The coaching hunt has started for the Cleveland Cavaliers. With JB Bickerstaff out after they crashed in the NBA Playoffs without Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen, a new head honcho will have to take over. There have been a lot of names that were in the mix. Kenny Atkinson, James Borrego, Dave Joerger, and Johnnie Bryant are just a few names. However, none have more experience than Terry Stotts. If the Cavs are looking to sharpen the veteran acumen of guys like Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, the former Portland Trail Blazers head honcho might just be the one.
Terry Stotts, the future head honcho?
There is still no certainty that the Cavs have fully locked in on a hire. However, there have been reports surfacing about Terry Stotts potentially being the next architect of a competitive squad led by Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland. All of that might have to do with the fact that he used to coach Damian Lillard in the Trail Blazers system, via Marc Stein.
“It is not yet clear if the Cavaliers are keeping Darius Garland on their roster this offseason, but league sources say that the prospect of hiring Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts is among the scenarios Cleveland has contemplated in the initial stages of its coaching search. The thinking on Stotts: Mitchell and Garland are reminiscent of a backcourt that had Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, who were coached as a Portland duo by Stotts for eight seasons,” the renowned NBA Insider declared.
His previous coaching stints might prove to fit well with the Cavs. He got to figure out how someone like Gary Payton would fit in with Shawn Kemp. This was in his stint with the Seattle Supersonics. Nearly two decades later, he got to help Rick Carlisle mesh a Jason Terry-Jason Kidd backcourt well with Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler. That Dallas Mavericks squad was the one that notched a Larry O’Brien trophy by decimating the Miami Heat with LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.
A big need when it comes to the Cavs’ stars is getting their offense going. With his hiring and experience in dealing with the same rotation, they might just retain Donovan Mitchell.
Someone else in the Cavs coaching candidate mix
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Another big name in the mix is Kenny Atkinson. He has a huge case for winning the position over simply because these current Cavs players have been under his system before.
“Two of Atkinson’s former players in Brooklyn — Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert — are said to be consistently praiseworthy of Atkinson when quizzed about him by Cavaliers teammates. Atkinson has been an assistant on Steve Kerr’s staff in Golden State for the past three seasons,” Stein added.
Championship pedigree along with chemistry with the current stars? Well, it sounds like a recipe for great success. Kenny Atkinson and Terry Stotts are definitely going to be one of the finalists for the position of head coach. It might just be a matter of picking which one the Cavs have a brighter future and better fit with.