Lakers Reportedly Have New Head Coach

Former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown has reportedly been offered the head coaching position for the Los Angeles Lakers, replacing the retired Phil Jackson, according to ESPN.com. Sources close to the situation told SI's Sam Amick that Kobe Bryant was "surprised" by the move and was not consulted during the interview process. Bryant is reportedly an avid supporter of assistant coach Brian Shaw, who was granted permission earlier this offseason to interview for a head coaching position elsewhere.

Brown compiled a 211-117 record in his five seasons with the Cavs. His defensive-minded coaching style and experience in managing a superstar may have attracted Lakers brass to him. He reportedly withdrew his name from consideration for the Golden State Warriors job, furthering the speculation that he will become the Lakers new head coach.

Brown is a 2008-2009 coach of the year with a deep pedigree, including two seasons as associate head coach with the Indiana Pacers and assistant coach for three seasons under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich.

Mike Brown is the defensive-minded head
coach the Lakers were searching for.

Still, Lakers fans will have legitimate concerns. Number one: he never won with LeBron. He was widely criticized in the playoffs for being outcoached by Doc Rivers in 2010 and Stan Van Gundy in 2009. Yes, Brown has experience in coaching and managing a superstar. However, it was widely reported that LeBron was coddled during his time in Cleveland. Does Brown have the personality to rein in players with strong personalities? Bryant mentioned in his exit interview that the guys took practices easy because he was not there to push them due to his various ailments. Can Brown instill discipline into a veteran unit with more championship experience than himself? Jackson demanded respect from the Lakers because he went through the wars in Chicago and LA. Eleven rings didn't hurt either. The Lakers will be unimpressed with Mike Brown's resume. How will they react?

Yes, Brown emphasizes defense, something the Lakers desperately needed, but Brown's simple, isolation-style offense was often criticized while in Cleveland. It should be noted that Brown has more talent in LA than in Cleveland so perhaps this concern is moot. We shall see.

If the reports are true, Mike Brown enters a high pressure coaching job with a rabid fanbase that expects championships. He didn't come through in Cleveland. He will have to come through in Hollywood.

UPDATE: Broderick Turner of the LA Times is reporting Mike Brown's contract would be in the $4-4.5 million range. The contract would likely be 3 years with a team option on the fourth with partial pay if he is not retained.

UPDATE 2: Mike Brown has agreed to a 4 year $18.25 million contract to become Lakers head coach, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard

Thinking Outside the Triangle

ESPN.com contributor Larry Coon took questions on Twitter regarding the Lakers' offseason. Here are just a few samples:

@Cizzle697: What about Pau or Bynum and the other guys for Hickson or Varejo, Sessions and Harris or Eyenga + one of Cavs 1st rd picks?

@Thad_singley: You think NO would accept Pau, filler and a first rounder for CP3?

@Dgtedford: Do lakers give up a combo of Drew + Pau/Lamar or does Drew + picks get it done? (for Dwight Howard)

The annual knee-jerk reactions are coming in furiously from Lakers fans. They want Pau's head ...er changes. Most Lakers fans are already looking towards the summer of 2012 — assuming they will pluck Dwight Howard from Orlando a la 1996 when they signed Shaq away from Orlando in free agency. Others believe Chris Paul, coming off his dismantling of said Lakers, will join forces with Kobe, forming a hall of fame backcourt. I don't see either of those moves happening for a variety of reasons including other teams having more to offer, a new CBA and the Lakers being capped out until my 2 year old nephew can legally buy a Playboy. (Luke Walton will make $6,100,000 in 2012-2013).

According to Hoopshype.com, the Lakers have $89 million committed in salary next season. If Shannon Brown and Matt Barnes opt into their contracts that number rises to $92 million and change. Hell, the Lakers will have $61,466,130 committed in salary for the 2013-2014 season! With the CBA in limbo, the Lakers could be saddled with the same team, a new coach and a strike shortened season.

I do believe changes will be made this offseason. The Mavs exposed the Lakers as old, slow and defensively challenged. The good news for Lakers fans is that this trifecta of problems can be fixed on the cheap. They already have two quality big men and veteran leadership. Plus, Kobe can still find ways to score. But Lakers fans do not want to hear "on the cheap." Rare is it that "on the cheap" wins rings. The Lakers could use a second scorer at the small forward spot to take some of the pressure off of Kobe. But again, second scorers are way overpriced in the NBA. Rudy Gay and Andre Iguodala are second scorers. Gay will make $15,032,144 next season. Iguodala still has three years and $56 million left on his deal.

Unfortunately, with the number one payroll in the NBA ($91,645,878) and cap uncertainty, Dwight Howard and/or CP3 are all but out of the picture unless they force their respective teams to deal them to the Lakers in a Melo-like move. The Magic and Hornets will not be as patient as the Nuggets were with Melo and would likely pull the trigger on the best deal available, like the shocker the Jazz pulled with Deron Williams. The Lakers can move Gasol, who will be 32 in 2012 (and seemingly on the decline) or Andrew Bynum, who has shown flashes of greatness but cannot seem to stay on the floor due to various knee injuries, but little else.

The Lakers do not have any young talent, draft picks, or attractive contracts to offer Orlando for Howard or New Orleans for CP3. Also, keep in mind that the other 29 teams in the NBA currently own the New Orleans Hornets. I doubt they would sign off on a deal that sends its face of the franchise and lone marketing tool to LA.

Look, Gasol played terribly throughout the entire playoffs. He was soft, taking every hit the Mavs gave him without ever hitting back. He looked lost on defense and lethargic on offense. Maybe he was just worn out. Maybe, as he hinted in the Mavs series, he let outside influences seep into his mind. Maybe he was mentally worn out? I will not speculate what those outside influences were. But hopefully they disappear by November 2011.

So what do the Lakers need? An infusion of inexpensive youth and athleticism at the point guard and wing positions. The Lakers can improve via free agency and the draft next season, assuming there is a mid-level exception, which is a major assumption. Here are a few summer 2011 free agents I think the Lakers should take a hard look at this offseason. You won't find a point guard on this list. I know the Lakers need a point guard, but Derek Fisher has a player option for the 2012-2013 season and Steve Blake is signed through 2013-2014, plus there weren't many attractive point guards on the 2011 FA market anyway. Perhaps a deal for Raymond Felton is a possibility due to the Nugs having Ty Lawson.

J.R. Smith - Nuggets
Position: Shooting Guard
2010-2011 Salary: $6,031,851
J.R. Smith would likely cost the Lakers the full mid-level exception. Still, the Lakers need youth and athleticism and Smith fits the bill. He can create his own shot and fill it up when Bryant is on the bench. He shot 39% from three and has the ability to jump out the damn building, giving Kobe some relief on the offsensive end. What the Lakers do not need is a headache and Smith was known for being in and out of George Karl's doghouse throughout his Denver career. He is basically Shannon Brown with a jumpshot and a worse attitude. Still, if Brown opts out, Smith could work here.

Reggie Williams - Warriors
Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward
2010-2011 Salary: $762,195
Like J.R. Smith, Reggie Williams can fill it up. When given the opportunity, Williams performed. He averaged 16.5 pts/gm when playing 25 minutes or more. A pure shooter, Williams shot 47% from the field and 42.3% from 3. At 24, his best years are still be ahead of him.

Gary Forbes - Nuggets
Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward
Salary: $473,604
Gary Forbes is a solid 6'7'' 220. Like Reggie Williams, Forbes, the UMass product, is cheap, young and can shoot the ball when given minutes. Forbes played 20 minutes or more 14 times for the Nuggets this season and averaged 11.5 points a game. I like his size and although he's raw, he can defend chest to chest with his opponent. The Lakers need more glue-guys like Forbes who have scratched and clawed their way into the league and are happy to do the little things if it means they get a paycheck every two weeks. Not many blue-collar guys on the roster right now for L.A.

Luc Mbah a Moute - Bucks
Position:Small Forward/Power Forward
Salary: $854,389
The 6'8'' 220 UCLA product would be a steal for the Lakers. Mbah a Moute, a second round pick, played 79 games and multiple positions for the injury plagued Bucks, often defending the opponents best big man. The problem is where and when would he play? He's not a shooter and would likely play the backup power forward spot. With Lamar Odom locked in through 2012-2013, I'm not sure there is room for Mbah a Moute in L.A. Still, if the Lakers are serious about improving on the defensive end, they should take a look at Luc.

Derrick Brown - Knicks
Position: Small Forward/Power Forward
Salary: $287,940
Throw out the stats here because they aren't impressive. There are more talented players out there that may have more of an initial impact than Derrick Brown. But I watched this Xavier product give it to my Saint Joseph's Hawks for years. I always came away impressed with Brown's athleticism. He was drafted in the second round by Charlotte and was thought to be one of the steals of 2009 draft. Never panned out. But LB is known for destroying young players careers. He is only 23 and has the athleticism at 6'8'' 220 to make an impact for a team in the years to come. He may be a Trevor Ariza-type player, we may never hear from him again. I have no idea, but at that price why not take a shot?

LA Linked

In the summer of 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers had a relatively simple decision to make. They had just defeated the Orlando Magic in five games to reclaim the Larry O'Brien trophy. In that series, starting small forward, Trevor Ariza averaged 11.3 points a game, while shooting 49.7% from the field, including 47.6% from three.

Ariza broke through as the Lakers starting small forward with his defensive length and an above average three point shot. The hometown product was in his fifth year in the league and already on his third NBA team. He spent one year at UCLA before being drafted in the second round by the New York Knicks. He was then traded to the Magic, who ultimately traded him to the Lakers. With his stellar finals performance, Ariza proved he could withstand the bright lights of the post-season as well as the pressures of playing alongside Kobe Bryant. Ariza had officially mesmerized Lakers nation, having them believe he would soon develop into a Scottie Pippen-type player to Kobe's Michael Jordan.

With his contract up, it was widely assumed Ariza would take whatever offer was on the Laker table, sign with his hometown team and continue to grow into Kobe's strong-armed sidekick. Negotiations stalled. Ariza asked for 7-8 million a year. The Lakers offered 5-years, $33.7 million or about $5.8 million a season. Ariza had other teams interested, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets. The Lakers number would go up, he thought. He had LeBron James recruiting him via text, for God's sake. He had the leverage.

But he didn't. The Lakers are big business and they're good at it.

The Lakers offered the same deal to Ron Artest. He accepted.

The Lakers didn't need a Pippen-type player. They had Lamar Odom and arguably the best big man in the game in Pau Gasol, plus a still developing 7-foot center in Andrew Bynum. The knock on Pau and the Lakers team was they were soft. They needed to get bigger, stronger...meaner. With the Artest signing, the Lakers got what they were looking for in spades.

And with that, Trevor Ariza was on the move once again. This time to Houston where he would replace Artest, essentially signing the same deal the Lakers were offering - five years, $33.9 million.

The free agent small forward swap between the Rockets and the Lakers has forever linked Ron Artest to Trevor Ariza and vice versa. The statistics will be compared. The question, "did the Lakers make the right decision?" will be repeatedly asked.

"Of course I was upset, but there is nothing I can do about," Ariza was quoted as saying to the LA Times.

Although the Lakers ultimately chose Artest over him, Ariza held no ill feelings toward Ron. In fact, it was Artest who had the difficult time shaking Trevor Ariza's shadow, routinely mentioning Ariza in post-game interviews. There was also Artest's bizarre tossing of Ariza's shoe in his first game back to LA. Artest even admitted to the LA Times before the 2010 playoffs that he "can't compare" to Ariza and that "he's a better player."

Still, common sense (of which Artest has little) says the Lakers made the right call, having won a championship last year in large part to Artest's defensive prowess on Kevin Durant in the first round and Paul Pierce in the Finals. It was Artest's 20 point outburst in game 7 against the Celtics that sealed the Lakers back to back championships.

Houston quickly soured on Ariza and his poor shooting percentages and traded him to New Orleans in the off-season where he partnered with another great player, Chris Paul.

This season, both players underperformed with similarly disappointing stat lines. Artest's inability to grasp the triangle had worn on Laker faithful. Rumors of Lakers management making Ron available via trade coincided with the rumors Artest asked for a trade. Both rumors were denied. Ariza got off to a hot start for the Hornets pacing New Orleans to an 11-1 start. But as the season progressed, his shot continued to look worse. Both players seemingly were not living up to their identical salary of $6,322,320.

The post season, however has brought Artest and Ariza back together, which has surprisingly brought out the best in both players.

Regular season:
Artest: 8.5 pts 39.7% fg, 35% from three, 3.3 rbs., 2.1 asts., 1.5 stls.
Ariza: 11.0 pts. 39.8% fg, 30.3% from three, 5.4 rbs, 2.2 asts, 1.6 stls.

Post-season:
Artest: 13.4 pts., 52% fg, 43.8% from three, 5.0 rbs., 2.1 asts., .8 stls.
Ariza: 16.2 pts., 41% fg, 38.9% from three, 6.8 rbs. 3.0 asts., 1.6 stls.

On the court at the same time (Post-season): via StatsCube
Artest: 14.4 pts. 55% fg, 50% from three, 5.3 rbs, 1.3 asts.
Ariza:  17.9 pts. 45% fg, 44% from three, 5.5 rbs., 2.5 asts.

Like everyone else, I fell for it. I fell for the comparisons. I wondered if the Lakers made the right decision. Truthfully, I still wonder. Count me as one of the Lakers fans who thought losing Ariza was a major step back. I was obviously wrong. Watching Ariza now, something is just off. He is a tremendous talent, but the confidence needed to be great just doesn't seem to be there.

The great players in this league are 50, 40, 90 guys -  they shoot 50% from the field, 40% from 3 and 90% from the line. In my mind, Ariza had the tools to be that player. Instead he has regressed from the 2009 Finals. This season he shot 39% from the field, 30% from 3 and 65% from the line. 39, 30, 65 is no where close to his ability. That's just a lack of confidence - five teams in seven seasons will do that to a man.

In the coming days, the Lakers will likely defeat the Hornets in the first round and a new storyline will emerge. But for Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza, the link between them will never fade.

Bynum Update

It looks as though Andrew Bynum and the Lakers may have dodged a bullet. An MRI performed this morning on the 23-year old 7-footer revealed a bone bruise and no structural damage to his right knee.

Bynum left last night's game with 8 minutes left in the second quarter with a knee injury after stepping on Dujuan Blair's foot.

The injury is not deemed serious and according to reports, Bynum will be ready when the playoffs begin.

Bynum Goes Down

Andrew Bynum left last night's game against the Spurs in the second quarter after hyper-extending his right knee after stepping on the foot of Spurs power forward Dujuan Blair. Bynum the Lakers 23-year old, 7-foot center who has a history of knee problems, will undergo an MRI today.

Bynum sat on the floor for several minutes with his head in his hands after the injury. He was, however able to walk to the locker room under his own power. According to an ESPN.com report, he will not travel with the team to Sacramento for the Lakers season finale against the Kings.

Bynum had surgery on his right knee in July to repair a torn meniscus suffered during last season's NBA playoffs. The surgery caused him to miss the Lakers first 24 games of the season.

Ironically, Spurs head coach, Gregg Popovich rested Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli last night in order to give them some rest and protect them from injury heading into the playoffs. The Spurs had already locked up the one seed in the Western Conference but are in a battle with the Bulls for the NBA's best record, which gives the team home court advantage throughout the playoffs and NBA Finals. Popovich opted to rest his starters rather than going all in for the NBA's best record.

With a win tonight against the Kings, the Lakers will secure the second seed in the western conference and will likely play the New Orleans Hornets in the first round. But of course, Lakers officials as well as fans are only concerned about Andrew Bynum's MRI results. What does this mean? Well, depending on the results of Bynum's MRI, the Lakers may have to navigate through the loaded Western conference playoffs without the NBA's second best center — a crushing blow to the Lakers three-peat chances if he is to miss significant time.

9450 will update you when Bynum's MRI results are revealed.

Lakers Season In Ron's Hands

Ron Artest will cost the Lakers a third straight NBA title.

I can see it.

Kobe will be double-teamed in the fourth quarter of a series clinching playoff game. Time is running down. 10...9...He will survey the court, elbows flailing, pivot foot barely attached to the floor as two defenders surround him without fouling. He will see a wide open man at the top of the key. 8...Kobe will pass him the ball contingent on the fact that he will break the double-team and get the ball right back. 7...Kobe passes, breaks it and immediately demands the ball. He's got the shot. But he won't get the ball back. In a panic, the open man will heave a 28-footer. It's game 7 all over again, they will say. He's going to do it again! But not this time. With time still on the clock, Ron Artest will shoot an airball and the Lakers will lose. Lightning won't strike a third time.

Trust me, this scenario scares the hell out of Laker fans. They may not show it now, but when a crucial playoff game comes down to a single possession, and believe me at some point it will, they will be petrfied at the thought of Ron Artest having the 2010-2011 season in his hands.

But for at least one night, Ron Artest could do no wrong. He blew kisses to the fans like an Oscar winner, he flexed his arms, showing off his obscenely large, linebackeresque left and right biceps and even did a little dance after hitting a key off-balance 15-footer in the Lakers 139-137 three overtime thriller against the Suns.

Artest shot 7-14 for 18 points, five of which came in the final two minutes of the third overtime. He shot 3-5 from three and had a key steal and dunk to help seal the victory.

The Lakers have been unstoppable since the all-star break, winning 13 of their first 14 games. They are winning with defense giving up over 100 points only twice in that span and both of those games went into overtime.

Last week, I wrote that all is well in Hollywood. Despite a loss to Miami, everything is still good in Lakerland. Today, ESPN ran a feature by Ramona Shelburne that discussed how Artest is slowly coming out of his funk. The feature described how players and Laker management tried to communicate to Artest his importance to the team and a championship run, despite his struggles earlier in the season.

The feature says his stats have inched up since the all-star break and the trade deadline, and maybe some have. But some have not. Excuse me for thinking that the Lakers still have work to do. Consider the fact that Ron Artest made news the other night against the Suns for finally playing a solid game. In March, Artest is shooting 37.2% from the field (down from 42% in February), and only 32% from 3-point range. His true shooting percentage of 48% is a full 3% worse than last season's.

What happens if Kobe duplicates his 6-24 performance in a game 7, like he did in last year's NBA finals? Artest was heroic that night, putting up 20 points 5 rebounds and 5 steals. This season, Artest has eclipsed 20 points one time and that was in a February 23 overtime victory against the Trailblazers, when he scored 24.

Granted, when playing alongside Kobe Bryant, the odds of even getting enough looks to reach 20 points is slim - just ask Pau Gasol - but can Ron repeat that Finals performance when the Lakers need him? He's averaging career lows in nearly every category and his defense has been uneven at times.

Artest swarmed Kevin Durant for six straight games in last year's first round, holding him to only 35% shooting and 25 points a game. In game 6 and 7 of the Finals, he held Paul Pierce to 37% from the field. Slightly above the NBA average defensively won't get it done in the post-season for Artest. If he can't contribute on offense, he has to duplicate his defensive prowess of last year's post-season.

Teams in the playoffs will hound Kobe and try to rough up Gasol. So who will step up? Andrew Bynum has been playing better basketball since coming off numerous knee injuries. But as a young center with a history of knee trouble, he is bound to have up and down games in the post-season. The interior play of Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol could determine how the west shakes out. Pau Gasol has been his usual 20 and 10 but it is the play of Lamar Odom this season that has Kobe saying after the Suns game that L.O. is "sixth man of the year. Hands down."

Along with the improved play of Odom, the Laker bench is deeper than last season's squad. The addition of Matt Barnes may hide some of Artest's warts, but come crunch time, odds are Phil Jackson will likely have Artest on the floor for defensive purposes.

Last postseason, Artest had the game winning put back in game five of the Western Conference Finals against the Suns, instinctively placing himself in the perfectly right place at exactly the right moment. He had Game 7 against the Celtics. Lightning struck twice. I can't see it happening again.