So far, the 2022 offseason hasn’t been an especially busy one on the head coaching carousel. In some years, upwards of one-quarter or one-third of the NBA’s teams make coaching changes once the season ends, but just three clubs are currently searching for someone to fill that job: the Lakers, Kings, and Hornets.
There’s still plenty of time for that to change. Perhaps Quin Snyder will decide to leave the Jazz or longtime Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will opt to retire. It’s also possible a playoff team that falls short of its expectations will make a change. For now though, there’s just those three openings.
The three teams seeking a new head coach have one thing in common: They all expected to make the playoffs in 2021/22 and fell short.
No team missed out on the postseason in more dramatic fashion than the Lakers, who were among the NBA’s title favorites entering training camp. The team was never able to properly acclimate Russell Westbrook to his new team, didn’t get enough production from several veteran reserves, and was hurt by injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers are one of basketball’s marquee franchises and any team with LeBron and AD on the roster is capable of contending, but some candidates may be wary of pursuing the job. The front office, which has been rumored to meddle, has sky-high expectations for the team but lacks the trade assets and cap flexibility to significantly upgrade a roster that finished out of the top 10 in the West. Some veteran coaches might also be turned off by the way the team handled the ouster of Frank Vogel, who won a title for L.A. less than two years ago.
If the Lakers are one of the NBA’s marquee franchises, the Kings are…somewhere on the other end of the spectrum. In 2022, Sacramento set a new league record for futility by missing out on the playoffs for a 16th consecutive season and traded away one of its best recent draftees, second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton, at the trade deadline.
Still, the duo of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis represents a good start, especially on offense. If the team can surround Fox and Sabonis with players who can shoot and defend, there’s some intriguing potential on this roster. Adding those kinds of players is easier said than done, but rookie guard Davion Mitchell has big-time defensive upside and Harrison Barnes is a solid three-and-D wing.
The Hornets, meanwhile, have made the play-in tournament twice in a row, but were blown out and eliminated in their first play-in game both last year and this year. Charlotte looks like a team on the rise, with LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and P.J. Washington still getting better. But Gordon Hayward‘s health problems and a lack of a strong presence at center have limited the team’s ceiling since Ball and Hayward arrived in 2020.
We want to know what you think. Which of these head coaching openings looks most appealing to you? Which do you expect to attract the strongest group of candidates? Which is the least appealing?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!
I mean this isnt even close it has to be the Hornets.
LA needs so many things it cant get on vet min deals and has so few resources. LBJ/AD have to be considered more health risks at this point too where they either need frequent rest or get hurt frequently.
The Kings roster suuuuuucccckkkssss zero wing players besides HB, incompetent meddlesome owner. I dont know why anyone would want to be the scapegoat for yet another bad season in Sac…
Money Talks !!
If you can’t fix Westbrook, do not take Lakers job
76ers job is open? Unlikely
Doc did not make any mistake during Embiid injury process
Result is bad
Presumably Jay Wright had been promised the Sixers job if Doc choked, but Embiid’s injury is throwing that into disarray. Sixers also have terrible ownership.
The Lakers job is the worst imo – high expectations plus high chance of failure.
I’d take Lakers job 4-year $40 million
Failure and expectation are not important to me
Lakers are play-in team with championship expectation
Lakers job is money with 100% chance failure
It’s championship hopeless
I can’t even fix Westbrook
Lakers are not trading any more future Firsts
I mean everything you said applies to the Kings as well. At least with a real organization like the Lakers its harder to scapegoat 2 coaches in a row, since if the roster is bad again then its the roster not the coach!
Put up a poll like you would on MLBTR
For reals right!
Trade Scenario :
============
Pelicans send 6-7 PF Z. Williamson to the Kings for 6-10 C R. Holmes. (both Players make $10.5m per season). Win, Win for both teams !!
in all seriousness, there are probably a bunch of zion trade scenarios that could put the pelis in playoff contention.
The best position for the Pelicans for playoff success is not to trade Zion.
NOP are a playoff team, they don’t need to contend for them anymore, right?
1. Hornets
2. Lakers
3. Kings
Hornets have flexibility and are set up for the future with some young talent. Lakers are a distant 2nd because they have limited flexibility, no young talent but they do have 2 all stars though they are oft injured. Kings need a good coach-GM combo because the talent is there but managerial competence has been missing.
My desire to not live in Charlotte or Sac outweighs any desire I’d have to be an NBA head coach, but assuming you’re just looking at the on-court job, the only one of these that’s a good job is Charlotte.
The Lakers are almost certainly not going to be in title contention while you’re there, and you’re likely dealing with just 1-2 years of drama and then going to be out. On the other hand, maybe you luck out on minimum free agents, AD and Lebron stay healthy, Westbrook maximizes what he can be on this team and you somehow pull out a title.
You will never win a title in Sac. But maybe they have that (esp. with new basketball management that seems to have at least some independence), even with crappy ownership, if you do a strong job you probably could keep your job for 5-6 years and maybe even lead the Kings back to the playoffs, making you the greatest Kings coach since Rick Adelman.
So, what’s my second choice (ignoring location): I’m going to go with the Kings. The Lakers chances at title are so remote as to not make it worth dealing with that crap. Plus you have some shot to parlay the Kings job into a better job if you do well.
In the last year, I moved from Southern California to Charlotte NC. California obviously has its perks but I absolutely love Charlotte and what it has to offer.
I am curious, have you visited Charlotte before? If you have, what turned you off from it? Other than it not being LA/California.
I’d take the Lakers job if it included housing, like an apartment at the facility… bleep that housing market and traffic