Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Over the past several days, there has been significant speculation pointing to the possibility of Monty Williams, former New Orleans Pelicans head coach, being hired by the Oklahoma City Thunder coaching staff as an assistant. There have been other names in the pool as well, but Williams is the lead candidate by far. His coaching history, in addition to his successful playing time in the 90’s, would give head coach Billy Donovan peace of mind coming into his first season in the NBA.
Not too long ago, Williams was the youngest hired NBA head coach at 38 years old. Unfortunately for him, the playoffs proved to be a very difficult place to succeed, especially against the highly favored Golden State Warriors. Because of those circumstances, Williams got fired.
Oklahoma City might actually want to thank the Warriors for helping put Williams on the hot seat, because now he’s primed and ready for an assistant coaching position behind one of the most successful NCAA coaches in Donovan. If done correctly, this Thunder organization could have the brightest future of any other team in the league.
If OKC could snag this very promising 38-year-old assistant, mixed in with the new talents of Donovan and all the court talent of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, this Thunder team will truly be ready to compete at the highest level. Now, the Western Conference is a loaded place to play already, but if OKC can continue to quietly get better over time, as well as stay healthy, look the Thunder to strike with a definitive “BANG” in the upcoming seasons.
Samuel Martell is Oklahoma City beat writer at www.RantSports.com. To stay connected, ‘follow’ him on Twitter, ‘like’ him on Facebook, or ‘add’ him to your network on Google.
