Nate McMillan went to North Carolina State University during the 80’s. McMillan has proven to be a solid coach in the past. He did a great job with the Portland Trail Blazers. In the midst of losing Brandon Roy and Greg Oden, Portland managed to be competitive. Savvy trades along with a blue collar work ethic elevated Portland’s presence in the NBA. Credit should go to McMillan for this. He has a knack for bringing out the best in his players. McMillan’s ties to the state of North Carolina would be a smart choice because he is native North Carolinian. His birthplace is Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition, Nate is only 47 years old. He McMillan coming back to North Carolina to save the Bobcats has a nice ring to it. He would bring more N.C. State fans to Bobcats’ games, truly making Charlotte an ACC mecca.

Jul 25, 2008; Las Vegas, NV, USA: USA Mens Basketball team introductions before their game against Canada at the Thomas and Mack Center. Coaches l-r Mike Krzyzewski (left) Nate McMillan (second from left) Mike D

Mike D’Antoni is one of my favorite coaches. I really like his up-tempo style of player. D’Antoni’s offense requires players who are agile, versatile, and intelligent. When Amare Stoudemire was out during the 2005 season, Boris Diaw manned the center position in Phoenix under D’Antoni. D’Antoni was a few games short of playing for an NBA championship. The Phoenix Suns had 62 wins and 20 losses during the regular season in 2005. D’Antoni won over 60 games with a small lineup that consisted of Steve Nash, Joe Johnson, Quentin Richardson, Shawn Marion, and Boris Diaw. Charlotte resembles this Phoenix team based on the fact that the team is small, with the exception of Byron Mullens and DeSagana Diop. A smart lottery draft pick, in addition to a couple of veterans and D’Antoni’s coaching sounds like a winning recipe to me. Check out my other column on Roberto Gato titled, “Mike D’Antoni, Michael Jordan, Jeremy Lin, and Harrison Barnes….A PERFECT MATCH!” I breakdown why D’Antoni would be a smart choice on MJ’s behalf. D’Antoni averaged 50.6 wins in Phoenix. D’Antoni’s records while coaching the Phoenix Suns go as follows:

2004 – 21 wins, 40 losses

2005 – 62 wins, 20 losses

2006 – 54 wins, 28 losses

2007 – 61 wins, 21 losses

2008 – 55 wins, 27 losses.

Stan Van Gundy represents another possibility for the Bobcats. Stan Van Gundy has had a nice run with the Orlando Magic. He led the Magic to the NBA Finals loss against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010. In that season as well as the previous one, the Orlando Magic had 59 wins and 23 losses. I am not a fan of his offense because he runs half-court sets. This is my opinion, however because I prefer up-tempo basketball. Van Gundy’s style of play requires dominant low post players. If the Bobcats select Stan Van Gundy, then they need to invest in players who fit his system. Van Gundy could and would be a smart and safe choice as head coach for the Bobcats.

Several factors that will impact the hiring of the next Charlotte Bobcats’ head coach are coaching style, age of the coaching candidate, prior coaching accolades and accomplishments, level of respect from NBA players, and the level of commitment to the Bobcats’ organization.

Mar. 20, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin (17) goes up for a layup during the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 106-87. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

I know, I know. Mike D’Antoni? The debacle in New York was totally not his fault. Running D’Antoni’s offense requires a high IQ, and there was a resident Harvard graduate on the roster for the Knicks, Jeremy Lin. When Linsanity was in effect mode, all was well, until Carmelo Anthony came back from injury. The Knicks were unstoppable during that time. The personnel messed up what could have been. What I hate about professional sports is that head coaches are fired, and viewed as the problem more so than the players. The Knicks’ fan base took the easy way out and blamed D’Antoni. This is the same coach who had Amare’ Stoudemire in Phoenix. When Amare’ was injured, Steve Nash almost led the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2005 with Boris Diaw manning the center position. The reason for the Suns’ success was D’Antoni’s offense. Nash ran the pick and roll to perfection. Having a dynamic point guard who can jump out of the gym will sell tickets and make an NBA GM a lot of money. No one can knock a solid coaching strategy. For instance, the Lakers have not been the same since Phil Jackson retired. His Triangle Offense is possibly the best set of plays ever to grace a sport. Heck, he won 11 championships using it. Your IQ has to be on point to run the Triangle Offense. Although D’Antoni is 11 championships short of catching up to Phil, his coaching strategy has rendered success in the past; that is, with the right set of players. D’Antoni’s offense negates having a star player who needs 20 to 25 touches a game. Check out D’Antoni’s offense below. This could be the Bobcats next season.

The Bobcats are in a position where they have no coach, hence no identity. In addition, the Bobcats lack a marquee player who should also be their go-to guy for points. 2012 may be viewed as the end of the world to some people, but it marks a new beginning for the Bobcats. Michael Jordan can right his NBA wrongs (i.e. Adam Morrison, Kwame’ Brown) by hiring the right coach AND making smart draft picks. When it comes to draft picks, Anthony Davis is clearly the best player in the draft. If the Bobcats have any pick between #3 to #8, I suggest drafting Harrison Barnes. For those of you who know me personally, you know my blood is Carolina blue (as in the Tar Heels). Let’s not forget that Harrison Barnes already has a connection to Michael Jordan by playing at the University of North Carolina for two years. I am quite sure that MJ would love to have Harrison’s services next season. Jordan would mentor Harrison on his basketball skills, as well as how to market himself as a household commodity. Running a business and being a business represent two things that Michael Jordan knows and does very well. As Jay-Z once rapped, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man…” Anyone who doubts what Harrison Barnes can do at the next level needs a reality check. His coach and trainers will groom him to become “the man.” Who better else than “Air Jordan?” The kid is an excellent player with a skill set that echoes STAR. This situation would elevate Harrison’s presence in the league.

If Barnes is not available, then Charlotte should go after the following players in this order: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, and John Jenkins. If these players are taken, I suggest drafting a low-post player such as Jared Sullinger, Thomas Robinson, Tyler Zeller, or Fab Melo. The point guard and small forward positions will be significant to the Bobcats becoming the crème de la crème of the NBA. Jeremy Lin is a free agent this summer. Many teams will want his services. Although the Bobcats are set at point, they could use D.J. Augustine and/or Kemba Walker as trade bait. Lin is already familiar with D’Antoni’s system plus he is going to put fans in the seats, which definitely needed in Charlotte. Possibly, MJ could lure a savvy veteran or two to Charlotte to fill out the roster. Don’t hate on what I’m saying. It’s possible. I remember when the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies were the laughing stock of the NBA; the Grizzlies, due to their hideous jerseys during the 90s. Now, both of these teams are two of the best teams in the entire league. Hopefully, the Bobcats can resurrect their conference standings like the Clippers and Grizzlies have done. On May 30^th, 2012, all of us will have an idea of what lies ahead for the Bobcats.