Who are the best coaching candidates for the Lakers?
With Darvin Ham's firing official, who should the Lakers pick as their next head coach?
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Darvin Ham was relieved of his position as Lakers head coach and now the team must quickly move on and find a new person for the illustrious role.
They not only got rid of Ham but also all members of the coaching staff, including Phil Handy, a fan favorite who has worked extensively with Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves to help develop them as players.
So, with a clean slate, a new coach can come in, pick their staff and start a new era of Los Angeles Lakers basketball. The question is, who should get the job? That is the topic of discussion for this week’s NBA Reacts survey.
Before we answer the initial question, we must ask, what kind of coach do the Lakers need?
There have been many coaches rumored to be linked to the organization and some the Lakers “don’t anticipate” being available in Jason Kidd and Ty Lue.
So, as of right now, the candidates we see as viable options include Kenny Atkinson, Micah Nori and David Adelman, Mike Budenholzer and JJ Redick.
Redick is an up-and-coming media darling known for his appearances on ESPN’s First Take and his podcast with LeBron James, Mind the Game. So, it’s no surprise his name has been mentioned as a potential candidate.
Mike Buddeholzer is the coaching tree Darvin Ham grew out of, so maybe that means he brings a level of polish and that 2021 Milwaukee Bucks title with him and can right the ship. Or perhaps the Ham connection will scare the Lakers from picking up the available coach.
Nori is the lead assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are currently dominating the Western Conference playoffs against, funnily enough, lead assistant Adelman and his Denver Nuggets. Atkinson, the other coaching option, had his latest stint with the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020.
All current coaches heavily rumored to be in the running to be the Lakers’ coach have experience in the NBA, except Redick, who does have NBA experience and a friendship with the team’s biggest star.
Will that factor in? Which one of these coaching options do you think is best to lead the Lakers back to glory? Vote and share your thoughts down below!
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.