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The Memphis Grizzlies shocked the NBA world when they fired head coach Taylor Jenkins with just nine games remaining until the playoffs. Well, the Denver Nuggets one-upped that surprising move with the firing of head coach Michael Malone with only three games remaining in the regular season.
A potential head-coach replacement for the Nuggets following the Michael Malone firing likely won’t come until the offseason.
As the Nuggets prepare for the NBA Playoffs, lead assistant coach David Adelman will serve as interim head coach, as per Shams Charania of ESPN. The Nuggets are currently 47-32 and in fourth place in the Western Conference standings. The team is on a current freefall as well having lost four consecutive games.
With four teams tied only half a game behind the Nuggets for the four spot in the West, Adelman has his work cut out for him, especially in the wake of Jamal Murray’s questionable injury status.
But in the enjoyment of speculation, here’s a list of three potential head-coach replacements that the Nuggets could, and should, consider when they begin a search.
Sam Cassell for Nuggets head coach
One name that has popped up quite a bit in recent seasons regarding NBA head-coaching positions is Sam Cassell. The former NBA All-Star is currently an assistant coach under Joe Mazzulla with the Boston Celtics. Cassell’s name was mentioned last offseason as a potential candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers before they opted for JJ Redick.
In his later playing years, Cassell served as a tough veteran mentor, especially on the 2008 Celtics championship team. When he retired, he joined the Washington Wizards as an assistant coach. His career as an assistant coach has spanned 16 years from 2008 until the present, including stints with the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers in addition to the Wizards and Celtics.
Point blank, Cassell has paid his dues as an assistant coach and is ready to take the helm of his own team. He’s a no-nonsense guy and a player’s coach. He’s someone who has a different perspective due to him being a former player.
Now former players don’t always make good head coaches; someone like Darvin Ham comes to mind, but Cassell has earned his respect around the league and deserves an initial shot.
Royal Ivey for Nuggets head coach
If the Nuggets want to go outside the box a little bit but still going down the road of a former player, then Royal Ivey could be a name they take a look at. Ivey is currently an assistant coach under Ime Udoka with the Houston Rockets. Ivey is not as well-known a name as Cassell is, but he is well-respected in NBA circles.
Ivey’s name garnered a bit of national attention this past summer when he was the head coach of South Sudan at the Olympics. During the exhibition games, the Ivey-led South Sudan team put a scare into Team USA, narrowly losing by a score of 101-100.
South Sudan ended up defeating Puerto Rico in pool play before dropping games to Team USA in a rematch and Serbia. Despite their 1-2 finish, they made the world take notice of them. In the NBA, Ivey has been an assistant coach for nine seasons, including stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and now the Rockets.
He was never a household name as a player and even less so as a coach. But he managed around 10 years in the NBA as a steady backup guard and eventually a strong locker room presence. NBA personnel know who he is. His name would probably be a shock to fans, but if they dig deeper, they’ll see that he has what it takes to be an NBA head coach.
Micah Nori for Nuggets head coach
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If the Nuggets opt to go with the non-former-player route, then Micah Nori could be one of the candidates they look at. He is currently an assistant coach under Chris Finch with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he served as acting head coach last season when Finch was briefly sidelined due to a knee injury.
Nori actually played baseball at Indiana before transitioning to the behind the scenes of basketball with the Toronto Raptors. Nori was actually with the Nuggets as an assistant coach from 2015 to 2018, arriving when Malone was first hired by the team. His assistant coaching stops also include the Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons in addition to the Raptors, Nuggets, and Wolves.
The Nuggets might not want to go in that direction considering Nori’s close proximity to Malone during Malone’s first three years in Denver. But he’s a qualified candidate nonetheless with familiarity with the team. He’d bring his own coaching style to the team. Nori was a candidate for the Cleveland Cavaliers job last offseason before they went with Kenny Atkinson.
Chris Quinn for Nuggets head coach
If the Nuggets want to keep their candidate pool for a replacement head coach open for former players, then Chris Quinn could be a name for them to look into. Quinn is currently an assistant coach under Erik Spoelstra with the Miami Heat.
Quinn doesn’t have as much NBA experience as the other potential candidates on this list. His only coaching job in the NBA has been as an assistant with the Heat since 2014. Prior to that, he was on the staff with the Northwestern men’s basketball team.
But he’s garnered respect during the past few years with the Heat and has filled in as acting head coach a few times when Spoelstra’s been unavailable. Spoelstra is widely considered as a top 3-5 coach in the NBA, and Quinn appears to be his disciple.
Quinn was a potential candidate for both the Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets last offseason. He would be a bit of an unconventional hire at this point in his career, but he’s worth kicking the tires on for the Nuggets.
David Adelman for Nuggets head coach
The eventual answer to question for who will be the Nuggets’ replacement head coach might have been right in front of them the whole time. The Nuggets tabbed Adelman as the interim following the firing of Mike Malone, but he just might be one of the best candidates to replace him permanently.
The son of former NBA head coach Rick Adelman, David has carved out a name for himself as one of the most highly respected assistant coaches in the league. He got his start in the NBA in 2011 as a player development coach for the Wolves. He had brief stints with the Orlando Magic before joining the Nuggets in 2017.
It’s understandable if the Nuggets just want to clean house from the previous staff, but they should give Adelman a long look while evaluating how he does with the playoffs approaching.
