3 former players and current assistants OKC Thunder should consider for head coach
Three former players who are now assistant coaches offer intriguing options to fill the OKC Thunder head coach vacancy.
As teams await the decision on when next season will commence the OKC Thunder continue their search for a head coach.
Thunderous Intentions is serving up possible options for Sam Presti’s consideration. Among those are three potential candidates with G-League head coaching experience.
This next trio features candidates who are former players but also have a wealth of coaching experience.
Three OKC Thunder head coach candidates with strong resumes
Candidate one – Jacque Vaughn (Brooklyn Nets)
After Kenny Atkinson and the Brooklyn Nets parted ways, Jacque Vaughn took over the role and did an amazing job. Considering superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving was sidelined with injury many wondered if the Nets would retain their seventh seed when play resumed in the Orlando bubble.
To that end, by the time the season resumed the Nets had lost additional core contributors. Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince tested positive for COVID-19 ruling them out of participating. DeAndre Jordan and Wilson Chandler opted out of resuming play and youngster Nicolas Claxton was also out due to injury.
Despite missing seven players Vaughn motivated the Nets who were competitive and played with the same never give up mentality. In 10 regular-season games as interim head coach, Vaughn netted a 7-3 record. Brooklyn retained the seventh seed but got the unlucky first-round draw of the reigning champion Raptors who swept them.
Still, how the squad rose to the challenge was impressive. Former OKC Thunder wing Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot flourished under Vaughn. Case in point, in 37 games played under the tutelage of Atkinson TLC averaged 6.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and shot 37 percent from deep. I
n the 10 regular-season games Vaughn coached he improved to 13. 2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and shot 41.7 percent from deep. In four postseason games facing the Raptors second-ranked defense TLC improved yet again 16 points, 3.8 rebounds and1.5 assists. His 3-point percentage fell off but in fairness, the Raptors were the best perimeter defenders in the NBA.
Luwawu-Cabarrot was just one of the success stories on the Nets, but his leap is indicative of the Vaughn effect.
For a team in a rebuilding phase like the Thunder who wants to maintain their competitive edge, Jacque Vaughn would be an ideal head coach. He retained a position with the Nets under new head coach Steve Nash, but presumably, neither Nash nor Brooklyn would stand in the way of a head coaching opportunity.