Monty Williams, Nick Nurse, Sam Cassell among candidates

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A rundown on initial known candidates in Sixers’ coaching search originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Three years later, it’s time for another Sixers search.

With Doc Rivers out, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is set to make his first head coaching hire in Philadelphia. Morey took the job approximately a month after Rivers joined the Sixers in 2020.

Who’s the best choice to replace Rivers? Mike Budenholzer, Sam Cassell, Mike D’Antoni, Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel and Monty Williams are expected to be candidates, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark confirmed. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported that initial list.

Here’s a rundown on those coaches:

Mike Budenholzer 

Budenholzer got fired by the Bucks just two seasons after coaching Milwaukee to the NBA title.

The Bucks went 58-24 this year during the regular season but dropped their first-round playoff series to the Heat in five games. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a back injury in Game 1 and missed the next two contests. Milwaukee collapsed and made multiple baffling mistakes down the stretch of its Game 5 overtime loss. In general, Budenholzer faced criticism for his lack of adjustments during the playoffs.

However, there’s no question he’s a well-credentialed candidate. Budenholzer was a longtime assistant for Gregg Popovich with the Spurs (and became close friends with Brett Brown in San Antonio). He won his first of two Coach of the Year awards in 2014-15 for leading the Hawks to 60 wins. With big man Brook Lopez’s drop coverage foundational, the Bucks were often strong defensively under Budenholzer. Across five seasons as Milwaukee’s head coach, he had a 69.3 winning percentage.

Sam Cassell 

Cassell is already very familiar with all the key figures in Philadelphia.

This season was his ninth in a row on Rivers’ staff. Before his time with the Clippers and Sixers, Cassell served as a Wizards assistant.

A perpetually chatty, energetic personality who hit clutch shots, loved the mid-range, and won three NBA championships as a player, the 53-year-old has yet to be a head coach. Impressively, he’s helped to…

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Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2023-05-16 18:45:00

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