NBA: Brian Shaw Takes Nuggets Head Coach Job, Memphis Promotes Dave Joerger, Clippers-Celtics Finalize Deal For Doc Rivers

The Denver Nuggets have hired former Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw to fill their vacant head coaching position.

"It's been years, 11-12 interviews I've gone through," Shaw told the Denver Post. "I've felt I've been prepared by the best of the best. You know, everything that's worth something, a lot of times you have to wait for it. I feel like I've waited and paid my dues."

Shaw won three championships as a player and two as an assistant coach, under Phil Jackson's tutelage, as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He is credited with having a talent for player development, most notably with Paul George, the Pacers forward who blossomed into an All-Star during the 2012-13 season.

"Brian is brilliant working individually with players," said Pacers' president Donnie Walsh to the Denver Post."They identify with him because he speaks their basketball language, and cuts through the X's and O's and techno-(stuff). And they respect him because he's been a winner on every level as a player and a coach."

Shaw replaces National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year award winner George Karl, who was let go by the Nuggets after going a franchise-record 57-25 this season, only to get knocked out of the postseason by the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference first round, marking the eighth time he was eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs.

ESPN.com also reports that the Memphis Grizzlies have found someone to fill their head coaching vacancy after parting ways with Lionel Hollins, promoting assistant Dave Joerger to the position. Joerger spent six seasons as a Grizzlies assistant, turning around a defense that went from 25th in efficiency in 2009-10 to ninth overall in 2010-11, seventh in 2011-12, and second in the NBA last season.

Joerger has previously coached in the International Basketball Association, the Continental Basketball Association and won five titles in the D-League in seven seasons.

Hollins went 56-26 defeating the Los Angeles Clippers and the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder before getting swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. Hollins was said to have been at odds with the Grizzlies' new ownership group's sports analytics approach to the game. Robert Pera's group wants a coach willing to use their approach in making roster, lineup, and systems decision.

The Clippers and Celtics finalized their deal as well, officially sending Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles sideline in exchange for a 2015 unprotected first-round draft pick. NBA commissioner David Stern had nixed their original deal that would have sent forward DeAndre Jordan and two first-round draft picks for Rivers and forward Kevin Garnett due to collective bargaining agreement (CBA) rules prohibiting such a move.

As part of the new deal, the Clippers and Celtics agreed to not trade players with each other between now and the end of next season, according to ESPN's Marc Stein and multiple reports.

Joerger and Shaw are just two of seven rookie head coaches in the league - including Jason Kidd (Brooklyn Nets), Jeff Hornacek (Phoenix Suns), Mike Budenholzer (Atlanta Hawks), Steve Clifford (Charlotte Bobcats), and Mike Malone (Sacramento Kings).

Only the Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers head coaching jobs remain open going into the 2013 NBA Draft.