First Tom Thibodeau, then Lawrence Frank. For the past four seasons, the Celtics defense has been under the control of pedigreed, respected basketball minds. But with both Thibs and Frank accepting head coaching positions elsewhere, the Celtics defense will turn to a more unknown commodity next season. At a charity golf tournament this morning, Doc Rivers admitted that Mike Longabardi will become the team’s de facto defensive coordinator.

Longabardi has worked on Rivers’s coaching staff for the past three seasons, but a promotion this summer means he will become an NBA bench coach next season for the first time ever. The promoted coach previously worked behind the scenes in Boston and, for four years before that, in Houston. But now he will take the reins of one of the NBA’s top units, a defensive crew that carried an average Celtics offense last season.

Longabardi will need to fill big shoes, and he will need to do so despite the expected, continued decline (however slight or sudden) of Boston’s Big Three. Especially if Kevin Garnett slows down another step or two, Longabardi’s job will become significantly more difficult. After learning underneath Thibodeau and Frank, Longabardi should be well-schooled in defensive technique and well-prepared to run the defense himself. But taking orders from two of the NBA’s finest defensive minds is one thing. Giving the orders yourself is quite another.

There was some discussion that Boston’s defensive would be led by a “defensive coordinator-by-committee” next season, but Rivers instead decided to appoint Longabardi in charge. Just a few years ago, Longabardi was a video coordinator in Houston. Now, he will be barking orders at Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. If he’s anything like Thibodeau and Frank, Longabardi will have plenty of voice-less nights following close games.

Remember, Larry Brown was reportedly interested in an assistant coaching position with Boston. By promoting Longabardi rather than pursuing Brown, the Celtics offered a vote of confidence to the Frostburg State University graduate. And no, I didn’t know that school existed either. In case you were wondering, other notable alumni include a bunch of people I’ve never heard of, and Jim Riggleman, the Washington Nationals manager who resigned after winning 11 of 12 games because the team refused to discuss a contract extension.

The Celtics have heaped a lot of responsibility on Longabardi, a young assistant whose resume pales in comparison to Thibodeau’s or Frank’s. I admittedly know nothing about Longabardi’s coaching habits or skills, but I hope he’s ready for the big time.

When Tom Thibodeau left the Boston Celtics last offseason, my subjective self knew Boston’s loss would make the team irreparably worse. The Celtics could still contend without Thibs. They could still win a championship. They could still play punch-you-in-the-teeth defense. But when the league’s most successful, hard-working, knowledgeable and innovative defensive coach brings his talents elsewhere, a team will inevitably stumble, if only slightly, no matter who becomes the replacement.

The loss of Lawrence Frank to the Detroit Pistons is different. If Thibodeau is Will Hunting, the world’s most gifted mathematician, Frank is Professor Gerald Lambeau, one of the brightest mathematical minds (or one of the biggest mathematical dicks, depending on who you’re asking), but not the brightest. Had Thibodeau and Frank ever broken down defensive game film together, I imagine the scene would have gone something like this:

[Thibodeau shows Frank the way he wants to defend Kobe Bryant]

Frank says, “This can’t be right. It would be very embarrassing. Did you ever consider –”

“I’m pretty sure it’s right,” responds Thibs. “Hey look, can we do this at my Chicago office from now on, because I–I gotta knock off work to come here and the commute is killing me.”

Frank is still poring over the Kobe game plan. “Yeah, sure,” he says. “But did you think of the possibility –”

“It’s right,” repeats Thibodeau. “It’s right. Just take it home with you.”

The two continue talking, mostly about the job interview Thibodeau sent his best friend to take in his place. Frank says he will cancel the rest of Thibodeau’s job interviews and offer him a job at his office. But Thibodeau isn’t feeling it.

“Look. Maybe I don’t want to spend the rest of my fucking life sitting around explaining defensive sets to people,” Thibodeau tells Frank.

“Do you know how easy this is for me?” Thibodeau continues. “Do you have any fucking idea how easy this is? This is a fucking joke. And I’m sorry you can’t do this. I really am because I wouldn’t have to fucking sit here and watch you fumble around and fuck it up.”

The two continue their conversation in heated tones. Thibodeau says explaining defense is a giant waste of his time. Frank makes a comment or two about Thibodeau using his free time to drink with his retarded gorilla friends. Finally, Frank pores out his insecurities.

You’re right, Will,” he says. “I can’t do this proof. But you can, and when it comes to that it’s only about..it’s just a handful of people in the world who can tell the difference between you and me. But I’m one of them.”

In reality, there are more than a handful of people who can tell the difference between Frank and Thibodeau. Almost any serious NBA observer can. Thibodeau turned a starting lineup featuring Derrick Rose (who had previously been considered a sieve) and Carlos Boozer (who is still considered a sieve) into the league’s stingiest defense, for chrissake. Though there are only a handful of defensive minds smarter than Frank, there are zero defensive minds smarter than Thibodeau.

Which means the Celtics have smaller shoes to fill this offseason. The problem is, who will fill those shoes?

If Thibodeau and Frank share two traits, they are an attentiveness to defensive detail and a pitbull mentality that often leaves their neck veins bulging while they scream from the sidelines. I imagine Doc likes his top assistant coach to be screamers because he prefers a laid-back style himself. His assistants are the yin to his yang, the salt to his pepper, the left to his right. I’m not saying Doc never screams or never lays into his players — I can vividly recall one time when he called a time out just to berate Jeff Green (which I, not that it matters, loved). Still, Doc’s assistant coaches do the brunt of the screaming.

That would probably rule out Mike Woodson, who did not always register a pulse during his time on the Atlanta bench. Woodson could still possibly find himself on Boston’s short list of candidates if he does not find a head coaching gig elsewhere; he’s one of the most qualified candidates. But when I reflect on Woodson’s time in Atlanta, all I can think about is, “Iso, Joe Johnson.” Well, that and a mustache that would make this guy jealous. Presumably, Woodson is a defensive mind in the mold of Frank, and his teams, though they never did real postseason damage, achieved a reasonable amount of success. None of his Atlanta teams underachieved. But if the C’s did hire Woodson, I would not be in love with the choice.

Chris Forsberg mentioned Larry Brown as another potential candidate. The move would make sense on some levels: Brown mentored Doc Rivers early in Doc’s career. Brown has mentioned he would like to return to coaching at some point. Brown can coach basketball as well as almost anyone alive. On other levels, it does not make sense: Brown has always been one of the most controlling coaches in basketball. He wants players to play his way. He wants them to adapt to him. He loves having the wheel in his hand and being able to steer the car whichever direction he chooses. So could he adapt to an assistant coaching position? Could he give up that control he has always needed? Could he sit on the bench while Doc made the team’s final decisions? It seems like a stretch.

Almost every candidate I have seen mentioned is primarily a defensive mastermind. That makes sense, considering that Boston’s last two lead assistants have acted as de facto defensive coordinators. But Boston’s biggest weakness has been it’s offense — why not address that weakness by hiring an offensive guru?

There are reasons, but one in particular is most important — Boston’s offensive problems cannot be cured with a few new offensive sets, or even an entirely new offensive playbook. The Celtics take mostly good shots, and they make a high percentage of them — higher, in fact, than any other team in the league. Boston’s biggest offensive deficiencies involved three-point shooting, offensive rebounding and throwing enough turnovers to make me vomit on my shirt. The paltry three-point shooting can be blamed on Boston’s roster (outside of Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, the Celtics had very little three-point shooting); the offensive rebounding can be blamed on Doc’s “get back on defense at all costs” mentality (which should, and I suspect, will, change, at least to a degree); and the turnovers have always been a problem with the Big Three Celtics and likely always will. The point is, none of the issues with Boston’s offense can be solved just by hiring an offensive coordinator. So the Celtics are better off mirroring their strategy from the past four years, relying on Doc’s lead assistant to run the defense and contribute to the offense whenever he sees fit.

That still leaves the Celtics needing an assistant coach. Sadly, some of the most qualified assistant coaches have already been scooped up — Kelvin Sampson was hired by the Houston Rockets, Mike Malone (a defensive guru) relocated to the Golden St. Warriors (where he will presumably hear the phrase “Mama there goes that man” far too often), and Brian Shaw (who would have been an admirable hire anywhere) signed in Indiana after being spurned for the Lakers head job. I wouldn’t mind Brown, not at all, but I don’t see it as a realistic possibility. Forsberg mentioned the Celtics could promote from within their own organization, but Kevin Eastman and Armond Hill seem to be pigeonholed as second-tier assistants for life.

With all that in mind, I have one choice that isn’t sexy but makes a lot of sense: Eric Musselman. He fits the mold that Doc loves so much (in other words, he’s short, white and infinitely energetic). Musselman’s team’s always play defense; last year, he coached in the NBA Developmental League — his Reno Bighorns led the league in opponent’s points per game and opponent’s field goal percentage. He is a former runner-up for NBA Coach of the Year, has a world of coaching experience, and even coached under Doc Rivers when Rivers coached in Orlando. Like a well-used baseball glove, Musselman fits just right.

Any other suggestions?

Lawrence Frank, who is still a finalist for the Detroit Pistons head coaching gig, has added another potential destination for next season: depending on whether Frank gets the Pistons job, Newsday reports that the Knicks and Frank have mutual interest in making Frank an assistant coach.

Whatever happens in Detroit could trigger Mike D’Antoni’s activity in searching for a defensive assistant coach.

All eyes will be on what happens with the Pistons head coaching position, as the finalists appear to be Mike Woodson and Lawrence Frank.

From what we’ve been hearing, D’Antoni personally likes Frank and there is a strong mutual interest there for many reasons.

First of all, whomever the Knicks hire would have to accept a one-year deal because D’Antoni is going into the final year of his contract and there is some uncertainty about his future. Frank, unlike most, would likely be amenable to accepting a one-year contract because it gives him the freedom to continue to look for head coaching jobs.

Frank might also prefer New York over returning to Boston for proximity reasons, as well, because he could be home full-time in New Jersey, where his wife and two daughters remained last season when he worked for the Celtics.

A move to New York would seem like a lateral move for Frank, at best. But it actually makes a lot of sense from a reputation standpoint. Hear me out.

If Frank stays in Boston, a large portion of his success will undoubtedly be attributed to Tom Thibodeau. Yeah, Frank’s the de facto defensive coordinator now — but he’s still running Thibodeau’s defensive schemes with several of the players Thibodeau molded. Stepping out of Thibodea’s shadow will prove almost impossible as long as Frank stays in Boston.

But in New York, Frank would move into a win-win situation. If the Knicks defense improves, Frank would be viewed as a miracle maker. Anyone who can forge a solid defense out of a starting lineup that includes Chauncey Billups, Carmel0 Anthony and Amare Stoudemire can obviously turn dirt into gold. On the other hand, if the Knicks defense still acts like swiss cheese, nobody would blame Frank — it’s impossible to turn Carmelo Anthony into a decent defender, isn’t it? In the worst-case scenario in New York, Frank’s defense would fail and New York would fall short of preseason expectations. But do you know what could very well be the end result of the “worst-case scenario”? D’Antoni gets fired and Frank probably jumps straight to the top of New York’s head coaching choices.

Of course, trying to coax a championship defense out of New York’s roster is like trying to ride the Tour de France with a tricycle. But if Frank could do it, he’d enhance his reputation in a way he never will in Boston. Even if he doesn’t do it, Frank’s reputation could reap the benefits of moving to the Big Apple.

P.S. – Mike Woodson will interview for the Minnesota Timberwolves lead gig today. If he gets that job, the Pistons would likely hire Frank, their only other finalist.

Lawrence Frank is not the leader in the clubhouse for the Detroit Pistons head coaching job, but he is close. The Celtics’ lilliputian assistant coach impressed the Detroit front office during the interview process and remains a finalist for the Detroit position. (ESPN)

NBA coaching sources say that the Pistons are inching closer to a decision, though.

Of the five known candidates for job, sources say that former Pistons assistant Mike Woodson is still the closest thing to a favorite, thanks largely to Woodson’s good working relationship with Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and the fact that Detroit would know exactly what it’s getting after Woodson’s work under Larry Brown during the Pistons’ 2004 title run.

Yet sources say that one reason Detroit’s search has dragged out so long is the strong impression that Lawrence Frank made on new Pistons owner Tom Gores and his advisers, among them former New York Knicks executive Dave Checketts.

Detroit’s choice, then, appears to be a tossup between the unattached Woodson and Frank, who remains part of Doc Rivers’ staff in Boston.

The other three known candidates to get interviews are Kelvin Sampson (about to leave Milwaukee to become Kevin McHale’s lead assistant in Houston), Pistons legend Bill Laimbeer (last seen on Rambis’ staff in Minnesota) and Checketts favorite Patrick Ewing (from Stan Van Gundy’s staff in Orlando). But sources have maintained throughout the process that Detroit’s preference is to hire a coach with previous head-coaching experience in the NBA after the recent unsuccessful stints for first-time head coaches Kuester and Michael Curry.

When Tom Thibodeau was still a coaching free agent, I knew he deserved a head job. I watched Boston’s defense every night, and that was enough to know Thibs would succeed elsewhere. With Frank, I’m not quite as confident. What did he do in Boston? He coached a defense with Thibodeau’s principles. He screamed his head off. He lathered on sun screen to keep from sun burn, even in the winter. What did he do when he was head coach in New Jersey? He won games with talent, lost games without it. Three seasons above .500, three seasons below .500 and one season at 41-41. He won his first 13 games in New Jersey and lost his final 16. Nothing to keep him from getting another job. But nothing that shouts, “This guy’s a perfect head coaching candidate!”, either.

Perhaps Frank will succeed elsewhere. He obviously has quite a reputation—hell, he has interviewed for almost every opening this summer. But I don’t have the same confidence in Frank that I did with Thibs. Frank just isn’t as sure of a home run—even if he’s born on my mother’s birthday, one hell of a day.

Frank may have an interesting dilemma on his hands: Take over the head coaching job at Tennessee, or stay in Boston until Doc Rivers steps down (which could come as early as this offseason), at which time Frank would reasonably be on Boston’s short list of candidates.

Get that weak stuff out of here. Oops, I just picked up a technical foul.

The Boston Celtics starters weren’t supposed to play in the second half. They were supposed to be granted some rest. But when a hapless first half ended with the Celtics trailing the Nets 55-48, plans changed. Eleven minutes later, the Celtics led 80-69 when the starters were substituted out after stunning an overwhelmed Nets team with a barrage of quick and powerful jabs. A 107-92 victory was well underway.

As the cheers rained down from an abnormally loud preseason crowd at the TD Garden, the message had been sent:

Miami Heat, the Celtics are ready for opening night.

• Game Notes:
  • Shaq continues to fit in. The Great Wall of Massachusetts solidified his hold on the starting role, and keeps working to change the perception that his presence held Cleveland back. The Diesel has been nothing but helpful in Boston, where his rebounding, outlet passes and paint presence have been a welcome addition. Tonight, he even hedged a screen-and-roll and forced a turnover. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
  • Contrary to what most folks thought, Shaq’s presence doesn’t clog the lane for the Celtics — it opens lanes. On one play, Ray Allen came off a curl with a head of steam towards the hoop. Even though Allen was wide open and headed straight for a layup, the Nets’ center didn’t fully commit to helping out. Why? It could have been that the Nets are awful defensively. That makes sense. But more likely, the Nets’ center was afraid to leave Shaq because Shaq’s a bigger threat than Kendrick Perkins ever was. Well, that and the Nets are awful defensively.
  • A couple plays into the third quarter, Paul Pierce sneaked around Kris Humphries and stole the ball. Pierce outlet passed the ball to Rajon Rondo, igniting the fast break. Rondo dumped it back to Pierce, who finished the play with a vicious dunk close enough to Johan Petro to make the Nets’ center blush. You can’t tell me Pierce had that type of rise in last year’s playoffs. You can’t.
  • I’ll be shocked if Von Wafer isn’t chosen as the Celtics’ 15th player. He found his sea legs (C legs?), and for the past three games has provided the offensive boost the Celtics expected when they signed him. Stephane Lasme will remain an inspiration and a great story, but the Celtics will likely assign him to the Maine Red Claws — if Lasme agrees.
  • Semih Erden isn’t your normal rookie. He makes at least two or three plays per game that scream “VETERAN!!!!” Today, he had two nice post moves around Derrick Favors. The second was a beautiful drop-step that was reminiscent of Kevin McHale. Okay, maybe not that veteran-esque.
  • For what it’s worth, Tommy Heinsohn salivated when he first saw Rajon Rondo play for the Celtics. He had the same feeling the other night watching Avery Bradley.
  • As Ray Allen tends to do, he got hot. The lesson, as usual: the only thing smoother than Ray Allen’s jumper is his bald dome piece.
  • Tiny Gallon’s new number? 63. He said it made him feel like an offensive linemen. I bet looking in the mirror gives him that same feeling.
  • Doc Rivers missed the game after having throat surgery. He couldn’t scream, he said. Lawrence Frank coached in his place. Frank has at least one thing he does better than Tom Thibodeau — unlike Thibs when filling in for Doc, Frank actually made substitutions.
  • One of the subs he made was matching Glen Davis and Kevin Garnett together in the same frontcourt. That gives the Celtics an interesting lineup full of shooters. Something to keep an eye on.
  • Mario West won’t make the Celtics, and he doesn’t deserve to. But if he ever defended me at the Y, I’d fake an injury.
  • Rajon Rondo’s last on my list of notes, but not least. Every day, I marvel at the way he dominates games without scoring points.
  • Kevin Garnett was aggressive. He was also whistled for a technical foul when he made an elbowing motion in the vicinity of Kris Humphries’ head. Even though the replay showed no malicious intent, I can’t fault the ref for calling a technical. When I saw the play live, I thought KG had plans to decapitate Humphries.