[Note: Patrick took care of this before I had the chance to, so take a look. - Tom]

After Kevin McHale agreed to join the Rockets on a three-year deal, many were quick to report that part of McHale's appeal was that he promised to bring in a star-studded staff if given the resources. Early on in the vetting process for assistants, it appears that McHale is on the right track, as he is expected to make Dave Joerger a top candidate to be his top assistant. 

Joerger, a former D-League coach and currently an assistant under Lionel Hollins on the Grizzlies, would be a fantastic addition to a team that has enjoyed superb assistant coaching over the last few years. His addition would bring tremendous credibility to a coaching staff that may face its fair share of scrutiny following in the shoes of one of the more successful coaches in Rockets' history.

Joerger may be known now as one of the top assistants that could potentially be available, but that wasn't always the case. Working in obscurity in the IBA, CBA, and the D-League, Joerger led the Dakota (and Bismarck) Wizards to unprecedented success in those leagues, bringing home five titles in seven years. Success in lower leagues does not always equate to success as an NBA coach, but Joerger has quickly become on of the more respected assistants in the NBA because of his ability to mentor and develop players with a patient confidence. 

Hiring Joerger to handle the defense would be a brilliant move to bring in another proven talent developer and find another future head coach to potentially run the staff in a few years. I know that speculating upon a coach's successor before he's even signed his contract may be premature, but given the amount of attention paid to the Rockets' wish to have a "head coach in waiting," it would be wrong to ignore that facet of the hiring.

Regardless of whether his future with the team would be as a head coach or not, Joerger would be a worthwhile hire and a nice addition to a staff that is still taking shape. Additionally, bringing him on would not preclude the Rockets from hiring Chris Finch as well, and having two potential head coach candidates would only motivate Joerger and Finch to work harder to improve the squad. There is the obvious fear of friction in a competitive environment, but Joerger and Finch have proven to be consummate professionals in their careers and would likely work as hard as they could.

After seeing coaches like Tom Thibodeau and others leave the Rockets and eventually become successful coaches, it would be nice for once to be the team sniping the hot-shot assistants from other squads for once. With Joerger, the Rockets have that opportunity and if they pass it up, they will be making a serious mistake.