People outside the injury cloud that blanketed the Rose Garden tend to forget that McMillan himself was shelved during the season, tearing an achilles while playing in practice (the Blazers ran out of warm bodies and he had to play – try that, Stan Van Gundy). With McMillan out, Monty Williams seamlessly switched chairs and coached the Blazers (a role he shared with the more senior assistant, Dean Demopoulos). Williams was a natural fit, picking up where McMillan left off and easily commanded the respect of the players.

After that, though Monty Williams isn’t the first Blazers assistant to be rumored for a head coaching position, it seemed clear that his fate on the bench was inevitable.  While William’s on-court bravery (playing in the NBA against doctor’s orders due to his Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy), leadership, and pedigree in the Spurs coaching kennel are noteworthy, Williams proudest achievement is a 21-year-old that wears #88 and speaks French. Nicolas Batum was a late first round sleeper two years back, a raw player that few teams knew much about. But in two short seasons (even less when you consider that he missed a large portion of this year following shoulder surgery), Batum has blossomed into one of the better defenders in the league, and a player with a staggering amount of discipline and ability on the hardwood. His success is directly linked to Williams, who took Batum under his wing and taught him to be the perfect role player and tenacious defender that has the unfortunate chore of covering names like Bryant, Anthony, and Durant on a nightly basis.

Truth be told, no decent Blazer supporter wants Williams to go anywhere. While Williams clearly has the skills to run a franchise from the sideline, it’s his ability to nurture and groom upcoming players that is truly invaluable.