Stotts is out.  Right now the Blazers are looking at head coach candidates, and the options are less than savory.  Jason Kidd, a known abuser who has burnt bridges with every team he's worked with leads the pack.  Chauncy Billups, who only has one year of experience as an assistant coach for the perennially underperforming Clippers is also being interviewed.

My question is - why not someone from one of the greatest coaching pedigrees this league has ever seen?

Enter Becky Hammon, protege of Gregg Popovich.  Pop's assistant coaches have had an illustrious career in the NBA so far- in 2019, 1/6 of the head coaches in the league had worked under Pop, and the list includes 2x NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer, and current Coach of the Year frontrunner Monty Williams.

Hammon can coach.  Just ask future NBA Hall of Famer Paul Gasol, who wrote, "I’ve played with some of the best players of this generation … and I’ve played under two of the sharpest minds in the history of sports, in Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich. And I’m telling you: Becky Hammon can coach. I’m not saying she can coach pretty well. I’m not saying she can coach enough to get by. I’m not saying she can coach almost at the level of the NBA’s male coaches. I’m saying: Becky Hammon can coach NBA basketball. Period."

Most importantly, Hammon can coach defense, something the Blazers desperately need right now.  In Hammon's first four years coaching with the Spurs, they ranked 2nd in the league in defensive rating (2014-15), 1st in the league in defensive rating (15-16), 1st in the league in defensive rating (16-17), and 3rd in the league in defensive rating (17-18).  For those not swayed by advanced statistics, each of these seasons also saw the Spurs finishing in the top three in opponent's points per game, the most literally sign of crushing defense.  Even after turning the keys over to the youth movement, the Spurs have remained competitive, largely through the unparalleled coaching staff present.

Additionally, the Spurs are known for their incredible ball movement, something the Blazers could benefit from.  Though known for his offensive schemes, the Blazers under Stotts have ranked worst in the league in assists per game in three of the last five seasons.  Needless to say, the Spurs have outperformed us every year that Hammon has coached for them.  They helped pioneered Pace-and-Space basketball, and could be unstoppable with Dame's awe-inspiring three point shooting.

So let's give her an interview and a fair shake at a job she seems very qualified to coach.  Rip City needs to keep the momentum going and she could be just the candidate to do it.