2012-2013 NBA Talk

[SmoothPancakes]

Considering the Lakers went 0-8 during the pre-season and now are 0-3 to start the regular season, I think it's time to hit the panic button. All kidding aside, I don't think Mike Brown is the right man for the job. If you lose 11 straight games with this roster, you need to be shown the door. Granted, it's only November 3rd but us Lakers fans aren't known for our patience. I know it takes time for a team to develop a chemistry together but they should be showing signs of improving at some point. Right now, everyone looks lost on the court.

Well, good point about the preseason record as well, though I don't hold any weight to preseason records, in any sport. If the Lakers end up 0-5, there may be signs of a problem, 0-10, alright, let the meltdown begin. As for Mike Brown, yeah, I didn't think he was a good fit for that job either. I guess it's showing.

[NatureBoy]

LOS ANGELES -- Steve Nash has a small fracture in his left leg and will be out of the Los Angeles Lakers' lineup for at least another week.

The Lakers announced the results of the point guard's MRI exam Saturday.

Nash suffered to fracture to his fibula in a collision with Portland rookie Damian Lillard on Wednesday night. He missed the Lakers' 105-95 loss to the Clippers on Friday night, dropping the Lakers to 0-3 for the first time in 34 years.

The two-time NBA MVP joined the Lakers last June for his 17th NBA season, agreeing to a three-year, $27 million contract before his trade from Phoenix.

Nash's backup is Steve Blake, who had two assists and eight points in 39 minutes against the Clippers.

The Lakers host Detroit on Sunday night.

[ram29jackson]

wut ?me confused? me no understand ?

how...? what...? who...? what the hell is this crap ?

[skipwondah33]

Well, good point about the preseason record as well, though I don't hold any weight to preseason records, in any sport. If the Lakers end up 0-5, there may be signs of a problem, 0-10, alright, let the meltdown begin. As for Mike Brown, yeah, I didn't think he was a good fit for that job either. I guess it's showing.

I've always said Mike Brown is/was going to F this up. Know it's early but I still think he will.

[JBHuskers]

Kinda crazy and sad to hear that ESPN Radio NBA play-by-play guy Jim Durham passed away. I'd listen to him call games while I was driving in the car all the time during the NBA season. I think he even started calling games this season.

[ram29jackson]

oh look, one win..finally

[JBHuskers]

Wow. Lakers pulled the trigger and fired Mike Brown already

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[psusnoop]

I've always said Mike Brown is/was going to F this up. Know it's early but I still think he will.

Yep, just enough to get his rear end canned after 5 games

[JBHuskers]

It was hilarious. ESPN JUST came out with a story that this upcoming homestand would be critical for Brown to keep his job, NO MORE than five minutes later, word came out that he was fired.

[ram29jackson]

LOL the lakers organization dont mess around. Any other organization would have waited to game 15. or in some cases the end of the season...but who will it be in his place?

[JBHuskers]

Three big names that are being thrown around, but will not be the next coach of the Lakers:

Phil Jackson - Triangle system takes a while to install, doesn't fit Nash's game.
Jerry Sloan - Probably would be a worse fit on this team than Mike Brown.
Mike D'Antoni - Maaaybe. But just had knee surgery, won't be able to until mid-December-ish.

Brian Shaw is another intriguing option, but the Lakers gave him the middle finger like no other. Buuuuuuuuuut. Cash and a HC job heals all wounds?

[skipwondah33]

Knew it was coming

Told y'all Mike was going to F it up. I actually didn't think he'd last all of last season.

Never had nothing personal against me but he wasnt a very good coach in Cleveland despite winning alot of games. Couldn't make adjustments for shit.

[JBHuskers]

Translation, I couldn't have kicked his ass out of LA any sooner....

[NatureBoy]

The Lakers pulled the trigger faster than I thought they would. I'm never happy to see anyone lose their job but Brown had to go. He was never a good fit with the Lakers in the first place.

[NatureBoy]

[SmoothPancakes]

Phil Jackson's idol must be Brett Favre.

Left after winning in Chicago in 1998, came back a year later. Leaves Lakers in 2004, comes back a year later. Leaves Lakers in 2011, comes back a year later. If he leaves again, no worries, he'll be back sometime the next year. They may as well just sign Jackson to a lifetime contract, make it easy.

[NatureBoy]

Lakers hire Mike D'Antoni

The Los Angeles Lakers, in a surprising move, announced Monday morning that they have signed former Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni to replace Mike Brown as head coach.

D'Antoni's has a four-year contract, his agent, Warren LeGarie, confirmed late Sunday night, several hours after the Lakers beat Sacramento 103-90 for their second straight win under interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff. A league source said D'Antoni has a three-year deal worth $12 million and that the fourth year is a club option.


The deal was signed around 11:30 p.m. PT Sunday night, a source close to the situation told ESPN. Sources confirmed a Los Angeles Times report that D'Antoni quickly agreed to coach the Lakers after L.A.'s weekend of negotiations to bring back Phil Jackson broke down.


The Lakers said they plan to hold a news conference most likely on Tuesday or Wednesday. In a statement released by the team, Lakers spokesperson John Black said team owner Jerry Buss, executive vice president Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak were "unanimous that D'Antoni was the best coach for the team at this time."


"I love PJ but I'm very excited about D'Antoni," Kobe Bryant told ESPN early Monday.


Sources told ESPN that Jackson's triangle offense was seen as a benefit to 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 the fact that this Lakers team struggled mightily to pick up the similarly complicated Princeton-style offense being instituted by Brown.


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 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, also never intended to miss any more road games than he had in his previous years with the Lakers.


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


D'Antoni, who had knee surgery at the beginning of November, hasn't yet been cleared to travel, according to sources, and "it'll be a couple of days before he comes in, but he's further along than people believe." There is a possibility that Bickerstaff will remain interim head coach even after D'Antoni's introductory news conference, according to a source, if D'Antoni isn't feeling physically able to coach games just yet.


Part of the current crop of leftovers from Brown's staff are expected to be retained by D'Antoni, along with "one or two" new coaches that he will bring in with him, according to a source. Two candidates to join D'Antoni are his older brother and longtime assistant, Dan D'Antoni, as well Phil Weber, another longtime aide.


D'Antoni spent five seasons coaching Nash in Phoenix. Nash won two MVP awards while running D'Antoni's signature up-tempo offense, and they won at least 54 games in each of D'Antoni's last four seasons.


D'Antoni then coached New York for the past four seasons, resigning last March after a largely unsuccessful tenure featuring just one playoff appearance and no postseason victories.


Nash and Bryant both expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of playing for D'Antoni, although Bryant eagerly campaigned for a third stint for Jackson on the Lakers' bench. Bryant idolized D'Antoni while growing up in Italy, where D'Antoni was a star player in the Italian league.


"Obviously I think everyone knows how much I love Mike," Nash said Sunday night prior to the hiring. "If (D'Antoni) were to coach, it would be seamless and terrific for me, and I think the team as well."


The Lakers have improved to 3-4 after following up their winless preseason with four losses in their first five regular-season games, the club's worst start since 1993.


Brown was fired after the Lakers stumbled badly out of the gate, struggling to learn his Princeton-inflected offense and playing mediocre defense.


D'Antoni has a reputation as an offensive-minded coach, although his NBA teams typically have played fairly solid defense, statistically speaking.


The Lakers' next game is Tuesday night against San Antonio. Phoenix visits Staples Center on Friday.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/s...angeles-lakers

[skipwondah33]

Haha D'Antoni? Really?

Not saying the obvious choice of Phil would have been better. It could have been anyone else, but surprised of him being hired.

[NatureBoy]

I'm mad as a hornet and sick to my stomach. How do you pass on a coach who has won 11 NBA Championships? I don't care if Phil wanted a hot tub at courtside. Give the man whatever he wants to get him back. It all boils down to Jim Buss and Phil not liking one another. He's a complete and total idiot. In order to win more NBA Championships, I would have swallowed my pride but not the all knowing Jim Buss. I hope he's happy when the Lakers are at the house come playoff time.

[psuexv]

JPosnanski: Lakers fans go to bed dreaming of Phil Jackson. Wake up, unwrap package, it's Mike D'Antoni. It's like LA Christmas come early.