The Atlanta Hawks finally parted ways with coach Nate McMillan, a decision that seemed imminent at this point.
However, not many teams would let go of their head coach right after the All-Star break, especially not those who are still pretty much in the playoff race.
Evidently, there’s more to this story than we know, although multiple reports stated that McMillan actually asked to resign multiple times.
So, now that the Hawks are officially looking for a replacement, NBA insider Marc Stein reports that they’re actually considering hiring Ime Udoka.
Among the candidates being considered for the Hawks' coaching vacancy, league sources say, is former Celtics coach Ime Udoka.
More NBA from me: https://t.co/A6ycVmnrjq
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 23, 2023
The Hawks are reportedly looking for someone who can help their team crack the top 10 in both offense and defense, be good with player development, and also hold the players accountable.
Udoka seems to check all those boxes, being known as a player’s coach but also earning his guys’ respect with his tough-love approach.
The only issue with this is that Udoka has been let go by the Boston Celtics because of his inappropriate behavior, so this wouldn’t be a good look for the Hawks as an organization.
Even the Brooklyn Nets passed on Udoka to avoid that PR nightmare and some with direct knowledge of the situation believe he should — or may — never get another shot to coach an NBA team.
Notably, the NBA has imposed no discipline or released any sort of statement on the case, so the Hawks could choose to ignore that and just hire him anyway, but that decision could go back to haunt them on social media.
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