Official 2016 Coaching Search Thread

Somebody mentioned Tom Izzo

 

I like our options. I'm not scared of our choices like I was a few years ago. I think any of the three reported favorites (Luke, Ollie, Messina) would be a significant upgrade from Scott. Each bring something different to the table. My personal pick and front runner is Luke. Quick +/- thoughts about the three...

Luke Walton
-has ties to the organization that span just shy of a decade. Purple and Gold still runs in his veins. Don't confuse that with the sentimental/Kobe appeasing hire of the last former Laker in Scott. Completely different scenario.
-Some players you can tell during their playing career that they're going to be a NBA coach one day. By Luke's Sophomore season, I was quite certain Luke would find his way there one day. His basketball IQ has never come into question (contract and athletic limitations be damned...they have no barring on coaching ability) and the season he was hurt, he really took an interest in the coaching side of things and Phil gave him some duties to wet his beak.
-as a player he has seen 88 playoff games (to Ollie's 42), he's seen and been through a lot.
-has 4 seasons of coaching experience at various levels -- assistant at University of Memphis, player development for the D-Fenders, assistant for GS, and part-time HC this season for them. The more you can soak up as an aspiring up and coming coach, the better.
-provides Laker fans with a familiar face. If we aren't hiring a big name (JVG, Thibs, Coach Cal, etc.) then a known name who was a fan favorite is a smart business decision.
-Phil ties. Good or bad, that connection is there. If Luke signs this summer and puts his own system into play, even if Phil comes next year I don't see him forcing Luke to run the triangle if Luke already has a successful system in place.
-Basketball pedigree, he's been around the game since birth.
-he should have at least half a COY trophy for this season. Personally I would've given it to SVG, but since Kerr got it...he should have to share it with Luke.
-Luke has head coach experience in the NBA and not just filling in for a game here and there, he coached half the season.

Kevin Ollie
-best recruiter out of the bunch, that's part of the job of the HC in college.
-has relationship with KD, Westbrook.
-not a big difference in coaching our young team vs. coaching a college team in terms of relatability and age of squad.
-has good defensive principles.
-Not impressed with what I've seen offensively out of his teams. Would need an offensive guru next to him on the bench.

Ettore Messina
-highest basketball IQ out of the options.
-now a part of the Pop coaching tree.
-think he's the best fit only if we're going into contend mode instead of rebuild mode, all depends on what we're going to do this summer. I think he's a better fit with vets and not a bunch of kids. I don't know if he'll be able to get through to a bunch of millennials. We are very far apart from what he's now accustomed to in SA.
-last go around with LA, I didn't see any of his ideas of philosophy utilized and I'd like to know why that is.
-this isn't the Euroleague...where he's had all of his success.

 

yeah i remember when messina was brought along for the 11-12 season, it was seen as a pretty big deal considering his resume in europe

but as the season went on, i heard nothing about him nor did he do anything special it seemed like. i'd also like to know why that was and if he even made a difference on that staff with brown

 

How much did you hear about Quin Snyder and Steve Clifford when they were on our staffs?

 

oh yeah, because snyder and clifford have even an ounce of the rep messina does in the basketball world

 

No, he was completely invisible and the offense looked like s*** that year. I blame Brown. Because what they were doing was nothing like a motion offense. Literally Bynum so many times by design gets the ball out past the key, has to do something with it to someone else and then go down low. Ate like 8-10 seconds off the clock every time it happened to no benefit. Fast forward to next season and Messina gone but Brown is trying to institute the Princeton. He gets ripped for it but as I recall Kobe was on board as it brought them closer to a motion type offense. A lesser version of the Tri. Of course Brown, our first "clown" had many other issues.

So I think Messina gets a pass there. That wasn't his offense. My guess.

 

In the Optimism thread I have been honking today about Luke's potential in what's quoted below, about the importance of recruiting FAs, in addition to all his other considerable attributes for the Lakers that ought to make him attractive.

This article with the excerpt quote below is saying the same thing. Though in this case it seems to be implying they might hire Ollie to improve their chances of landing KD and Westbrook. As others have said, worst idea ever. Hire the best overall candidate all things considered. Not on the pipe of hoping they are going to get those specific 2 guys here because .... say....Ollie is here.

http://nba.nbcsports.com/2016/04/26...e-agent-recruiter/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs

"The Lakers are looking for a coach. But more than Xs and Os, more than establishing a style of play and seeking a developer of young players, the Lakers are looking for a new, “recruiter-in-chief,” as one source said…

“That appears to be the No. 1 priority,” a league source told Sporting News. “It’s not just finding a guy to work with what’s on the roster. They need a coach who can pitch players.”

That’s one reason Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie has become an especially intriguing candidate. Ollie played with 11 different NBA teams in his 13-year career, and developed a reputation for his knowledge of the game and his likeability as a teammate and mentor for younger players. Of course, Ollie’s last NBA stop was Oklahoma City, where he was a teammate to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook."

 

I don't think that would be the worst idea ever because no where in the article does it say the Lakers aren't considering all things. They clearly are, but they want a guy who can attract free agents. If Ollie can of that and if they feel he's the best candidate overall then he should be the choice.

 

I know. they won't take my FA advice, either. I'm probably going to be a sad panda all summer.

 

Good so we only have to wait one more game!

 

Recruiting high school kids or recruiting professional established pro basketball players with big contracts....which would you think is the stronger recruiter here? I predict if the Lakers lock him up it will be Pat Riley 2.0. Riles came out of the broadcast booth for crissakes after a journeyman career with no rings (correct?) Luke at least had 2 rings and has already coached in the league.

Sorry, just my opinion, but Luke is known by all of the latter and a great article last week mentioned how he has that magnetic type personality as well. You feel like you're special with him, real or not , just by virtue of his personality. He certainly has the more impressive pro NBA career with the 2 rings under Jackson, next to Bryant and only a couple of teams played for, compared to Ollie's like 13 teams in 14 years. He's been coaching as an assistant and then for 40 games or so as head coach this year of last year's world champion Warriors and this year's regular season shattering won-loss record Warriors. For NBA established ballers, who has more cachet? I'm thinking it's Luke.

 

Cool. Thanks for posting.

 

Yessssssssssssssss. LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKE. Let's go Warriors! FInish off the Rockets please! We can interview Luke by the end of this week!!!!