Toronto Raptors: Why Becky Hammon should consider the Raptors 905

If the Toronto Raptors can find a way to lure Becky Hammon away from San Antonio, they should hire her to be the next head coach of the Raptors 905.

Jerry Stackhouse, former head coach of the Toronto Raptors G-League affiliate, The 905, has left his position with the club and has agreed to the assistant head coaching position with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Stackhouse has won one G-League Championship, was G-League Coach of the Year, and has coached and groomed several of the Raptors players that promise to play a prominent role in the franchise’s future.

He has instilled a hard-nosed approach, displayed a tactical acumen and ability to hold players accountable. All in two years.

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He was on the shortlist to be the next head coach of the big league club and was widely regarded as the right fit for this team that lacks toughness or a playoff edge. Now he will be on the bench beside head coach J.B. Bickerstaff monitoring a team the finished 38 games under .500.

Goodbye Stack. We’ll miss you.

There is an argument to be made that Stackhouse has improved his chances to landing a head coach position.

Clearly, the Raptors head coaching job was not his to be. Not yet. If he was going to be Masai’s guy, it would’ve happened already.

Why stay with the club that isn’t ready for you yet? Might there be more promise with a Memphis team that has a lot of work to do?

The Toronto Raptors now need to fill two head coaching positions. Here’s how they turn one of those negatives into a positive.

Hire Becky Hammon

Becky Hammon, the assistant coach to Spurs legend Gregg Popovich, who has declared her a star, is one of the future bright lights in the NBA coaching ranks. She has received glowing praise from many around the league, including current Spur, and 3-time NBA champion, Pau Gasol.

In a letter to the Players Tribune, Gasol raved about the IQ and acumen of the former Colorado State star guard. Gasol declares her an NBA ready-coach and says she shouldn’t have to wait just because of her gender. “Becky Hammon can coach NBA basketball. Period.”

Gasol, who has played underneath both Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson, might be onto something.

Why Toronto?

She would gain head coaching experience

One of the knocks against her is her lack of experience. Consider the contenders for the current opening in Toronto:

Nick Nurse – As head coach – 2 D-League Championships, 2 BBL Championships and 1 D-League Coach of the Year.

Ettore Messina – As head coach – 4 European Championships, 4 Italian Championships & 5 Russian League Championships, 2 Europe Coach of the Year, and he’s in the Italian Hall of Fame. Already.

Sarunas Jasikevicius – As head coach – 2 Lithuanian Championships, 1 Coach of the Year

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If Hammon were to take over the very successful and established 905 squad, she would immediately be able to test her wares and develop her coaching abilities without too much pain and rookie suffering. The 905 have good habits. They have a winning culture. They have consistency.

Sounds like another team she knows.

If she is considering leaving the Spurs, and that is a big IF, she would most likely want to go somewhere promising. She would be able to show off what she’s learned from the creativity and brilliance of her mentor in San Antonio.

Success with a G-League squad would most certainly put her into a stronger position next year when even more head coaching jobs open.

And if you’re going to say, why doesn’t she hold out for a NBA head coaching position, how many NBA jobs are available at the moment? Dwayne Casey is brushing up on his Motown collection. And that leaves one.

And she would be just down the street from Masai.

This might be hard to hear, but I’m not sure every NBA team is ready to hire Becky Hammon. Some aren’t ready because she’s not the right fit. Her profile and philosophy might not quite match the needs of some clubs.

Some don’t think their NBA locker room is quite there, yet. Some might not think she’s there yet. But is Masai Ujiri one of those people?

Sure she’s got RC Buford. But Masai is also a progressive, free thinking, ‘outside the box ’ kind of guy, isn’t he?

In fact, Masai himself is a bit of an outsider, a pioneer, in the tight-knit NBA universe.

Ujiri has had very successful runs as GM of both the Denver Nuggets and the Toronto Raptors and is an emerging star in his own right. He has built a franchise that resembles that of his mentor, Buford, and the San Antonio Spurs. The Raptors record has improved yearly, reaching 59 games this past season.

He has drafted well, maintained a consistent roster and inspired a ‘culture reset’ this past season.

Might Hammon see something she likes in Toronto?

Despite Ujiri’s inability to lead a team past LeBron, he is still regarded as an attractive executive to work for. This must be an appealing proposition for a young and upcoming coaching prospect. If she were to leave the Spurs, having a guy like Masai would be a check in the Pro column.

And yes, she would be the first female professional basketball coach.

This is a big deal. It’s a big deal for the women’s coaching ranks where incredible coaching is happening across all levels (think Sylvia Hatchell and Pat Summitt). She would crack the glass ceiling in the male dominated world of coaching.

An idea almost unfathomable mere years ago but one that is definitely gaining traction.

When asked about being coached by a female coach, LeBron James affirmed, “If she knows what she’s doing, we’ll love it,” he said. “I mean, listen, at the end of the day, basketball, it’s not about male or female. If you know the game, you know the game.”

Next: Chances of each Raptor returning next season

Is Becky Hammon deserving of that opportunity? We’ll soon see if Masai and the 905 think so.

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