The Los Angeles Lakers

[IronLungs420]

^^
Rumor is Jarrod Rudolph is friends with Dwight and Dwight made it clear to him he wanted Phil. Hope bringing in pringles doesn't have a negative impact on Dwight resigning at the end of the year.

 

[IronLungs420]

Mike D'Antoni, not Phil Jackson, will be the next coach of the Lakers.

"We signed Mike D'Antoni to a multi-year deal," Lakers spokesman John Black said, mentioning the team's owner and top two executives. "Dr. [Jerry] Buss, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak were unanimous that Mike D'Antoni was the best coach for the team at this time."

 

[ayo4yayo]

Lakers are stupid in the first place by letting Brian Shaw go who knows the triangle. Lakers complaining about defense so they hire Mike No D Antoni. It will be hilarious trying to see these old farts play run and gun.

 

[IronLungs420]

A league source indicated late Sunday night that Jackson was "stunned" when the Lakers called to inform him they had chosen D'Antoni. He had been prepared to accept the job Monday if negotiations between his agent and the Lakers went well. Jackson's agent Todd Musberger had been scheduled to fly in to Los Angeles on Monday

Jackson and the Lakers had never spoken about a salary, the source said, "but he knew coaches don't make what he used to make anymore."

Jackson, the source said, never intended to miss any more road games than he had in his previous stints with the Lakers.

"Phil would come back only to win and skipping games doesn't lead to winning," the source said.

Mike D'Antoni hired as next coach of Los Angeles Lakers - ESPN Los Angeles

 

[Rossibreath]

I dont think I like that hire at all.

 

[ayo4yayo]

I cant blame FO for declining Phil Jacksons request. I mean if you were a business owner, would you give a former employee a huge salary, full control of the business and take days off during the slow days for 4 years? Hell no.

 

[:ab:]

the lake show is on a crash and burn mission this season. no phil? wow.

 

[IronLungs420]

I cant blame FO for declining Phil Jacksons request. I mean if you were a business owner, would you give a former employee a huge salary, full control of the business and take days off during the slow days for 4 years? Hell no.

At the end of the day that's what it comes down to, Lakers ownership called Phil's bluff imo. I think Phil got carried away with his demands due the media and fans reaction. He probably felt he could hold the Lakers for ransom. Also the Lakers still owe Mike Brown 11 million and Phil was demanding 10-15 million a year. On top of that the lakers are already paying 30+ million in luxury tax. Even for a franchise like the Lakers that is highly profitable, you got to have a limit and stop the spending at some point.

 

[Rossibreath]

It's the fuckin Zen master tho. All he does is win.

 

[IronLungs420]

It's the fuckin Zen master tho. All he does is win.

Yeah I agree, I felt the same way when Shaq was let go, when odom was traded for a pick, it blows my mind when these decisions are made. It's like the Lakers ownership every once in a while reminds people that no one player or coach is bigger then the Lakers. Jim Buss has won two titles since his pops handed him the business but sometimes I question his actions and motives.

Also I'm not so upset we didn't get Phil because last memories I have of phil as a Lakers coach was him getting swept by the Mavs and Phil looking like he wanted nothing to do with coaching again. I'm more upset that they turned down Phil for a coach like D'Antoni.

Marc J. Spears ‏@SpearsNBAYahoo
"I love him," Kobe Bryant simply said about Mike D'Antoni via e-mail to Y! Sports early Monday morning.

ramonashelburne ‏@ramonashelburne
Kobe Bryant tells ESPNLA "I love PJ but I'm very excited about D'Antoni"

 

[JLMACN]

I cant blame FO for declining Phil Jacksons request. I mean if you were a business owner, would you give a former employee a huge salary, full control of the business and take days off during the slow days for 4 years? Hell no.

Yes, if he will bring my team Championships.

Why else do you play the game?

 

[Rasan]

It's the fuckin Zen master tho. All he does is win.

He's a human, not a mutant. Unless he can coach games from his mind,. He was askin too much, even for phil jackson. Imo.

 

[P.E.]

d antoni is a good coach,..not super great like phil but he is good!...his squad with nash and them knocked the lake show out of the playoffs that one year,..plus he always had the suns in playoff contention,considering the line ups he always had and the type of moves ownership in phoenix made,and he was still getting it done!...and now he steps in with this type of high caliber team?....shit the possibilities are endless folkers!...lets give the man a chance,im sure with a squad like this,d antoni will have them rippin and running in no time,..as far as the d goes,..with superman and artest and gasol,..im sure they will be fine on that end also!...at least the coach we got now is way better then,...Mr.Mike Brown! lol

 

[JLMACN]

He's a human, not a mutant. Unless he can coach games from his mind,. He was askin too much, even for phil jackson. Imo.

11 Championships though?


We may not ever see a coach with that many EVER again.

 

[P.E.]

^^
Rumor is Jarrod Rudolph is friends with Dwight and Dwight made it clear to him he wanted Phil. Hope bringing in pringles doesn't have a negative impact on Dwight resigning at the end of the year.

Pringles? lol..plz elaborate!

 

[Rasan]

11 Championships though?


We may not ever see a coach with that many EVER again.

But he's just being unreasonable based on his accomplishments. I think him not coaching on the road rubbed them the wrong way. Everything else was cool. Pringles will get the offense going, they gonna have to channel their inner defender for defense tho lol.

 

[nrodgers]

i dont like this move at all. i dont think ill be watching anymore basketball this year. if d'antoni cant cut it in new york then he sure as hell wont cut it in l.a. Lakers pretty much fired Mike brown for no reason because D'antoni is not an upgrade at all.

 

[IronLungs420]

Between the hours of Mike Brown's firing and a meeting on Saturday morning with history's most accomplished coach, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak privately told people there was one candidate: Phil Jackson.

Jackson wanted to humiliate Lakers vice president Jim Buss far more than he wanted to coach the team. He wanted significant allowances on travel, coaching duties and an ability to veto player personnel moves that didn't fit his vision. With an unprecedented 11 coaching championships, Jackson had every right to make unprecedented demands. He doesn't have the right to be surprised when the Lakers rejected them and hired a pliable, cheaper coach in Mike D'Antoni.

"Phil wanted Jim Buss to walk away with his tail between his legs," one source with knowledge of the discussions told Yahoo! Sports. "He thought he had time to still negotiate with them, and see how much they would give him."

"Jackson had his chance, and the strangest thing happened: The greatest coach in history overreached, misread the circumstances and had someone tell him "No" on Sunday night. The Lakers never picked Mike D'Antoni over Jackson. They picked him over desperation for Jackson. Maybe the Busses will regret the choice, but if Jackson truly wanted to coach again, no one will ever regret this more than him. These are still the Lakers, and nowhere else in basketball does this opportunity at this moment in time come along – even for Phil Jackson"

Lakers resist Phil Jackson's power grab - Yahoo! Sports

 

[corinthian]

espn has a different take on things:

Phil Jackson said he told Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and executive vice president Jim Buss that he had "confidence that (he) could do the job" when he met with them about returning to coach the Lakers on Saturday.

Jackson then left the meeting with a hand shake and understanding "that (he) would have until Monday (today) to come back to them with (his) decision."


How will new Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni fit with Dwight Howard, whose opinion ultimately will matter most of all? J.A. Adande asks. Dime


Jackson was prepared to return to the Lakers on Monday morning if negotiations between his agent and the team went well, a league source told ESPN late Sunday night.

But before he could do so, Jackson said Kupchak woke him around midnight on Sunday and told him the team had instead signed Mike D'Antoni to a three-year agreement and "they felt (D'Antoni) was the best coach for the team."

"The decision is of course theirs to make," Jackson said in a statement. "I am gratified by the groundswell of support from the Laker Fans who endorsed my return and it is the principal reason why I considered the possibility."

Jackson added that he never discussed contractual terms in his meeting with Kupchak and Buss on Saturday. His agent Todd Musburger later told ESPN that he felt Jackson's reported demands -- including a salary in line with his previous Lakers contracts, more say over personnel decisions and the ability to skip some road games -- had been leaked to the media by the Lakers or D'Antoni's representative.

"There were no demands, outrageous or otherwise," Musburger said. "To say that he wanted control or that he wanted a zillion dollars or that he wanted equity, those were not topics discussed in the meeting between Kupchak, Buss and Phil. If the Lakers didn't spread those things, the fact they didn't take an affirmative stance to correct the record is very troublesome."

Musburger said that while he respected the Lakers right to hire whomever they wanted as coach, he was disappointed in the way the entire situation unfolded.

"Phil is someone who brought nothing but trophies to their bookcase and value to the franchise," Musburger said. "He deserved to be dealt with honestly.

"He didn't deserve the job, that's their decision. They can hire whoever they wish. But don't say to someone you've got until Monday and then roust him from slumber at midnight to say, 'By the way we hired somebody else.' That's just not fair dealing and Phil deserved fair dealing. He's a good faith person and he was dealt with poorly. It is indicative of the shabby way that organization is being run."

ESPN NBA analyst Kurt Rambis, a former Lakers player and assistant coach who worked on Jackson-led staffs from 2001-2004 and 2005-2009 and remains close friends with Jackson, said Jackson told him there had never been any discussions of salary or restrictions on a potential return and that he and the Lakers had agreed to wait until Monday to negotiate.

"It's a process with Phil," Rambis said Monday. "He goes through an entire mental process of envisioning the season and how to get the team to the NBA Finals. It's about winning for him, not just whether he wants to coach."

Instead, the Lakers went with D'Antoni, believing he was a better fit for their current roster, sources told ESPN.

Mike and Mike in the Morning

ESPN NBA Insider Chris Broussard comments on how the Lakers reached the decision to hire Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson and more.


Jackson's triangle offense was seen as a benefit to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol but not as conducive to the rest of the players on the roster -- namely point guard Steve Nash and center Dwight Howard.

Another strike against the triangle was that this Lakers team struggled mightily picking up the similarly complicated Princeton-style offense being instituted by former coach Mike Brown, who was fired Friday.

"After speaking with several excellent and well-respected coaching candidates, Dr. Buss, Jim and I all agreed that Mike was the right person at this time to lead the Lakers forward," Kupchak said in a statement released by the Lakers, announcing D'Antoni's hire.

"Knowing his style of play and given the current make-up of our roster, we feel Mike is a great fit, are excited to have him as our next head coach and hope he will help our team reach its full potential."

They apparently reached that unanimous decision very quickly late Sunday night, as negotiations with D'Antoni did not begin until after the Lakers' win over the Sacramento Kings, sources said.

Before that, fans had been chanting for Jackson's return, and there had been quiet optimism among Laker insiders that it was just a matter of time before Jackson was back on the sideline.

Musburger said he was even scheduled to fly to Los Angeles on Monday to begin negotiating a deal.

In the end, he didn't make the trip as the Lakers instead hired D'Antoni.

makes you wonder what really went down. does seem like pj got done dirty and he deserved better than that. I can understand why they wouldn't want to bring in another complicated offense though. MWP never really picked up the triangle and I doubt dwight would be able to either. the triangle also doesn't require a real pg. just someone that can shoot 3s, play some D, and deliver entry passes to the bigs. this would benefit darius morris and steve blake, but leave nash's talents wasted.

with no training camp and preseason, it would take the team all year to figure out how to run the triangle together. kobe only has about 2-3 years left, they need to win now. can't waste another year.

 

[Rasan]

espn has a different take on things:



makes you wonder what really went down. does seem like pj got done dirty and he deserved better than that. I can understand why they wouldn't want to bring in another complicated offense though. MWP never really picked up the triangle and I doubt dwight would be able to either. the triangle also doesn't require a real pg. just someone that can shoot 3s, play some D, and deliver entry passes to the bigs. this would benefit darius morris and steve blake, but leave nash's talents wasted.

with no training camp and preseason, it would take the team all year to figure out how to run the triangle together. kobe only has about 2-3 years left, they need to win now. can't waste another year.

See bro, u get it. U right, y'all need to win now. Dantoni system is easy. Lol shoot or die! And f defense, who needs it. Soon as the other team scores, chuck that shit to dwight for an easy lob. Ha.