Charlotte Hornets: Where will Ewing’s Chance Come From?
Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Patrick Ewing waits for his chance to be a head coach in the NBA.
Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Patrick Ewing was interviewed by the Memphis Grizzlies for their head coaching vacancy according to reports from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. This marks the second interview Ewing has received this year, the earlier one being from the Sacramento Kings. The Kings hired former Memphis coach Dave Joerger.
The Kings job is yet another job that Ewing has not gotten and it is getting harder and harder to see why the Hornets assistant and NBA great has not gotten that chance. He has plenty of experience of a high level player. He has been on coaching staffs that were on the cusp of the change that seems to be settling around the NBA. He has fourteen years of being an assistant at this point.
Ewing does not lash at out this much though he was frustrated that his old team, the New York Knicks, would not give him a look when they hired zero experience Derek Fisher instead. Fisher lasted not long at all and the Knicks are looking for a coach again. Once again it does not seem that they will talk to Ewing.
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The Knicks are kind of a special case around the league. President Phil Jackson clearly wants to run a team based on the triangle offense and he wants a coach that is familiar with it. That was why he wanted Steve Kerr, and why he settled on Fisher. Ewing has been on staffs that emphasize ball movement but not specifically a triangle offense.
Ewing has also wondered in the past if his pedigree as a center has worked against him. Fisher, Kerr, and alleged new Indiana head coach Nate McMillan were all guards and all listed as point guards. There seems something natural about taking a floor general and making him run the team.
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So there is a fraternity almost of former guards. Pat Riley was once a guard. Doc Rivers too. Tyronn Lue with the Cavaliers was once a backup point guard. Rick Carlisle with Dallas was one. Scott Skiles just stepped down from the Orlando job and was also a guard. Jason Kidd has the head chair in Milwaukee. Of course it can fail too like with Fisher and Magic Johnson’s coaching stints.
Centers by contrast are thuggish players who work by physicality and succeed at the end of a play. One game watching Al Jefferson would tell you there is more thought process going on than that.
In fact you have to look no further than New York to see a successful former Knick big man coach. That man would be Phil Jackson. No one accused Jackson of being uncreative or lacking in innovation despite his size or appearance.
Next: Hornets looking at Daniel Hamilton?
So what is it going to take for Ewing? Is he is a bad interview? As much as having noteworthy assistant coaches on the Hornets is fun, it is not the destination job for anybody. What shining new concept will he have to unearth or polish to get a leg up?