Wolves Will Need an Experienced Coach

Now with four first-round picks to worry about -- and a unique chance to restart the franchise -- new Minnesota Timberwolves boss David Kahn doesn't have enough hours in the day to focus on his first coaching hire.

We'll do it for him.

Despite an earlier report that television analyst Mark Jackson was his top choice, Kahn should be smart enough to know he can do better than that.

Why settle for someone with no coaching experience when there are seasoned guys -- including three who have coached in the NBA Finals -- who will give Kahn a much better chance of succeeding.

Yes, Jackson was a heady point guard in his playing days, and yes, Jackson would make a cool pick in this day of reality television, but this is a job that screams for experience.

With a team that will be built around center/forward Al Jefferson, a 24-year-old post player, and a new cast of rookies, you better find someone who can teach fundamentals, and someone who understands the difficulty of coaching young players.

This is no knock on Jackson, but he isn't even the best candidate among the television analysts. Sitting alongside him this season was Jeff Van Gundy, who coached the Knicks to the Finals in 1999. Van Gundy also has a .575 winning percentage with only one losing season in his 11 years as head coach. He also is half of the first set of brothers to coach in the Finals.

There also is Brian Hill, who cajoled 23-year-old center Shaquille O'Neal into the 1995 NBA Finals when the Orlando Magic really were too young to get there. Hill, now an assistant in New Jersey, compiled a .581 winning percentage during two different stints in Orlando.

If you want younger, there is Avery Johnson, who took the Dallas Mavericks to the 2006 NBA Finals, compiling a remarkable 194-90 record in his three-plus seasons with the Mavericks.

If you want a guy who can teach toughness, take a choice between Bill Laimbeer, who had the patience to coach successfully in the WNBA after winning two titles as one of the Detroit Bad Boys; or Sam Mitchell, who did well in Toronto with a team of limited talent.

If you want a relatively new face but with vast experience as a player and assistant coach and who really knows the game, there is Brian Shaw coming off a championship season with the Los Angeles Lakers. Even if Phil Jackson retires next week, that job is going to Kurt Rambis, so Shaw would be receptive to making the move.

And don't forget Eric Musselman, the coach's son who was buried under the weight of a bad team at Golden State a few years ago. He will outwork everyone else on the list. And at least he will know how to handle the disappointment of losing that surely will come with such a young team in Minnesota.

There are seven choices from which Kahn can choose when he finishes with the draft. The list is varied, but one thing they all have is considerable experience.

And that's what the job needs.