Juwan Howard is now Michigan's next basketball coach. A former member of the Fab Five and a twenty-year NBA veteran, Howard spent the last several seasons with the Miami Heat learning from some of the best coaches and front office personnel in the NBA. Let's take a look at him, what he brings to the table, and what Michigan fans may be able to expect.
A Quick Overview:
Howard played in the NBA from 1994-2013 and has coached since his retirement. He was a top five draft pick and spent three years at Michigan where, notably, none of his achievements were vacated despite the Ed Martin scandal. He was an All-NBA Third Team selection as a sophomore in the league and finished eleven of his first twelve years with over thirteen points per game. He would ultimately win two rings with the James/Wade/Bosh Miami Heat teams of 2012 and 2013 before hanging up the sneakers for a full-time coaching position with that same organization.
As an assistant, Howard has been praised for player development as well as big man development. Evidence of his appreciation within the game has come by way of interviews with NBA organizations for head coaching jobs, most recently the Minnesota Timberwolves while he was being tied to the Michigan job. His role in helping to develop Hassan Whiteside from out of the league to an NBA block champion, as well as Bam Adebayo to a promising, potentially top-tier 2017 draftee, has been praised by Erik Spoelstra. He also serves as the Heat's defensive coordinator. The Heat, as a unit, finished with the seventh-best defensive rating in the league, and top of teams that missed the playoffs. These two factors are key in earning him looks at something greater than Heat assistant.
What to Be Excited About:
The NBA experience is a massive plus. With player development skills, a good defensive mind for the NBA where the collegiate game seems to be heading with teams like Texas Tech's 'no middle' defense, and plenty of co-signs like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade along with his Fab Five teammates, it's an exciting time to be a Michigan basketball fan. While not exactly like Jim Harbaugh returning (Michigan is, after all, much more so a football than basketball school despite recent successes) this is an appeal to emotion after all. Michigan now have an alumina as the head basketball coach for the first time since Bill Frieder. At the surface level, of course there are plenty of reasons to get excited.
What about on the court, though? The idea that Michigan will continue to be a strong defensive team and potentially retain Luke Yaklich is a cause for optimism. The idea that recruiting will be a strength is, currently, an unknown given the lack of experience, but the appeal to recruits can certainly be seen from a mile away. With a lengthy NBA career, two championship rings, playing with the modern-day greatest of all time in LeBron, and knowing what it takes to get to the next level at the university he is now coaching for, the logic is there. How he will interact with personnel already in place at Michigan is yet to be seen, but a senior-year Jon Teske being coached by Juwan Howard is one of the most exciting things about this hire. With Howard cited as a locker room leader as a player, and a very personal coach, though, player-coach relationships would figure to be friendly under Howard.
What to Be Concerned About:
The lack of experience is, without question, the biggest red flag. Howard has only been a Heat assistant and talk is revolving around him potentially filling his staff with someone who has been a head coach previously. That is easier said than done, especially in late-May. The recruiting angle being taken is, also, after all, without seriously firm basis. While well-known in Chicago, comparisons to Penny Hardaway and Memphis are far off-base. Penny and Mike Miller were well-endowed in AAU basketball in the region. Howard will need to build up relationships, and that is one of the reasons it makes sense to keep Yaklich, a leading recruiter, on staff in addition to the coaching acumen that he possesses. The growing pains and great unknown are always reasons to be nervy of a signing, but part of that makes this hire that much more exciting.
What to Expect:
Michigan will need to play a bit of prevent defense immediately. Ignas Brazdeikis announced on Tuesday he would indeed be remaining in the NBA Draft, marking the third of three of those announcements for Michigan. Michigan has three open scholarship slots with the decommitment of Jalen Wilson and the pressure is on Howard to both fill out his roster and his staff. In terms of specific personnel, it is possible, but seems unlikely at this stage, for Wilson to return to Michigan. Franz Wagner did make a visit to Ann Arbor despite no head coach in place, but it seems unlikely that he will end up playing in the states with an Alba Berlin pro contract almost surely on the table. Jaevin Cumberland's transfer hopes likely live and die with Saddi Washington being retained, which remains a question mark. Aside from that, filling up the 2019 roster seems like it could present an early challenge for the new head coach.
There is also the staff question. Howard could very well bring in three new assistants, but that risks alienating any possible 2020 recruiting targets that he would like to retain as well as players already on roster. Howard, though, also needs to make sure that he is comfortable enough to set up his own system of defense. Would Howard bring in fellow NBA-experienced coaches? Or would he look through the NCAA ranks for coaches that could help him on the offensive end? The fact is, though, that Howard has learned directly under Erik Spoelstra, one of the best coaches in the current NBA, and in the same organization that Pat Riley is currently a part of. It will take time to fully see the vision that Howard intends to instill in his Michigan team, but it is the start of something new for Michigan fans.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
A Quick Overview:
Howard played in the NBA from 1994-2013 and has coached since his retirement. He was a top five draft pick and spent three years at Michigan where, notably, none of his achievements were vacated despite the Ed Martin scandal. He was an All-NBA Third Team selection as a sophomore in the league and finished eleven of his first twelve years with over thirteen points per game. He would ultimately win two rings with the James/Wade/Bosh Miami Heat teams of 2012 and 2013 before hanging up the sneakers for a full-time coaching position with that same organization.
As an assistant, Howard has been praised for player development as well as big man development. Evidence of his appreciation within the game has come by way of interviews with NBA organizations for head coaching jobs, most recently the Minnesota Timberwolves while he was being tied to the Michigan job. His role in helping to develop Hassan Whiteside from out of the league to an NBA block champion, as well as Bam Adebayo to a promising, potentially top-tier 2017 draftee, has been praised by Erik Spoelstra. He also serves as the Heat's defensive coordinator. The Heat, as a unit, finished with the seventh-best defensive rating in the league, and top of teams that missed the playoffs. These two factors are key in earning him looks at something greater than Heat assistant.
What to Be Excited About:
The NBA experience is a massive plus. With player development skills, a good defensive mind for the NBA where the collegiate game seems to be heading with teams like Texas Tech's 'no middle' defense, and plenty of co-signs like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade along with his Fab Five teammates, it's an exciting time to be a Michigan basketball fan. While not exactly like Jim Harbaugh returning (Michigan is, after all, much more so a football than basketball school despite recent successes) this is an appeal to emotion after all. Michigan now have an alumina as the head basketball coach for the first time since Bill Frieder. At the surface level, of course there are plenty of reasons to get excited.
What about on the court, though? The idea that Michigan will continue to be a strong defensive team and potentially retain Luke Yaklich is a cause for optimism. The idea that recruiting will be a strength is, currently, an unknown given the lack of experience, but the appeal to recruits can certainly be seen from a mile away. With a lengthy NBA career, two championship rings, playing with the modern-day greatest of all time in LeBron, and knowing what it takes to get to the next level at the university he is now coaching for, the logic is there. How he will interact with personnel already in place at Michigan is yet to be seen, but a senior-year Jon Teske being coached by Juwan Howard is one of the most exciting things about this hire. With Howard cited as a locker room leader as a player, and a very personal coach, though, player-coach relationships would figure to be friendly under Howard.
What to Be Concerned About:
The lack of experience is, without question, the biggest red flag. Howard has only been a Heat assistant and talk is revolving around him potentially filling his staff with someone who has been a head coach previously. That is easier said than done, especially in late-May. The recruiting angle being taken is, also, after all, without seriously firm basis. While well-known in Chicago, comparisons to Penny Hardaway and Memphis are far off-base. Penny and Mike Miller were well-endowed in AAU basketball in the region. Howard will need to build up relationships, and that is one of the reasons it makes sense to keep Yaklich, a leading recruiter, on staff in addition to the coaching acumen that he possesses. The growing pains and great unknown are always reasons to be nervy of a signing, but part of that makes this hire that much more exciting.
What to Expect:
Michigan will need to play a bit of prevent defense immediately. Ignas Brazdeikis announced on Tuesday he would indeed be remaining in the NBA Draft, marking the third of three of those announcements for Michigan. Michigan has three open scholarship slots with the decommitment of Jalen Wilson and the pressure is on Howard to both fill out his roster and his staff. In terms of specific personnel, it is possible, but seems unlikely at this stage, for Wilson to return to Michigan. Franz Wagner did make a visit to Ann Arbor despite no head coach in place, but it seems unlikely that he will end up playing in the states with an Alba Berlin pro contract almost surely on the table. Jaevin Cumberland's transfer hopes likely live and die with Saddi Washington being retained, which remains a question mark. Aside from that, filling up the 2019 roster seems like it could present an early challenge for the new head coach.
There is also the staff question. Howard could very well bring in three new assistants, but that risks alienating any possible 2020 recruiting targets that he would like to retain as well as players already on roster. Howard, though, also needs to make sure that he is comfortable enough to set up his own system of defense. Would Howard bring in fellow NBA-experienced coaches? Or would he look through the NCAA ranks for coaches that could help him on the offensive end? The fact is, though, that Howard has learned directly under Erik Spoelstra, one of the best coaches in the current NBA, and in the same organization that Pat Riley is currently a part of. It will take time to fully see the vision that Howard intends to instill in his Michigan team, but it is the start of something new for Michigan fans.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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