JVG Endorses Thibs

Jeff Van Gundy really isn't that interested in returning to the NBA.  He just won't discuss it publicly.  "Any comment about any coaching jobs, I’d like to come from the team," Van Gundy told Dave D'Alessandro Monday night. "That’s really the way it should be."

What he will happily discuss is his former assistant with the Knicks and Rockets, Tom Thibodeau.  "Thibs", as he's called in Boston where he's now Doc Rivers assistant, is the name most mentioned in the Nets coaching hunt and Van Gundy thinks that's great.  "Tom now has this thing where he’s known as a defensive guy, which he’s great at — not good, great. But he also is very good offensively. And it’s the reason why I hired him initially in New York — his work with individual players."

In particular, Van Gundy cited Thibodeau's work with Yao Ming and other big men.  "If you have good, young big guys, which the Nets do in Brook Lopez — uh, I don’t know as much about Yi — you can’t have a better coach for a young big guy than Tom."

Meanwhile, in Chicago, three former Nets coaches are on the short list to replace Vinny Del Negro: Lawrence Frank, Byron Scott and John Calipari.

• Van Gundy won't talk about Nets coaching job, but thinks Thibodeau is great candidate - Dave D'Alessandro - Star-Ledger
• Celts' Thibodeau makes sense for Nets - Ian O'Connor - ESPN New York
  
• Frank fits all criteria Chicago Bulls looking for in next coach - Jon Greenberg - ESPN Chicago
• Calipari interested in Bulls' coaching job - Adrian Wojnarowski - Yahoo! Sports
• Bulls Begin Coaching Search. Here's a List - Sam Smith - Bulls Blog