Rosen: Straight Shooting: Who Will Coach The Lakers?

[duncan228]

Straight Shooting: Who will coach the Lakers?
by Charley Rosen

To start, let's take a look at an intriguing rumor that has been persistently floating around in cyberspace:

That, within the next month, Mike Krzyzewski will take over as Lakers coach once Phil Jackson announces his retirement.

Giving some credence to this possibility is the fact that Kobe Bryant lobbied long and hard for Krzyzewski to take over when Jackson walked away from the Lakers bench back in 2004.

If this sequence of events does indeed come to pass, there's no question that Coach K's subsequent NBA career will be much more frustrating and much less successful than his tenure at Duke.

In fact, Krzyzewski is making a colossal mistake if he believes that coaching Team USA in Beijing would cons ute even the slightest resemblance to coaching an NBA team through an 82-game season. Directing the fortunes of 12 highly motivated All-Stars over the course of a two-week tournament against mostly inferior opponents is one thing. Coaching a collection of less talented (overall), routinely ego-driven players for 6-8 months is another.

How would Coach K deal with guys whining to the media about playing time and shot distribution? About gold-digging girlfriends, paternity suits and child-support payments? And what about possible and probable arrests, suspensions, fines, injuries to key players, dealings with agents and general managers, suffering disrespect and even face-to-face confrontations with players? Have any undergraduates ever tried to choke Coach K or curse him or criticize him in the media?

If working with malleable college kids can be likened to coaching while sitting in an easy chair, working with NBA millionaires is like coaching while running at full speed.

Even if Jackson does retire, Krzyzewski should turn down any mega-million-dollar contract he would be offered and stay exactly where he is.

At the same time, I have mixed feelings regarding the possibility of Jackson's retiring. As a fan of the game, I fervently hope that P.J. does return to the Lakers bench. It would be interesting to see if L.A. could repeat, and repeat, and ...

However, I must confess to being dubious about the proposed scheme to have Kurt Rambis coach the team on several road trips while Jackson stays in L.A. Doing this could result in a risky discontinuity — imagine what might happen should the Lakers lose an inordinate number of games under Rambis' leadership. Fingers would be pointed. Trust would be ruptured. And any future plans that Jerry Buss might have for Rambis eventually succeed Jackson would be trashed.

Furthermore, Jackson correctly believes that games are won and lost in practice sessions. So, then, what would his absence mean during the several practices and shoot-arounds that he might miss as a part-time coach? Is Rambis capable of designing and implementing the kind of critical between-game adjustments that P.J. has excelled in doing for lo these many years?

Coaching an NBA team is a full-time job.

Also, once Jackson does retire, what will become of the theory and practice of the triangle offense? (Actually, both Tex Winter and Jackson refer to the triangle as a "philosophy" and not merely an offense.)

Jim Cleamons is certainly well grounded in the triangle and so is Brian Shaw. But Frank Hamblin has no desire to become a head coach and Rambis just might be too cynical and/or too stubborn to employ a borrowed philosophy/offense should he ever get another shot to coach in the NBA.

And there's certainly no indication that any other current coach is ready to make the kind of full commitment that's necessary to make the triangle succeed.

Then there's both the dynamic maturity and the appropriately muted spiritual approach that Phil brings to the league. His sheer presence would be sorely missed.

At the same time, as a long-term buddy of Phil's, I worry about how another stressful season could affect his not-so-robust health. Considering his history of an angioplasty, two hip replacements, an agonizing kidney stone, and his painful and continuing battle with plantar fasciitis, not to mention his being at least 40-50 pounds overweight, another health problem could very well be extremely dangerous.

Moreover, Phil's artificial hips prevent him from engaging in any adequate aerobic exercise program. And life on the road precludes a proper diet. He's prone to smoking cigars during the season. He'll be 64 come September.

That's why I also hope that he does retire.

But since civilian life bores him, and since he considers it a matter of honor to fulfill the remaining year of his current contract, I expect Phil to return, barring any strong advice to the contrary from his doctors.

Yet there's one absolute thing that I've learned about P.J. in our 36-year friendship: It's absolutely impossible to predict what his next move will be.

[VivaPopovich]

Ideally Laker fans should be wanting Phil to come back as their first priority over re-signing Trevor and Lamar. Phil is their most important piece.

Assuming he doesn't come back.. Kurt Rhambis is next in line, but that would be a disaster. He is the Matt Bonner of NBA coaches. Brian Shaw would be a better replacement over Kurt Rhambis but I don't know if he has the intellect to lead a championship team.

Coach K or Avery Johnson (not gonna happen) would be the best choice, and one I'd go along with no matter what the obstacles were, if I was managing the Lakers.

[VivaPopovich]

the lakers assistant coach during the 2003 season would be nice also. i cant remember his name, but i remember he's african american and took over for 1 game for phil jackson when phil couldnt make it