HoopsHype.com Columns

Silas the Savior?
by Dean Serravalle / May 7, 2003

The Toronto Raptors have a history of locking their head coaches into long-term contracts, which is what it will take to land a big fish like Paul Silas or former Knicks coach and present TNT analyst, Jeff Van Gundy. The last thing the Raptors need is to sign another only to find out a year and a half later, as was the case with Butch Carter, that they have to swallow the remaining three years of a contract because of creative differences.

So the Raptors find themselves in somewhat of a Catch 22. If they don’t sign a household name, they run the risk of looking cheap, and if they do sign one, they bury themselves in the same recurring quagmire. So who can we expect to walk the sideline next year? There are a number of quiet candidates making the rounds, including Philadelphia 76ers assistant (and good friend of Glen Grunwald) Mike Woodson, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Randy Wittman, New Jersey Nets assistant Eddie Jordan, former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach John Lucas, and then our wildcard - Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.

Word around Toronto is that Izzo would make a nice fit, and that the Raptors would be the perfect opportunity for the college coach to make a transition into the NBA. However, Tom Izzo is considered royalty at Michigan State and Toronto cannot risk regal money or kingship years to a coach unproven in the NBA.

So what direction should the Raptors take? A few weeks ago, Vince Carter noted that there shouldn’t be a need to “chase” a coach into Toronto. Toronto has indeed proven to be a formidable breeding ground for the NBA, and as stated earlier, the team is already better on paper than their previous underachieving season. Factor in a top three pick in this year’s NBA draft, and the sky might be the limit for a team that can easily push for a playoff spot in a weakened Eastern Conference.

Enter PJ Carlesimo, the long shot, or how about a former player like Terry Porter or Rick Mahorn? With so many names being bandied about, it’s no wonder Glen Grunwald has said he would like to keep a short list of two or three. And with team president Richard Peddie making the rounds, telling both media and fans not to be enamored with big name coaches, perhaps the Raptors should consider the quality of coach above and beyond what quantity of money would lure him to Toronto.

With that being said, Paul Silas, a player’s coach, would not fit well in Toronto. Although his commanding presence and abilities to relate to players are commendable, the Toronto Raptors need a coach to invoke fear rather than friendship, someone who will stress defense at all costs while standing up to lackadaisical superstars like Vince Carter. A comparison can be made to the pre-championship Chicago Bulls, when they exhausted all possibilities, including Doug Collins, until Phil Jackson stepped in to remind Michael Jordan that only a team can win a championship, despite arguments to the contrary.

The only sure thing is that there is no guarantee with either a big name coach or an unknown one. Rick Carlisle’s success in Detroit is a living testament to no name coaches, while hall of fame bound Lenny Wilkens accomplished little more in Toronto than the all time record for most losses. Expect the unexpected after the playoffs, but bet on the dark horse to lead the Toronto Raptors into the 2003-2004 NBA season.

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