Obviously, we have another huge void to fill on our team that hasn't been generating enough chatter. Coach Bill Bayno was a very popular, well-liked, and effective coach on our team. Normally, when a coach at his position (basically third string assistant) leaves a team, it's no big deal. This, for players and the coaching staff alike, is a big deal to the Trailblazer organization. The search for and selection of his replacement should be taken very seriously. I believe it will (our front office is good at EVERYTHING), but it is something that also deserves a little more pointless speculation here at the Edge, so here goes:

Best Case Scenario:

Tim Grgurich - Grg's resume speaks for itself. He specializes in developing young talent and has had success everywhere he has been. While I realize it wasn't a pretty ending the last time he was in Portland, I believe that had more to do with the leadership of the organization at the time. With the first round sweep of the Nuggets (his current team) expecting to cause a major shake-up in Denver (despite what you heard) this would be a great time for the Blazers to try and reacquire one of the best special assistants ever.

Big Man Mentor:

Patrick Ewing - For those of you who don't believe he is an effective coach, guess again. You can't tell me that him being in Orlando and Dwight Howard's super-human season aren't related. It would be great for Oden, LMA, Joel, and Channing Frye to have his experience as one of the NBA's dominant big-men at their disposal. His leadership and playoff experience both as a player and coach would be a huge factor for everybody else on the team (including our current coaching staff). This would probably be very unlikely as Patrick believes he is ready to be a head coach, not a big-man specialist.

To The Point:

Eric Snow - From what I've read, this guy is an NBA head coach waiting to happen. I see Eric as being a Nate McMillan-esque point guard's coach. Addressing our biggest weakness as a coach could be his biggest contribution to an NBA team ever. And that says a lot for one of the most underrated team leaders ever.

The Wild Card:

Janero Diaz - The top assistant on 2007 ACB Coach of the Year Joan Plaza's Real Madrid squad, Janero makes the most sense if someone else comes over from Spain - aka: Rudy Fernandez. A proven track record of winning in a very competitive league, he would not only help to bridge a few communication gaps, he would also be key in getting the most out of Rudy, Sergio, and perhaps Jose Calderon (as well as helping us attract other euro-talents with his comprehensive understanding of their game).

Yes, But No:

Dwayen Casey - Sure he is a former Nate assistant (a TOP assistant), but this would be too good to be true. We are searching for a specialist, Dwayne is one of the best unemployed head coaches in the league. Maybe we get him as a guest speaker while he's awaiting his next job.

These are a few suggestions I came up with to get the discussion going.  Has anyone else heard anything or have any ideas of who we could end up with? As always, your thoughts and criticisms are more than welcome.