Indiana Pacers: 3 under-the-radar coaching candidates after Nate Bjorkgren’s firing

Under-the-radar coaching candidate for the Indiana Pacers: Becky Hammon

Becky Hammon can coach NBA basketball period.

The league’s first female assistant coach absolutely deserves to be a head coach in the league. She’s had a seamless transition after a one of a kind playing career in the WNBA for the New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars towards sitting as an assistant under Gregg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs.

I know, the Indiana Pacers are reportedly eyeing a more established and experienced candidate for the coaching vacancy, but considering Hammon’s pedigree, it would be unwise to peg her as a deer in the headlights. She is a brilliant basketball mind whose coaching acumen has surely sharpened under arguably the greatest coach of all time.

As in previous years, Hammon will accrue a lot of interest from teams in need of a new coach. The hypothetical fit with the Indiana Pacers is intriguing, especially with her being instrumental in developing the young core in the Alamo City. It remains to be seen if she’s conducive to the idea of leaving a very stable situation in San Antonio where she’s widely touted to be Pop’s successor, but she’s been to a bunch of coaching interviews already in the not-so-distant past.

The Pacers ownership may or may not be a visionary to make a bold move such as this, but in plain basketball terms, Becky Hammon should be pretty high on their scales.