After winning the NBA In-Season Tournament, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in deep trouble. They currently sit in 10th place in the Western Conference with a record of 17-18. One of the reasons for their struggles is due to the connection between head coach Darvin Ham and the Lakers’ locker room. There seems to be inconsistency with the players due to Ham changing the starting lineup from time to time.
Just recently, Los Angeles is coming off their third straight loss handed to them by the Miami Heat. Forward Anthony Davis, the most consistent player this season, carried the workload. He managed to score 29 points with 17 rebounds. While forward Lebron James has struggled from the field. He was limited to just 12 points on 6-of-18 shooting for Los Angeles but contributed with nine assists. The team is now 3-9 since defeating the Indiana Pacers in the title game.
Things are just going to get worse if the Lakers don’t make significant changes immediately.
Doc Rivers
Doc Rivers is no stranger when coming to managing a Los Angeles team. He previously managed the Los Angeles Clippers from 2013-2020. He was later hired by the Philadelphia 76ers a year later. His stint with Philadelphia did not go well either. But Rivers managed to win an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
The only concern with the hiring of Rivers is the ability to be the NBA championship coach he once was. In the past couple of seasons with Philadelphia, he’s been blowing too many series leads. Currently, he is working as an analyst for ESPN.
What is impressive about a coach like Rivers is the ability to adapt to modern offenses as well as old-school coaching style. He seems like a good fit for the Lakers, but if disagreements come between both sides, then the interest in terms of a deal can be far apart.
Mike Budenholzer
Just a summer ago, following the loss to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, Mike Budenholzer made a shocking decision. He made the decision to leave the Milwaukee Bucks, a decision no one saw coming expectedly. Budenholzer had helped the Bucks reach 50 wins in four of the five seasons he coached there. To see a coach like him go is tough to watch.
There’s no doubt that Budenholzer fits perfectly well with the Lakers. He won the NBA Coach of The Year Award twice during his tenure with Milwaukee. But there is more to it. Budenholzer is also a great defensive mind coach the Lakers could use at the moment. The last time Los Angeles hired an excellent defensive coach mind dates back to 2019, when they hired Frank Vogel. Players like Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt all fit perfectly with Budenholzer, increasing their chances to succeed and making an impact on the defensive ends.
It will be exciting to see if he ends up with the Lakers. Bundenholzer deserves a second redemption, and that perfect job for that is with the Lakers.
Mark Jackson
This is another solid head coach who can fit perfectly well with the Lakers. Mark Jackson has plenty of experience on his resume to explain why he could fit well with the Lakers. He is coaching experience in the Western Conference is a factor in why the Lakers might go to Jackson. He last coached the Golden State Warriors from 2011-2014. Not to mention, Jackson is a partial reason for the rise of the Warriors dynasty that began in 2015.
Jackson previously worked as an analyst for ESPN and MSG. I see no issue with Jackson’s being hired by the Lakers.
Phil Handy
If the Lakers were to hire internally, assistant coach Phil Handy would be a good option. Handy seems to have a good relationship with the players, fans, and the organization. In addition, he is also best remembered as a player development coach before he transitioned himself to an assistant coach on the bench. Again, this would be a solid option for Los Angeles if they chose to hire someone within the organization.
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