The Los Angeles Lakers have been full of disappointment this season, and although they were considered one of the favorite teams to win the championship before the season, the Lakers now have only 15 games to play, but there are still nine wins away from returning to a 50% win rate. There are many reasons for the Lakers' downturn this season, such as the irrational composition of the lineup, such as serious injury problems, such as the schedule is too difficult, but more criticism is focused on head coach Frank Vogel. Although Vogel only led the Purple and Gold Army to the 17th NBA championship trophy in team history just two seasons ago, the team's serious underperformance this season seems to have put Vogel's position in jeopardy.
Calls about the Lakers changing coaches peaked before the trade deadline, but with management doing nothing in the trade market and buyout market, the Lakers understand that with their current roster, even if the Cardinals re-emerge, they can't lead the team out of the quagmire, so whether it's because any possible replacement sitting next to Vogel doesn't look so appealing, or because Los Angeles feels their championship coach should have more room to maneuver, the Lakers' top management is less and less likely to change coaches during the season.
But after the end of the season, the situation will be very different, unless the Lakers create a miracle and succeed in the playoffs, Vogel will not be able to continue to coach the Lakers, and the Lakers management is best to start looking for a suitable replacement for Vogel from now on, let's look at a few possible candidates for the new Lakers head coach.
1 Kenny Atkinson
Atkinson's last NBA coach was to coach the Brooklyn Nets in 2016-2020, and although Atkinson's overall record was only 90 wins and 156 losses in those three seasons, this record does not accurately reflect the work he has done to rebuild the Nets. In every season during his time at the Nets, the Nets improved from the previous season, especially in the nets' final season, when he led the team to his first playoff ticket since 2015 with a record of 42 wins and 40 losses.
Atkinson is well respected in NBA coaching circles, and since leaving the Nets, he has served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers and then the Golden State Warriors, and is likely to immediately win the support of two Lakers superstars, James and Davis, and it has proven that he can help the team play a fairly poor offensive and defensive game even with limited talent on the roster. In addition, the Warriors' current assistant coach has also shown the ability to develop young players, and De Angelo Russell, Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert have all made great progress during his tenure, and it is believed that young players such as Austin Reeves and Malik Munch can benefit from Atkinson's coaching.
2 Sam Kassel
One day Kassel will become the head coach of the NBA, he is experienced and has a very high reputation in the league, so it is widely believed that it is only a matter of time before he becomes the head coach of the NBA. Cassel has been an assistant coach in the league for 13 years and has a 15-year career as an NBA pro before that, currently serving as an assistant coach to head coach Doug Rivers at the Philadelphia 76ers, after previously serving as an assistant coach for the Clippers and Wizards.
The former Boston Celtics player was loved by players after his career as a coach and received a lot of praise for his development of John Wall at the Washington Wizards and Teresa Maxy at the Philadelphia 76ers. Once Kassel takes charge of the Lakers, he will immediately get the support of the players, he has always been considered a coach who is good at playing well with the players, and for an established team like the Lakers, this may be of great help. LeBron James has long been considered a supporter of this type of coach, and he has had success playing for Tyrone Lu in the past, so if the Lakers hire Kassel, it may give James an incentive to coach Lu at the Cleveland Cavaliers.
3 Mark Jackson
Jackson hasn't coached in the NBA since being sacked by the Golden State Warriors, yet every offseason his name seems to be in the rumors of major coaches and associated with the top teams in the league, and now with the Lakers' coaching shift about to begin, we're likely to see the same thing this year.
Despite Jackson's embarrassing departure from the Golden State Warriors, he excelled in the Warriors' tenure and was the founder of the Warriors' dynasty. After taking over the Warriors, Jackson led the Warriors to a record of 121 wins and 109 losses, while the Warriors only achieved a record of 36 wins and 46 losses in the season before he took over.
Because of the former NBA All-Star's illustrious coaching resume in the Warriors, he is likely to be the head coach of an NBA team again if he so wishes, and as a former professional player, the current ESPN commentator may also be James and Davis' favorite candidate. Coupled with the Fact that Lakers management has always liked these big names, Jackson is likely to be the first choice for Jenny Bass, and the ability to work together between them depends only on whether Jackson is interested in returning to coaching.
4 Terry Stotts
Stotts will certainly be the head coach of the NBA next season, and he has had years of success in nine seasons at the helm of the Portland Trail Blazers. Stotts missed only one playoff time in those nine seasons and won fewer than 50 games in just three seasons, and his mature offense system helped Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum become the NBA's top backcourt combination.
After three seasons at the hands of the Lakers with a defensive emphasis on defense, the addition of a top offensive coach like Stotts is definitely an encouraging breath of fresh air. Compared to Vogel's mediocre performance on the offensive end, the former Blazers coach is likely to create an offensive system with James and Davis blocking tactics as the core of the Lakers. In addition, Stotts has shown the ability to coach a superstar after a long time in charge of Lillard, and he should be able to establish a good relationship with James and Davis.
But one of Stotts' concerns is the defensive end, which is what led him to leave the Trail Blazers, because whether it's the lack of defensive players or the lack of a successful defensive system, the Blazers he coaches is a mess. But as long as the Lakers add a defensive assistant coach for him, this should be a problem that can be solved, especially if Davis is willing to switch to playing center. Who do you think is most likely to be Vogel's replacement as the Lakers' head coach next season?