APPROACHING THE BENCH
The Raptors’ firing of Dwane Casey triggered immediate speculation about who might replace the most successful coach in franchise history. Here are five candidates who quickly spring to mind.
JERRY STACKHOUSE
AGE: 43
CURRENT: Head coach of Raptors 905
CRED: Went from Raptors assistant in 2015-16 to head coach of Raptors 905, where the club won a D-League (now G League) title and Stackhouse was named coach of the year.
WHY HE FITS: Already familiar with the personnel and franchise philosophy. Plus, folks who think the Raptors lack intangibles such as grit and toughness will love that as a player Stackhouse was credited with beating up both opponents (Kirk Snyder) and teammates (Allen Iverson) who crossed him. WHY HE MIGHT NOT: If defeating LeBron James is the chief measure of success, that leaves a lot of ways for a firstyear head coach to fail.
BECKY HAMMON
AGE: 41 CURRENT: San Antonio Spurs assistant
CRED: Became the first female head coach of an NBA summer league team in 2015, leading the Spurs to a Las Vegas Summer League title.
WHY SHE FITS: She’s been studying under Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich for three seasons. Friday morning, Spurs veteran Pau Gasol penned an essay in The Players’ Tribune arguing that the former WNBA star is ready for an NBA head coaching position. WHY SHE MIGHT NOT: How long will she remain on the market? Hammon is one of several prospects to interview for the Milwaukee Bucks head coaching job.
STAN VAN GUNDY
AGE: 58 CURRENT: Free agent
MOST RECENTLY: Head coach of the Detroit Pistons, where he went 152-176 over four seasons and was fired last week.
CRED: His 12-year NBA head coaching career includes a winning record (523-384) and an NBA final appearance in 2009. WHY HE FITS: Because he has satisfied an important job requirement: beating LeBron James in the playoffs. Van Gundy’s 2008-09 Orlando Magic defeated James’ Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference final. WHY HE MIGHT NOT: Because three of his four seasons in Detroit ended with losing records. And the last time he met James in the post-season? Four-game Cavs sweep in 2016.
NICK NURSE
AGE: 50 CURRENT: Raptors assistant coach CRED: Guided the Iowa Energy to a title in what was then the D-League, compiling a 37-13 record and earning coach of the year honours.
WHY HE FITS: Like the Raptors’ roster, Nurse is international. His coaching career has taken him to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Belgium. His five-year run with the Raptors coincides with the longest sustained success in franchise history. WHY HE MIGHT NOT: His tenure in Toronto has also coincided with Dwane Casey’s, and we just saw how that ended.
MIKE BUDENHOLZER
AGE: 48 CURRENT: Free agent
MOST RECENTLY: Head coach of the Atlanta Hawks
CRED: Like Hammon, he’s a Popovich disciple. Budenholzer spent 17 years as a Spurs assistant, a tenure that included four NBA championships. Was NBA coach of the year with the Hawks in 2014-15. WHY HE FITS: He went 60-22 with the 2015 Hawks, a team devoid of mega-stars. That squad “limited” LeBron James to 30.3 points per game in the conference final. WHY HE MIGHT NOT: His best team in its best year still got swept by the James-led Cavs in the playoffs. Can he coax a better performance out of the group of Raptors he would inherit?