Sixers fans know how important Sam Cassell has been to the club’s staff since coming over with head coach Doc Rivers two offseasons ago. Cassell’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Utah Jazz are interviewing Philadelphia 76ers assistant Sam Cassell for their open head coaching job, sources tell me and @Tjonesonthenba. Cassell was part of the 2008 champion Celtics, constructed by now-Jazz CEO Danny Ainge, and has been an assistant coach since 2009.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2022
This comes after former Jazz head coach Quin Snyder stepped down after a first round exit in the playoffs. Utah is at a crucial point in their offseason as they have to decide to continue to contend with the existing core or break it up. Regardless of what they do, Cassell is a worthy candidate.
The Jazz are wise to interview Sixers’ assistant Sam Cassell.
Let’s start with the player. Cassell won three NBA titles during his playing career, two with the Houston Rockets and one with the Boston Celtics. He was a floor general during his playing days averaging 15.7 points and 6.0 assists for his career.
Once he retired, he become an assistant working under head coaches such as Flip Saunders, Randy Wittman, and Rivers. He’s had several good mentors, but he himself has been a good developer of talent.
Most Sixers fans would point to Tyrese Maxey as the most recent example and rightfully so. Maxey was in and out of the rotation as a rookie, but thanks in part to the help of Cassell, Maxey has developed into a borderline All-Star this past season.
However, he also helped develop other players like John Wall, Austin Rivers, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That’s an impressive resume overall, so if the Jazz to start a rebuild, Cassell would be a good choice, but he’s also a good choice for a contending team as he’s a former player and has championship experience.
If the Jazz were smart, they should have Cassell as one of their top candidates and while most Sixers fans would love to see him stay, they would be happy for him if he gets the job.