5. Becky Hammon
Becky Hammon is waiting for her shot. Hammon, the NBA’s first full-time female Assistant Coach, has an impressive coaching resume: She has coached under Greg Popovich since 2014, appeared on the coaching staff for the 2016 NBA All-Star game, and most impressive, she coached the Spurs Summer League team to a title win as the Head Coach.
Being a part of the Greg Popovich coaching tree works as both pro and con for Hammon. Popovich is one of the most widely respected coaches in the league and is considered among the greatest of all time, but the Sixers have been burned by pupils before. Sixers’ current Head Coach Brett Brown was also a disciple of Popovich and while he certainly has an ability for player development, he lacks the X’s and O’s needed to succeed as a coach. All this to say that the fan-base and more important the Sixers’ organization may not be anxious to go right back to the Popovich tree.
The real reason Hammon is unlikely to get the job is not because of her experience. The ugly truth is that wherever Hammon goes for her first Head Coaching gig, so will the national media waiting to see if she fails. That type of pressure is unfair but it’s the unfortunate reality until we all take the necessary steps to change. The Sixers are not likely to pursue Hammon as they are already under the microscope. The attention Hammon will undoubtedly bring unfortunately is one of the reasons many teams will write her off.
4. Jacque Vaughn
Currently the interim Head Coach for the Brooklyn Nets, Vaughn will have a chance to add to his resume during the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. Though he will not have Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving you can never count out Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LaVert, two of the most enigmatic players in the NBA. If Brooklyn gets home Vaughn will be sought after.
Vaughn’s only other experience as an NBA Head Coach was for the Orlando Magic from 2012-2015. Coaching the Magic doesn’t really count as they’ve been a mess since they bungled the Dwight Howard situation. That works as a pro and a con for Vaughn as while you can’t blame him fully for the team’s failures, it means he virtually has no Head Coaching experience.
Vaughn is not likely to stick with the Nets as it seems clear Durant and Kyrie are going to hand pick the next coach similar to what LeBron James has attempted in the past. There will be job offers for Vaughn and the Sixers may be one of them.
3. Kenny Atkinson
Atkinson is officially on the market after “mutually parting ways” with the Brooklyn Nets. Atkinson was not a fan of the Nets bringing in Kryie Irving and Kevin Durant which sounds ludicrous but maybe it’s not. Kyrie Irving has a history of being a headache for multiple franchises and it’s very clear that he (along with Durant) was behind the team moving on from Atkinson. This is shown as apparently Irving and Durant have already hand-picked the Nets’ new Head Coach, Tyrone Lue who is an absolute figurehead.
Many question Atkinson due to his lack of success in the NBA but you need to look at the complete story. The Nets have been decimated by injuries during his tender. Kyrie, Durant, Caris LaVert, and D’Angelo Russell all missed major time with injuries under Atkinson. The team has also had cap issues, again Kyrie, Durant, Russell have all taken up the majority of the salary and missed time while they were also clogged with Allen Crabbe’s disgustingly high contract. These salary issues matched with an inability to get on the court, what Atkinson has done over the past two years is nothing short of impressive.
What works against him is that Atkinson’s offensive scheme is extremely guard-heavy while the Sixers have a Power Forward playing Point Guard so the fit isn’t necessarily clean. The Sixers expect to make some roster changes in the offseason but assuming they keep Simmons, Atkinson while like try to pursued him to become a Point-Forward instead of a Point Guard which Simmons is not likely to enjoy. Atkinson is more than a “rebuilding coach” like some have labeled him, he brings a locker room together and a bright X’s and O’s mind. The Sixers should take a long hard look at him as he may be a great fit if the roster sees enough of a makeover.
2. Dave Joerger
Dave Joerger has seen a lot of blame for problems that aren’t his fault, just like most NBA coaches have. He led the Memphis Grizzlies at the end of the “Grit-and-Grind” era but was let go because he clashed with Marc Gasol who the Grizzlies parted with anyway shortly thereafter. He then coached the Sacramento Kings but was again let go after a few years. Joerger had led the team to their best record in years and yet the dysfunctional Cali-based franchise let a good, young coach slip through their grasp.
Joerger is a brilliant defensive mind and like they say, defense wins championships. With Joerger at the helm, expect Simmons and Embiid to both take defensive steps forward. That may seem impossible but Joerger is one of the few coaches who can accomplish such a feat. Joerger is much more outspoken than Brett Brown which hopefully could, definitely should be a positive for the Sixers. The current team pushes Brown around left and right because they can. Brown holds very little respect as players can be seen visibly tuning him out in the middle of games. Multiple players have also publicly commented on their dissatisfaction with their roles, another form of disrespect. Joerger will not be pushed around i.e. Marc Gasol.
While Joerger is a brilliant defensive mind he will need some offensive play-makers or the team will just be a repeat of the Grizzlies. The Sixers’ current roster is not built for that but after the offseason, the roster could easily be in better shape. The Sixers will have the opportunity to move on from players such as Al Horford in an effort to bring in better fits, ideally players who can shoot and score. Joerger would be an exciting addition to the Sixers’ Organization.
1. Scott Brooks
Call this a prediction. I may be getting a little ahead of myself, Brooks may be on the chopping block after another year of turmoil for the Wizards. I firmly believe there are two people you cannot blame the Wizards woes on and they are Bradley Beal and Scott Brooks. Few coaches have had to overcome as much while coaching big-time talent. Brooks had Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in OKC but the roster he was given was visibly flawed and James Harden was traded away far too quickly.
In Washington, Brooks has coached a roster with Bradley Beal and John Wall. Brooks has hardly had the chance to work with his two stars as Wall has been out since rupturing his Achilles tendon in Jan of 2019. Wall’s contract has also handcuffed the roster and will continue to be an issue for years to come. The Washington front office could easily cut ties with Brooks claiming he was the problem.
Boasting years of experience Brooks is far from the types of coaches the Sixers have employed as of late. Making a move for someone who has been in the big moments, even the NBA Finals, is invaluable. Brooks has playoff experience, superstar experience, and is a great basketball mind. If Brooks becomes available which there is a good chance he will, he should be the Sixers’ first interview.
The Sixers will likely move on from Brett Brown this offseason. Whomever they hire will need to be the right hire or this organization will face even more scrutiny.
