Lakers Coaching Search Discussion: Going Ham?

lol, might get monty williams-ed again.

 

I could see them considering that pairing. Ham with Stott as his assistant.

Good thing we're taking our time to see if Doc becomes available.

 

I'm not excited about any candidates mentioned at all right now. I'm hoping we do something along the lines of what the Scouting team does and surprises the heck out of us with a relatively unknown talent that just crushes it. Not sure that unicorn exists or if we are just bad at finding it on the coaching front.

 

My worst case offseason -- our only moves are Brick for Paul's corpse and Doc. FML.

 

This decision is big for our franchise. Not because it will have a greater impact next year - our success lays in LeBron and AD being healthy - but because it shows how good our franchise is run, giving a hint on what to expect post-Lebron era.

Either we show we can get our #1 pick and it's a coach who makes sense, based on analytics, mindset, leadership and potential or we strike out in one or both and get an old turtle who everyone knows it won't work.

C'mon Rob, make me proud

 

I really don't get all the gloom and doom. When we fired Luke, our options were Williams, Lue and Vogel. Williams went to the Finals, Lue took the Clippers to the Conference finals without Kawhi and Vogel won a chip. For all his meddling, Kurt installed Kidd on Vogel's staff. Kidd has done well in Dallas. I think we are actually pretty good at identifying a decent HC prospect. I expect the next coach to do well if we don't have a repeat of the injuries we've seen over these last two seasons.

 

https://theathletic.com/3307282/202...-search-candidates?source=user-shared-article

 

It’s been several weeks since the Lakers moved on from former head coach Frank Vogel. During that time, Los Angeles has been tied to more than a dozen coaching candidates.

There are an array of contenders, ranging in age, experience and expertise. The only known determinant is gravitas — a coach’s ability to command a locker room, connect with players and maintain accountability.

“We want a strong voice that’s able to inspire the players to play at the highest level of competition every night,” Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said at his exit interview last month. “And I think that’s going to be one of the resounding qualities that we look for in terms of holding everybody, from the top player on our team to the 15th man to a degree of accountability.”

Pelinka dubbed the coaching search a “very methodical process.” The Lakers don’t have a target date for hiring, but their goal is to have a head coach employed by the June 23 NBA Draft, which would give them a minimum of a week to prepare for the start of free agency on June 30.

After botching their pursuit of Tyronn Lue and Monty Williams during their last coaching search, largely due to their below-market offers for years and annual salary, as well as their insistence on picking the coaching staff and meddling with basketball affairs, it’s unclear how different things will be for the Lakers this time around.

Will they offer candidates a four- or five-year deal? Will they give their coach autonomy to pick his staff? Will Pelinka and senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis involve themselves in coaching meetings? How much have the Lakers learned from the optics of the Vogel situation?

Those factors could determine how willing candidates are to join the Lakers — especially top candidates like Nick Nurse and Quin Snyder, who would have to leave organizations that have been better and more competent than the Lakers during their respective coaching tenures.

As the search continues, and more candidates emerge, here is a tiered ranking of the candidates that have been linked to the Lakers from best to worst fit.

Note: Nick Nurse (Toronto Raptors), Doc Rivers (Philadelphia 76ers) and Juwan Howard (University of Michigan) aren’t listed, as all current indications are that the coaches will stay in their respective positions. If Nurse becomes available, he’s the clear top choice — and worth sending out a first-round pick for.

Tier 1
1. Quin Snyder
Coaching status: Utah Jazz head coach

Age: 55

Years of NBA experience: 12 (Eight as a head coach)

Career record: 372-264 (.585)

Playoff record: 21-30 (.412)

Snyder’s sheen has worn off in recent seasons, but many still consider him a top-10 coach in the NBA. If anything, he’s become somewhat underrated considering Utah’s embarrassing ousters in recent postseasons. Snyder was groomed under Mike Krzyzewski, Gregg Popovich and Mike Budenholzer, and it’s shown in the turnaround he’s led in Utah. He’s also a former Lakers assistant coach (2011-12) who notably won the approval of Kobe Bryant, which likely counts for something with Pelinka and governor Jeanie Buss.

Utah has become a regular-season machine under Snyder. The Jazz has had a top-10 defense six out of eight seasons and a top-10 offense in three consecutive seasons. They improved their win percentage in six of eight seasons. Snyder values analytics and 3-point shooting and ball/player movement in ways the Lakers haven’t prioritized as an organization. They could stand to benefit from a more modern approach on both sides of the ball.

Snyder crafted the perfect system to maximize Rudy Gobert’s defensive strengths — until five-out offenses proved too much for the 7-foot-1 three-time Defensive Player of the Year the past two postseasons — and should theoretically be able to find similar success with Davis, who’s a more versatile defensive weapon.

One credible knock on Snyder is that the Jazz has never advanced past the Western Conference semifinals, partially due to his rigidness in adjusting. Snyder is known to be intense and meticulous, and he’d likely have to cater to stars and personalities in a way he didn’t in Utah. He reportedly wasn’t fond of how the Lakers handled their firing of Vogel, though it’s unclear if that’s a deal breaker for him.

There’s also the matter of if he’ll even be available, as he’s still under contract and reaffirmed his fondness of coaching the Jazz and living in Utah in his exit interview about a week ago. That said, Jazz executive Danny Ainge is known for making bold, franchise-altering decisions, and after another first-round exit, it seems as if major changes are inevitable in Utah this offseason. The rumor mill has tied Snyder to the Lakers’ job for months, and that won’t go away until the future of the Jazz becomes more obvious.

Tier 2
2. Darvin Ham
Coaching status: Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach

Age: 48

Years of NBA experience: 11

Ham has been a runner-up for several coaching jobs in recent years, and the sense around the league is that it’s just a matter of time until he’s a head coach. He checks a lot of the boxes for the Lakers: He has ties to the franchise (he was an assistant head coach from 2011-13), he’s a former NBA player with championship experience (as a player with the 2004 Detroit Pistons and as an assistant coach with the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks), he’s personable and connects well with players, and he’s a respected tactician who’s a descendent of the vaunted Popovich/Budenholzer coaching tree.

Ham would command the respect of the locker room as a tough, blue-collar veteran who helped develop Giannis Antetokounmpo and has worked with Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash and Al Horford. He has an imposing presence. Players unanimously love him. Among first-year candidates, he’s arguably the best.

3. Charles Lee
Coaching status: Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach

Age: 37

Years of NBA experience: Eight

The Bucks’ coaching staff is clearly strong, as Lee is the second Bucks assistant on this list. He hasn’t received as much buzz as Ham because he didn’t play in the NBA and hasn’t been interviewing for coaching vacancies for as long, but he has equally as strong of a case.

Lee was a runner-up for the jobs in New Orleans and Washington last season and is considered an elite coaching prospect who can balance both shrewd tactical requirements and emotional intelligence with players. His experience as a Wall Street trader gives him a unique advantage as a communicator. As he told The Athletic earlier this season, he believes in the “power of positivity” and coaching stars the same way he coaches the back end of the roster.

He’s helped with designing the Bucks’ offense, including their ATO (after timeout) sets, which are statistically efficient. He’s the youngest candidate and might have the highest upside on this list given his calculated abilities and his confident-yet-relatable personality.

4. Terry Stotts
Coaching status: Free agent

Age: 64

Years of NBA experience: 27 (13 as a head coach)

Career record: 517-486 (.515)

Playoff record: 23-44 (.343)

Among retreads, Stotts is one of the more appealing options. Under Stotts, the Trail Blazers made the Western Conference finals, won 50-plus games three times, made the postseason in eight of nine seasons, and finished with a top-10 offense six times (and a top-five offense four times).

The Blazers ultimately hit their ceiling — in large part due to health and the limitations of their roster construction — and decided to move in a different direction. But Stotts has offensive expertise that could help spice up some of the Lakers’ bland actions. Stotts has experience with both pick-and-roll heavy actions — something the Lakers need more of — and more intricate sets that require precision.

The Lakers would need to surround Stotts with the proper defensive support, as the Blazers were consistently a bottom-15 defense under Stotts, who prefers a conservative defensive approach. He’s basically the offensive version of Vogel, as he’s had success prioritizing one side of the ball and is relatively set in his ways.

Tier 3
5. Kenny Atkinson
Coaching status: Golden State Warriors assistant coach

Age: 54

Years of NBA experience: 13 (four as a head coach)

Career record: 118-190 (.383)

Playoff record: 1-4 (.200)

Atkinson is a player-development guru, which at first may clash with the Lakers’ evident win-now imperative. But with Los Angeles’ roster featuring several young players that will need to take developmental steps to help the team reach its potential, Atkinson’s expertise could be a significant resource. He helped shape the Nets’ culture before they became a superteam, and he’s been one of the most sought-after coaching candidates on the market the past couple of seasons.

He’s unafraid of making difficult rotational decisions and pushing back against stars’ preferences, something that can be viewed as both a positive and a negative depending on the perspective. Atkinson famously clashed with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving because he didn’t want to start DeAndre Jordan over Jarrett Allen (something Laker fans can sympathize with). Allen has developed into an All-Star; Jordan is barely holding onto a spot in the league.

Stops with Lue in Los Angeles and Steve Kerr at Golden State over the past two seasons only make Atkinson more attractive as a candidate. Both organizations valued his contrarian takes and out-of-the-box creativity. Atkinson hasn’t had the success of Snyder or Stotts as a head coach, but he’s more adaptable.

6. Adrian Griffin
Coaching status: Toronto Raptors assistant coach

Age: 47

Years of NBA experience: 14

Griffin is the longest-tenured assistant coach on this list. He was the first hire on Nurse’s staff back in 2018. He’s been on a championship staff in Toronto and a part of successful cultures in Chicago and Oklahoma City. There are some similarities with Ham in that he was a career journeyman who immediately jumped into coaching upon retiring and is well regarded for his player development (most notably with Jimmy Butler) and relationships with players.

Griffin has coached under Scott Skiles, Tom Thibodeau, Billy Donovan and Nurse — all defensive-minded coaches — and he has been lauded for his defensive strategies in Oklahoma City and Toronto. He has said that he doesn’t have the same approach as some of those coaches from a personality perspective, preferring to approach players with positivity rather than brutish yelling tactics. A league insider told ESPN that he was “a player-friendly Tom Thibodeau” back in 2014. He also has valuable experience coaching and relating to stars with Team USA.

7. Alex Jensen
Coaching status: Utah Jazz assistant coach

Age: 46

Years of NBA experience: Eight

Jensen, something of a Snyder protégé, has been one of the league’s most-respected assistants for nearly a decade. He was a candidate for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ job in 2019 and recently passed on opportunities to coach both BYU and the University of Utah, his alma mater. Snyder has glowingly commented about Jensen’s importance to Utah’s success, from game preparation to in-game decision making to player development. He’s played a significant role in Gobert’s growth, particularly on the defensive end.

Jensen filled in as interim head coach when Snyder missed three games due to health and safety protocols and led Utah to a 2-1 record. He’s laid-back and reserved, according to Jazz players, which suggests the Lakers’ stated desire of having a more commanding personality may not align with Jensen’s sensibilities. He hasn’t been as coveted as some of the other names on here, at least not recently, but he’s certainly in the mix.

Tier 4
8. Steve Clifford
Coaching status: Free agent

Age: 60

Years of NBA experience: 21 (eight as a head coach)

Career record: 292-345 (.458)

Playoff record: 5-16 (.238)

Clifford, who was a consultant to Nash and the Brooklyn Nets this season, is a defensive-minded coach who learned under Jeff Van Gundy, Stan Van Gundy and Mike Brown before becoming a head coach in Charlotte and Orlando. He’s similar to Vogel in a sense; he’d be a retread on his third team and who most recently coached Orlando.

He helped improve the cultures of Charlotte and Orlando but has yet to coach in a win-now environment with stars. There’s also the concern that his old-school approach and defensive preferences would present similar limitations to Vogel’s. If the Lakers pursue a more offensive-minded coach (like Stotts), Clifford would make a lot of sense as a lead assistant and defensive coordinator.

Tier 5
9. Scott Brooks
Coaching status: Portland Trail Blazers associate head coach

Age: 56

Years of NBA experience: 19 (12 as a head coach)

Career record: 521-414 (.557)

Playoff record: 49-48 (.505)

Career accolades: 2009-10 Coach of the Year

Brooks was a top candidate to replace Jason Kidd on the Lakers’ coaching staff last season before he received a better offer (more money and a higher position) to join Chauncey Billups’ staff in Portland.

The California native is a bit of a polarizing figure; he’s known to be somewhat of a vanilla tactician who can be outdueled in a playoff series, but his teams have enjoyed impressive success under him. He’s won 50-plus games multiple times, made the NBA Finals in 2012 and has presided over the best recent stretches of basketball at Oklahoma City and Washington.

The prevailing logic is that Brooks is one of the few coaches who’s seemingly been able to get through to Russell Westbrook and that he could serve as something of a Westbrook whisperer. If the Lakers go that route — a growing possibility, though one that is undeniably combustible — Brooks could make sense as an assistant. But there are better candidates to replace Vogel.

10. Mark Jackson
Coaching status: Free agent

Age: 57

Years of NBA experience: Three (all as a head coach)

Career record: 121-109 (.526)

Playoff record: 9-10 (.474)

Aside from the growing list of troubling anecdotes off the floor, Jackson’s antiquated, iso-heavy offensive attack held back what eventually became one of the greatest offenses ever under Jackson’s replacement, Kerr. His approach has seemingly evolved based on his commentary on ESPN/ABC broadcasts — though it’s probably a stretch to label him a “modern” coach — but there’s considerable risk in hiring a coach who hasn’t coached professionally in nearly a decade.

Jackson built a strong defensive foundation and culture in Golden State, and he clearly has the support of several prominent former Warriors players, including Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. To a larger extent, players are fond of him across the league. That counts for something. Jackson likely has the gravitas the Lakers are looking for, and he appears to have James’ blessing. But there are too many unknowns here in comparison with much stronger candidates.

(Photo of Terry Stotts and Quin Snyder: Cameron Browne / NBAE via Getty Images)

 

if FO still insist on forcing the asst. coach to be staffed without allowing hc to make that call n meddling with the coach ala kurt, theres no hope to getting right person. they're still basically looking for another yes man ala Vogel

 

you have relentlessly s*** on vogel. relentlessly. in threads that have nothing to do with him.

this is why the doom and gloom. it's the process not the outcome. we have s***ty processes outside of, apparently, scouting.

 

Perhaps or maybe that assistant coach fills in what the HC lacks. A championship can be won either way. We already proved that with Frank.

 

we gave frank a roster that could work to his strengths. i think the big issue now is that we don't know what happens with russ. you can't play defense if he's playing 30mpg (and lebron, tbh), so you need an offensive mastermind. but if you move him, you can pivot back to what won us a title: 2 stars + elite defense.

 

Meh...Vogel was the HC..this is the Lakers coach search thread. He deserved to get s***ted on for some of the s***ty coaching he did. He's been fired 3 times in the last 6 seasons for a reason.

Whatever s***ty process you think we have, it still produced a championship didn't it? Everyone wasn't in love with your golden boy HC...it seems like some of them make the decisions for the Lakers.

 

We gave Frank a healthy Lebron and AD. Hopefully our next coach will be blessed with the same. Then you can hopefully get over your Frank Vogel man crush.

 

I thought I was the worst

I need to step up my game.

 

I'm not impressed with most of your hot takes either dude. Man crush is a lame example of a personal attack pal. " Worst poster on the site" is a personal attack isn't it? GTFO yourself " moderator ".

 

I did find that part ironic. But at the end of the day we're all family and friends here. No reason for anyone to turn anything personal.

It's just sports.

But it sure is more fun when we're winning. I only feel like crapping on everything for the most part right now, so this isn't much of a stress relief hobby haha.

Hopefully the team turns it around and gives us something to root for this next year.

 

That's what's interesting. Rob wants to be more collaborative with the next coach, but that's tough to do when the roster will be drastically different depending on what we do with Russ. Whether he's still here or not could factor in to who is our next coach.

If I'm one of these candidates and they say I might have to coach Russ, I counter with asking for two extra years on my deal. Otherwise they'll face the same ending as Vogel. But if there's too much guaranteed salary remaining on the books, the coach can dodge being scapegoat again.

 

yeah, i'll ignore the noise here.

and i'll double down on jsm's statement and say i just wouldn't take this job as a young coach if russ is here. you could tank your future being scapegoated for his pride. more established coaches (including vogel) can survive such a situation, but if it's your first go-around, it could be your last, and it wouldn't be your fault.

i just don't see how we can make a good coaching decision without knowing if russ will be here. if we already think he will, then we need to hire d'antoni or something. yes, i know what i just said. we have jack squat at the center position (well, AD, but he says he's not a center) and almost no way to get anything there. d'antoni is like...YASSSSS! he could construct an offense around lebron/AD/forward/forward/russ, imo. and if he gets fired again, who cares? he's made his bones.

but if i'm darvin ham, and you're handing me a high-profile job trying to manage the russ situation or a low-profile job with zero expectations and a young roster (charlotte), i know what i'd do. i can live to fight another day if charlotte goes wrong. maybe get an la type job if i succeed.

my god i'm talking myself into a russ/dantoni season.