Wizards assistant coach Sam Cassell will interview with the Rockets for their vacant head coaching job, according to a report from FOX 26 Sports in Houston.
At this point in time, Cassell would seem like somewhat of a long-shot for the position. He recently completed just his second season on the bench in Washington after a 15-year NBA career. Cassell, long considered a natural fit coaching, could benefit from some more seasoning. Still, his coaching chops cannot be denied.
Cassell has been instrumental in the development of Wizards guards like John Wall and Nick Young. And don't forget he help breath life Sean Livingston's career last season. Washington -- especially Wall -- would benefit if Cassell were to stick around.
Not far removed from his playing days, Cassell connects with the youngsters on the Wizards roster like a veteran player more than a stuffy coach. One instance that comes to mind is set in the Wizards' locker room, post Gilbert Arenas trade, when Cassell messed around with Young -- betting him on who would cry first -- to help diffuse the tension and get the media off his back. Besides, all the kids still do his unique, big shot dance. The Wizards would benefit from having Cassell stick around the organization.
Flip Saunders talked about what makes Cassell a successful coach (via TThe Washington Post's Michael Lee)
“Sam never played because he was fast or jumped very high. Sam is a guy who didn’t play because of his athleticism. He played because of how smart he was. He knew angles and played to those. He’s able to help and transform that to some of the players.”
According to the report. The rest of the Rockets list includes: former Timberwolves GM and coach Kevin McHale, Milwaukee assistant coach Kelvin Sampson, Rockets assistant coach Jack Sikma, Kings assistant coach Mario Elie and former Hawks coach Mike Woodson.