OKC Thunder: 7 head coach candidates with ties to franchise

 Nick Collison – the long shot

If you ask Sam Presti who is all-time favorite OKC Thunder player is odds are he would serve up a surprising answer that isn’t one of the three players who won MVP. Although Russell Westbrook might get a mention, it’s more likely Nick Collison would be his answer.

For years Collison was the embodiment of professionalism on the Thunder bench. As his career waned he continued to embrace his role as mentor to younger players like Steven Adams.

It’s unlikely Collison would even get an interview for the job but I bring him up because it won’t be surprising if Mr. Thunder eventually lands on the bench as an assistant, or in a front-office role working with Presti.

Adrian Griffin – checks all the boxes

While Gregg Popovich has the largest coaching tree in the association, newcomer Nick Nurse may be creating his own coaching tree quite quickly. Nate Bjorkgren was hired by the Indiana Pacers and Adrian Griffin remains a top-level candidate for a head coach.

Griffin is among the candidates with playing and coaching experience including time spent in OKC. During his nine years playing he was known as a grinder who specialized on the defensive side of the court.

One of his best accomplishments while working on Billy Donovan’s staff was the progression he made with Jerami Grant. The pair dedicated hours to his balance and second jump which resulted in Grant’s improvement rebounding and in his shooting.

He’s been equally successful in Toronto as many of the youngsters on the Raptors have benefited from his instruction.

Factor in the title win by Toronto and the knowledge he’s gained working with a coaching savant of Nurse’s ilk make him an attractive candidate for the OKC Thunder job.

Which one of these candidates with links to the OKC Thunder do you like for the head coaching job? Let us know in the comments section.