No amount of due diligence can tell you how a first-time coach will perform. You can talk to his former bosses, players, people in both the pro and con camps, and family members, over and over: If you haven’t seen the person in charge, there are some things you can’t possibly know. How will they use timeouts? How good are they at calling plays out of timeout? Do they handle the daily discomfort of speaking to the media well? Can they manage personal situations between players or players and coaches? The list of unknowns goes on.
The Toronto Raptors are in the process of getting back at the candidates they’ve already spoken to about their vacant coaching position, though their identities are unknown. (Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that former Raptors assistant and current head coach of the men’s team Virtus Bologna/Spain, Sergio Scarillo, is the finalist.) From Phoenix, Steve Nash, the Canadian legend who coached Kevin Durant, is easy to understand. Those who have not done the job at this level? Well, there are only hints and hints, based on their various records and experiences.
There may not be a perfect candidate, but there are candidates who align with certain priorities. Here are some of the people who fit in those priorities. Note: The Raptors search has covered many bases, and it wouldn’t be terribly surprising if a finalist or even a final employee wasn’t on this list.
Right player type experience: Charles Lee, Milwaukee
Lee played a short overseas career, but worked his way up the ranks under Mike Bodenholzer—first in Atlanta, then in Milwaukee. Lee turns 39 in November. He has never been a head coach at any level, with his only coaching experience before the NBA coming at his alma mater at Bucknell.
Lee was there as Giannis Antetokounmpo went from superstar to MVP in the league, as the Bucks built an outstanding defense around his skills. The team’s offense was inconsistent, and Budenholzer notoriously failed to adapt in the playoffs. We don’t know what Lee would have done differently over the past few years, and the Bucks clearly didn’t believe in him enough to make him the final spot for their coaching position, which former Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin eventually filled. Still, spending a lot of time with Antetokounmpo, to which Scotty Barnes has some general similarities to the genre if not the overall production, would be worthwhile.
A bonus to match the coveted Raptors culture: Lee didn’t earn a scholarship to college, yet became the Patriots League Player of the Year.
Tactical Pieces: David Adelman, Denver
Adelman is the son of Rick Adelman, a longtime NBA coach and one of the most forward-thinking coaches of the 1990s and 2000s. He also worked under three coaches who appeared in the Finals: his father, Frank Vogel, and Michael Malone.
You don’t grow up in that environment, personally and professionally, and you fail to absorb many of the strategic lessons. For what he’s worth, he was also the head coach for five years at Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon. He’s not the top level in basketball, but at least he has some experience in the big chair.
Let’s Steal Heat™: Chris Quinn, Miami
As far as assistants go, you could do a lot worse than pluck someone who’s sat next to Erik Spoelstra since 2014. That doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get the next Spoelstra — not every San Antonio Spurs lieutenant turned great or even a good head coach, No matter how much he learned from Gregg Popovich.
In saying that, Quinn has played with Pat Riley, Spoelstra, and Popovich, and has now learned to coach in Miami for nearly a decade. In addition to having a proven track record in player development – Quinn focused on that for much of his time in Miami – the Heat are also known for their stylistic flexibility.
Naturally, Quinn was unkempt and eventually played more than five seasons in the NBA. As it happens, the last time the Raptors hired a head coach from outside the organization, it was Brian Colangelo who hired Duane Casey, an assistant from Dallas. That could apply to Quinn or Adelman, though Masai Ujiri will now have the final say.
A wealth of player development experience and youthful vigor: Jordy Fernandez, Sacramento
For someone who is 40 years old, Fernandez has done quite a bit, having started his coaching career in 2006 – when he was just 23 years old. He also has head coaching experience, leading then-D-League Canton charge when he was just 32 after several seasons as player development coach with Cleveland.
It was with the Cavaliers that spanned LeBron James’ two stints with the team, giving him experience with both championship contenders and lottery teams. Whether he was at Canton or Cleveland, he was primarily on the player development side until 2016, when he went to Denver, and he stayed there until last season. He spent the year as an assistant head coach under Mike Brown, having also worked alongside Brown (with Ujiri watching closely) with the Nigerian national team.
Fernandez is known for being a positive and energetic person but not someone who wears things down. He also holds a Ph.D. in sports psychology, which probably doesn’t hurt. He lacks a high level of playing experience, having gone straight into coaching after his collegiate career.
A dash of continuity and an open mind: Scarillo, Virtus Bologna and the Spain men’s national team
Scariolo is a well known quantity in Toronto, having worked under a nurse for his first three years. He clearly brought some of his stylistic preferences to the Raptors, and is perhaps best remembered as the only coach who didn’t contract COVID-19 at the same time as the rest of the staff during the disastrous period when the Raptors were severely understaffed during the Tampa Tank year.
Having worked all over the world, with multiple stops in Italy and Spain as well as a few years in Russia, Scariolo won’t be stuck by NBA standards. Notably, his time with the Raptors does not coincide with Scotty Barnes’ time with the team, making him the fresh face and voice of the most important player on the roster.
But Scarullo is 62 years old. If the Raptors are looking for a long-term bout, hiring Scariolo, since he once left the NBA to go abroad, is too risky.
A familiar face and voice that resonates with gamers: JJ Reddick
When the former sharpshooter walked into Raptors training during the off-season prior to his interview with Fred VanVleet, nearly every Raptor received a standing ovation. Even if Redick doesn’t know every player, two years into his playing career, they all know him. His time on ESPN, co-host of his own podcast, “The Old Man And The Three,” and his recent on-the-ground contributions make him known and respected throughout the league. He’s been hosting a podcast since 2016, which has made him one of the pioneers of the athlete-generated media that’s been around nearly every team in the league. (On the Raptors, the podcast is co-hosted by Chris Boucher and Fred VanVleet, though VanVleet focuses on BIPOC-owned small businesses and not basketball.)
Obviously, a player who had to work his way around screens to get shots of himself must think a lot about offense. There is nothing else we can definitively say about Redick’s basketball spirit.
(Top photo by JJ Redick: Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)