When Phil Jackson left as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, the common thought around the league was that Brian Shaw would be his successor. Instead, the Lake Show invited a circus to town by hiring Mike Brown and Mike D’Antoni in the same season. Either way, the Lakers are in Jackson’s rear view as the Zen Master is heading east to the front office of the Detroit Pistons.
Jackson has been rumored to be entertaining the offer for a presidential gig with the Toronto Raptors, but this is a short-term option that he could not pass up. Detroit has struggled mightily in the past few seasons and with an opening at head coach they want Jackson’s expertise before bringing someone new to town — this is where Shaw comes into the complicated equation. Shaw is currently an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers, but his contact will be up if and when the Pacers are bounced from the NBA playoffs this year.
This is uncharted waters for Jackson, but with 11 championship rings the 67-year-old coach knows a thing or two about dominating professional basketball. Unless things rapidly change, the Pistons are in for a long rebuilding process and at 47 years old, Shaw can be on hand to see the organization return back to prominence This will likely be a precursor to Jackson’s front office career, so his decision on who to bring in at head coach could be the first of many executive decisions.
Shaw is just a possibility at this point, but with Jackson being his former boss and with newfound experience in the division, Shaw will have to absolutely bomb this NBAjob interview.
