Lakers need a coach [Archive]

JasonEvans

05-01-2014, 11:21 AM

He's basically said he has 5 years left in him.

Ummm, no he hasn't. He has said he has "at least" five years left. He could have move. He says this pretty much every year as a way of indicating to his recruits that he will be there for their entire careers should they choose Duke. For some reasons, his most recent "at least 5 years" statement got more attention than usual and now some folks think he is on a clock -- that next year will be 4, the year after will be 3, and so on.

I don't think that is anywhere close to the truth. K has not decided today that he will want to stop coaching in 5 years. Someday, his passion for teaching and molding young men will be gone and that is when he will stop. Predicting that exact date is almost impossible.

-Jason "I bet it is more like 7-10 years until he is finished... and it will certainly be after Jim Boeheim has retired" Evans

cato

05-01-2014, 12:18 PM

-Jason "I bet it is more like 7-10 years until he is finished... and it will certainly be after Jim Boeheim has retired" Evans

Yeah, having come this far, I can't see K leave everything he has built for what will likely be a miserable job with little security (he can just ask his USA assistant coach Mike D), only to watch Boeheim quickly pass K for the wins title.

Olympic Fan

05-01-2014, 12:30 PM

Yeah, having come this far, I can't see K leave everything he has built for what will likely be a miserable job with little security (he can just ask his USA assistant coach Mike D), only to watch Boeheim quickly pass K for the wins title.

Not that quickly ... K leads Boeheim 983-948 ... that's a 35 win gap.

While it's possible that Boeheim could close the gap with one extra season, it's extremely unlikely -- Boeheim has never won more than 31 games in a season. More likely would be that he needs two seasons to catch and pass K.

Add in the fact that Boeheim is two years older than Coach K and it's going to be tough for him to outlast K. It would take an unexpected health issue -- or something like K going to the Lakers right now -- for Boeheim to catch and pass K.

dukedoc

05-01-2014, 12:30 PM

Per ESPN they plan to reach out to both Cal and Ollie.

GO, CAL, GO! You have showtime written all over you. Please, just go.

LINK (http://m.espn.go.com/general/story?storyId=10867253&city=losangeles&src=desktop&wjb)

cato

05-01-2014, 12:36 PM

Not that quickly ... K leads Boeheim 983-948 ... that's a 35 win gap.

While it's possible that Boeheim could close the gap with one extra season, it's extremely unlikely -- Boeheim has never won more than 31 games in a season. More likely would be that he needs two seasons to catch and pass K.

Add in the fact that Boeheim is two years older than Coach K and it's going to be tough for him to outlast K. It would take an unexpected health issue -- or something like K going to the Lakers right now -- for Boeheim to catch and pass K.

Okay, so we agree that Coach K leaving this summer for the Lakers would be on the short list of "things that lead to Boeheim claiming the wins crown."

Given the general feeling that K's record will last for a while, I'd say closing the gap in less that two full seasons is pretty quick, but I think the point stands: why would K bail now and leave so much behind, while gaining so little?

jimsumner

05-01-2014, 12:41 PM

dukedoc

05-01-2014, 12:46 PM

Calipari coaching Ryan Kelly? Seem a bit creepy to anyone else?

Yeah, good point. Well, at least Ryan would get to meet Drake.

However much I love Ryan, and however creepy that would be for him, I still think Cal in the college game is creepier.

jimsumner

05-01-2014, 02:32 PM

However much I love Ryan, and however creepy that would be for him, I still think Cal in the college game is creepier.

No argument from me.

UrinalCake

05-01-2014, 02:42 PM

Didn't Rex Chapman tweet right after the NCAA final that Calipari to the Lakers was a "done deal," or something to that effect? Maybe he knew more than we gave him credit for.

bluenorth

05-01-2014, 02:44 PM

Would love to see Coach Calipari back in the pros, and out of the NCAA. But could his ego stand another bruising similar to his stay with the Nets?

bob blue devil

05-01-2014, 02:46 PM

Not that quickly ... K leads Boeheim 983-948 ... that's a 35 win gap.

While it's possible that Boeheim could close the gap with one extra season, it's extremely unlikely -- Boeheim has never won more than 31 games in a season. More likely would be that he needs two seasons to catch and pass K.

Add in the fact that Boeheim is two years older than Coach K and it's going to be tough for him to outlast K. It would take an unexpected health issue -- or something like K going to the Lakers right now -- for Boeheim to catch and pass K.

... I don't think it's particularly far fetched that Boeheim passes k one day. the variance around retirement age for college hoops coaches is pretty large vs the 2 seasons it would take. boeheim is at the peak of his success. Who's to say he's not one of those guys who won't stop until he physically can't do it? And even if both went this road, the difference between k and boeheim would more likely be their genetic predisposition towards the challenges of aging, not the measly two year difference in their actual ages.

JasonEvans

05-01-2014, 03:30 PM

Kevin Ollie is the hottest name on the pro circuit these days. Everyone wants him, both because he just won the national title and because he has a close relationship with Kevin Durant. Ollie made a huge impact on Durant (http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/02/18/durant-says-kevin-ollie-is-responsible-for-thunders-winning-ways/) during a short stint with OKC a few years ago. With many folks convinced Durant will opt to become a free agent in the summer of 2016, teams are eager to get Ollie in place so they can begin building a perfect landing spot for KD.

-Jason "if the Thunder lose in the first round, Brooks could get fired and Ollie would be the A#1 choice to replace him" Evans

nmduke2001

05-01-2014, 03:31 PM

Cal trying to do damage control already...

Before it starts, I'm totally committed to helping this group of young men reach their dreams. I wouldn't & couldn't leave this group!
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) May 1, 2014

53n206

05-01-2014, 03:41 PM

BluDvlsN1

05-01-2014, 03:45 PM

I would like to see Kareem's name in the mix, I think he would make a great coach.
He certainly know's the game, is articulate and has a commanding presence.
He once indicated he would be interested in the Buc's job, if he is still interested in coaching,
the Laker's would be a great fit.

Just sayin..

SoCalDukeFan

05-01-2014, 04:00 PM

I am not a super Laker fan or follower.

Laker fans I know say:
Next they should stink. Nash and Kobe are old and coming off injuries. Lots of other problems.
So whomever is the coach, then they need to realize next year will be tough.

Evidently they will have cap space in two years and a good draft pick.
Rebuild quickly with a star or two - Lebron?

I am not buying into it. They have too many old guys and few good young ones.

SoCal

BD80

05-01-2014, 04:05 PM

... Doubt if Brooks gets fired. He's a really fine coach, well-liked by his players, and really well-liked by the people in Oklahoma City.

And KD was well-liked too. Things change. Today, The Oklahoman headline called him "Mr. Unreliable."

NashvilleDevil

05-01-2014, 05:05 PM

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15

05-01-2014, 05:08 PM

This is a joke. If K didn't take the job in 2004, why would he take a ten-year older Kobe and this mess of a team?

I know that coach reassurances about sticking around are relatively useless, but if K says he wants 5 more years, I see no reason to waste brain waves on this.

jimsumner

05-01-2014, 05:15 PM

And KD was well-liked too. Things change. Today, The Oklahoman headline called him "Mr. Unreliable."

I can't imagine what they're calling the point guard who shot 10-31 or some such.

FerryFor50

05-01-2014, 05:38 PM

I can't imagine what they're calling the point guard who shot 10-31 or some such.

Westbrook? Yea, he definitely jacks up too many shots.

But the Oklahoman was referring to Durant missing 3 of 6 FTs down the stretch in a close loss.

To Durant's credit, he owned it and said the Oklahoman was correct to write it. Durant is all class.

nmduke2001

05-01-2014, 05:43 PM

Jason "if the Thunder lose in the first round, Brooks could get fired and Ollie would be the A#1 choice to replace him" Evans

Doubt if Brooks gets fired. He's a really fine coach, well-liked by his players, and really well-liked by the people in Oklahoma City.

Usually, fine coaches actually have a few plays for the team to run. At one point last game, KD went 6 minutes without TOUCHING the ball. Part of that is Tony Allen, but Scott Brooks needs to have a play to get him open.

Westbrook is averaging 8.7 seconds with the ball in his hands per possession. That's more than anyone in the playoffs. The next closest is LBJ at about 6 seconds.
http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/10860963/is-russell-westbrook-blame-nba

BD80

05-01-2014, 06:22 PM

I can't imagine what they're calling the point guard who shot 10-31 or some such.

The real speculation is which happens first in the next game: KD getting 40 points, or Westbrook hoisting 40 shots.

Olympic Fan

05-02-2014, 04:58 PM

I can't imagine what they're calling the point guard who shot 10-31 or some such.

There was another stat -- apparently Westbrook has attempted more than 50 shots in the fourth quarter (or overtime) of this series. In NBA history there have been 181 players attempting that many fourth-quarter shots.

Westbrook has the absolute worst shooting percentage of any of those 181 players.

Yet the Oklahoma paper labels Durant as "Mr. Unreliable"

It reminds me of something Thomas Boswell wrote in the 1970s. He was talking about baseball, but it applies to any sport. He wrote that when a team underachieves, the team's best players are almost always blamed -- no matter who is really to blame.

vick

05-02-2014, 05:20 PM

It reminds me of something Thomas Boswell wrote in the 1970s. He was talking about baseball, but it applies to any sport. He wrote that when a team underachieves, the team's best players are almost always blamed -- no matter who is really to blame.

Right on, but I think it's probably even worse in basketball, because it least in baseball people basically understand that the impact one player can have is limited, whereas in basketball it's just plausible enough (but wrong) that a single player can transcendentally lead any group of bums to the title, so you get idiocy like how LeBron James "couldn't get it done" in the playoffs (despite having possibly the single best individual playoff run ever (http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&type=totals&per_minute_base=36&lg_id=NBA&is_playoffs=Y&year_min=&year_max=&franch_id=&season_start=1&season_end=-1&age_min=0&age_max=99&height_min=0&height_max=99&birth_country_is=Y&birth_country=&is_active=&is_hof=&is_as=&as_comp=gt&as_val=&pos_is_g=Y&pos_is_gf=Y&pos_is_f=Y&pos_is_fg=Y&pos_is_fc=Y&pos_is_c=Y&pos_is_cf=Y&qual=&c1stat=g&c1comp=gt&c1val=7&c2stat=mp_per_g&c2comp=gt&c2val=25&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&c5stat=&c5comp=gt&c6mult=1.0&c6stat=&order_by=per)). I'm sure in his career Durant's teammates will have some good shooting performances which, in an astounding coincidence, will happen to coincide with Durant becoming more reliable.

Olympic Fan

05-02-2014, 05:55 PM

Right on, but I think it's probably even worse in basketball, because it least in baseball people basically understand that the impact one player can have is limited, whereas in basketball it's just plausible enough (but wrong) that a single player can transcendentally lead any group of bums to the title, so you get idiocy like how LeBron James "couldn't get it done" in the playoffs (despite having possibly the single best individual playoff run ever[/URL]). I'm sure in his career Durant's teammates will have some good shooting performances which, in an astounding coincidence, will happen to coincide with Durant becoming more reliable.

Mention of LeBron's early struggles reminded me of Jordan and how long it took him to be recognized as a winner.

Both James and Jordan won their first titles in their seventh season in the league -- both at age 27.

Not many superstars led their team to multiple championships at an earlier age. Kobe won his first ring at age 21 when he was in his fourth season. But was Bryant the man at that point? The Lakers dominant player that season was Shaquille O'Neal ... who was 27 years old and in his seventh NBA season!

Right now, Durant is 25 and in his fifth season. If he matches James/Jordan je ought to win his first title in June of 2016 -- just before he heads to Rio to help Coach K win another gold medal.

PS The one star who breaks the mold was Bill Russell, who won a ring in his first year and by the time he was in his seventh season, he had six rings. Although it's only fair to point out that the Celtics also had Hall of Famer Bob Cousy in 1957 -- and he won his first ring that year in his seventh season (age 28).

I would suggest that we wait until AFTER player's seventh season before we start wondering if they are winners.

Deslok

05-02-2014, 07:41 PM

Mention of LeBron's early struggles reminded me of Jordan and how long it took him to be recognized as a winner.

Both James and Jordan won their first titles in their seventh season in the league -- both at age 27.

Not many superstars led their team to multiple championships at an earlier age. Kobe won his first ring at age 21 when he was in his fourth season. But was Bryant the man at that point? The Lakers dominant player that season was Shaquille O'Neal ... who was 27 years old and in his seventh NBA season!

Right now, Durant is 25 and in his fifth season. If he matches James/Jordan je ought to win his first title in June of 2016 -- just before he heads to Rio to help Coach K win another gold medal.

PS The one star who breaks the mold was Bill Russell, who won a ring in his first year and by the time he was in his seventh season, he had six rings. Although it's only fair to point out that the Celtics also had Hall of Famer Bob Cousy in 1957 -- and he won his first ring that year in his seventh season (age 28).

I would suggest that we wait until AFTER player's seventh season before we start wondering if they are winners.

Uh... James title win was in his 9th season, not 7th(would have been difficult to be the same age as Jordan in his 7th season, since James went pro out of HS and Jordan came out as a junior from college).

Olympic Fan

05-02-2014, 08:34 PM

Uh... James title win was in his 9th season, not 7th(would have been difficult to be the same age as Jordan in his 7th season, since James went pro out of HS and Jordan came out as a junior from college).

You are half right ...

I misread James' numbers in that he won his first ring in his seventh PLAYOFF season ... it was his ninth year in the league. His first two teams didn't make the playoffs.

But their ages do line up when they won their first titles.

To be exact, Jordan was a bit older when he won his first ring. He was born Feb. 17, 1963 and made his debut at age 21 in the fall of 1984. But since he didn't turn 22 until the season was two-thirds over, he's officially counted as a 21-year-old in the 1984-85 season.

James was born Dec. 30, 1984 (two months after Jordan made his NBA debut). He was actually 18 when he first played in the fall of 2003. But since he turned 19 before the season was a third over, he is officially listed as age 19 for his rookie season.

Both were officially 27 when they won their first rings (as was O'Neal).

But you are right, that was James' ninth season, not his seventh. So the fact that their ages almost exactly line up makes more sense.

Interesting that all the guys I've talked about had to join forces with another HOF quality player to get that first title -- Jordan with Pippen, Kobe with Shaquille, LaBron with Wade ... even Russell with Cousy.

I'm not sure Durant has found his HOF teammate yet -- as noted earlier in this thread, I'm not sold on Russell Westbrook.

uh_no

05-02-2014, 08:46 PM

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10873678/uconn-huskies-kevin-ollie-talks-double-coach-pay

welp, they scared uconn into offerring ollie a well deserved raise....

someone should start a business of this...take a college coach with a taste of success, charge to hype him up as a possibility for NBA jobs, and then the school offers him more money to stay.

Henderson

05-02-2014, 10:59 PM

You are half right ...

I misread James' numbers in that he won his first ring in his seventh PLAYOFF season ... it was his ninth year in the league. His first two teams didn't make the playoffs.

But their ages do line up when they won their first titles.

To be exact, Jordan was a bit older when he won his first ring. He was born Feb. 17, 1963 and made his debut at age 21 in the fall of 1984. But since he didn't turn 22 until the season was two-thirds over, he's officially counted as a 21-year-old in the 1984-85 season.

James was born Dec. 30, 1984 (two months after Jordan made his NBA debut). He was actually 18 when he first played in the fall of 2003. But since he turned 19 before the season was a third over, he is officially listed as age 19 for his rookie season.

Both were officially 27 when they won their first rings (as was O'Neal).

But you are right, that was James' ninth season, not his seventh. So the fact that their ages almost exactly line up makes more sense.

Interesting that all the guys I've talked about had to join forces with another HOF quality player to get that first title -- Jordan with Pippen, Kobe with Shaquille, LaBron with Wade ... even Russell with Cousy.

I'm not sure Durant has found his HOF teammate yet -- as noted earlier in this thread, I'm not sold on Russell Westbrook.

I agree about Westbrook and (if I understood you correctly) about the inadvisability of getting too down on Durant for not winning a championship yet. He becomes a free agent just before the 2016-17 season, which would be his 10th, though he'll only be 28 (if my poor math skills are working). If OKC doesn't find him a HOF buddy by then, he may have to go find one himself. By that time, he's going to be really tired of the albatross folks have already hung on him. The OKC press has already chattered a bit about the Wizards, since Durant is from there and maintains strong ties.

Duvall

05-04-2014, 01:51 AM

Let Westbrook be Westbrook?

Des Esseintes

05-04-2014, 02:49 AM

Let Westbrook be Westbrook?

The guy's pretty great. He has his problems, but you're looking at a top ten overall player. OKC would have been an extremely tough out for the Spurs (and Heat) last season had he avoided injury. If Durant has something holding back his title dreams, I think the culprit is far less Westbrook than an in-over-his-head Scotty Brooks and that cheapskate, Seattle-screwing ownership group.