5 replacements for Dave Joerger with Memphis Grizzlies
By John Buhler
3. Patrick Ewing
Will Patrick Ewing ever get a head coaching gig in the NBA? Hopefully he will one day, but for now the stigma of being a Hall of Fame center for the Knicks has made many front offices reluctant to even giving Ewing an opportunity to interview for that type of job.
The truth is most front offices want former point guards coaching their teams from their experiences of seeing the floor and running the offense. However, Ewing has become a fantastic player development coach and a defensive stalwart since he went from the court to the sidelines.
Ewing is perhaps the next branch of the elaborate Van Gundy coaching tree to get a head coaching gig. He played for Jeff Van Gundy with the Knicks and served on his staff while with the Rockets. In 2015-16, people started to really take notice of Ewing’s coaching acumen as the top assistant for Steve Clifford’s surprisingly strong Charlotte Hornets.
What Ewing could bring to the Grizzlies is a new voice and a strong culture of defense to Memphis. It’s up in the air if he can hang with a team trying to go pace and space, but if the Grizzlies wish to Grit ‘n’ Grind, Ewing is more than capable of leading Memphis to another Western Conference Playoffs berth with a certain top 10 defense. One day, he’ll get his opportunity. Maybe its next year in Memphis?
Next: 2. David Blatt