The Philadelphia Inquirer reported last night that two sources close to new 76ers' president and general manager Sam Hinke anticipate that Hinkie "will probably find a coach after the draft." In addition, the sources also doubt that Hinkie will have any interest in George Karl as the Sixers' new head coach, saying that Hinkie will prefer a younger coach who can grow with the team that he inherits. The latter part of this report coincides with another report that came out yesterday that the Sixers have shown interest in Nuggets assistant coach Melvin Hunt and Heat assistant coach David Fizdale.
Hunt has been coaching in the NBA for over a decade, and he has spent time with the Rockets, Lakers, Cavaliers, and Nuggets. While in Cleveland, Hunt helped in developing the game a young LeBron James. Hunt was also a part of the coaching staff that led the Cavaliers to winning a franchise best 66 games in 2008. In Denver, Hunt has also shown the ability to blossom young players, as he has taken the responsibility of developing young international players like Danilo Gallinari and Timofey Mozgov. Hunt would be a great addition to the coaching staff because of this ability to coach and develop young players, but I'm not sure if he is ready to make the jump to a head coach quite yet.
Fizdale, on the other hand, is a much more attractive candidate for the head coaching position. He's been an assistant coach since 2003, having stints with the Warriors and the Hawks before joining the Heat in 2008, where he is also currently the Director of Player Development. As I've stated before, the Sixers need a coach who knows how to develop young players, so the fact that Fizdale holds this title in Miami makes him a very attractive candidate for the Sixers. The Sixers will most likely ask for permission to interview Fizdale once the NBA Finals have concluded.
Now that Sixers fans know that they can stop holding their breath on the coaching decision, it is time to look forward to the Draft on June 27th. By waiting to choose a coach until after the Draft, Hinkie has pushed the weight of the decision on whom to draft onto his shoulders. This will be Hinkie's first official player personnel decision as the new GM of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Follow me on Twitter @blairhopkins
