The Lakers are in the doldrums and are in dire need of a new head coach to lead them
The Lakers have been mired in a series of problems since they were knocked out early last season. First of all, they had to terminate the contract of their former coach Ham early. The coach, who has been in charge of the Lakers for a long time, was unable to get the team back to its peak form, but instead went from strength to strength, resulting in the team finally suffering a bloody attack in the first round of the playoffs.
For the Lakers, a traditional powerhouse, such a result is undoubtedly a heavy blow. As one of the most successful teams in NBA history, Lakers fans have always had high expectations for the team. And a lineup with superstars such as James and Davis can't even make it to the second round of the playoffs, which is really unacceptable. Therefore, after the early termination of Ham's contract, the Lakers desperately need to find a new coach who can lead the team back to the top.
The Lakers' performance over the past few seasons has been truly disappointing. The former NBA hegemon has now been reduced to the point where it is unable to make the playoffs consistently. Last season's first-round exit was even worse, fully exposing the team's serious problems in tactics, leadership, fitness and other aspects.
As the home of two superstars like James and Davis, the Lakers should have maintained absolute dominance in the league. But this was not the case, as they frequently lost to weaker opponents in the regular season and were unable to perform as well as they should in the face of strong opponents. This not only disappointed the fans, but also cast a shadow over the team's future prospects.
It was based on concerns about the future of this team that the Lakers had to make a crucial decision at the end of last season - to fire head coach Darvin Ham. As a seasoned veteran, Ham has undoubtedly put a lot of effort into leading the team. But in the end, he still couldn't lead the Lakers back to the top, but fell into a situation where they became more and more courageous. This made the Lakers management determined that they had to bring in a new coach who could really lead the team through the bottleneck.
Immediately afterward, the Lakers began the search for a new head coach. As one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, former Bucks coach Budenholzer is a natural choice for the Lakers. The coach, who led the Bucks to a championship, undoubtedly has excellent tactical skills and the ability to lead the team, which is exactly what the Lakers need. This, combined with James' previous public appreciation for Budenholzer's coaching style, makes it much more likely that the two sides will work together.
Pelinka's hesitation leads to regret
However, just as the Lakers were preparing to officially bring in Budenholzer, there was a regrettable change. Budenholzer, who had been negotiating a contract with the Lakers, was eventually poached by the Suns on a five-year, $50 million contract and became the new head coach of the Suns.
In this regard, Pelinka, the general manager of the Lakers, was unanimously bombarded by the American media. As we all know, Pelinka has been cautious in the process of contract negotiations with Budenholzer, and in the end he was only willing to give an offer of $18 million over two years, which is a huge gap from the Suns' sky-high price of $50 million over five years. Such a conservative style obviously made the Lakers miss the opportunity to bring in a current top coach in the league.
In this regard, James also rarely expressed his disappointment. The NBA star admitted that Budenholzer is undoubtedly one of the most successful head coaches in recent years, and his achievements in leading the Bucks to a championship are enough to prove his ability. If the Lakers can get this coach, it will undoubtedly be a big help for the future development of the team. And now, this opportunity has been taken away by the Suns, making James also worried about the future of the Lakers.
It can be said that Pelinka's cautious style on the introduction of a coach directly led to the Lakers missing the opportunity to bring in a top coach. As a team with superstars such as James and Davis, the Lakers urgently need to bring in a great coach to lead the team back to the top. Budenholzer is undoubtedly the most ideal candidate at the moment, but due to Pelinka's over-conservativeness, the Suns eventually took the lead. This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the Lakers.
In a way, the Lakers' conservative approach to contract negotiations with Budenholzer is in stark contrast to their previous big-spending style. As a team with two top stars like James and Davis, the Lakers tend to be unsparing when it comes to recruiting and investing. However, they were overly cautious when it came to the introduction of a manager, which ultimately led to the loss of a very desirable manager.
This cautious approach is undoubtedly a far cry from the Lakers' usual style. In the past, whenever a team decided that a player or manager was critical to their future, Lakers management would not hesitate to spend a lot of money on bringing it in. The addition of James, Kobe's contract extension, and the previous rivalry for Van Gundy have all proved this point.
Analysis of the Lakers' new head coach
After this unexpected change, the Lakers' next coach selection is very crucial. If a suitable manager cannot be found to lead the team, I am afraid that the departure of stars such as James is also likely to become a reality.
In this case, the Lakers' most important coach candidate at present should be the current Rockets coach D'Antoni. As an experienced veteran coach, D'Antoni has made a name for himself by leading the Rockets to play extremely good offensive basketball. However, his defensive tactics have been criticized, and this has been a major obstacle to his inability to lead the team to championships.
But for the current Lakers, D'Antoni's offensive tactics may be just what they need. Superstars such as James and Davis are already good at playing well on the offensive end, and if they can be combined with the offensive system that D'Antoni is good at, I believe the Lakers' offensive firepower will be greatly improved. While they may be lacking on the defensive end, as long as they can dominate on the offensive end, the Lakers have the potential to return to the top.
Of course, the Lakers are also continuing to look for other head coaches. For example, Stephen Siegel, who was recently fired by the Rockets, could also be a good option for the Lakers. The young and promising manager is adept at tapping into the potential of young players and is also unique in his tactical design. If he can play his best in the Lakers team, I believe he can also lead the team back to glory.
In addition to these two head coach candidates, the Lakers have a few other options. For example, former Warriors coach Kerr, under his leadership, the Warriors have created unprecedented brilliant achievements. Although Cole's performances have declined in recent years in his coaching career, he is still a very good tactician. If the Lakers can bring in Kerr, I believe that with his tactical skills, they can also lead the team back to the top.
Alternatively, they could continue to look for young and up-and-coming coaches, such as Talen Hoin, who led the NCAA to great success at Pennsylvania and could be a potential candidate for the Lakers. With his excellent performance in bringing new players and tactical design, he may also be able to breathe new life into the Lakers.
In short, for the Lakers, the question of the next head coach is crucial. Whether it's the experienced D'Antoni, the young and promising Siegel, the tactician Kerr, or the up-and-coming coach Hoin, the Lakers need a great coach who can lead the team back to the top. Only by finding such a coach can the future of the Lakers be promising.