Ten days into the Cleveland Cavs' coaching search and we still don't have a clear front-runner to replace former head coach Mike Brown. However, with the Cavs bucking the odds to pick up the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, there is renewed buzz around the job. We'll show you what that means with our Top 5 Cleveland Cavs Head Coaching Candidates As Of May 21st:
5. Mark Jackson
Per Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Jackson signing a multi-year deal to return to ESPN "reportedly does not preclude him from seeking a coaching position." What would it take to get Mark Jackson away from the announce table and back on the sidelines? The #1 overall pick in one of the most loaded draft classes in NBA Draft history may be a great start.
4. George Karl
The Cavs haven't mustered an official response to George Karl's assertion that he "really wants" to be the successor to Mike Brown as Cleveland's head coach. Karl has twenty five years of regular-season success behind him, but his well-documented run of playoff failures may be what keeps him from maintaining a spot near the top of this search. Also, even if Karl isn't on the team's radar as Mike Brown's replacement, there are rumblings that they may create a president of basketball operations job to get him onto the payroll one way or the other.
3. Alvin Gentry
Gentry is a players' coach through and through - something which may be a huge asset for a young Cavs team bound to get younger via the 2014 NBA Draft. Gentry is due for a second chance after a strange exit from his post as Phoenix Suns head coach. Former Suns executive and current Cavs general manager David Griffin knows this, and he may have Gentry's back as the hiring process ramps up over the coming weeks.
2. Adrian Griffin
Griffin remains a top candidate for the job. However, the Cleveland Cavs head coaching job increased its "sexiness" factor on Wednesday with the team's ascent to the top of the NBA Draft Lottery. This may take assistant coaches out of the equation for the job, as the team can use its new-found leverage to lure proven NBA/college head coaches to try their hand at replacing Mike Brown. Griffin is still a talented prospect, so don't make the mistake of ruling him out.
1. Lionel Hollins
It now seems like Lionel Hollins' job to lose. The Cavs seem completely dedicated to building around defense. Who better to turn progress into results than the architect of one of the most suffocating defenses in recent NBA history. Hollins' work turning young talents into defensive stalwarts in Memphis would serve the Cavs extremely well - especially for whoever the team decides to draft at #1.
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