Spurs Nation passes along word that may burst some bubbles in the search for the next Rockets coach. Mike Budenholzer, who might have been my favorite name in the entire process, has decided to stay with San Antonio:
“I’d prefer not to say anything and just keep my name out of it as much as possible,” Budenholzer said of the speculation that he will be a candidate for head coaching jobs.
“It’s hard to explain. I’m very flattered and it’s something I want to do someday, but for right now, I’ve decided the best thing for me and my family is to stay in San Antonio.
“That could change at some time, but for the foreseeable future that’s how I feel, and that’s how I’ve felt for the last little while.”
Tom Martin at The Dream Shake has his take on the Rockets coaching scenario without Budenholzer around, and notes that Houston has no shortage of candidates at this point:
Stan Van Gundy is the favorite should he become available. From there, my preferences lie in Dwane Casey, Lawrence Frank or even Memphis assistant Dave Joeger, though I have a feeling New York might snag him as an assistant to help re-shape their defense. There are plenty more names, such as Jack Sikma, Mario Elie, Sam Cassell and even Kevin McHale, but Casey, Frank and Joerger remain the most appealing in my book, though I’m sure this will change in the coming weeks.
Casey definitely did flash an affinity for bringing the best out of his teams in Minnesota, although one could say the same thing for Eric Musselman when he ran the Warriors and that hasn’t helped him get much of a sniff at another job. Frank coached the Nets during the decline phase of the Jason Kidd era, and has been noted as a defensive specialist.