Clippers Reportedly Permitted to Contact Lionel Hollins About Head Coaching Job

The Los Angeles Clippers have reportedly been permitted to speak with Lionel Hollins regarding their head coaching vacancy.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported the news late Tuesday night:

According to ESPN, Brian Shaw is at the top of the list despite the interest in Hollins and some other more experienced head coaches:

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The Los Angeles Clippers have identified Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw as their No. 1 choice to become the club's next head coach, a source told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne.

The Clippers previously had contacted Shaw about their vacancy.

In addition to Shaw, the Clippers have also contacted Jeff Van Gundy, Byron Scott and Alvin Gentry to gauge their interest in becoming the team's next head coach, according to league sources with knowledge of the situation.

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The Clippers probably felt the need to act fast regarding Shaw, as it was reported less than a day ago on SportsCenter's Twitter account that the Brooklyn Nets were interested in hiring him as well:

Hollins could be a different situation, as he's technically still the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. Teams may not have been so quick to consider him as an option.

Although, Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Sunday that the team would likely let Hollins go despite the Grizzlies making the Western Conference Finals. According to Wojnarowski, the head coach has had a hard time dealing with the team's push toward using more analytics in basketball decisions.

Shaw has no head coaching experience. After a playing career that lasted from 1988-2003, Shaw has spent time as an assistant coach at the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers. By working with Phil Jackson while with the Lakers and then moving and transitioning to a new offensive scheme, Shaw likely made himself look even better as a head coaching candidate.

Considering the Clippers have a team built to win now, going with a coach like Hollins probably makes more sense. He's a safer choice, as he has already proven himself to be a very good head coach.

But Los Angeles might be thinking that if it loses out on Shaw now, it may not get another chance to land him.

Despite the perceived influence of Chris Paul, there's a lot to like about the Los Angeles job, should the Clippers manage to re-sign the point guard this offseason. It's arguably the best among the four remaining head coaching vacancies. It's likely only a matter of time now before the team names somebody as the head coach.