Brian Shaw On Luke Walton's Assistant Coach Short List

Luke Walton may still be working for the Golden State Warriors right now, though he’s already beginning to put together his Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff for next season.

According to Adrian Wojnarowksi from The Vertical, Brian Shaw is the “most prominent” name on Walton’s “short list of candidates.”

Despite being just 50-years-old, Shaw would bring a lot of experience to Walton’s bench.

Shaw coached with the Lakers under Phil Jackson for many years before becoming the lead assistant with the Indiana Pacers, a role in which he excelled. The Oakland native was then hired by the Denver Nuggets to be their head coach, though he was later fired in 2015.

After Shaw was let go by the Nuggets, Paul George from the Pacers sent out a tweet to support his former coach:

Don't understand how you can't play for B Shaw!

— Paul George (@Yg_Trece) March 4, 2015

Before Walton was hired, former NBA player John Salley shared how Shaw was one of the greatest basketball minds he’d ever been around, and suggested that Walton would look to add Shaw to his staff if he ended up in Los Angeles this summer.

It looks like Salley was right, though Wojnarowski notes that “many in the league doubt [Jim Buss’ enthusiasm over having another Jackson loyalist re-joining the coaching staff.”

Despite the Zen Master’s seal of approval, the Lakers passed on promoting Shaw to the head coach position after Jackson retired in 2011.