How short is the list of great coaching candidates in the NBA today?  Very short. Maybe even shorter than the shelf life of a Larry Brown commitment.

After the five big names mentioned by every team in the coaching market - Jeff Van Gundy, Larry Brown, Rick Carlisle, Scott Skiles and Mike Fratello - the first name tossed into the "available" ring by New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey is none other than former Bucks coach Terry Porter.

Seems that Vecsey, like many Bucks fans, thinks Porter was unfairly fired by Kohl back in 2005, and deserves a second chance. In retrospect, maybe Porter doesn't lose his job at all it had occured to the senator and GM Larry Harris to find out if the coach they wanted, Flip Saunders, would actually come to work for them.

Find the replacement first, then fire the coach. That's the Detroit way. Joe Dumars and John Hammond had Larry Brown all lined up when they fired Rick Carlisle in 2003. And they had Flip Saunders ready to go shortly after ridding themselves of Brown two years later. I'd be very surprised if Hammond does things differently in Milwaukee, firing Krystkowiak before he's found his replacement.

However Hammond proceeds, Vecsey offered up Porter's name as his top suggestion to coach the Memphis Grizzlies, based on speculation that the Grizzlies might not land Larry Brown, whom they've been considering as GM/coach. Vecsey figures Brown will seek greener pastures than Memphis and that the other top candidates, Carlisle and Skiles, will be headed for other teams.