On Wednesday, ESPN’s Marc Stein reported that the Memphis Grizzlies were targeting J.B. Bickerstaff, Nick Van Exel, and Mike Brown for assistant coach positions under David Fizdale. The team has already gotten two of its men; Bickerstaff has joined the staff(per Adrian Wojnarowski) and now Van Exel is on board as well, reports Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal:
Former NBA player Nick Van Exel, who coached the Texas Legends in the NBA Development League, accepted a position on Fizdale’s staff, according to a source.
Van Exel played in the NBA for 13 years, and since then has served as a player development coach and assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks, respectively. Most recently, as Tillery pointed out, he coached the D-League Texas Legends.
The Grizzlies are off to a great start, hiring reputable assistants in Bickerstaff and Van Exel to back David Fizdale. Fizdale is a relatively inexperienced coach; he has never held a head coaching position before. With newbie head coaches, it’s best to have experienced assistants there to lend a helping hand.
Landing Mike Brown would be another huge hire for Memphis, as he would easily be the most experienced member of the coaching staff.
