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Becky Hammon in play for Toronto Raptors in 2016/17?

By Quenton S. Albertie

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By promoting Teresa Resch to VP of Basketball Operations and Player Development, there may be a chance the Toronto Raptors try to hire Becky Hammon as a head coach as soon as next season (when Dwane Casey’s contract expires).

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Between 2008 and 2011, Resch was a department assistant for Basketball Without Borders (BWB), where she created an inaugural BWB Women’s Camp. Drawing from her proven track record in basketball management, it is clear Resch commands NBA-level respect. Through her BWB camp, Resch has shown she sees the development of women in sport as paramount to the success of sport in general.

Resch has deservedly risen through the ranks rather quickly, and I believe she would be proactive when it comes to progression, both for women and for the team.

For a team that isn’t known for retaining talent (Chris Bosh, Vince Carter, etc…), player development should be essential, but instead it remains spotty (Jonas Valanciunas, Terrence Ross, etc…) under Casey, who is not noted for his ability to develop young players.

According to nba.com: “Hammon’s job with the Spurs in Vegas was first-rate, and the 38-year-old was in her element in driving San Antonio’s rookies and young vets to the Samsung title. She was clear-eyed and focused, she designed some really good looks out of timeouts, and the Spurs’ young players got better and better as the tournament went on. She yelled at the refs and demanded her players “bring the juice,” and they responded.”

Casey is a good coach and he seems to have great relationships with his players, but there may be a need to expose the team to a new coaching philosophy. See Mark Jackson, then Steve Kerr. Or, Scott Brooks, then Billy Donovan. Hammon would bring the ever enticing San Antonio Spurs-like system to the Raptors. Unlike what Mike Budenholzer has recently done with the Atlanta Hawks, I wouldn’t expect Hammon to just copy and paste the x’s and o’s the Spurs’ system to another team. Rather, I think she will strategize more to her strengths as a former player.

President of Sports Franchises and General Manager R.C. Buford: “If she literally spoke the exact language, Pop probably wouldn’t have brought her in. She had her own ideas. She knew how to handle herself, and as Pop said, she knew when to speak and when to shut up. You have to have both to be successful.”

Coach Pop’s take on Hammon: “She has got opinions and solid notions about basketball. Obviously, she was a great player. As a point guard, she’s a leader, she’s fiery, she has got intelligence, and our guys just respected the heck out of her, so she’s coaching with us, she’s running drills. That’s why we made her a full-time coach and gave her the opportunity to coach at summer league.”

This isn’t a trend, this is progression. There seems to be a greater chances now than ever for women to be recognized for their qualifications in this male-dominated league. I predict Resch may give Hammon a chance before any other team can realize her potential as a head coach.

Next: Bismack Biyombo is the perfect fit for the Raptors

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