After being eliminated by the Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers quickly cut the much-criticized Ham and began the selection of a new head coach as soon as possible. The semifinals in each division are in full swing, and the Lakers' coach selection has made new progress.
According to the latest news, the most likely person to join the Lakers as head coach is Warriors assistant coach Atkinson. The spinach company also gave the Lakers the odds on a new head coach candidate, with Atkinson beating Redick to take the lead.
Compared to the impossibility of Kidd, Tyronn Lue and the surprising Redick, Atkinson is undoubtedly the most suitable candidate in the list of many leaked coaches.
Atkinson was born in 1967 and began his playing career in 1990, although he never played in the NBA.
In 2004, Atkinson, who played in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands and other national leagues, announced his retirement, ended his playing career, and began to work as an assistant coach in several teams.
From 2015 to 2016, Atkinson became familiar as the head coach of the Dominican team, and in 2016, Atkinson joined the Nets, which was also his first stop as an NBA head coach.
At the Nets, Atkinson gradually showed his coaching ability. The "Civilian Net" he built played beyond expectations.
However, with the Nets bringing in two superstars, Durant and Irving, in the summer of 2019, Atkinson's lineup and tactics could not be continued, and Atkinson ended his slightly short but successful tenure with the Nets in 2020.
After leaving the Nets, Atkinson joined the Clippers, and two years later, in the summer of 2022, Atkinson left the Clippers to join the Warriors and became an assistant coach next to Kerr, never leaving the team after winning a championship with the team.
In terms of resume, team experience and coaching experience, Atkinson is a better choice than Redick, because the latter has no coaching experience and is not a defender with "organization" as his core competence in his playing career.
It's hard to believe that Redick like this can be qualified for the position of Lakers coach.
Now that James' championship window is getting smaller, using an inexperienced person to try and make mistakes will undoubtedly waste the team's championship chances, and the right person is the primary goal of the Lakers' roster this summer.
As the draft approaches, the Lakers are preparing for the operation. According to a report from TA Lakers reporter Buha, the Lakers intend to trade their first-round pick No. 17 before the draft begins.
It is reported that the Lakers are currently able to trade three first-round picks at one time, and there is a chance that they can greatly improve the roster. With a couple of players on contract, the Lakers are looking to chase a third star this summer and upgrade their starting lineup or bench roster.
If they are going to go "against all odds" in their pursuit of a roster, the Lakers will be an aggressive team in the trade market this offseason.