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| Is Luke Walton the Right Hire for the Lakers? |
| Yes |
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78% |
[ 173 ] |
| No |
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21% |
[ 46 ] |
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| Total Votes : 219 |
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Fruscas
Star Player
Joined: 12 Mar 2013
Posts: 5130
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 Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:03 am Post subject: Is Luke Walton the right choice for the Lakers? |
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LA Lakers Brass Still Can't See Obvious Path Forward After Byron Scott Firing
| Quote: | There was a temptation for Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak to keep Byron Scott on as head coach. At least it would've projected some semblance of stability for the proud Los Angeles Lakers.
Ultimately, there were too many voices howling that Scott was just not good enough at his job.
Here's what one person inside the organization—one whose voice was among those criticizing Scott as a fail—texted in the aftermath of the decision Sunday to let Scott go:
"What a mess."
See, even with this wholly logical choice not to exercise a team contract option to move forward with Scott's antiquated ideas, nothing is solved.
The Lakers remain confused about what to do—and who they should be.
Buss and Kupchak weren't sure what to do with Scott, but there's uncertainty everywhere.
Team president Jeanie Buss isn't sure what to do about her brother Jim, head of basketball operations, and Kupchak, the team's general manager—all while her fiance, Phil Jackson, remains very much a possibility to join the Lakers front office next year.
And no one is sure what to do about life after Kobe Bryant. That's why they put off dealing with that reality as long as possible.
Who might come in free agency to save the day? They don't know.
It is a mess, and it probably was destined to be a mess transitioning from a visionary leader and decision-maker such as Jerry Buss, operating from an NBA playbook he'd mastered, to a new leadership group unequipped to anticipate a changing NBA landscape.
What Scott's departure creates, though, is a unique possibility for the fragmented Lakers to rally behind one fresh, familiar face: Luke Walton.
There haven't been many easy decisions for the club since Buss' death in 2013. So far, L.A. is determined to make this one more difficult than it needs to be.
According to team sources, the Lakers intend to put together a long list headed by Walton, San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina and University of Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie. Execs will spend indefinite time determining who should be their next head coach when they should only be plotting the best pitch to Walton.
Kupchak might not be as convinced of Walton's coaching chops as many people. Jim Buss wants to explore options despite being partial to Walton—and is among the countless folks the amiable Walton has made feel comfortable over the years and closer to him than he really is.
Walton's the great guy who shares his cell number with so many people that he can't possibly respond to the number of texts coming in to him. And the fact he doesn't respond to everyone and is cool with that shows his strong sense of self.
He downplays his sharpness with basketball concepts, offers the Lakers an ongoing link to good friend Bryant, invigorates a fanbase that rolled its collective eyes at Scott, is young enough at 36 to connect with the Lakers' young crew of players and would command rare immediate respect from Lakers millennials, based on his success with the modern-day Warriors.
Considering how much Warriors coach Steve Kerr was molded by Gregg Popovich and Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue was mentored by Doc Rivers, Walton is the best fruit to come off Jackson's coaching tree. That would mean something after the Buss family passed over Jackson's preferred successor, Brian Shaw, for Mike Brown and Jackson himself in next hiring Mike D'Antoni.
"Bill may be his father, but he's really my son," Jackson said about Luke during the Lakers' championship ring ceremony in 2010.
Not that it's necessarily Jim Buss' priority—and who knows now if Jackson returns or stays in New York—but hiring Walton would be respecting Jackson as Lakers family and making the right move for the future.
Regarding the pull Walton feels to stay with the Warriors while he's still learning, his team seemingly a dynasty in the making, it'd be shocking if he's not gettable. He truly loves L.A., and deep down he knows it's Kerr's show up north. He would be in line to lead the Lakers as long as he wants.
The Lakers' reluctance to keep changing coaches is one reason Scott had been a possibility to stay. Kupchak appreciated that Scott achieved the goal of getting Bryant to the finish line healthy enough for that glorious end game that enriched the franchise all over again. And Buss was conscious of how his father always envisioned Chick Hearn's "Scotty" becoming Lakers head coach.
It wasn't as clear-cut to drop Scott as it should've been.
But Buss and Kupchak are understandably uneasy having to chase their losses with more and more changes. They've lost so many more games than they've been accustomed to losing.
They've also lost a lot of people's confidence.
It's why the Lakers are a mess, even correctly moving on from Scott.
After all their steps on such firm footing, it's an uncertain feeling trying to slog uphill.
Kevin Ding is an NBA senior writer |
Last edited by Fruscas on Tue Apr 26, 2016 12:11 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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yinoma2001
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Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 119487
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:04 am Post subject: |
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Done
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Troublesome626
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Joined: 13 Nov 2012
Posts: 2469
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:05 am Post subject: |
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give some other options for this poll.
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999
Franchise Player
Joined: 19 Oct 2006
Posts: 20266
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:05 am Post subject: |
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our next coach already found a job in Minnesota  |
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dcarter4kobe
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Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 17668
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:09 am Post subject: |
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I believe we will need a couple highly talented veteran assistant coaches if we do hire Luke.
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pio2u
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Joined: 26 Dec 2012
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:11 am Post subject: |
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| only time will tell |
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infoman2001
Starting Rotation
Joined: 18 Jul 2010
Posts: 102
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:15 am Post subject: |
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Luke is not the right candidate, not proven by any stretch of the imagination.
Why because he coached a well oiled machine in the Warriors to a 39-4 record? That team could have won 39 games with a statue as a coach. He is a product of the system, have you seen Alvin Gentry? Left and gone to Pelicans with one of the top 3 talents and all he did was stink up NO. |
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frijolero01
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Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 13324
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:20 am Post subject: |
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This forum is heavily divided when it comes to coaches. It doesn't seem as though there is a real consensus. Many here love Luke, others here don't.
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jjangx27
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Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 2456
Location: Seoul, Korea
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:21 am Post subject: |
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| he can be |
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Lakers2015
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Joined: 16 Feb 2015
Posts: 2315
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:24 am Post subject: |
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| infoman2001 wrote: | Luke is not the right candidate, not proven by any stretch of the imagination.
Why because he coached a well oiled machine in the Warriors to a 39-4 record? That team could have won 39 games with a statue as a coach. He is a product of the system, have you seen Alvin Gentry? Left and gone to Pelicans with one of the top 3 talents and all he did was stink up NO. |
This is just complete ignorance.
The Warriors are a great team, but Luke still had them prepared each day. Pushing them and making sure they're practicing the right way. Making sure they aren't getting out of character. Very composed, but at the same time demanding they still run their sets, making sure they're in tune and playing solid team defense. Luke is a high IQ guy, who knows the game, who'll preach and teach ball movement and man movement as well as teaching and implementing a system on both sides of the ball. I don't see how anyone can not be impressed with the job he did. Luke should be number one followed by Ollie and Messina.
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22
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Joined: 05 Apr 2013
Posts: 17063
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:29 am Post subject: |
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Yes.
Only one better suited is Budenholzer, and he's likely staying in ATL |
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Rivershow
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Joined: 09 Dec 2011
Posts: 6731
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:30 am Post subject: |
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| infoman2001 wrote: | Luke is not the right candidate, not proven by any stretch of the imagination.
Why because he coached a well oiled machine in the Warriors to a 39-4 record? That team could have won 39 games with a statue as a coach. He is a product of the system, have you seen Alvin Gentry? Left and gone to Pelicans with one of the top 3 talents and all he did was stink up NO. |
Kerr was not proven either. He was just a former player and sideline commentator but he knows basketball just like Luke does. Sometimes you have to take a chance on people instead of going for retreads all the time otherwise you get Byron Scott going from team to team with his record. |
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jjangx27
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Joined: 23 Jun 2005
Posts: 2456
Location: Seoul, Korea
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:32 am Post subject: |
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| 22 wrote: | Yes.
Only one better suited is Budenholzer, and he's likely staying in ATL |
Question for ya'll...Why has Budz not been re-signed already? Why was he in a lame duck position this season? |
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yinoma2001
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Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 119487
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:36 am Post subject: |
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I mean, Steve Kerr didn't coach 1 minute in his life yet won the championship with the Warriors.
Luke went 39-4, 2 years as assistant on the Warriors, did coaching at the DLeague level. Why do people think he can't coach when he's coached more than Kerr at comparable time periods?
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22
Franchise Player
Joined: 05 Apr 2013
Posts: 17063
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:40 am Post subject: |
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| jjangx27 wrote: | | 22 wrote: | Yes.
Only one better suited is Budenholzer, and he's likely staying in ATL |
Question for ya'll...Why has Budz not been re-signed already? Why was he in a lame duck position this season? |
That I don't know. I'm not familiar with ATL's situation |
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Lakers_Jester
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Joined: 17 Sep 2012
Posts: 5366
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:41 am Post subject: |
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Luke then phil.
I know some of u have come to despise phil but in my eyes he's still much more of a visionary than any of these guys in lal front office. He's a basketball god and imo when i think of him I feel comfortable knowing I'm in the hands of phil friggin jackson the winningest coach in nba history. Popovich blah blah blah, less talent blah blah blah, pjax knows how to win even if it is meticulously surrounding himself with superior talent.
I still remember during the shaq ceremony ythey show phil and everyone chanting "we want phil."
Jim gets bashed more than he should have, however, the way he took over by kicking phil out was unwise imo. And having strayed away from the natural transition of Brian shaw by firing mike brown was the first snowball of an avalanche. Sure shaw was crap in Denver but if he were to have been allowed to coach la, w players who had mastered the triangle, in a culture already established by pjax, and personnel all setting him up to succeed, I'm willing to bet shaw would have thrived here and kobe would have had a better end to his career.
Luke rights the ship back on course. And a yr from now, pjax will be president. |
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danzag
Franchise Player
Joined: 28 Apr 2013
Posts: 22311
Location: Brazil
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:41 am Post subject: |
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| YES. |
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SGV-Laker fan
Star Player
Joined: 23 May 2013
Posts: 8858
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:42 am Post subject: |
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| frankly it depends on which version of Luke we are getting. we want the Luke Walton that brings us Warriors' system, we do not want Luke as Phil Jackson's lap dog aka Rambis. |
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LakersRGolden
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Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 7921
Location: Lake Forest
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:43 am Post subject: |
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| I think Luke is good enough, but not the best option. It's not binary. I think Ollie, Bud, Luke and a few others could do just fine. |
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KindCrippler2000
Franchise Player
Joined: 02 May 2003
Posts: 15821
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:48 am Post subject: |
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James J. Ball from SilverScreen&Roll summed up my sentiments on why a young coach is important for the team growing forward -
| Quote: | I’m actually rooting for a new young coach over a vet. Looking at who is on the market, I really would only want Blatt and Thibbs (in that order), but I doubt they’re viable options.
I’m looking at the names on the market, and all I think is "washed up… not a winner… low ceiling… terrible coach". How many franchises cycle through coaches who have "proven" track records, only to find that they are capped at the same ceiling as the last franchise that the "proven" coach hit.
Let’s look at the list of champion coaches over the last quarter century:
1991: Phil Jackson*
1992: Phil Jackson*
1993: Phil Jackson*
1994: Rudy Tomjanovich*
1995: Rudy Tomjanovich*
1996: Phil Jackson*
1997: Phil Jackson*
1998: Phil Jackson*
1999: Gregg Popovich*
2000: Phil Jackson
2001: Phil Jackson
2002: Phil Jackson
2003: Gregg Popovich*
2004: Larry Brown
2005: Greg Popovich*
2006: Pat Riley
2007: Gregg Popovich*
2008: Doc Rivers
2009: Phil Jackson
2010: Phil Jackson
2011: Rick Carlisle
2012: Erik Spoelstra*
2013: Erik Speolstra*
2014: Gregg Popovich*
2015: Steve Kerr*
Of that list 16 out of the 25 champions were coached by guys on their first head coaching job. If take Phil Jackson’s LA wins out of there, it becomes 16/20. That means only Larry Brown, Pat Riley (former champion HC), Doc Rivers and Rick Carlisle are the only coaches in the last 25 years to have won a championship on a team that wasn’t the first to hire them.
I think there are certainly other factors at play, but it’s pretty clear that a team’s best chance to score an elite coach comes by hiring a new coach. I’d much rather hire someone young and hungry than take a risk on a coach that has been run out of another job.
I’d much rather bring Luke Walton in and see what he can do rather than watch a guy like Vinny Del Negro come in and do Vinny Del Negro things. There are reasons why certain coaches are always on the new-job carousel, and I’d rather not go down that path again…. we saw what happened with Karl.
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Dave20
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Joined: 15 Jun 2013
Posts: 11333
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:59 am Post subject: |
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| I'm skeptical about Luke like I was with Gentry. He did a great job when Kerr was out but the roster is loaded with talent. He didn't develop any young players. I'm leaning towards Messina. |
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yinoma2001
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Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 119487
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 11:00 am Post subject: |
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| Dave20 wrote: | | I'm skeptical about Luke like I was with Gentry. He did a great job when Kerr was out but the roster is loaded with talent. He didn't develop any young players. I'm leaning towards Messina. |
You mean b/c half of their starting lineup was out with dehabiliting injuries, including Davis who played 3/4th of a season with a torn labrum?
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deal
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 11:02 am Post subject: |
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I've got Luke all the way...
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Dave20
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Joined: 15 Jun 2013
Posts: 11333
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 11:05 am Post subject: |
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| yinoma2001 wrote: | | Dave20 wrote: | | I'm skeptical about Luke like I was with Gentry. He did a great job when Kerr was out but the roster is loaded with talent. He didn't develop any young players. I'm leaning towards Messina. |
You mean b/c half of their starting lineup was out with dehabiliting injuries, including Davis who played 3/4th of a season with a torn labrum? |
He played 61 games. Even when they had Davis they still didn't look like a good team. Luke could be great or he could be a disaster. It's a tough choice to make. |
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yinoma2001
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Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 119487
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 11:07 am Post subject: |
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| Dave20 wrote: | | yinoma2001 wrote: | | Dave20 wrote: | | I'm skeptical about Luke like I was with Gentry. He did a great job when Kerr was out but the roster is loaded with talent. He didn't develop any young players. I'm leaning towards Messina. |
You mean b/c half of their starting lineup was out with dehabiliting injuries, including Davis who played 3/4th of a season with a torn labrum? |
He played 61 games. Even when they had Davis they still didn't look like a good team. Luke could be great or he could be a disaster. It's a tough choice to make. |
Sorry man. If you can't at least acknowledge the rash of injuries that the Pelicans (so much so they basically petitioned the league on a weekly basis for an injury exception to field 10 healthy players), don't know what to tell you.
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