Nuggets hire Brian Shaw as head coach, according to report
Brian Shaw is reportedly the Nuggets' new head coach. (Nathaniel S. Butler/National Basketball)
The Denver Nuggets have hired Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw to be their next head coach, according to a report from The Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman. Shaw confirmed the report, telling Yahoo Sports' Marc Spears that he "appreciate[s] the opportunity."
Shaw will succeed George Karl, who the Nuggets fired earlier this month. The news is a long time coming for Shaw, who has long been considered as a rising star in the assistant-coaching ranks.
Before joining the Pacers in 2011, Shaw was an assistant in Los Angeles with the Lakers, where he worked under the legendary Phil Jackson. He was considered for the Lakers job after Jackson's retirement but was ultimately passed over for Mike Brown.
In his first head job, Shaw takes over a team that won 57 games under Karl, who was named the NBA's Coach of the Year for his performance. The Nuggets are loaded with talent, including 25-year-old point guard Ty Lawson, 29-year-old shooting guard Andre Iguodala, 26-year-old guard Wilson Chandler, and 23-year-old forward Kenneth Faried.
The Nuggets ultimately lost in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, in a six-game defeat to the Golden State Warriors.
