The Brooklyn Nets have officially wrapped up their first season in New York with a Game 7 playoff loss to the Chicago Bulls and firing their head coach. The 2013 season saw many up for the Brooklyn Nets, but also featured many downs. Now without a coach, team president Donnie Walsh is making a list of candidates and Brian Shaw sits at the top.
Walsh told the New York Daily News that they will be allowed to speak with the current Indiana Pacers assistant once the team's season is complete. The Pacers beat the Hawks in six games to advance to the second round of the playoffs, facing the New York Knicks. They won Game 1 of the series.
"I think Brian would be great as a head coach. Just as I thought Mark Jackson would be tremendous coach, I feel the same way about Brian. They both know the game, you can tell they see it like head coaches. And they also know how to relate to players and get them to do what they need to be successful," Walsh said.
Shaw became an assistant under Frank Vogel for Indiana in 2011 after a previous stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a long-time member of Phil Jackson's coaching staff with the team and was considered a possible replacement for the coach when he retired. That spot ended up going to Mike Brown.
Speaking of Jackson, he is also considered a candidate for the vacancy, a long-shot, but a candidate. Jeff Van Gundy has also been considered, but reports say the Nets have a very small chance at landing Van Gundy.
Shaw's name is being brought up as a lead candidate for several vacant coaching positions. After Doug Collins resigned as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, they are in hot pursuit of trying to land Shaw. He briefly played for the 76ers back in 1998 before formally retiring as a player in 2003. He was a lead candidate for Charlotte last season and has also been brought up in the Detroit Piston's search.
As of right now, teams are not allowed to speak to Shaw while the Pacers are still active in the playoffs. The Nets are not setting a time table for their head coaching search. They intend on finding the best long-term option. General manager Billy King said that even if Brooklyn had advanced to the second round of the playoffs, Carlesimo would have been fired.