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Mitch Kupchak On Mike Brown’s Firing

November 9th, 2012 at 6:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak spoke to reporters about the team's decision to fire coach Mike Brown today, saying the team didn't want to wait for the team to break out of its funk only to find out that it wasn't going to happen. He shared lots more insight, as Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld transcribes. We'll round up the highlights here.

On the timing of the decision:

“It wasn’t made out of panic. We were aware of this team’s progress through training camp and the beginning of the season. Only yesterday did we come to the decision to make a change. Obviously, everyone in this room knows we went 0-8 in the preseason, which doesn’t mean a whole lot, but we are 1-4 now. It didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s something that’s out there that we talked about internally, continuing to support Mike. But after our loss to Utah we came to the decision this morning to make a change.”

On why the move wasn't made after last season:

“I would say it was an incomplete evaluation. What he went through last season wasn’t really fair. Making a trade that fell apart, one of the players has moved on – Lamar Odom – and the other player was scarred for a complete season. Then we made another trade as we approached the trade deadline to get a younger ball-handling point guard. And we did no worse than we did the year before. It’s tough to grade him, plus on top of that it was a (lockout)-shortened season. So on top of that it’s tough to give a coach a grade. Maybe you call it a free pass for a year and let’s see how we do this year.”

On whether Dwight Howard's free agency next summer had to do with the firing:

"(It was) not something that was discussed between the three decision makers. Obviously we know he’s a free agent this summer and you want to make the experience for him as good as possible, but we have a lot of other people we’re trying to please as well, we have a lot of fans and players, it’s not just about one person.”

On selecting a replacement:

"The sooner the better. We don’t have a timetable. … The reality is you can’t call around and gauge coaches' interest in this job; in the fraternity that exists, a coach wouldn’t say he was interested as long as someone has the job so we haven’t even begun the search, but we do have a list that we’ve put together and we will go through that list in an orderly fashion."

Lakers Fire Mike Brown; Considering D’Antoni?

November 9th, 2012 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

1:54pm: The Lakers have officially sent out a press release announced their decision to dismiss Brown.

"This was a difficult and painful decision to make," said GM Mitch Kupchak. "Mike was very hard-working and dedicated, but we felt it was in the best interest of the team to make a change at this time. We appreciate Mike’s efforts and contributions and wish him and his family the best of luck."

Meanwhile, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the Lakers will ditch the Princeton offense, which was a major factor in the team's decision to replace Brown.

12:36pm: Bernie Bickerstaff will coach tonight's game for the Lakers, but the team will conduct a national search for Brown's replacement, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.

Meanwhile, Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game tweets that one candidate, Mike D'Antoni, recently had knee surgery and is laid up for six weeks. According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports though, that wouldn't stop D'Antoni from taking the job if the Lakers wanted him (Twitter link).

12:27pm: The Lakers have "made it clear" that buying out the remaining $11MM+ on Brown's contract and investing in a new coach won't be an issue, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter).

12:19pm: A Lakers assistant, likely either Bernie Bickerstaff or Chuck Person, is expected to assume the head coaching reins on an interim basis, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Ken Berger of CBS Sports also throws Steve Clifford's name into the mix, though he says Person has the edge (Twitter link).

12:15pm: Mike D'Antoni has been a "prominent name" discussed by the Lakers as they consider Brown's replacement, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

12:02pm: The Lakers have fired head coach Mike Brown, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today. Brown's agent Warren LeGarie confirms to Amick that the Lakers head coach has been dismissed.

A report earlier today suggested that a poor showing on the Lakers' upcoming homestand would jeopardize Brown's job. However, after a 1-4 start to the season, the 42-year-old won't even receive the opportunity to coach the first of the team's six upcoming home games tonight against the Warriors.

The move comes less than 48 hours after Brown received the "dreaded" vote of confidence from executive VP Jim Buss, who suggested the team would exercise patience when evaluating the coach's performance. While a new coach has yet to be named, it doesn't seem as if the Lakers would make such a move without a replacement in mind, as Zach Lowe of Grantland tweets.

The decision to let Brown go just five games into the season comes as something of a shock — despite the early-season struggles, I would have guessed the Lakers would give Brown at least another week or two to right the ship. And Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter) that GM Mitch Kupchak was pushing ownership to do just that, encouraging the team to give Brown more time before firing him. However, making an change early in the year rather than waiting until later in the season should give the players plenty of time to adjust to the new coach's system and style.

Latest On Lakers Coaching Candidates

November 9th, 2012 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers' decision to fire Mike Brown didn't necessarily come as a surprise, given the team's sluggish start to the season. The timing of the move, however, just five games into the regular season, was a bit of a shock, including to Brown himself — according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, the coach was "caught off guard" by today's decision (Twitter link).

It appears the Lakers will make Bernie Bickerstaff the interim coach, but the team will almost certainly bring in a higher-profile name sooner or later. Here's some of the speculation flying around Twitter about possible replacements for Brown, with pros and cons for each potential candidate:

Mike D'Antoni: The Lakers are reportedly considering the former Knicks head coach, though Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com argues that only Steve Nash would benefit from a D'Antoni hire (Sulia link). Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports adds (via Twitter) that D'Antoni's recent knee surgery will likely make him unable to coach until late December.
Brian Shaw: Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets that Shaw was the Lakers' players choice for head coach when Phil Jackson retired. However, Marc J. Spears and Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports suggest Shaw may not be a likely candidate, considering the "acrimony that ensued" when the Lakers front office chose Brown over Shaw.
Phil Jackson: Arash Markazi of ESPNLA.com argues that Jackson is the best fit for the Lakers, rather than a rookie head coach like Shaw or Chuck Person (Twitter links). Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game says (via Twitter) that Jackson is not in the picture, however.
Jerry Sloan: Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld heard from one league source earlier this week that Sloan would be the Lakers' coach by December 1st. Jeff McDonald of San Antonio Express-News questions whether Sloan would be the best fit for a job that involves working in Los Angeles and coaching Dwight Howard (Twitter links). Bucher adds in a tweet that he can't see Sloan and Jim Buss co-existing.
Nate McMillan: Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News suggests (via Twitter) that McMillan may be the best free agent coach available. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes that, last we heard, McMillan was happy not coaching (Twitter link), but McMillan may have changed that stance recently, as Marc J. Spears tweets that the former Blazers coach is open to an NBA job. The Lakers haven't contacted him though, says Spears.

Poor Homestand Would Jeopardize Brown’s Job

November 9th, 2012 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

With the Lakers set to begin a six-game homestand tonight against the Warriors, the team's next few games could determine whether or not head coach Mike Brown keeps his job, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. According to Stein, an unsuccessful homestand would put Brown's job in immediate jeopardy. While the Lakers have expressed public support for Brown, the team is concerned enough that it would seriously consider a coaching change if the on-court struggles continue.

Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss said earlier this week that he has "no problems" with Brown, and that the front office will be patient to allow the head coach to work through the slow start. He did concede that the team would have to stay on top of the situation, but didn't suggest Brown was on the hot seat. According to Stein, however, the club's patience is "starting to erode."

The Lakers' six-game homestand includes matchups against four of the West's 2011/12 lottery teams, in the Warriors, Kings, Suns, and Rockets, so there should be plenty of winnable games for Los Angeles during the stretch.

As Stein notes, Mike D'Antoni, Nate McMillan, Jerry Sloan, and Stan Van Gundy are among the high-profile former head coaches who are currently on the market. Meanwhile, Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com and ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst are two of the most recent writers to address the coaching situation in Los Angeles.

Western Notes: Blazers, Brown, Williams, Martin

November 8th, 2012 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Western Conference got off to a bit of a slow start in inter-conference games this year, but Western teams turned that trend around last night. Of the six Wednesday night contests that pitted West vs. East, only the Sixers could earn a win for the Eastern Conference, beating the Hornets in New Orleans — the Suns, Mavericks, Timberwolves, Warriors, and Kings all defeated Eastern teams.

Here are a few of today's updates from around the Western Conference:

The Trail Blazers haven't received much bench production so far, something GM Neil Olshey is keeping an eye on. According to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, Olshey may look to address the issue at the trade deadline if no one steps up internally.
SI.com's Ben Golliver reads between the lines of Jim Buss' comments on Lakers coach Mike Brown, concluding that Buss may be laying the groundwork for Brown to eventually be replaced.
Tyson Chandler believes the Mavericks had a chance to win back-to-back titles if Mark Cuban had elected to bring all of 2010/11's Mavs back last season, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
If Derrick Williams doesn't start producing soon, it may be time to consider whether last year's second overall pick is a bust, says Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld.
Although Kevin Martin is in a contract year, Thunder GM Sam Presti tells Sam Amick of USA Today that isn't a concern at the moment, and that Martin's future will be addressed "at the appropriate time."
Kirk Lacob, general manager of the Warriors' D-League affiliate, spoke to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle about Santa Cruz's new stadium and last week's draft. We covered a few other D-League items of note earlier today.

Jim Buss Has “No Problems” With Mike Brown

November 8th, 2012 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

With the Lakers off to a 1-4 start, there's been plenty of speculation suggesting that head coach Mike Brown could be on the hot seat in Los Angeles. However, as Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com, the front office intends to exercise some patience, letting Brown and the Lakers work through the early-season struggles.

"I have no problems with Mike Brown at all," Buss said. "He just works too hard and he's too knowledgeable for this to be happening. So either the system is flawed or something's going on. Or, like the Triangle, it's very hard to pick up and understand. I'm not a basketball mind like he is or the players are, and the players are fine with it, so I just have to be patient."

Buss acknowledged that no one was happy about the team's early results and that he and the front office would stay on top of the situation, but said that doesn't mean a change is coming. According to Buss, he's been gauging the reactions of Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Lakers, reading their public comments and talking to them directly, and has gotten the sense that "everything's cool."

While the Lakers only have five games under their belts and are expected to turn things around in the near future, Buss admitted that the team was built to win now and continued struggles would be a concern. However, he wouldn't commit to a specific timeline for evaluating the club's (and Brown's) performance.

"You have to give it time to understand [what's going on]," Buss said. "I don't know if there's an actual game total that would make me impatient. I know if we're 1-15, I don't think that would be very good. I'm sure that would be a panic button. But at this time, I'm fine with what's going on. It's a learning process for the players. As long as everybody is on the same page, I think we're fine."

Odds & Ends: Shaw, Lakers, Sloan, Thabeet

November 6th, 2012 at 10:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s evening schedule only features three contests, but all three should be interesting to watch — the Magic will look to stay undefeated in Chicago, the Thunder will try to bounce back from a home loss to Portland, and in Denver, both the Nuggets and Pistons will be seeking their first win. As we await tonight’s games, let’s check out a few odds and ends from around the Association:

Pacers assistant Brian Shaw is arguably the most qualified assistant in the league, but Mark Montieth of Pacers.com doesn’t expect him to hold that title for much longer. Shaw turned down the Bobcats head coaching job this summer because he didn’t like the fit, but figures to receive a stronger offer in his next try.
Speaking to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, one league source predicted that Jerry Sloan will replace Mike Brown as the Lakers‘ head coach within the next month.
Although James Harden was upset that the Thunder rushed his decision on a contract extension before they traded him to the Rockets, LeBron James tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) that he thinks Harden is welcoming the opportunity to “have his [own] team and showcase what he’s able to do.”
Kevin Martin, who played with Hasheem Thabeet in Houston, says Thabeet seems to be an entirely different player with the Thunder. “Whatever they did to him, it definitely worked in his favor,” Martin tells Susan Bible of HoopsWorld.
Andrei Kirilenko talks to Michael Scotto of RealGM.com about his decision to play in Russia during the 2011/12 season before returning to the NBA with the Timberwolves this year.

Kennedy On Brown, Lakers, 2014 Free Agent Class

August 12th, 2012 at 7:47pm CST by Sean Highkin

Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld has weighed in today on several relevant NBA topics, including the expectations placed on the Lakers and their options in free agency in coming years:

Kennedy tweets that Mike Brown will likely receive the majority of blame if the Lakers fall short of their championship aspirations following the additions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard this offseason.
Kennedy also tweets that he would be surprised if Howard did not re-sign with the Lakers when he hits free agency in July 2013.
In a Sulia post, Kennedy takes a look at the 2014 free agent class, some of which could be options for the Lakers. Top players available include Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Danny Granger, and, should they choose to opt out of their contracts in Miami, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
In the same post, Kennedy quotes an anonymous NBA executive as believing the 2014 class has the potential to be more impressive than that of 2010.

Jim Buss “Very Disappointed” By Lakers’ Season

June 1st, 2012 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

Lakers vice president of player personnel Jim Buss appeared on 710 ESPN Radio's Mason and Ireland Show on Thursday, expressing disappointment with his team's season (link via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com). While conceding that he's never happy if the club fall short of a championship, Buss said he was "very disappointed" with the Lakers' season, and thought they "were a better team than this." Jerry Buss' son weighed in on a number of other topics as well, including the head coach, the draft, and star center Andrew Bynum. Here are a few of Buss' comments:

Lakers Rumors: Bynum, Brown, Sessions, Gasol

May 22nd, 2012 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals last night, sending the Lakers to their second consecutive second-round exit. Despite the loss, Kobe Bryant vowed after the game that L.A. would be back in contention next season: "This is not one of those things like where the Bulls beat the Pistons and the Pistons disappeared forever."

Before the team returns to the court for the 2012/13 season, the Lakers will have a number of roster moves and decisions to make. Here's the latest on a few of the issues facing the club:

Andrew Bynum told reporters last night, including Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, that he's not sure what his future in Los Angeles holds. According to Bynum's agent David Lee, the ball is in the Lakers' court when it comes to talking about a contract extension for the young center.
Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com looks at eight questions facing the Lakers as the team prepares for the offseason. Within the piece, he suggests that coach Mike Brown won't be fired, and wonders whether Ramon Sessions will pick up his player option after a poor postseason.
Over the luxury-tax threshold and with only the 60th pick in the draft, the Lakers will have to make trades if they hope to improve their roster, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
Pau Gasol's time as a Laker will likely end soon, since he's their only logical trade chip, says Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets that he expects the Timberwolves to get involved in Gasol trade discussions again.
Gasol should be the first domino to fall, but the Lakers will be faced with other decisions too, writes McMenamin.
For his part, Gasol doesn't think the Lakers need to significantly overhaul the roster, as he tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Gasol, Bynum, and Bryant all suggested that a full training camp would've helped the Lakers, who were adjusting to Brown's system.