Poll: Who Should Be The Lakers’ Next Coach?
The Lakers have ensured it's an eventful Friday afternoon, dismissing Mike Brown in what former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy called "the most ridiculous firing in the history of NBA," according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Just five games into the regular season, the Lakers are now involved in a search for their next permanent head coach, with assistant Bernie Bickerstaff taking over in the interim.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and executive VP Jim Buss are certainly making phone calls, but for now, Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (Twitter link) says any speculation about the team's new head coach would be just that — speculation. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld hears from a source that the Lakers have yet to zero in on a specific name, and that "everyone is a candidate" (Twitter link).
Still, there are a number of ex-coaches that make sense for the Lakers to varying degrees. I outlined some of the pros and cons for a few of the high-profile candidates in an earlier post. Now it's your turn to weigh in. Which candidate do you feel is the best fit for the Lakers? Who would you hire if you were running the team? Vote in the poll below, and feel free to explain your choice in the comments section.
Poll: Who Should Be The Lakers' Next Coach?
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Phil Jackson 53% (694)
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Jerry Sloan 15% (196)
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Mike D'Antoni 12% (158)
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Brian Shaw 10% (136)
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Nate McMillan 5% (68)
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Someone else 3% (37)
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Bernie Bickerstaff or another Lakers assistant 1% (17)
Total votes: 1,306
Lakers Fire Mike Brown; Considering D’Antoni?
1:54pm: The Lakers have officially sent out a press release announced their decision to dismiss Brown.
"This was a difficult and painful decision to make," said GM Mitch Kupchak. "Mike was very hard-working and dedicated, but we felt it was in the best interest of the team to make a change at this time. We appreciate Mike’s efforts and contributions and wish him and his family the best of luck."
Meanwhile, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the Lakers will ditch the Princeton offense, which was a major factor in the team's decision to replace Brown.
12:36pm: Bernie Bickerstaff will coach tonight's game for the Lakers, but the team will conduct a national search for Brown's replacement, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
Meanwhile, Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game tweets that one candidate, Mike D'Antoni, recently had knee surgery and is laid up for six weeks. According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports though, that wouldn't stop D'Antoni from taking the job if the Lakers wanted him (Twitter link).
12:27pm: The Lakers have "made it clear" that buying out the remaining $11MM+ on Brown's contract and investing in a new coach won't be an issue, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter).
12:19pm: A Lakers assistant, likely either Bernie Bickerstaff or Chuck Person, is expected to assume the head coaching reins on an interim basis, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Ken Berger of CBS Sports also throws Steve Clifford's name into the mix, though he says Person has the edge (Twitter link).
12:15pm: Mike D'Antoni has been a "prominent name" discussed by the Lakers as they consider Brown's replacement, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
12:02pm: The Lakers have fired head coach Mike Brown, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today. Brown's agent Warren LeGarie confirms to Amick that the Lakers head coach has been dismissed.
A report earlier today suggested that a poor showing on the Lakers' upcoming homestand would jeopardize Brown's job. However, after a 1-4 start to the season, the 42-year-old won't even receive the opportunity to coach the first of the team's six upcoming home games tonight against the Warriors.
The move comes less than 48 hours after Brown received the "dreaded" vote of confidence from executive VP Jim Buss, who suggested the team would exercise patience when evaluating the coach's performance. While a new coach has yet to be named, it doesn't seem as if the Lakers would make such a move without a replacement in mind, as Zach Lowe of Grantland tweets.
The decision to let Brown go just five games into the season comes as something of a shock — despite the early-season struggles, I would have guessed the Lakers would give Brown at least another week or two to right the ship. And Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter) that GM Mitch Kupchak was pushing ownership to do just that, encouraging the team to give Brown more time before firing him. However, making an change early in the year rather than waiting until later in the season should give the players plenty of time to adjust to the new coach's system and style.
Latest On Lakers Coaching Candidates
The Lakers' decision to fire Mike Brown didn't necessarily come as a surprise, given the team's sluggish start to the season. The timing of the move, however, just five games into the regular season, was a bit of a shock, including to Brown himself — according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, the coach was "caught off guard" by today's decision (Twitter link).
It appears the Lakers will make Bernie Bickerstaff the interim coach, but the team will almost certainly bring in a higher-profile name sooner or later. Here's some of the speculation flying around Twitter about possible replacements for Brown, with pros and cons for each potential candidate:
- Mike D'Antoni: The Lakers are reportedly considering the former Knicks head coach, though Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com argues that only Steve Nash would benefit from a D'Antoni hire (Sulia link). Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports adds (via Twitter) that D'Antoni's recent knee surgery will likely make him unable to coach until late December.
- Brian Shaw: Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets that Shaw was the Lakers' players choice for head coach when Phil Jackson retired. However, Marc J. Spears and Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports suggest Shaw may not be a likely candidate, considering the "acrimony that ensued" when the Lakers front office chose Brown over Shaw.
- Phil Jackson: Arash Markazi of ESPNLA.com argues that Jackson is the best fit for the Lakers, rather than a rookie head coach like Shaw or Chuck Person (Twitter links). Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game says (via Twitter) that Jackson is not in the picture, however.
- Jerry Sloan: Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld heard from one league source earlier this week that Sloan would be the Lakers' coach by December 1st. Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News questions whether Sloan would be the best fit for a job that involves working in Los Angeles and coaching Dwight Howard (Twitter links). Bucher adds in a tweet that he can't see Sloan and Jim Buss co-existing.
- Nate McMillan: Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News suggests (via Twitter) that McMillan may be the best free agent coach available. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes that, last we heard, McMillan was happy not coaching (Twitter link), but McMillan may have changed that stance recently, as Marc J. Spears tweets that the former Blazers coach is open to an NBA job. The Lakers haven't contacted him though, says Spears.
Poor Homestand Would Jeopardize Brown’s Job
With the Lakers set to begin a six-game homestand tonight against the Warriors, the team's next few games could determine whether or not head coach Mike Brown keeps his job, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. According to Stein, an unsuccessful homestand would put Brown's job in immediate jeopardy. While the Lakers have expressed public support for Brown, the team is concerned enough that it would seriously consider a coaching change if the on-court struggles continue.
Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss said earlier this week that he has "no problems" with Brown, and that the front office will be patient to allow the head coach to work through the slow start. He did concede that the team would have to stay on top of the situation, but didn't suggest Brown was on the hot seat. According to Stein, however, the club's patience is "starting to erode."
The Lakers' six-game homestand includes matchups against four of the West's 2011/12 lottery teams, in the Warriors, Kings, Suns, and Rockets, so there should be plenty of winnable games for Los Angeles during the stretch.
As Stein notes, Mike D'Antoni, Nate McMillan, Jerry Sloan, and Stan Van Gundy are among the high-profile former head coaches who are currently on the market. Meanwhile, Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com and ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst are two of the most recent writers to address the coaching situation in Los Angeles.
Western Notes: Blazers, Brown, Williams, Martin
The Western Conference got off to a bit of a slow start in inter-conference games this year, but Western teams turned that trend around last night. Of the six Wednesday night contests that pitted West vs. East, only the Sixers could earn a win for the Eastern Conference, beating the Hornets in New Orleans — the Suns, Mavericks, Timberwolves, Warriors, and Kings all defeated Eastern teams.
Here are a few of today's updates from around the Western Conference:
- The Trail Blazers haven't received much bench production so far, something GM Neil Olshey is keeping an eye on. According to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, Olshey may look to address the issue at the trade deadline if no one steps up internally.
- SI.com's Ben Golliver reads between the lines of Jim Buss' comments on Lakers coach Mike Brown, concluding that Buss may be laying the groundwork for Brown to eventually be replaced.
- Tyson Chandler believes the Mavericks had a chance to win back-to-back titles if Mark Cuban had elected to bring all of 2010/11's Mavs back last season, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- If Derrick Williams doesn't start producing soon, it may be time to consider whether last year's second overall pick is a bust, says Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld.
- Although Kevin Martin is in a contract year, Thunder GM Sam Presti tells Sam Amick of USA Today that isn't a concern at the moment, and that Martin's future will be addressed "at the appropriate time."
- Kirk Lacob, general manager of the Warriors' D-League affiliate, spoke to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle about Santa Cruz's new stadium and last week's draft. We covered a few other D-League items of note earlier today.
Jim Buss Has “No Problems” With Mike Brown
With the Lakers off to a 1-4 start, there's been plenty of speculation suggesting that head coach Mike Brown could be on the hot seat in Los Angeles. However, as Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com, the front office intends to exercise some patience, letting Brown and the Lakers work through the early-season struggles.
"I have no problems with Mike Brown at all," Buss said. "He just works too hard and he's too knowledgeable for this to be happening. So either the system is flawed or something's going on. Or, like the Triangle, it's very hard to pick up and understand. I'm not a basketball mind like he is or the players are, and the players are fine with it, so I just have to be patient."
Buss acknowledged that no one was happy about the team's early results and that he and the front office would stay on top of the situation, but said that doesn't mean a change is coming. According to Buss, he's been gauging the reactions of Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Lakers, reading their public comments and talking to them directly, and has gotten the sense that "everything's cool."
While the Lakers only have five games under their belts and are expected to turn things around in the near future, Buss admitted that the team was built to win now and continued struggles would be a concern. However, he wouldn't commit to a specific timeline for evaluating the club's (and Brown's) performance.
"You have to give it time to understand [what's going on]," Buss said. "I don't know if there's an actual game total that would make me impatient. I know if we're 1-15, I don't think that would be very good. I'm sure that would be a panic button. But at this time, I'm fine with what's going on. It's a learning process for the players. As long as everybody is on the same page, I think we're fine."
Odds & Ends: Nets, Knicks, Grizzlies, Waiters
Earlier we passed along Nets GM Billy King's admission that he made roster moves this summer with the idea of taking down the Heat, which surely makes the team's 30-point loss in Miami tonight that much tougher to take. Nets coach Avery Johnson downplayed the idea that his squad is on the Heat's level, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News observes (Sulia link). Bondy juxtaposes Johnson's comments by noting that shooting guard Joe Johnson said earlier that he thinks the Nets can dethrone the champs this season. While Brooklyn's team sorts out its troubles, it's a more upbeat story on the other side of the East River, as we detail among other news on a 13-game night around the Association.
- The moves Knicks GM Glen Grunwald and company made this summer are paying early dividends, even in spite — or perhaps because — of the absence of Amare Stoudemire, as the USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt examines.
- The Grizzlies new ownership group borrowed $125MM from the NBA and another $50MM from a bank to close their deal to buy the team, but that's nothing out of the ordinary, a league executive tells Kyle Veazey of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- Cavs coach Byron Scott encouraged the organization to use the fourth pick this June on Syracuse sixth man Dion Waiters, who's paying early dividends, at least offensively, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News and Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal write.
- Waiters was the choice over Harrison Barnes, who went to the Warriors at No. 7 and hasn't performed as well so far, as Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer chronicles.
- The Lakers are off to a 1-4 start, but Jordan Hill has been a bright spot, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Yesterday, Vince Carter said he wouldn't mind a return to the Raptors someday, but Doug Smith of the Toronto Star doesn't see that happening anytime soon, arguing that Carter's current skill-set isn't a match for the team's needs.
- The Celtics have hired former player Keyon Dooling as a player development coordinator, reports Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). The 32-year-old guard abruptly retired in September.
Odds & Ends: Shaw, Lakers, Sloan, Thabeet
The NBA’s evening schedule only features three contests, but all three should be interesting to watch — the Magic will look to stay undefeated in Chicago, the Thunder will try to bounce back from a home loss to Portland, and in Denver, both the Nuggets and Pistons will be seeking their first win. As we await tonight’s games, let’s check out a few odds and ends from around the Association:
- Pacers assistant Brian Shaw is arguably the most qualified assistant in the league, but Mark Montieth of Pacers.com doesn’t expect him to hold that title for much longer. Shaw turned down the Bobcats head coaching job this summer because he didn’t like the fit, but figures to receive a stronger offer in his next try.
- Speaking to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, one league source predicted that Jerry Sloan will replace Mike Brown as the Lakers‘ head coach within the next month.
- Although James Harden was upset that the Thunder rushed his decision on a contract extension before they traded him to the Rockets, LeBron James tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) that he thinks Harden is welcoming the opportunity to “have his [own] team and showcase what he’s able to do.”
- Kevin Martin, who played with Hasheem Thabeet in Houston, says Thabeet seems to be an entirely different player with the Thunder. “Whatever they did to him, it definitely worked in his favor,” Martin tells Susan Bible of HoopsWorld.
- Andrei Kirilenko talks to Michael Scotto of RealGM.com about his decision to play in Russia during the 2011/12 season before returning to the NBA with the Timberwolves this year.
Western Notes: Kobe, Roy, T’Wolves, Hollins
Expectations are high in Denver as the new-look Nuggets stand as one of the most talented team in the Western Conference. However, they've yet to notch their first win this season after losing to the Sixers, Magic, and Heat. Tonight, Andre Iguodala & Co. look to secure their first W of the year as they take on the Pistons. Here's more out of the West..
- A report out of Turkey recently suggested that Kobe Bryant wants to play until he is 40, but Bryant's comments earlier today to reporters including Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA.com (via Twitter) imply that he didn't necessarily mean playing in the NBA. "Playing till I’m 40 is not beyond the realm of possibility,” Bryant said with a smile. “There’s always YMCA games. There’s always pick-up games. So, I’ll probably be playing. As long as I’m living, I’ll probably be playing.” In the past, Bryant has suggested that he won't play in the NBA when he can no longer perform at a high level.
- Brandon Roy hasn't looked strong so far in his comeback attempt with the Timberwolves, opines Zach Harper of CBSSports.com. Of course, Roy is only three games in to the 2012/13 campaign, but Harper wonders if his knee troubles could keep him from playing closer to his old form.
- Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins says that he isn't going to change his approach even as he faces uncertainty in his walk year, writes Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal.
Injury Updates: Shumpert, Nash, Griffin
We don't focus a whole lot on covering day-to-day injuries at Hoops Rumors, but we do keep tabs on the more serious injuries or issues affecting star players. In those cases, a team is more likely to explore a roster move to bring in a replacement player. Here's the latest on a handful of injuries from around the league:
- Iman Shumpert tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that he's aiming for a return sometime in 2013, rather than next month. "It could be as easy as December, but I’m not aiming at December," Shumpert said. "When I feel my knee’s right, that’s when I’m going to come back. January, February, that’s the target. If you can talk to my knee, I’d love you to write what it says." While Shumpert and Amare Stoudemire are out, offseason additions Jason Kidd and Ronnie Brewer will continue to start for the Knicks.
- Although coach Mike Brown believes Steve Nash may only miss a week with the small fracture in his left leg, the Lakers aren't putting any pressure on Nash to return quickly, writes Dave McMenamin of the Los Angeles Times. Even if Nash misses a few weeks, the Lakers don't appear interested in adding another point guard, as we heard yesterday.
- Blake Griffin is playing with a burst burca sac in his right elbow, according to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register. Griffin has experienced the issue before and expects to play through it, though he concedes it's "never this bad." If Griffin were forced to miss time, the Clippers do have a spare roster spot, and a certain ex-Clipper power forward is looking for work.