Thibodeau Could Fit Openings

A bad loss by the Celtics was a particularly tough loss for assistant coach Tom Thibodeau.
In a worst-case scenario, it may even keep him from getting an interview for one of the two NBA coaching jobs that remain open.
Sources told ESPN.com that the Celtics were considering giving Thibodeau permission to interview for the vacancy in Chicago, if Boston were able to make quick work of the Cavaliers in their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
Thibodeau has been mentioned often in connection with the openings in Chicago and Phoenx. As of now, sources said, no one has made a formal request, though Chicago has made informal inquiries. A sweep would have given the Celtics numerous consecutive days off, and any team wishing to interview Thibodeau would have stood a better chance of gaining permission from Boston's ownership group.
But with the series now guaranteed to go back to Boston for a Game 5 on Wednesday, the earliest that Thibodeau might have a free day was moved back by at least 48 hours. And if the Cavs win another, that could remove any chance of the Celtics having enough free time to let Thibodeau step away and redirect his focus for a day or two.
Jobs remain open in Chicago, where Mark Jackson and Dwane Casey are among the candidates to already have interviewed, and in Phoenix, now that Mike D'Antoni has left the Suns to become the new coach of the New York Knicks. Dallas assistant Mario Elie's name has already been floating around the league as one of the people the Suns have a particular interest in.
Suns general manager Steve Kerr said he will not begin the process of looking for a new coach until Monday. The departure of D'Antoni stemmed in part from his philosophical differences with Kerr over how much emphasis to put on defense -- and Thibodeau is the man credited with being the brains behind the Celtics' league-leading defense.
But Thibodeau is not a one-trick pony, according to the coach who employed him as an assistant for several seasons.
"Until you get the opportunity, no one knows who can make the jump from assistant coaching to head coaching," ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy said. "It's impossible to know, so what you're left with are the qualities you're looking for, and I think he'd do an excellent job from a leadership standpoint. They'd be organized, they'd have a defined system and roles, he's tremendous with individual player development.
"He's not what he's being portrayed as right now, which is a defensive guru. He's a basketball guru, the smartest coach I've ever worked with. If you limit it to defense, I don't think it's a fair assessment of all the skills he has as a coach."