I say Tony DiLeo, preparing for Game 3 of the first-round playoff series with Orlando tonight, is as strong a choice as anyone, with one huge advantage: He has clearly earned the chance. And he did that well before the stunning Game 1 victory or the tenacious, if flawed, performance in Wednesday night's Game 2 loss.
DiLeo stepped in for the fired Maurice Cheeks after 24 games and finished 32-27. He won more games than any of the other seven replacement coaches in the NBA this season. Only Alvin Gentry, 18-13 with Phoenix, had a better percentage.
"He's come in and been patient with the players," said point guard Andre Miller, who will become a free agent July 1. "He understands the players because he's been around this team for a long time. He knows players' tendencies, what they can, what they can't do. He's been patient, and teaching, a little bit.
"Should he stay or not? I don't know how that works. He's stepped in and done a few things to get us over the hump this year. Not just him, but his assistants also. Sometimes coaches tend to get frustrated a lot. He's been patient; that's the main thing. He's worked with each player and offered advice for the team to get better."
Miller, apparently unaware of DiLeo's success coaching men and women 2 decades ago in what was then West Germany, added, "I don't know if he's coached before this, but it's turned our team around, him stepping in."
Miller made it seem that DiLeo's status could play a part in his own decision.
"I'm happy in my situation with the team," he said. "I like the team. I like the staff. They're personal. They show that they care about the players here. [DiLeo] being here will play a part - whether they keep him or bring somebody else in."
