Days after the Los Angeles Lakers were reported to have signed Mike D'Antoni as their next head coach, skeptical pundits and fans like myself are still struggling to find the words that accurately encompass the Lakers' recklessness. Whether or not Phil Jackson's alleged demands - greater authority in personnel decisions, skipping some road games, etc. - will always be a contentious debate. At the end of the day, though, we will never know what happened behind closed doors.
According to Jackson's agent, Todd Musburger, and a statement released by Jackson himself, the 11-time champion made no such demands in his hour-and-a-half long meeting with Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kuptchak on Saturday. Apparently, Jackson was given until Monday to make a decision and he was about to accept the job. In one of the most sly negotiations in sports history, though, Kuptchak awakened Jackson with a phone call right after midnight on Sunday night - technically, Monday morning - to inform Jackson that they had hired D'Antoni instead.
In an article by Mike Bresnahan in today's Los Angeles Times, Kuptchak is quoted as saying: "There was no agreement to wait for [Jackson's] response on Monday. He told us that's when he would get back to us. I could see where he might interpret that as 'I thought you guys would wait for me.' But I thought when I said I had to go on and interview other candidates that it was clear I had a job to do."
The entire situation appears, as Jackson described the midnight call, "slimy."
According to Kuptchak, if Jackson had immediately confirmed his interest in returning to coach the Lakers at Saturday's meeting, the job was his. Instead, Jackson's request for two days to think the matter over completely changed the trajectory of the Lakers' future.
My frustration extends beyond the Lakers' disrespectful, or at least slimy, negotiations. The Lakers claim that Jackson's "Triangle offense" was the deal-breaker; the offense resembled the "Princeton offense" that Mike Brown failed to instill. With Dwight Howard as the team's cornerstone going forward, D'Antoni's up-tempo offense would have a better chance of convincing Howard to resign with the Lakers at the end of the season as opposed to Jackson's methodical triangle. Jackson was also rumored to have wanted $10 milion or more annually in addition to other ludicrous demands.
No matter how many excuses the front office come up with, the organization knew what it was getting into when it pursued Jackson. Yes, the Princeton offense and Triangle offense do require practice in order to execute well, perhaps more practice than other offenses. But prior to the Lakers' Tuesday night loss againt the Spurs, the Purple and Gold had only played 6 games. There were still months of practice remaining and 76 games left to master the offense before the playoffs. And, unlike Jackson's second return in 2005, the Lakers have a core group of players already familiar with this offense - leaders in Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and, dare I say, Metta World Peace - who could help in the instructional phase.
Much has been reported of Jackson's alleged demands. For the most part, all of them have been false. According to Bresnahan's article, "Jackson told Jim Buss and Kuptchak that he wanted the same communication between them on personnel decisions that he held in his second tenure from 2005 to 2011." All the crazy talk of Jackson wanting to skip road games and seek an ownership stake in the franchise was absolute nonsense.
Even if Jackson actually made some extra demands, other than skipping road games, he has every right to ask for a little more. The Lakers are the one in the desperate situation seeking his services, not the other way around. Plus, Jackson, a mastermind who has played and coaches in the Association for decades, certainly knows more about the game than Jim Buss. The illustrious coach seems to have a rocky relationship with the younger Buss, but respects Kuptchak, and with good reason. When Kuptchak has taken the lead in decision-making the results have been much better than when Jim Buss stepped up (i.e. hiring Mike Brown). Any personnel decisions would likely have been made in conjunction with the expertise of Kuptchak. Yes, Jackson would have likely commanded $10-12 million in annual salary. But what happened the last time the Lakers were stingy about hiring a head coach? Oh, right.
With regard to retaining Howard, the center could have either learned under an 11-time champion coach who took Shaquille O'Neal to the Promised Land three consecutive times or from a coach whose own post player of several years, Amar'e Stoudemire, says that D'Antoni did little to foster his post skills. However, we should not be too worried about the post skills because, at its prime, the Nash-Stoudemire pick n'roll tandem was nearly flawless. What it comes down to is whether Howard will be more content with winning championships, albeit with less flare, or flashy wins without the silverware to back them up.
There were no surprises with Jackson. If the front office claims that they did not sign Jackson for basketball reasons, then they should not have even interviewed Jackson in the first place. They already knew Jackson's fundamental philosophy, the Triangle offense, so if they did not think the 11-time champion would be a good fit, it was inappropriate to even meet with Jackson and offer the job to him.
There's the problem, though: The Lakers front office passed on an 11-time champion, much less for a coach who has never been to the NBA Finals. The messianic Jackson, arguably the greatest coach in pro sports history, by far had the most credibility of any possible coaching candidate. No one believes D'Antoni is a bad coach or unfit for the job. In fact, Bryant himself told Jim Buss that his top preference was D'Antoni, until he found out Jackson was an option. Criticism of D'Antoni's lackluster defensive teams is not necessarily valid with a Lakers team that has two former defensive players of the year in Howard and World Peace alongside a 12-time All-Defensive team selection in Bryant. My argument is not one against D'Antoni, but for Jackson. Heck, I'm even willing to admit that D'Antoni was a better long-term solution for the Lakers. But for an organization that claims to be driven to win now, Jackson would have been the best man for the job.
Current Phoenix Suns head coach Alvin Gentry captured my sentiment best when he commented on the Lakers' shocking decision: "The one thing I don't understand is that guy [Jackson] has been to [13] out of 20 NBA Finals and won 11 of them. I don't know how you can pass on a guy that can pretty much guarentee you a championship every other year."
Ultimately, any front office is confronted with the following options in order of priority.
1) Optimal scenario: Win a championship AND be exciting.
2) Second-best scenario: Win a championship, but perhaps without an exciting offense.
3) Last resort if you do not have the resources for a championship-caliber team: Excite the fans.
The front office has made a huge gamble: either the Lakers will thrive in the optimal scenario or be victims of a general manager's last resort, where mind you, anything less than a championship will be considered a disappointment and anything other than a Finals appearance considered an utter faliure.
The NBA's general managers have cast their votes. Although the current Vegas odds have the Miami Heat winning the title, 63% of the league's general managers believe the Los Angeles Lakers will follow through on a three-peat. In contrast, only a third of GMs think the Larry O'Brien trophy is headed to South Beach.
They certainly have the resources to do so. On the sidelines, the team has Phil Jackson, who was voted best coach by 39% of GMs. In the post, they have Pau Gasol, who is tied with Dirk Nowitzki after receiving 29% of the votes. Of course, there's always Kobe Bryant. 79% voted picked Bryant as the player they most want taking the shot with the game on the line. Furthermore, 86% of GMs say that the Black Mamba is the best shooting guard.
Bryant was also voted second-most likely to win the MVP award with 26% of the votes. Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant finished first with 67% of the executives backing him.
Other results/facts (Source: Truehoop):
* The Wizards' John Wall, this year's top overall pick, earned 68 percent of the vote as this year's likely rookie of the year. Last year's top pick, the Clippers' Blake Griffin, will also be a rookie after missing a season to injury, and received 29 percent of the vote.
* For the first time, Deron Williams (50 percent) of the Utah Jazz was voted as the top point guard in the league, overtaking the New Orleans Hornets’ Chris Paul (36 percent).
* The Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki (29 percent) and Lakers’ Pau Gasol (29 percent) finished tied as the best power forward in the league, replacing the San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan, who had been selected as the best at his position for the past eight years.
* The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard (96 percent) was voted as the top center.
* The Heat’s James (68 percent) was named the best small forward.
* The Lakers’ Bryant (86 percent) was voted the best shooting guard. Bryant is currently the only player to have been selected as the best at his position every year of the survey.
* Thirty-nine percent of GMs believe the Heat will be the most improved team in 2010-11 while 14 percent of general managers feel the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards would be the most improved teams.
* For the ninth consecutive season, Bryant (79 percent) was also selected by GMs as the player they most want taking the shot with the game on the line.
* Nowitzki (57 percent) was voted the top international player.
* Durant (56 percent) was voted as the top player GMs would sign to start an NBA franchise.
* The Boston Celtics (100 percent) were unanimously picked to win the Atlantic Division, Chicago Bulls (82 percent) in the Central Division and the Miami Heat (74 percent) in the Southeast Division. In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers (96 percent) were predicted to win the Pacific Division, the Dallas Mavericks (71 percent) in the Southwest Division, and the Oklahoma City Thunder (63 percent) in the Northwest Division.
* The Magic’s Dwight Howard was voted best defensive player (78 percent).
* The Bulls’ Derrick Rose was voted fastest with the ball (21 percent).
* The Suns’ Steve Nash won the vote as best passer (75 percent).
* The Clippers' Griffin tied the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook as the most likely to have a breakout season (15 percent).
* The Oklahoma City Thunder were called the most fun team to watch (52 percent).
* The Celtics’ Ray Allen was voted the best pure shooter (54 percent).
* The Utah Jazz were voted the team with the best home court advantage (46 percent).
It's no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are practically polar opposites. Other than the arena they play in, the two NBA teams have little in common. At this point in time, the two organizations are also in a very different situation with regard to free agency. However, they are both in pursuit of the same thing: a title.
With a 16th championship banner on the way, the Lakers know exactly what it takes to win. While a multitude of teams are holding their breath for LeBron James, the Lakers breathed a deep sigh of relief on Thursday after Phil Jackson said those magic words: "Count me in." Fans woke up with a smile on Friday, opening the Los Angeles Times' "Sports" section to the headline, "He's Rested and Ready."
Almost immediately after the Lakers won Game 7, questions circulated about Jackson's future. Did he honestly have anything left to prove? Did he have it in him for one more run? On Thursday, he assured everyone that he did. Jackson shared,"I got a message..that said 'Phil, you've got to come back, there is a need to fulfill the prophecy. You know 12 [titles] is a holy number and 11 just doesn't fill that.'"
If there were any doubts about whether the Lakers would be a championship-worthy team next season, they have been erased. For now, the organization won't have to take a risk with a new coach at the helm. With the Zen Master back for more, even a team with Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade can be overcome. As the saying goes, "third time's a charm."
"It is time to get back to the challenge of putting together a team that can defend its title in the 2010-2011 season," Jackson said in a statement released by the team. Indeed, a "challenge" it will be, especially since nearly half of the champs are free agents.
So far, it has been reported that the Lakers have signed guard Steve Blake to a four-year contract for a total of $16 million. Earlier this week, the Times reported that the Lakers have contacted two of their guards, Derek Fisher and Shannon Brown. RealGM.com also cites the Lakers having interest in Celtics' reserve, Tony Allen; Celtics' guard, Nate Robinson; Wizards' shooter, Mike Miller; former Rockets' star, Tracy McGrady; Bucks' guard, Luke Ridnour; Magic forward, Matt Barnes; and Wizards' guard, Randy Foye.
There have also been reports of mutual interest between the Lakers and the Warriors' Raja Bell. Recently, there were also rumors of mutual interest between the organization and point guard Earl Watson. Although after signing Blake, it seems less likely the Lakers will pursue Watson, who attended UCLA.
The Clippers are also trying to assemble a winning squad. Then again, with the Clippers' luck, one never knows how the end result will turn out. In 2004, Kobe Bryant told the Clippers to have a jersey ready for him, changing his mind after a conversation with the Lakers' owner, Dr. Jerry Buss. The Clippers can only hope things will end differently in their pursuit of another big name, LeBron James.
The Clippers met with LeBron on Friday, leaving with a feeling that the meeting went "very well." Representing the organization were general manager Neil Oshley and president Andy Roeser. Owner Donald Sterling was not present at the meeting.
While it may seem funny, the Clippers actually have a lot to boast. In his presentation to James, Oshley emphasized, "we clearly have the best team already in place for him to join, we have the best city, the best arena, the best practice facility – overall the best situation."
What's more, the Clippers even produced a DVD for the King. The video highlighted life in L.A., along with the team's state-of-the-art practice facility and footage of the Clippers themselves. "We felt if we couldn't bring LeBron to L.A., we'd bring L.A. to LeBron," Olshey said.
A scenario that has not been heavily dwelled upon is a potential signing of Celtics' forward Paul Pierce. The two parties apparently have mutual interest, one can assume that Pierce's Los Angeles roots play a large part. (Update: It appears as though Pierce is coming closer to a deal with the Celtics.)
In addition to pursuing players, the Clippers are also searching for a head coach. The front-runners for the position are reportedly Vinny Del Negro, head coach of the Bulls last season, and Mavericks assistant, Dwane Casey. At this point in time, it's unclear who the Clippers will go with but a decision will be made soon.
All in all, the Lakers and Clippers - two teams in two extremely different positions - have a challenging, but exciting offseason ahead of themselves.
With two Lakers losses, one against the hometown rivals, the Clippers, and at the hostile Rose Garden against the Portland Trailblazers (technically, the Clippers game was a "road" game for the Lakers). The Lakers haven't loss consecutive games in quite some time and have been bailed out too many times by clutch performances from Kobe. The question on the minds of many fans is whether or not the Lakers are still the NBA's best.
According to their 28-8 record, the Lakers are still officially the most successful team in the NBA. There's no doubt the Lakers deserve credit for that. However, as analysts have been eager to point out, the squad hasn't proved itself on the road, especially in Portland, where they last won in 2005. Then again, the absences of Gasol and Artest have definitely taken a toll.
To be the best, though, you have to win against the other great teams in the league, as well as lesser opponents. The entire Lakers team came in to the Christmas Day matchup versus the Cavs with an unacceptable attitude. They downplayed the game simply because they weren't playing the Boston Celtics. Here's some news: The Cavs were third place in the Eastern Conference coming into Christmas Day - meaning they are still an elite team. On December 30, when I was on Correy Costelloe's Home Turf on December 30, merely 5 days after the horrible loss, the Cavs trailed Boston by only half a game for #1 in the East. At the moment, Cleveland is ahead of Boston by 1 game for best in the conference.
However, there's nothing that can be done to reverse what's already happened; rather, there are certain improvements that can be made to have a better future. Understand that no particular individual is at fault for the Lakers' few and rare shortcomings.
The coach of a team, equally as much as a point guard, directs a team's course of action. Phil Jackson, as intelligent and experienced as he is, still makes mistakes from time to time. He has declared he will be more active in the first halves of games to prevent the Lake Show from falling behind early. Well, it's about time!
I'm still in the process of wrapping my head around his Playboy incident, but there are 2 very distinct Bynums on the is hardwood. One Bynum, typically seen in Gasol's absence, exhibits his offensive savvy through an array of post-moves and drops steps, in addition to hustling on the defensive end, and grabbing rebounds. Another Bynum, usually present when Gasol is, has no inclination to grab rebounds, gets into foul trouble, and attempts forced shots, if he shoots at all.
A couple seasons ago, the Lakers' "bench mob" was renown around the league as skilled unit that could take over for the starters and not only maintain a lead, but extend it. Unfortunately, this is no longer true. The second five has failed to perform well on either end of the court. Offensively, they just can't get a rhythm going, which surprises me. Adam Morrison, as funny as he may look at times, is a great shooter. Shannon Brown can create a shot for himself and was known for his defensive skills during his tenure at Michigan State. Jordan Farmar has the quickness and range to be effective. Josh Powell is a sturdy forward down low, who is also capable of knocking down a mid-range shot. DJ Mbenga, who still needs to work on lowering his fouls, is a daunting center with the ability to alter every shot, if not get a hand on it. And Lamar Odom would be a starter on almost any other team in the league. It's just a matter of coming together and playing as a team.
Although there were certainly other elements involved in the Lakers' avoidable falls, I will remind everyone that they are still the best team in the NBA and remain three games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for the lead in the West. It's not that they're doing anything wrong, heck when you're 28-8 most criticism is considered nit-picking. It's just that the Lakers can be better.
With every passing day it become more apparent that the Timberwolves may, indeed, sign Kurt Rambis as their head coach. Everybody knows that he is more than capable of coaching a team. When the Zen Master just couldn't make it, the former Lakers forward was always the go-to guy. Back in the 90s, Rambis also was interim coach after Del Harris - and before Phil. But did we really see this coming? Rambis taking over McHale, the same guy who clotheslined him in the 80s? And Rambis isn't the only Lakers assistant who may have a head coaching position in the future. Brian Shaw, a former Laker himself, has also undergone negotiations with teams but so far, to no avail. Of course, in the warm and sunny L.A. this comes as an inconvenient truth.
Rambis has been recruited for the head role before. Only a couple of years ago, the Sacramento Kings examined Kurt. For whatever reason, things didn't work out. However, fast-forward to 2009, and he the job and was offered a two-year contract. In the world of sports, though, rejections are common. Two years was too little committment and just wouldn't due. Plus, he wanted more moo-lah. This summer, Rambis has also had talks with the Sixers about filling their vacany, but that didn't get anywhere. Now, the Los Angeles Times is practically reporting that Rambis is all but gone.
This move has a larger impact on the Lakers than many would expect. First of all, Phil Jackson controversially confessed that the idea of co-coaching had "some merit to it". Had the NBA season started immediately after he said that, he would've co-coached with Rambis. Who would he co-coach with now? None of the other assistant coaches are really known for their head coaching abilities. We all know Frank Hamblen isn't fit for the job after how he blew off half the Lakers' season in 2005. Jim Cleamons head coached the entire 96-97 season for the Mavs and lead them to a sub-par 24-58 (.293 winning percentage) record. And we don't really know much about Brian Shaw, a favorite among the players, who's been asisstant coach of the Lake Show since his appointment in the 04-05 season. That said, the Lakers probably won't fill Rambis' position. Oh, and the concept of co-coaching isn't looking so bright.
The Lakers should also consider these ongoing talks with Rambis as a wake-up call. In addition to having the best coach in the league, they also have another well-respected assistant in Shaw. Brian can relate to the players well, especially since he played for fourteen seasons and played his last game only six years ago. Unlike many other (assistant) coaches in the league, Shaw also knows what it takes to win, as he was a member of three championship teams and interestingly enough, was part of the gold medal 1986 Olympic team.
The reason for all of this is to prove that the Lakers should start working on a shortlist. You know, always be aware of a few candidates for a coaching position. What if Shaw and Rambis leave? Then, the front office will at least have to hire one assistant. Kuptchak, just make sure you stay focused. If not, the Lakers may not meet their expectations, or just the same, their potential.
After what they've been through, this Lakers teams are resembling the pre-, mid-, and post-Depression stages of our country. Many forget that during the same summer the Big Aristotle was dealt away, the Zen Master was nowhere to be found. Which put the organization in the very difficult position of hiring a new head coach. You'd think they'd found a decent replacement in Rudy Tomjanovich. The man had coached egoistic players - as most coaches have - and won two championships at the helm. But then again, he had missed the playoffs every season during the span of 1999-2003.
Rudy T. didn't do a bad job either, leading the Lakers to a 24-19 record. However, the question on many Lakers fans was still "Could things be any worse?" These were the fans who had purchased caps and shirts from the three-peat. These Angelenos eagerly watched the ending of each playoff series and joyously watched their team awarded with the title. These were the people who took a day off work to join the festivities of Lakers parades. The same fans who attended the games just so they could see a highlight reel in person would have to reminisce those nostalgic times on Youtube. But the question, to the disappointment of many, was answered not too long after the halfway mark of the season. Rudy Tomjanovich was retiring.
This didn't leave time to search for personnel and assistant coach Frank Hamblen hastily finished off the season and the Los Angeles Lakers, among the NBA's most celebrated dynasties, had missed the playoffs. The glitz and glamour of Staples Center would just have to wait a little longer because the purple and gold didn't make the bar. This embarrassment sent shockwaves throughout the league. Arguably the most storied franchise in the association, Hollywood's precious piece of athletics was no longer victorious. In a journalistic world, that's like having the New York Times shut down for half a year. In sports media, the season was equivalent to six months of no ESPN. To the rest of the world, the sun had set in Los Angeles.
If Frank Hamblen and Rudy T. dually shared the role of Herbert Hoover, think of Jackson as the FDR of the team. He stepped in at the worst time possible and was expected to clean up the mess left before him. And to the surprise of many, he took a team that missed the playoffs and reoriented them into champions in a matter of a few short years. Mind you, this was a team spearheaded at point guard by a developmental league prospect in William "Smush" Parker that was completely renovated with the signing of Derek Fisher. The aura had finally been restored. Jack Nicholson could yell at the referees with even more confidence.
Of course, FDR worked on several projects during his presidency. Kobe Bryant definitely qualifies as the FDIC of our modern Roosevelt. To a certain extent, Kobe can prevent losses. The interesting thing about Kobe, however, is that during the moments when we're observing the entirety of his wrath, we're watching the downfall of his team. When, in my opinion, he plays more passively and looks to earn assists, as opposed to draining jumper after jumper, we see how talented the squad is. It's almost like putting Kobe on one beam of a scale and the rest of the Lakers squad on the other beam and Kobe outweighs them all - at least, when he's on his scoring rampages.
Reminds you of Kobe and Gasol, doesn't it?
Kobe answered better than anyone else ever could. In 100 years, will people remember the 2009 championship as "the title won without Shaq"? Or on his basketball card, will it simply say "4-time champion"?