Monty Williams should probably still be the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans. Predicted to finish outside of the playoffs by most “experts”, the Pelicans surprised many last season by taking the eighth seed from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Sure, the Thunder had a ton of injury issues, but don’t forget that the Pelicans didn’t have starting point guard Jrue Holiday for half the year, lost Ryan Anderson during a crucial stretch in March, went without Eric Gordon early in the year, and had to replace Anthony Davis for a handful of games. Plus, the Pelicans were in a division that saw every single team make the playoffs.
Alas, Williams was let go by the Pelicans at the end of the season.
Now he finds himself on the Thunder bench, serving as an assistant coach to new head coach Billy Donovan. While the re-acquired Maurice Cheeks might have more head coaching experience, Williams will be the most important coach on Donovan’s staff.
He’s been an assistant coach for Team USA since 2013, meaning he’s been around some of the best players in the world. The 2014 FIBA World Cup team that won gold included DeMarcus Cousins, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose, Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry. As the 2016 Olympics draw closer, Team USA continues to organize camps and practices featuring the best players in the league.
Steph Curry with the quick release! #USABMNT https://t.co/IxrPJRLBoI
— NBA (@NBA) August 12, 2015
Many, myself included, believe that Anthony Davis is the best power forward in the league. While it would be unfair to give Monty all the credit for that, it would also be unfair to give him no credit whatsoever. Williams helped turned Davis into the monster that he is today by working with him every day in practice and putting him in the best positions to succeed.
Williams has proven to be very good with young players. That’s good because, despite their experience and the expectations, OKC is still a young team. There are only two players on the Thunder roster that are over 30. One, Steve Novak, won’t see any playing time. The other is Nick Collison. While it’s highly unlikely that Williams will change the ways of his stars, he could definitely help mold guys like Cameron Payne, Josh Huestis, Mitch McGary, Steven Adams, and others. And, who knows, maybe he’ll be the one who gets through to Dion Waiters.
More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
While the Pelicans were swept by the eventual champs in the first round of the playoffs, Williams can hopefully build from those losses and bring that experience to OKC. He knows what it’s like to coach against the best team in the league and that knowledge could prove to be invaluable to Donovan and the Thunder.
There’s also the Kevin Durant factor. Williams and Durant have a previously established relationship that is going to be key this year. Donovan is going to have to work hard to earn the trust of his star, but when things may seem shaky, he knows that he can lean on his top assistant to help bridge the gap between the two. This is important to keep in mind when it comes to Russell Westbrook as well. Westbrook has a built-in relationship with Mo Cheeks, which will help make Donovan’s transition to the pros a little easier.
That relationship will also help Williams, who has already been cursed out by Westbrook during Team USA mini-camp. He knows that, while it would be nice to get on the same page with his star guard, there is someone on the staff who will be able to calm down Westbrook when he inevitably goes into “Russ Mode”.
Williams did a great job with the Pelicans last season, and while his overall coaching record is less than impressive, he’s proven to be a very good assistant coach. Billy D might be calling the shots, but expect Monty to have a big impact beside him.