OKC Thunder: 10 NBA assistants to consider for head coach
Nuggets assistant coaching trio
Michael Malone took over as head coach of the Denver Nuggets five seasons ago and has steadily improved his squad. Although Malone hasn’t created his own coaching tree, like Gregg Popovich or Rich Carlisle the success of the Nuggets has opponents sitting up and taking notice.
To that end, there are three Nuggets assistants who are poised to take the lead coaching chair.
Wes Unseld Jr. – Assistant for all five years of the Malone tenure
Of the trio on this list, Wes Unseld Jr. has the most experience. Nepotism played a role in his NBA introduction as he joined the Wizards when his father was serving as GM. Initially, he served as a scout and eventually became an assistant. After six seasons on the Wizards bench, he spent a year with the Warriors and three with the Magic. When Malone took over the Nuggets, Unseld moved to Denver.
Tasked with the defensive system Unseld Jr. made strides in Denver. Factor in how he’s developed young stars Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, and this season Michael Porter Jr. and he is a candidate who deserves a long hard look from the OKC Thunder.
Unseld Jr. definitely isn’t the flashiest candidate on the list but he might be the steadiest which is a trait a rebuilding club should covet.
David Adelman – three seasons on Malone’s staff
If the name sounds familiar it should, David is the son of longtime NBA head coach Rick Adelman. His knowledge of the game was developed through hard work but it’s hard to imagine there wasn’t a bit of osmosis involved in the process.
Under Flip Saunders Adelman joined the Wolves staff concentrating on player development for a season prior to ascending to the assistant coaching chair. He spent five years in Minnesota leaving when Tom Thibodeau took over. Adelman joined Malone’s staff where he’s been an assistant for the past three seasons.
If Sam Presti is looking for a head coach who can help develop young talents and bring creativity to the offense then Adelman should be considered. He’d need a strong defensive assistant to balance the court.
Jordi Fernandez – four seasons on Malone’s staff
The assistant in this Nuggets trio with the most balanced resume is Jordi Fernadez. The Spaniard began his coaching career in 2009 with the Cleveland Cavaliers as a player development coach. Fernandez was an assistant and then head coach of the Cavs G-League Canton Charge and eventually rejoined the varsity team as an assistant to Mike Brown’s staff.
During his time in Cleveland, he worked with their young stars (Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson) developing their skills but also spent time with superstar LeBron James. Fernandez was part of the 2016 championship group. In addition, he’s an assistant on the Spanish National team.
Academia is his calling card having earned a degree in Sports Science and also was a university professor overseas.
His unique ability to develop young talents should garner him an interview. Depending on whether Presti is open to having a young head coach (37) who’ll develop with his team Fernandez could be a dark horse to nab the open position.