Monty Williams might be a top candidate for Wolves

[Warren2ThaG]

Monty Williams might be a top candidate for Wolves

"New Timberwolves boss David Kahn has received permission from the Trail Blazers to talk to Portland assistant coach Monty Williams about his team's coaching vacancy, according to the Portland Oregonian.

 

Williams, 37, has been an assistant coach with Portland for the past four years.

 

"I'm flattered," Williams told the Oregonian on Wednesday. "I'm someone who wants to be a part of a rebuilding process. But at the same time, I'm still a Blazer. So, there's initial excitement, but in reality, nothing has changed. I'm looking forward to the process."

 

He might be the top candidate; Kahn is from Portland and used to cover the team for the Oregonian back when he worked in newspapers.

 

Kahn has made it clear that he will not have any comment on the coaching situation until he selects the man for the job. However, he has told people that former Wolves player and Toronto coach Sam Mitchell was not a candidate for the job. The name of Mark Jackson has been mentioned as a possible candidate, but the ESPN analyst and former NBA point guard doesn't have any coaching experience.

 

Williams, according to the newspaper, is being credited for the development of two of the Trail Blazers' young forwards: Travis Outlaw, 24, and Nicolas Batum, 20.

 

"I'd love to run my own program," Williams said. "Having [Portland coach] Nate [McMillan] pour all this information into me, I'd like to test out all I have learned and see if I'm ready.

 

"... I'm ready for what I'm not ready for. No one goes into a job ready for it. At this point in my career, I'm ready for what I don't know."

 

Williams is a devout Christian; he told the fan website Blazer's Edge that his faith helped him through a heart condition that forced him to sit out a couple of seasons in college at Notre Dame. "God didn't give me a disease but he allowed it and it was the best thing that happened to me and it helped me reevaluate what I was doing in my life," he said last year. He overcame that heart condition to become the No. 24 overall pick in the 1994 draft by New York. A 6-8 guard/forward, he ended up playing nine seasons with five teams.

 

Jottings Kahn on how he thinks Randy Foye will play with Washington, after being dealt from the Wolves: "I mean this sincerely, I think both these guys [guards Foye and Mike Miller] will do very well and help that team a lot. They're good players, that's why Washington wanted them. That's why Washington did this. They're going for it and they found on our roster two players, in two different positions, who will help them. I'm excited for both those players. Unless something disastrous happens, it looks to me on paper that Washington will be formidable next year. And I imagine [Foye and Miller] will really be meaningful parts to what they are doing."

--------

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/49771857.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUqPk4DyCc75DiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr