KD doesn’t select teams based on its coaches
The Thunder knew the day was coming. Brass and players both knew Scotty Brooks would get a job. Probably even a good job.
Brooks was too successful to be out of the game long.
Sure enough, the Washington Wizards introduced Foreman Scotty on Wednesday. You can decide whether that’s a good job.
Good roster? Check. John Wall and Bradley Beal alone make the Wizards intriguing. Winning culture. Nope. Strong organization. Nope. Sort of an historical mess.
Good geography for a certain superstar whose contract is about to expire? Don’t know. Kevin Durant has played it coy on the pros and cons of going home.
But if you’re the Wizards, why not sign up Brooks? Why not sign up the guy who coached Durant for seven Thunder seasons and coached him well. Probably not going
to help, but no way it can hurt.
Durant clearly likes Brooks and liked playing for him. He also declined to go to the mat for Brooks. No way would the Thunder have fired Brooks last year if Durant had said, “Whoa.” But there’s no reason to think Durant signed off on the firing, either.
Most likely, Thunder general manager Sam Presti met with Durant and Russell Westbrook to gauge their temperature on a coaching change. I have no idea how it went with Westbrook. If you’ve figured out Westbrook, you’re ahead of the curve. But I can see Durant saying something along the lines of loving Scotty but not wanting to be in the business of making coaching decisions. That’s the wise thing to do, and Durant usually handles himself wisely.
Unfortunately for the Wizards, NBA superstars don’t change teams because of coaches. Shaq didn’t go to the Lakers because of Del Harris. Carmelo Anthony didn’t demand a trade to the Knickerbockers because of Mike D’Antoni. LeBron didn’t go to Miami because of Erik Spoelstra.
Superstars stay or go because of culture and familiarity and tradition and comfort and marketplace and geography. Not because of the coach. Superstars generally can name the coach, anyway, if they’re so inclined.
Brooks should do well in Washington. He inherits the great backcourt of Wall and Beal, ages 25 and 22, and another decent young prospect in Otto Porter, 22. The Wizards are historic underachievers, so anything Brooks wins is gravy.
“I think it’s good for him,” said the Thunder’s Nick Collison, who played seven years for Brooks in OKC. “I think it’s good for him. Smart move. He’s a good coach and he’ll do a good job there.”
After the Timberwolves hired Tom Thibodeau, Brooks appeared to move to the front of the available-coach list. The Rockets and Wizards both reportedly were hot after him, and Brooks also was connected to the Laker job, though Byron Scott had yet to be fired when the Wizards made an agreement to hire Brooks.
“I’m sure he had a lot of opportunities,” Collison said. “He’s definitely one of the most proven coaches out there that’s free. He’s really got a good understanding of players and a good feel for what’s going on with players throughout the year, and he’s really good with young guys. He was great here, helping young guys develop and creating an atmosphere of ‘this is what it’s like to play in the NBA and do your work every day.’ I think he’s really good. We’re fortunate to have him in our careers.”
Durant, who just like all season wouldn’t touch questions about free agency or the Wizards’ desire to attract him, nevertheless was quick to praise Brooks when I asked what made Foreman Scotty successful.
Durant echoed Collison and called Brooks a “players” coach. “Someone who’s been there before as a player himself. He gets the most out of his players. It’s about his will, his energy, and that was just so contagious. He’s gonna do a great job in Washington.”
Brooks would do an even better job in D.C. with a certain hometown hero in the Wizards lineup. But if Durant goes back to Washington, it won’t be because of the coach.