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The Brooklyn Nets may not be quite over getting knocked out of the race for an NBA title, but they sure are moving in a positive direction – and fast. The team looks to replace recently fired P.J. Carlesimo and already has a few targets in mind.
Now that the Indiana Pacers are also out of the race, it has been publicly reported today via ESPN’s Marc Stein that the Nets are interested in their current assistant Brian Shaw.
While the Nets are in no rush to make a decision regarding the vacancy, according to ESPNNewYork.com, they have already requested permission to speak with current Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins and it looks like Shaw is next up on the list for owner Mikhail Prokhorov.
Shaw is a highly respected assistant coach both around the league and with the media. He now has over a decade of experience coaching, but never at the head coach level. Formerly an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaw was seriously considered as a replacement for Phil Jackson but was not given the job. He later reached an agreement in 2011 to become an assistant in Indiana.
Again, Shaw is one of a few candidates as the Nets have also reached out to current NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy, a tenured coach with tons of experience. It’s not clear whether Van Gundy has any serious interest in the job, but it will be interesting to see what kind of offers Prokhorov lays out on the table for his targets.
Whoever is hired will have a playoff team placed on a silver platter with plenty of potential. With the right tweaks and a couple more pieces added to the puzzle, the Nets look to make many more serious runs at a ring in the near future.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior NBA writer for www.RantSports.com also contributing to the NFL. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
