coverage of games. Van Gundy’s name keeps popping up when there are coach vacancies. But for some reason, he never got that last call. He’s probably on the radar of several teams, but he remains an open candidate at this point. So the Blazers can do themselves a favor by inviting Van Gundy to Portland. This guy has talked a lot about Damian Lillard, so he probably has some ideas on how to approach the All-Star point guard.
2. Chauncey Billups
Another candidate mentioned as a possible successor to Terry Stotts in Portland is Chauncey Billups. The 44-year-old has had an outstanding NBA career and is considered one of the best point guards of his generation. There is no doubt about how effective Billups has been in his time in the league as a head coach, and that seems to have carried over to his role as a coach. Like Howard, Billups doesn’t have much coaching experience. This season, he was even hired by the Los Angeles Clippers as an assistant coach under Tyronn Lue. However, Billups seems to shine in his role in Los Angeles as he has been able to build a good working relationship with the players. It’s certainly an asset that will come in handy when he takes over the team. Billups was already linked to the Boston Celtics as a potential replacement for Brad Stevens, who himself was recently promoted to president of basketball operations for the team. Billups is in high demand right now, so the Blazers need to act fast if they are seriously interested in him.
1. Mike D’Antoni
On paper, the most logical pick for the Blazers would have to be Mike D’Antoni. The 70-year-old is currently serving as Steve Nash’s assistant with the Brooklyn Nets. Given his professional qualities, D’Antoni’s acceptance of a role as an assistant with the Nets before the start of this season was a surprise. Obviously, his relationship with Nash has everything to do with it. Maybe that’s why D’Antoni is perfect for the Blazers. It would be particularly interesting to see what he could do with Damian Lillard as his star player. We all know how much D’Antoni loves his point guards. Under D’Antoni, Steve Nash won back-to-back MVP awards with the Phoenix Suns. With the Houston Rockets, D’Antoni coached the team for several successful seasons under James Harden. The partnership between D’Antoni and Lillard could have some potential pain points, but it’s hard to imagine that Lillard wouldn’t flourish in a fast-paced offense under Mike D’Antoni. One final note, and what could very well be the most important element in Portland’s decision-making process, is the fact that Damian Lillard would have great influence on the team’s new coach: Source: Damian Lillard will have a big impact on who the next head coach becomes. Stotts is the only coach he has played under in his nine seasons in the league. Now that the season is over, it was time for a change. https://t.co/opzDtX7LP3 – Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) 5. June 2021 That’s not at all surprising when you consider that Lillard is and will continue to be the cornerstone of this team (or so it seems at this point). Whatever choice the Blazers make, Stotts will need to establish a good working relationship with Lillard, so it makes sense that his opinion carries a lot of weight in this important decision for the club.Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard has a decision to make as he heads into the off-season. He holds the option to opt out of his current contract and become an unrestricted free agent in 2017. If Lillard decides to opt out, the Blazers will have the chance to match any offer he receives from another team.. Read more about damian lillard net worth 2021 and let us know what you think.
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