Starting today, 16 teams will begin their quest to win 16 games and capture the 2013 NBA Championship. Not among those 16 clubs are the Cavs, who canned coach Byron Scott after he led the club to just 64 wins across three seasons at the helm. Who do they turn to to help turn their fortunes around? We already heard one prominent name in Stan Van Gundy say that he’s not interested in the job and it may prove difficult for the Cavs to bring in a high-profile name.
That doesn’t mean they won’t try, however, and they’re going to make a serious run after the biggest name of them all – Phil Jackson. Earlier today, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio spoke with a source close to the legendary coach who said that he would “absolutely” listen if the Cavs come calling. The news that the Cavs would make a run at the Zen Master wasn’t a surprise, but the notion that the interest could be reciprocated is. After all, Jackson has had the pleasure of coaching in two of the league’s biggest markets and taking the reins of teams that already were stockpiled with talent. The source close to Jackson downplayed the notion that he would want to go to a big market team that’s close to winning a title, but it’s fair to be skeptical of that notion. After all, as one of the greatest coaches of all-time, Jackson can have the pick of his litter and wait for the perfect opportunity to arise.
On the other hand, the Cavs aren’t a talent-starved bunch in the mold of, say, the Bobcats, and a core of Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, and Dion Waiters could go a long way with a quality big man alongside them. The odds are obviously against the Cavs actually landing Jackson as their next coach, so the question isn’t whether he’ll come to Cleveland. We want to know if the eleven-time championship winning coach will give serious thought to taking the job.
I believe he will since he’ll have the best PG and the possibility of the return of LeQuits.