The Charlotte Hornets recently fired head coach James Borrego after a second consecutive embarrassing loss in the play-in tournament. The Hornets are now starting to ramp up their coaching search, with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski bringing several names to the table as candidates to be the next head coach for LaMelo Ball and company, including Mike D'Antoni.
Here's a look at some other names involved:
ESPN Sources: The Charlotte Hornets are beginning to interview candidates for their head coaching job, including Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, Milwaukee assistant Darvin Ham, Dallas assistant Sean Sweeney and Mike D'Antoni.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 3, 2022
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Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported earlier Tuesday that D'Antoni was expected to receive consideration for the Hornets' job opening, also noting that Charlotte president Mitch Kupchak hired the 70-year-old when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers.
D'Antoni makes some sense for the Hornets given his offensive acumen and how he could mold LaMelo Ball into a true superstar. However, Hornets owner Michael Jordan was reportedly upset with the team's defense, especially in the wake of another disaster in the play-in. D'Antoni isn't exactly known as a defensive guy, though he has coached good defenses before.
Darvin Ham has been a hot candidate in the past few years and should only become more attractive if the Milwaukee Bucks go on another title run. Kenny Atkinson has a stellar pedigree after coaching up the Brooklyn Nets before the superstars showed up while also boasting a strong resume as an assistant. Sean Sweeney has extensive experience with Jason Kidd.
Mark Jackson and Quin Snyder are other names being bandied about. Ball reportedly has some interest in Jackson, while Snyder could be a candidate if he decides to leave the Utah Jazz. Fischer also noted Jerry Stackhouse as a possible option.
The Hornets have a promising roster led by Ball, but they definitely need to make some tweaks and figure things out on the defensive end. This is such an important hire to make given Ball's rising status in the NBA.
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