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This is just getting ridiculous: the Kings fired Reggie Theus this morning, becoming the sixth NBA team this season to replace their head coach. According to Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee, assistant coach Chuck Person will join Theus in the unemployment line, while assistant coach Kenny Natt will take over as interim head coach.

Theus' departure is hardly a surprise -- the Kings have dropped 10 of 11 games and have a dismal 6-18 record on the season. And as Tom Ziller pointed out over the weekend, getting blown out by the Knicks erased whatever goodwill Theus earned by upsetting the Lakers last week.

Natt lacks head coaching experience but certainly has an impressive resume. He joined the Kings last season after spending nine years working under Jerry Sloan in Utah and three under Mike Brown in Cleveland. All in all, he's spent 28 years preparing for this opportunity: after his NBA playing career ended after 49 games, he bounced around Europe and the minor leagues before doing everything from scouting, coaching and working in the front office.

That said, Natt might just be keeping the spot warm for Eddie Jordan, who was recently fired by the Wizards but rumored to be a favorite to take over in Philly and Sacramento. Stay tuned.

Someday, a book will be written about the Great Chicago Coaching Search of 2008. A gentle reminder of the men John Paxson has either interviewed or been reported to have talked to so far:

Brian Shaw, Kurt Rambis, Tyrone Corbin, Dwane Casey, Jeff Hornacek, Chuck Person, John Lucas, Eric Snow, Avery Johnson, Mike D'Antoni, Mark Jackson, Michael Curry, Doug Collins, Rick Carlisle, and ... Vinny Del Negro.

And guess who is the front-runner, according to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson? It's Del Negro, the guy on this list who has never been so much as an assistant coach in the NBA. Del Negro currently works as an assistant GM in the Suns organization, and reportedly works on shooting with the players.

Johnson places Del Negro, Casey and Person as the three finalists, and said the three have been told a decision is "imminent." Of course, the filling of the job seemed imminent back in April, when Carlisle seemed the clear-cut favorite before signing with Dallas, then again in early May, when D'Antoni seemed like a lock, then again last week when multiple media outlets reported Collins was a done deal. So, really, who freaking knows? Maybe Drew Gooden's beard will run the summer league team.

Yesterday my colleague Tom Ziller asked the not-so-hypothetical question, "Whatever happened to Doug Collins?" For a few brief seconds it looked like he was a lock to be hired by the Bulls, and yet instead of getting a deal done the team has continued to drag their heels by giving the likes of Dwane Casey and Chuck Person second interviews.

So what gives? Brian Hanley of the Chicago Sun-Times explains:

General manager John Paxson was unavailable for comment and remained waiting for the OK from chairman Jerry Reinsdorf to hire Doug Collins. Reinsdorf is said to be upset that the news of Collins' imminent hiring was leaked last week to media, which is why he has revisited the decision.

Really? If that's the case, wow, Reinsdorf seriously needs to get over himself. If he's confident enough to make a multi-year offer, he shouldn't be so worried about the news getting out a few days before he wanted.

But while the Bulls are still talking to candidates, the Daily Herald reports that the Bulls "have not shown much interest" in interviewing recently disposed Pistons Flip Saunders (much to the chagrin of local bloggers). The Star-Tribune muses that Flip might take a year off from coaching to serve as a television analyst. Considering he'll still collect $5.4 million owed from the Pistons, there's no reason for him not to jump back into the business.

A week ago, the big (eh) news around the league was the impending hire of Doug Collins in Chicago. Many gnashed their teeth, many cheered the move, most just expressed relief the vital opening would finally be filled after six weeks of hemming. But of course, the hire just kept getting discussed and discussed ... and never actually happened.

Which leaves an opening for more rumors, like this one from Jeff Goodman of FOXSports.com (via Blog-a-Bull):

According to a source close to the situation, former Minnesota Timberwolves coach Dwane Casey's interview with Bulls general manager John Paxson on Wednesday went extremely well, and he has emerged as a legitimate candidate.

Casey did a great job (considering the roster) in Minnesota, and suffered the most undeserved firing of the past four years when he was let go midway through 2006-07. He coaches defense as well as any young coach in the league, and seemed to command the players' respect ... even on a team led by hyper Kevin Garnett.

But wasn't Collins a foregone conclusion? What on Earth has taken Paxson so long on this? Cold feet with Collins? Some sort of disagreement in negotiations? Is Casey (and another interview with Kings assistant Chuck Person) just something to get Collins to concede on some sticking point (like allowing Pax to assign a top assistant as heir to the throne)?

The Bulls are taking their time with this whole "finding a coach" thing, interviewing just about anyone with a shred of interest in the job. According to Brian Hanley of the Chicago Sun-Times, John Paxson has already talked with ...deep breath ... Lakers assistants Brian Shaw and Kurt Rambis, current Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin and former T'Wolves coach Dwane Casey -- and that's just this week!

Paxson was also scheduled to meet with Jeff Hornacek today and Kings assistant Chuck Person sometime this weekend, as well as John Lucas and Eric Snow sometime in the yet to be determined future. And, of course, don't forget about Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau, who won't get permission from his current employer until Boston completes their playoff run.

Oh, and remember Avery Johnson? Forget what you heard about him giving Chicago the cold shoulder. Now that the Bulls have the No. 1 pick, he's had a change of heart and was expected to talk to Paxson today.

Count 'em up: that's 10 names, and that doesn't include Mark Jackson, who already interviewed, nor Pistons assistants Terry Porter and Michael Curry, who have been suggested as candidates in the past. Do you notice a recurring theme with all these names? With the exception of Thibodeau and Casey, they're all former players, which makes you wonder if a career coach who never had the chance to rub elbows with Paxson as a player stands much of a chance.

It's Christmas Eve and Tyrus Thomas has no one scold him. This won't do. As of this second, there's no indication as to Scott Skiles' replacement as civilian leader of the Bulls. It's alright, actually -- Chicago doesn't strap them on until Wednesday, when the team visits San Antonio, who has lost only a single game at home this season.

So really, the next real game John Paxson needs to concern himself with is Friday's home tilt against Milwaukee. Surely, a current assistant such as Ron Adams or Pete Myers can manage the team until then. (Jim Boylan, Chicago's lead assistant, is a Skiles guy, having coached under him in Phoenix as well as being the lead assistant for the duration of the Skiles era in Chicago.) Will Paxson be able to locate his replacement (assuming it is not a dreaded 'interim' fellow like Adams or Myer) by then, what with the celebration of the birth of Christ and all?