Handy to Cleveland

Former Team 94 and Bay Area coaching fixture Phil Handy landed a position with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Coach Mike Brown, who was the primary figure in bringing Handy in, was let go early in 2012 but landed a job as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the coming go-around,

Now, Handy has moved over to the Cavaliers.

One link:

Handy reference: Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni gave Phil Handy a great recommendation. An NBA source told The Plain Dealer on Friday that Handy has been hired by the Cavaliers, but the team said nothing is official yet. 

Handy was a player development coach for the Lakers under Mike Brown and D'Antoni, who replaced Brown earlier this season. 

"He's really good at developing players, a good workout guy with a great work ethic," D'Antoni said Friday. "He'll do a super job for Mike, for sure." 

What exactly is the difference between a player development coach and assistant coach?"It's more just area of responsibility," D'Antoni said. "It's the same thing. One guy might [prepare] defense against Detroit. Another guy might develop players. It's just a different area. 

"He can do whatever. His specialty was working guys out, making them better. Especially for a young group of guys he's good for them. I don't what he's going to do for Cleveland, so I don't know where he fits in. But wherever he fits in, he'll be good."

 A tweet: "Phil Handy has joined Mike Brown's staff as an assistant coach with Cavs, sources tell Y! Sports."