Lakers Assign Johnson-Odom To D-League
Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles (via Twitter) reports that the Lakers have assigned Darius Johnson-Odom to the D-Fenders, their D-League affiliate. The rookie guard has only appeared in one game through the team's first five contests, making a one minute appearance during last night's win against Golden State.
Western Notes: Dwight, Kobe, Kings, Crowder
Dwight Howard told Sam Amick of USA Today last night that he thinks Phil Jackson, rumored to be close to taking over as Lakers coach, will be "great for me," and said he's anxious for the team to resolve the upheaval surrounding the head coaching position. "Yeah, because a lot of stuff that happened last year — I really had nothing to do with it, but it came out like it was me," he said. "So now when it comes out or if somebody says something about me, I'm going to stand up say, 'Hey, this is not going to happen again.' I'm just going to play. I don't want to get caught up in it." There's plenty more this afternoon on the Lakers and their Western Conference rivals, as we detail here.
- Kobe Bryant, who's backing Jackson's possible return, feels he has unfinished business to accomplish under the Zen Master's tutelage, writes J.A. Adande of ESPN.com.
- In the wake of a report by Bruce Rader of WAVY-TV that it was Kings co-owner George Maloof who met with the Virginia governor, the mayor of Virginia Beach and officials from Comcast-Spectator last week, Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty takes the Maloofs to task for denying the meeting took place.
- Defense and surprising three-point shooting are reasons why Jae Crowder, the 34th overall pick this past June, has made a sizable impact early this season for the Mavericks, as HoopsWorld's Alex Raskin observes.
- Offseason signees Ryan Anderson, Brian Roberts and Roger Mason have teamed with incumbent Jason Smith to form a potent bench for the Hornets, notes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune.
- Blazers coach Terry Stotts, once an interim coach of the Hawks, weighs in on the challenges the next Lakers coach will face in taking over the team in the middle of the season, as Mike Tokito of The Oregonian examines.
Odds & Ends: Martin, Blatche, Nets, Lakers, Heat
Here's a look around the NBA as we wait if the Lakers will call upon Phil Jackson to man the sidelines once again..
- Free agent forward Kenyon Martin turned down an offer from Greece's Panthianakos in hopes of landing an NBA job, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (via Twitter). Even though Martin continues to talk with NBA teams about joining mid-season, nothing is imminent (Twitter link). Martin finds himself without a gig largely because of his demand for the mini-mid level exception over the summer.
- Andray Blatche picked up a reputation for wild behavior while with the Wizards, but he finds himself on the straight-and-narrow with the Nets, writes Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld. The athletic big man credited the move with getting him back on the right track and said that he needed a change of scenery in order to start realizing his potential.
- When it came to letting coach Mike Brown go, the Lakers looked into the past for some guidance, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel notes that the man who Udonis Haslem once fired as his agent is now the leader of the team the Heat forward will be facing Sunday. Haslem first chose Jason Levien, now the CEO of the Grizzlies, as his agent when he was coming out of the University of Florida but later fired him. The forward says that the two were never on bad terms and half-jokingly noted that he is glad to have never burnt the bridge with a potential future employer.
Kobe Endorses Phil Jackson Return
While he has ties to several of the coaches that are said to be in the mix for the Lakers job, Kobe Bryant gave a little extra support to one in particular. The guard told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that he is pulling for the return of his former coach Phil Jackson.
"We have a good enough relationship where he knows where I stand," Bryant said. "He's realistically the greatest coach to ever coach in any sport. It's as simple as that. He's that for a reason. When you have the greatest coach of all time in any profession out there available you have to reach out to him."
Other candidates for the job include Mike D'Antoni, Brian Shaw, Nate McMillan, and Mike Dunleavy. While Bryant's preferred choice would be Jackson, he said that he wouldn't be disappointed if the Lakers went in another direction. As Spears notes, Bryant watched D'Antoni play basketball in Italy growing up and also threw his support behind Shaw to take the Lakers job following Jackson's departure.
Odds & Ends: Muhammad, Brown, Ferry, Jackson
The NCAA declared UCLA shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad ineligible for an unspecified number of games, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. The 6'6" Muhammad is rated the No. 1 draft prospect for 2013 by DraftExpress.com and others, but Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com doesn't think the ruling will affect his draft status, believing he'll be a top three pick regardless of whether he plays this season (Twitter link). Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty has a different reaction, saying via Twitter that the NBA's age limit, which kept him from entering the 2012 draft out of high school, is hurting Muhammad's career. While the NBA seems to be in Muhammad's future regardless, there's plenty more on people who are in the NBA right now, a group that no longer includes former Lakers coach Mike Brown.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders whether Hawks GM Danny Ferry could reunite with Brown, who served as Cavs coach when Ferry was Cleveland's GM (Twitter link).
- A return of Phil Jackson to the Lakers sideline could be a boon for Pau Gasol, but it wouldn't mean he couldn't be traded if the team wants to improve its footspeed, according to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register (Sulia link).
- Jazz forward Paul Millsap can't envision former coach Jerry Sloan with the Lakers, as Randy Hollis of the Deseret News observes.
- Dwight Howard, who wants the Lakers to hire Jackson, once asked the Magic to pursue the Zen Master, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- A pair of Western Conference teams are keeping tabs on Australian big man Aron Baynes, agent Daniel Moldovan told David Pick of Sportando.
- Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com breaks down the reasons behind each of the deadline extensions for players coming off rookie-scale contracts, concluding that the fear of bloated offer sheets motivated several GMs into the deals.
Jackson, D’Antoni Top List Of Lakers Candidates
10:59pm: TNT's David Aldridge hears the Lakers are pursuing Phil Jackson "like crazy," but he would likely command a salary of more than the $12MM he made in 2009. That would make him the league's highest paid coach by a wide margin over Celtics boss Doc Rivers, who makes $7MM a year. The decision on a coach will be made by owner Jerry Buss, and not son Jim, Aldridge says, adding that Mike D'Antoni would welcome the chance to coach Steve Nash again.
9:34pm: A meeting between the Lakers and Jackson could happen by the end of the weekend, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
8:31pm: Phil Jackson and Mike D'Antoni are the leading candidates for the Lakers head coaching position, Ramona Shelburne and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com report, adding that the two coaches are "neck and neck" in the eyes of Lakers management.
The team is expected to reach out to them and several other candidates as early as Saturday morning. Shelburne hears there's "no ill will" between Jackson and Lakers executive Jim Buss.
8:27pm: Former Jackson assistants Kurt Rambis and Jim Cleamons are prepared to return to the bench should Jackson get the Lakers job, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
8:13pm: Gary Payton, who played for the Lakers under Jackson, doesn't foresee a return, as he tells Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida (Sulia link). "Because he’d be going back into a situation where they blasted him when he left," Payton said. "You heard all that stuff (from the Lakers) when he left that they didn’t want to hire anybody affiliated with Phil Jackson’s system. That’s why they didn’t hire (Brian Shaw). They fired everybody that was affiliated with Phil."
7:19pm: "Prominent figures" in the Lakers organization want the team to hire Jackson, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger hears Jackson wanted to coach the Knicks this summer before they recommitted to Mike Woodson, and the Zen Master would have brought former assistant coach Kurt Rambis with him. If hired by the Lakers, Jackson would have his choice of assistants to bring on board.
Berger hears other names the Lakers are considering are Mike D'Antoni, Jerry Sloan and Nate McMillan. The Lakers haven't had contact with Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, whose team wouldn't let him walk midseason, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). Cavs coach Byron Scott isn't interested in the position, tweets The Plain Dealer.
6:38pm: The Lakers have compiled a list of four or five candidates to become the team's new head coach, and the list includes Phil Jackson's name, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. McMenamin hears the Lakers have not yet reached out to Jackson, though a source hinted to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News that the two sides have had contact, as we passed along earlier.
Jackson, who finished his second stint as Lakers coach in 2011, is still a frequent visitor to the team's practice facility, McMenamin notes, and his longtime girlfriend is Lakers executive Jeanie Buss, daughter of team owner Jerry Buss. The 67-year-old Jackson has often cited his health as a reason why he wouldn't return to coaching, but McMenamin hears Jackson's health is "getting better and better."
Sources indicate to McMenamin that Jackson would like to bring along an assistant coach whom he could groom as an eventual replacement. Jackson was scheduled to make a speaking engagement at an investor's convention next week in Chicago, but has canceled, according to Financial Advisor magazine.
Reaction To Mike Brown Firing
As the focus of the Lakers switches from what happened today to what happens next, a number of NBA reporters and other figures are weighing in the team's decision to fire Mike Brown, a move that many saw coming, but not quite as quickly as it came. Shaun Powell of Sports on Earth takes it as a sign of panic, and writes that the Lakers can't afford to make a mistake with their next hire. Michael Lee of The Washington Post concludes the task of replacing Phil Jackson was simply too daunting for Brown to handle. Here's what others are saying.
- HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler hears Brown was seen as "too nice" and reluctant to address problems, adding that the directive to fire Brown came from the top down, without player influence. He also believes Jackson is the clear-cut top choice, and isn't sure Jerry Sloan would be a fit (All four Twitter links).
- The Buss family concluded that Brown wasn't a championship coach, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com, who argues that Jackson, who has won more titles as a coach than anyone, is the perfect fit.
- Kobe Bryant released a statement of support for Brown on Facebook, and Royce Young of CBSSports.com praises the gesture.
- Grantland's Zach Lowe examines the on-court issues that fomented the Lakers "ludicrous" decision to let Brown go today.
- Mark Cuban believes the firing was a mistake, but for the sake of his Mavericks, he hopes it's the first of many miscues by the Lakers this season, as Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com passes along.
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News characterizes the move as one of desperation that raises fundamental questions about the future of the organization.
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel says the Lakers aren't going to hire Stan Van Gundy, but thinks they should, calling the former Magic boss "the best NBA coach available" and citing cooled tensions between Van Gundy and Dwight Howard.
Marc Stein On Lakers, Heisley, Calderon, Tax
Marc Stein of ESPN.com weighs in on the Lakers coaching situation to begin his Weekend Dime, but also drops plenty of knowledge about other issues around the league in his weekly roundup. We'll cover what he has to share here.
- Stein thinks the Lakers have to go with either Phil Jackson or Mike D'Antoni for their next coach, both of whom players would buy into. The pair are reportedly the leading candidates for the job.
- Former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley could seek a return to the NBA if Bucks owner Herb Kohl gets a new arena or refurbishment for the Bradley Center. Heisley would then have interest in purchasing the team, which is close to his home in Chicago.
- Jose Calderon might not be long for the Raptors, but the 31-year-old is giving no thought to playing overseas, saying he wants to stay in the NBA for at least another 10 years.
- Stein breaks down the projected tax bill for the eight teams projected to be over the tax line at the end of the season. The Lakers would have to pay the most, at nearly $30MM.
Mitch Kupchak On Mike Brown’s Firing
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak spoke to reporters about the team's decision to fire coach Mike Brown today, saying the team didn't want to wait for the team to break out of its funk only to find out that it wasn't going to happen. He shared lots more insight, as Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld transcribes. We'll round up the highlights here.
On the timing of the decision:
“It wasn’t made out of panic. We were aware of this team’s progress through training camp and the beginning of the season. Only yesterday did we come to the decision to make a change. Obviously, everyone in this room knows we went 0-8 in the preseason, which doesn’t mean a whole lot, but we are 1-4 now. It didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s something that’s out there that we talked about internally, continuing to support Mike. But after our loss to Utah we came to the decision this morning to make a change.”
On why the move wasn't made after last season:
“I would say it was an incomplete evaluation. What he went through last season wasn’t really fair. Making a trade that fell apart, one of the players has moved on – Lamar Odom – and the other player was scarred for a complete season. Then we made another trade as we approached the trade deadline to get a younger ball-handling point guard. And we did no worse than we did the year before. It’s tough to grade him, plus on top of that it was a (lockout)-shortened season. So on top of that it’s tough to give a coach a grade. Maybe you call it a free pass for a year and let’s see how we do this year.”
On whether Dwight Howard's free agency next summer had to do with the firing:
"(It was) not something that was discussed between the three decision makers. Obviously we know he’s a free agent this summer and you want to make the experience for him as good as possible, but we have a lot of other people we’re trying to please as well, we have a lot of fans and players, it’s not just about one person.”
On selecting a replacement:
"The sooner the better. We don’t have a timetable. … The reality is you can’t call around and gauge coaches' interest in this job; in the fraternity that exists, a coach wouldn’t say he was interested as long as someone has the job so we haven’t even begun the search, but we do have a list that we’ve put together and we will go through that list in an orderly fashion."
Lakers Coaching Rumors: Friday
As national and local reporters alike continue to seek out info in relation to the Lakers' coaching opening, we'll round up all of today's new updates right here. Be sure to check out our previous posts to catch up on news of Mike Brown's firing and vote on who would make the best hire for the Lakers.
- Phil Jackson is open to a return, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles, who adds that he hears the Lakers have not yet been in touch with Jackson.
Earlier updates:
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News hears that Brown's firing has been in the works for the last two or three weeks, and Goodwill's source hinted that the Lakers have already been in contact with Phil Jackson (Twitter link).
- If the Lakers wanted to hire Mike D'Antoni, he could be cleared to travel with the team later this month, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
- Former Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy will also be considered by the Lakers, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Speaking to the media this afternoon, GM Mitch Kupchak said he wouldn't rule out pursuing other teams' assistant coaches, but that the Lakers are more likely to hire a free agent coach (Twitter link via Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com).
- Dwight Howard has told the Lakers his preference is for the team to bring back Phil Jackson, according to Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops.
- A source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link) that the Lakers plan to interview four or five candidates. "It's not going to be a long process, that's for damn sure," said the source.
- The Lakers fired Brown without having made a short list of potential replacements, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. The team will put together a list this afternoon, according to Broussard.
- Bernie Bickerstaff doesn't expect to be the Lakers' interim coach for longer than a game, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. It sounds as if that means another assistant would take over the job in the interim, rather than the Lakers completing their search that quickly.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports and J.A. Adande of ESPN.com both share tweets on the odds of Phil Jackson returning to the Lakers — the consensus seems to be that Jackson wouldn't rule it out, but that doesn't necessarily mean he wants the job.
- Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register adds (via Twitter) that there don't seem to be any obstacles from either the Lakers' or Jackson's side that would preclude Jackson returning, if both parties are interested in a reunion.
- When asked if they'd have interest in the Lakers' job, Brian Shaw and Jerry Sloan both declined comment, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link) and Jazz announcer David Locke (Twitter link), respectively.