OKC Thunder: Becky Hammon is a great fit to fill head coach vacancy

As the OKC Thunder seeks to fill the head coach vacancy it’s time to break through the glass ceiling and hire Becky Hammon.

As a front-office executive,  OKC Thunder VP Sam Presti is known for his magician-like trades plus his ability to build and maintain a strong culture.  Yet, arguably one of his greatest strengths is his openness to untraditional choices.

While many executives shy away from hiring head coaches with college resumes Presti brought in Billy Donovan.

Presti’s next hire needs to be equally creative and bold. Player development will be essential as the presumption is the team will enter a rebuilding phase. Aside from the trio of youthful talents (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Darius Bazley, Luguentz Dort) on the squad, the stockpile of draft picks will equate to a slew of youngsters incoming over the next seven years.

Yet, the new bench boss ideally will be equally capable of succeeding in a title run once the rebuilding phase is complete.

Why Becky Hammon would be the ideal OKC Thunder head coach

Which is why Becky Hammon makes so much sense. A scan of Hammon’s playing days serves notice of her tenacity and commitment to hard work. In spite of being a three-time All-American, the Colorado State alum wasn’t selected in the WNBA draft as critics felt she was undersized and too slow.

Undeterred, Hammon fought and won a spot on the New York Liberty as the backup point guard eventually taking over the starting role.  The South Dakota native played 16 seasons in the WNBA eight with the Liberty and eight with the San Antonio Silver Stars. ‘Big Shot Becky’ as she became known compiled six All-Star appearances, earned four All-WNBA team awards (two on the first team, two on the second team), and was voted a top 15 WNBA player of all-time in 2011.

Regardless of who you ask players sing her praises as a coach and speak to how sharp her mind is whether it’s basketball strategy or simple tweaks to fundamentals. Former Spur, Pau Gasol raved about her in his Players Tribune open letter. Gasol’s response to the long-standing belief a female couldn’t be an NBA head coach is compelling:

"“I’ve been in the NBA for 17 years. I’ve won two championships. … I’ve played with some of the best players of this generation … and I’ve played under two of the sharpest minds in the history of sports, in Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich. And I’m telling you: Becky Hammon can coach. I’m not saying she can coach pretty well. I’m not saying she can coach enough to get by. I’m not saying she can coach almost at the level of the NBA’s male coaches. I’m saying: Becky Hammon can coach NBA basketball. Period.”"

Gasol highlights a small tweak Hammon made to improve a pick and roll play between himself and Dejounte Murray. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find any San Antonio player who doesn’t have a  similar story about how she’s helped them improve.

Just as we’ve previously noted how former NBA players who played the point guard position would be beneficial to become the new coach Hammon falls in the same category. She’s had an impact on Murray, Bryn Forbes, and Lonnie Walker’s development in San Antonio and no doubt would be beneficial to Gilgeous-Alexander’s development and growth.

Revisiting the fact Hammon was overlooked in the WNBA draft and went on to become a team leader, top WNBA player, and a solid two-way player imagine how she could inspire a player like Lu Dort.

Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle feels Becky Hammon is the perfect coach for the OKC Thunder. His article provides insight from Popovich  —

"“When you’ve been around it, you know who can coach and who can’t,” Popovich told reporters. “Becky is one of those people. She’s a Steve Kerr, a Doc Rivers. They have a feel for the game that they want to continue to participate in.” Also, and this is crucial for anyone close to Popovich, “She has a sense of humor. No sense of humor, no job.”"

These words from the coaching master of the NBA regarding his fondness and respect for her speak volumes.

In the summer of 2015, Hammon made history again becoming the first female head coach at the annual Las Vegas Summer League tournament. Typically the teams who fare the best in Vegas are the lottery clubs because they have so many top prospects playing.

Given that fact, the Spurs, who were one year removed from the NBA championship weren’t expected to be in the mix for the title. But with Hammon getting buy-in from the youngsters in Vegas and in spite of them also playing in the Orlando Summer League got them to deliver as they went on to win the tournament.

Jonathon Simmons who won the MVP at the Vegas Summer League during their 2015 championship spoke glowingly of her as per an ESPN article:

"“I really love her, and I’ve only known her a couple days. She’s a real cool coach. She’s a player coach. That’s something we all like.”"

And, again, Popovich sang her praises per the ESPN article following the victory:

"“She’s a firecracker. She takes no prisoners. She’s got a great personality,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said last season. “She knows her stuff. She’s competitive.”"

Plus, the fact Hammon has been under Pop’s tutelage and mentorship for the past six seasons should be reason on its own to move her ahead of many names on the potential candidate list.

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When I consider the checklist of what would comprise the ideal head coach for the OKC Thunder Hammon fills almost every box. The only thing missing is NBA head coach experience and while she wasn’t technically on the staff when the Spurs won their last title she was functioning as an intern for Popovich who hired her the season after.

And yet, many of the candidates we’ve considered can’t fill those boxes either. Of the potential candidates, items noted as positives are former players (especially point guards), overcoming adversity, player development, ability to adapt,  and strong player relationships. Hammon checks all those boxes.

Currently, nine women are employed as assistant coaches in the league which is light years ahead of any of the other major sports leagues. But the head coach glass ceiling has yet to be broken.

I’ll admit I’m slightly biased about this selection because the time for a female head coach in the NBA is long overdue. For a league that prides itself on being trendsetters, it’s time to correct this oversight.

The overwhelming fact is regardless of her gender Hammon has proven she’s ready to assume the role of head coach.

The team that recognizes that fact and hires Becky Hammon as their head coach will reap the rewards. The question is will the magician who loves to make bold, creative moves be that man?