Mike Brown To Be Lakers New Head CoachNew Lakers Coach

[Steve Williams]

New Lakers Coach: Is Mike Brown's Hiring By Lakers All About Money?
By Adam Wells
Los Angeles Lakers Reportedly Close To Hiring Mike Brown, Is This A Money Hiring?

When the news broke early Wednesday morning that Mike Brown, the current ESPN basketball analyst and former head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, was the leading candidate to take over the Los Angeles Lakers, it was met with a lot of questions to say the least.

The biggest question is the most obvious: Why Mike Brown?

No disrespect to Brown, who did a good job in his five seasons with the Cavs, but he doesn't exactly have the name recognition that you would expect from someone taking a job with the Lakers. Maybe he is what this team needs right now - a guy who isn't flashy, but is a good X's and O's coach with a strong defensive mentality.

This could be a question on finances, too. Last year, when the Lakers were negotiating a contract with Phil Jackson, the front office made it known that they wanted him to take a pay cut because they couldn't afford to keep paying a coach in excess of $12 million. Jackson signed for $8 million last year, but with him retiring the Lakers clearly want to bring in their own guy for their price.


The Lakers are expected to give Brown a contract for four-years, $18 million, according to Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com.

The Lakers wanted to bring in someone who wasn't going to cost them an arm and a leg, and Brown certainly isn't going to do that. But this team has also interviewed at least five candidates with Brown being the most impressive of the bunch. That candidate list included Rick Adelman, Jeff Van Gundy, Brian Shaw and Mike Dunleavy.

Clearly the Lakers had money in mind when they went through this whole process, but perhaps Brown just fits with what the team wants to do right now and that's why he looks to be the man in Laker-land.

 

[Steve Williams]

so what sayest you guys. Brown is an OK coach whose claim to fame was coaching LBJ for 5 years. I do think he would be better than Brian Shaw but I was very interested in Rick Adelman as well Jeff Van Gundy

 

[MylesBAstor]

Perhaps you'll see LeBron in two years when he has opt out?

 

[Steve Williams]

Perhaps you'll see LeBron in two years when he has opt out?

two chances...slim and none

 

[JackD201]

Any news on potential player movements in LA yet Steve?

 

[Steve Williams]

Nothing Jack.

Not even rumors let alone players' reactions to the news.

I would love to hear Brian Shaw's take on it.

 

[jadis]

I'm quite surprised as Mike's name didn't surface till these past few days. We'll just hope he can take control of the Lakers the way Phil Jackson did. And I really wonder why Brian Shaw fell out of the running.

 

[Steve Williams]

The final decision always comes from the Buss family

 

[Ron Party]

The biggest question is the most obvious: Why Mike Brown?

No disrespect to Brown, who did a good job in his five seasons with the Cavs, but he doesn't exactly have the name recognition that you would expect from someone taking a job with the Lakers. Maybe he is what this team needs right now - a guy who isn't flashy, but is a good X's and O's coach with a strong defensive mentality.

This is the key. If the Lakers had a coach who emphasized defense, they might be playing the Thunder right now. Their defense, and in particular their defense against the pick and roll, is what lost them the series against Dallas.

The Lakers wanted to bring in someone who wasn't going to cost them an arm and a leg, and Brown certainly isn't going to do that. But this team has also interviewed at least five candidates with Brown being the most impressive of the bunch. That candidate list included Rick Adelman, Jeff Van Gundy, Brian Shaw and Mike Dunleavy.

Jeff Van Gundy also is/was a coach who stressed defense. This begs the question: why Brown over Van Gundy (assuming the latter was interested)? Alas, we never will know.

I see Shaw now being a finalist for the job with the Warriors.

 

[Steve Williams]

I agree Ron.

Also Van Gundy is probably getting as much as a sportscaster rather than a coach

 

[jadis]

I agree Ron.

Also Van Gundy is probably getting as much as a sportscaster rather than a coach

Interesting point, Steve. If I would get the same money as a coach than a sporstcaster, I'd love to be the latter. Coaching is so stressful. Had I not seen the behind the scenes clips in a practice facility, I would have thought otherwise. One such clip showed an NBA coach repeating the same sequence of a play countless of times it took 30 minutes of the airtime and he was still instructing the same play. And the vocal cord wear and tear. Man, that is gruelling. All the shouting amidst the crowd roar. They deserve their pay.

 

[rblnr]

Don't think Van Gundy would make more than 1 mil/yr. as a sportscaster (ah poverty!), so it wouldn't match a coaches pay.

They certainly didn't hire Brown for his offensive genius. W/a passer of LeBron's genius, that they never ran a motion offense is a crime. I think Ademan would have been a great choice, but think there might be some bad history between him and the organization.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Don't think Van Gundy would make more than 1 mil/yr. as a sportscaster (ah poverty!), so it wouldn't match a coaches pay.

They certainly didn't hire Brown for his offensive genius. W/a passer of LeBron's genius, that they never ran a motion offense is a crime. I think Ademan would have been a great choice, but think there might be some bad history between him and the organization.

Expect that outside of broadcasting though, van Gundy has a life. Most coaches at his level work 12 months a year. Sure that Jeff can pick and choose what he does in the post-season and assume he concentrates on his or working at other BB camps during the summer.