Stan Van Gundy now the Warriors’ top coaching target?

Stan Van Gundy is at the top of the Golden State Warriors’ list for a new head coach, according to a report.

Golden State fired Mark Jackson after the team was eliminated from the playoffs by the Clippers with the hopes that they could find someone they felt was better. They were pursuing Steve Kerr, but ESPN’s Marc Stein and Ian Begley say the Warriors believe Kerr will end up agreeing to a deal with the Knicks. Kerr has been mentioned in association with the Knicks job for weeks, and he even admitted he has discussed the position with team president Phil Jackson.

Feeling that Kerr may not be a possibility for them, the Warriors are looking elsewhere, and Stein and Begley say Van Gundy is as close to a top target as they have at this point.

I think Van Gundy would be a great hire for Golden State. The man had a bad falling out in Orlando, but he was in a difficult spot because his star player — Dwight Howard — had two feet out the door the last few years with the team. That made it extremely difficult for Van Gundy to have authority with the team. He was also rendered powerless because the organization was so desperate to keep Howard, they did anything to appease the center.

Before essentially becoming a lame duck in Orlando, Van Gundy got the Magic to the playoffs five years in a row. He took them to the NBA Finals once and reached the conference finals the following year. I’m a fan of his defensive system and think he is a creative coach who matches his offense to fit his personnel. I especially like his honesty as a coach, too. He would be a great hire for the Dubs and they should probably just focus on him instead of Kerr.