Could Phil Jackson land with yet another talented young set of stars on the verge? That's the word being tossed around by Tom Haberstroh of ESPN the morning after the 2012 NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder made their first Finals appearance in 2012 and lost in five games to the Miami Heat but with such a young talented core, they're bound to be back a few more times. However the team's head coach is a free agent, and Scott Brooks' future with the team has yet to be addressed.
Brooks could be allowed to walk and he'd have his choice of options if he wanted to go elsewhere given the way his team played this season. Perhaps the team's front office wants to go in another direction. Brooks was certainly in the spotlight for his tactics quite a bit this postseason, whether it was keeping Harden on the bench or refusing to change starters or sitting players like Russell Westbrook for longer stretches.
However it was also his coaching that helped get them here. His team-first mentality kept superstars from going overboard and any coach that makes it to the NBA Finals shouldn't worry about job security. Yet that doesn't stop Haberstroh from speculating about the best coach on the market.
Haberstroh writes, "It's hard to tell at this point, but the Thunder could re-up with the coach who was talented enough to lead them to this point, a coach who also reflects the youthful identity of the organization. Or they could move in another direction and find a more experienced coach who has won a title before -- 11 of them, in fact. Don't count out a return from Phil Jackson to take a dream job coaching the most promising crop of young talent the league has seen recently."
Phil Jackson and the OKC Thunder could be another long-term marriage made in heaven -- certainly for Thunder fans. Does Phil want to add more rings and come back for another run? OKC would be his best bet if so. However Brooks has to be addressed first.
For more on the 2012 NBA Finals, check out SB Nation's NBA page. For Thunder news, go to Welcome To Loud City, and for Miami Heat coverage, check out Peninsula Is Mightier.
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