Pieces are falling into place

Coaching vacancies are being filled around the NBA at a rapid rate.

Brian Shaw
Courtesy of hoops-nation.com

After Jason Kidd was hired in Brooklyn, another former guard is apparently getting his shot at coaching as Brian Shaw announced Monday in an ESPN.com interview that he has been hired by the Denver Nuggets. Meanwhile in Memphis, reports are that the Grizzlies will promote assistant coach Dave Joerger to replace his former boss, Lionel Hollins.

Then, there is what is happening with the Los Angeles Clippers. They are set to officially announce that they have acquired (I don't think you can call it hired, since he was never fired) Boston's Doc Rivers, and in return the Clippers will send a future first-round draft pick to the Celtics. Of course, this creates a coaching vacancy in Boston -- one which, you would think, will be filled by someone willing to take on a rebuilding project, since it appears that the Celtics might also trade away Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

I still think the most daring hire thus far is Kidd in Brooklyn, simply because he is going directly from playing to being a head coach. At least, Shaw has spent a significant amount of time (eight years, to be precise) as an assistant coach -- first under Phil Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers, and then with Frank Vogel in Indiana. Kidd's credentials are all about what he did on the court.

Memphis' approach to hiring Hollins' replacement is mid-major collegiate in nature. When the man who guided you to unprecedented heights leaves for another job, you hire his assistant. It seems logical on paper, but we'll have to see what happens when Joerger starts making all of the calls.

As for the Clippers, they'd better hope bringing Rivers in will pay off with a better postseason performance. Rivers has been to two NBA finals and won one with the Celtics, but his Boston teams have also lost four times in the first or second rounds during his nine-year tenure. Given that the Clippers have never been beyond the second round of the playoffs, having a coach with a decent postseason pedigree is a good start. But if they still can't get past the second round with Rivers, this move might have to be deemed a failure.

Meanwhile, all eyes will shift towards Boston to see what the Celtics do for a head coach and who will be left for the new coach to work with.