A few months ago, owner Joe Lacob was talking about his
Warriors' investment group and how deep-pocketed it was. Lacob said he believed his group had as much financial wherewithal as any in the NBA.
If that's the case, it means that no coaching candidate is off-limits for the Warriors as they look to replace Keith Smart.
[BREAKING NEWS:
Warriors won't retain head coach Keith Smart]
Here are a dozen of the best coaching candidates:
BEST COACHES NOT WORKING:
--Jeff Van Gundy: The former Knicks and Rockets coach is a proven winner and one of top minds in the NBA. You could make a case he's the best coach available, bar none. But he'll cost a pretty penny.
http://
--Mike Brown: LeBron James or no, you can't sleep on Brown's resume: A 272-138 (.663) record; 2008-09 Coach of the Year; Five playoff appearances in five seasons, including an NBA Finals appearance in 2007.
--Jerry Sloan: One of the original old-school coaches, Sloan would be an interesting candidate. But he's 69 years old and seems to have slowed down in recent years.
--Rick Adelman: He was successful in Portland, Sacramento and Houston. He wasn't successful during his two-year Warriors' tenure. What about another crack at it?
BEST COACHES STILL WORKING (but whose status could change):
--Erik Spoelstra: He could be available in a minute -- depending on a
Heat elimination. He's a coach known to Lacob, and one obviously on Lacob's short list.
--Stan Van Gundy: What will happen to Van Gundy if the
Magic exits in the first round? In some ways, he'd be a better fit for the Warriors than is brother, Jeff. Stan is considered more creative offensively.
--Mike D'Antoni: There are rumblings that D'Antoni is not safe in
New York. If he goes, few coaches would be a better fit for the uptempo Warriors than D'Antonio.
BEST ASSISTANTS:
--Mike Budenholzer: Has been Gregg Popovich's lead assistant in
San Antonio for the past four seasons and been with the Spurs for the past 15 seasons on the bench.
--Brian Shaw: Many believe Shaw will eventually succeed Phil Jackson in
Los Angeles. But that's not a certainty. Shaw has made it clear he'd be more than open to coaching in his hometown of Oakland. Then again, he's also a proponent of the Triangle offense, which could be an issue.
--Mike Malone: Currently an assistant for
New Orleans, Malone spent five years in Cleveland before that. He is the son of former Cavaliers' head coach and current Magic assistant Brendan Malone.
--Dwane Casey: He is the
Dallas Mavericks top assistant and has drawn interest from the Houston Rockets, which also have a coaching opening.
WILD CARDS:
--John Calipari: The University of Kentucky coach has reportedly said he wants back in to the NBA. Don't forget, he got the Nets into the playoffs when he coached in New Jersey. And if you want a pipeline, too.
--Tom Izzo: He has flirted with Detroit and Cleveland, and his name seems to come up often. He would certainly be splash.
Read more:
Steinmetz: 13 potential replacements for Keith Smart
Tune to SportsNet Central at 6, 10:30 and midnight on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area for more on this story
