Celtics could add highly respected coach as Charles Lee replacement

Charles Lee will be leaving the Boston Celtics at the end of the season, having agreed to become the next head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. As such, Joe Mazzulla will be looking to add a new top assistant to his coaching staff during the summer. 

According to Marc Stein, there is growing curiosity surrounding a potential role for Jeff Van Gundy as a 'day-to-day assistant' on Mazzulla's staff. Van Gundy has spent this season in an advisory role for the Celtics, working alongside the coaches and president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens.

"With the Celtics poised to lose top assistant coach Charles Lee after the Finals, so Lee can take over as the Charlotte Hornets' new head coach, curiosity is already circulating in coaching circles about Boston exploring the prospect of Van Gundy moving onto the bench as a day-to-day assistant to Joe Mazzulla," Stein reported. "Van Gundy passed on the chance to join Kidd's Dallas staff as an assistant coach last summer after his TV ouster."

Van Gundy is a respected figure within NBA coaching circles. Between 1995 and 2007, he spent 11 years as a head coach in the NBA, seven of those seasons with the New York Knicks and four with the Houston Rockets. Van Gundy boasts a 430-318 record as a head coach, giving him a 57.5% win percentage.

Last summer, Mazzulla rebuilt the coaching staff he inherited from Ime Udoka. Sam Cassell and Lee were the two primary additions. Losing Lee after just one season will be a blow to Boston's bench. However, it does allow Mazzulla to keep the ideas coming from the coaching staff fresh and to look for ways to keep the offense and defense evolving.

Van Gundy would bring a wealth of experience with him. He would fit well within the Celtics structure and could quickly emerge as one of the best assistant coaches in the NBA. Of course, any decision regarding Lee's replacement must wait until the summer. The Celtics are currently gearing up for an NBA Finals matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. 

Once the season is over and the front office begins to take stock of an impressive year, the conversations surrounding Lee's replacement will likely begin. If Van Gundy wants the position, he will likely be back on a coaching staff within the next few months.