Scott Brooks emerges as top candidate in Denver and Orlando

By Nathaniel Reeves | Apr 22, 2015

Oct 8, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 114-101. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /

The recently-fired Oklahoma City Thunder coach might not have to look too hard for another job.

Former Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks is expected to land back on his feet in the near future. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports that Brooks instantly becomes a top candidate to take the head coach openings with the Denver Nuggets or Orlando Magic.

Brooks will immediately become a top candidate for the openings in Orlando and Denver, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 22, 2015

It’s easy to see both sides of the argument with Brooks. The success that Brooks had with Oklahoma City is undeniable, as he had a .620 winning percentage in seven seasons (including a 22-47 record his first season) and led the Thunder to the 2011-12 NBA Finals.

However, a team with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, in addition to all the other strong pieces the Thunder have had over the years, is expected to take home a title at some point. Brooks is not regarded as a good Xs and Os coach on the offensive end, as the Thunder too often devolved into ISO ball during his tenure.

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At the very least, the timing of firing Brooks is curious. No team was going to overcome the amount of injuries the Thunder suffered this season, and his dismissal could have a negative impact on the impending free agency decisions of Durant and Westbrook.

Brooks probably had enough success to land another job somewhere. Of the two destinations Wojnarowski mentions, Orlando is the more interesting fit.

The Magic have an intriguing roster full of young talent. Orlando should be a lot better than the 25-57 record it posted this year with the likes of Nikola Vucevic, Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris, leading much of the blame to fall on former head coach Jacque Vaughn. Brooks has a good defensive system and can really help the Magic on that end, as they have much more potential than their numbers for most of the year indicated.

In some ways, Orlando is in a similar situation that Brooks initially inherited in Oklahoma City. Obviously nobody on the Magic can compare to Durant and Westbrook, but the Magic shouldn’t be all that far off from competing in a weakened Eastern Conference with better coaching plus whatever top pick they land in the 2015 draft.

Denver is a different story. The Nuggets are a mess right now with only a couple of young assets, and Brooks might not be the right choice for an extended rebuild.

The Nuggets really need to get back to what made them successful under George Karl by using their natural home court advantage. Mike D’Antoni would make a lot more sense than Brooks.

That doesn’t mean Orlando should make Brooks it’s clear-cut top choice. Luring Billy Donovan away from Florida (for more than five days this time) or grabbing Tom Thibodeau if the Chicago Bulls front office decides to move on would be much better options.

It’s understandable that the Thunder fired Brooks, but he has a good chance to land somewhere else.

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