Alright, so this title is a little vague I must admit. I could rant about the ongoing Donald Sterling nonsense, but I thought I would stick to actual Basketball, and not the thoughts and opinions of an entitled, racist real estate mogul ( as I'm writing this I really want to change this article into a Sterling bash fest... maybe another time ). What I guess I am trying to say is, there are many things going on in L.A. , as always, that I could talk about. This particular day, I have been thinking alot about who is going to be next in line to lead the L.A. Lakers ( Unfortunately, Kobe won't be allowed to play and coach ). I have pondered many different routes that the Lakers could take in their seemingly never-ending search to find the next Phil Jackson ( not gonna happen ). This post will consist of a list of three potential candidates for the job ( I wish I could do more, but I am on my lunch break at my job that actually pays me), their credentials, and finally ( and possibly most important ), what route I THINK they should take. Here it goes.
1. George Karl:
What Better way to follow up the questionable coaching decisions of the last few years than to bring in one of the most seasoned, professional, and most respected coaches in the game? George Karl would be right for this franchise on so many levels, he is an experienced coach who knows how to get the best out of a bunch of second/third tier players ( see: '12-'13 Denver Nuggets ), and is also well respected by not only the front offices around the league, but a majority of the players as well ( even Kobe http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=kobe+on+george+karl&fr=mkg028 ). While the Lakers may land a top tier player this offseason, they will likely still have to rely on a majority of younger, role player type guys to step in and fill the void. Coach Karl has always been great at bringing out the best in his players, and helping to cover up some of their short-comings. Karl would be a great fit here in L.A., and has expressed is desire to come back into coaching this next season ( http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/09/george-karl-confirms-he-wants-to-return-to-coaching-he-wants-the-laker-to-call/ ). Will he be the choice?
2. Mark Jackson:
This seems like the pick that everyone is buzzing about. Mark Jackson is coming off of a seemingly successful season ( most people disagree with his dismissal in Oakland ), and he seems to have that "it" factor that is required to be a coaching candidate for the mighty Lakers. Something that D'antoni and Mike Brown most definitely did not possess. I have always been a big fan of Mark Jackson, as a player, commentator, and to an extent, a coach. Mark Jackson has the preacher mentality that seems to get his players behind him, and I think its very important to have the respect of your players ( which he would definitely have ). My only knock on Mark Jackson is that I am not quite sure of his capabilities of being an actual BASKETBALL coach ( ie: Schemes, offensive/defensive sets etc. ), I actually heard him in a huddle once basically asking his team what they were going to do on the next possession ( I wish I could find a video of it ). Mark Jackson relies on setting a fire under his players, and using basic technique to get them going, and I'm not 100 percent sure that his style would make the Lakers successful. This is a coaching pick that I wouldn't hate, but I'm not so sure I would love it either. Sorry Mark.
3. Lionel Hollins
This is probably the least "sexy" pick out of the three. Actually, this is DEFINITELY the least sexy pick out of the three, but it would not be a bad decision by ownership to look into it. Lionel Hollins, like the previous two coaches mentioned, lost his job coming off of what was thought to be a very successful season. He is defensive minded, which the Lakers most definitely need ( ranked 25th in the league on defense this year ), and had the Grizzlies reeling for most of their recent playoff run. The Lakers defense was partly due to D'antoni and his utter disregard for defensive strategy, but also to the lack of defensive effort by the players. Hollins will demand the effort, and will put a system in place that makes the defense look a little less like swiss cheese. I don't think that the Lakers will ultimately go this route, but it should be something that they look into sooner rather than later.
I've tried to go over the three potential candidates who I believe give the Lakers the best chance of winning now. I realize that this just scratches the surface of the potential candidates, and that none of these three coaches may get the final offer on this position, but I truly believe that the Lakers should go one of these three routes. If I had to take my best guess on who will be on the lakers bench next year ( Other than Ryan Kelly ), I would say George Karl seems like the most logical and likely pick. The Lakers are actually somewhat lucky, there are plenty of capable coaches out there looking for a job, it all comes down to ownership making the right decision.... So... Who's next up L.A.?!
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