Lost in the frantic Draft Night hoopla were the Pacers inching ever closer to resolving their coaching vacancy as Brian Shaw agreed to become the team’s Associate Head Coach. The former teammate of Larry Bird became a coach under Phil Jackson’s tutelage and was seen as a potential successor to Jackson for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Shaw’s options opened up when the Lakers decided to hire former Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, a somewhat unpopular move that was seen as a disservice to Shaw.
Unfortunately, as interim head coach Frank Vogel works to solidify his spot as the head coach of the Pacers, Mike Wells reported that the search for assistants recently hit a snag when the Minnesota Timberwolves denied the Pacers the opportunity to talk to J.B. Bickerstaff, who is being seen as a possible replacement for the (allegedly?) usurped Kurt Rambis.
However, the arrival of Shaw and the intercepted efforts for Bickerstaff draw Vogel considerably closer at landing the Indiana head coaching job. For those waiting for official confirmation, the hiring of Shaw helps suggest that call could be on its way sooner rather than later while Larry Bird will continue to get the most out of his staff.