Everybody has an opinion on who the Mavericks' next coach should be, but the ones that should carry the most weight are those of the players.

As they cleaned out lockers Wednesday, the Mavericks were unanimous in their hope that the next coach be one who makes the most of the assets on the roster. They felt that wasn't always the case under Avery Johnson.

"Obviously we've got to bring a coach in that brings the best out of what he's got here – open up the offense, have a lot more running, but still a guy who knows how to coach defense," Dirk Nowitzki said. "You don't want to go back to the Nellie [Don Nelson] days where we just run and gun and have fun and you get scored on every time."

Jason Kidd, who clearly wasn't always comfortable running Johnson's system, echoed Nowitzki's sentiment.

"Whoever the coach may be, you want to play to your strengths," Kidd said. "There's a lot of successful coaches out there ... .Whoever [we] bring in, we feel we have a great opportunity to win because we have the pieces. It's just a matter of getting it done."

In hiring a new coach, the Mavericks not only want to get the best strategist they can, but they also must make sure he's a good fit with the players and management.

Do they want another strong-willed coach like Johnson was? Or do they want a facilitator who simply runs the team and understands that Nowitzki, Kidd and owner Mark Cuban are the faces of the franchise?

There are probably a couple of names you can cross off the list right away. Pat Riley said this week he doesn't want to coach anymore, plus he has an ownership stake in the Miami Heat, which could prove cumbersome to dissolve if he wanted to leave.

Isiah Thomas has left every team he's worked for in worse shape than when he arrived.

There has been no timetable set for hiring the next coach, but it's not something that Cuban or president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson want to drag out.

"We've got a lot of decisions we're in the process of making," Nelson said. "We will be getting together in the very near future and put our heads together and figure out in which direction we're going to go with a lot of those various decisions – first and foremost being a head coach for the Mavericks."

Eddie Sefko's take on who might make sense as the next leader of the Mavericks:

The question is whether his defensive style of play fits in with Mark Cuban's marketing strategies. Then again, winning fits any strategy. He's got a career .575 winning percentage, having taken New York to the Finals in 1999.

His Pistons and Pacers teams were known for their hard-nosed style, and he has a reputation as a strong motivator. It's worth noting that he lasted only two seasons at Detroit, despite winning 50 games both years.

OK, he's already got a job – for now. But he certainly knows how to work with a true point guard after years of coaching Steve Nash. Whether D'Antoni's passion for offense will ever produce a title remains to be seen.

He spent this season on Avery Johnson's staff, but his philosophy and laid-back style are markedly different from Johnson's. Sometimes that sort of change can be invigorating for a team.

The wise professor has hinted about getting back into coaching, and his touch could be exactly what the Mavs need. But would Cuban go for somebody who has close ties to Don Nelson and who is closing in on 70?

Dallas is his third stop as an assistant, and he's worked for Gregg Popovich. He's a fiery competitor who would have no trouble getting players to enjoy coming to work. He's never been a head coach, which may be a drawback.

The Hornets' top assistant is a key member of the staff that stayed one step ahead of the Mavericks throughout the first-round series. It's probably just a matter of time before he gets another head-coaching shot.

He's the hottest name of all the assistant coaches in the league. After a successful run as Jeff Van Gundy's assistant in Houston, he's been a perfect fit in Boston as the Celtics went on their magical regular season.