Arguably the biggest decision of this summer for the Los Angeles Lakers is finding a head coach that can lead them to another championship. By struggling to find a consistent figure as a coach in recent years, it has resulted in L.A. being behind other contenders in the Western Conference that have stability in place.
More importantly, this hiring could be responsible for how the final couple seasons of LeBron James’ career goes, which creates added pressure for the coach to perform right away. However, some of these rumored candidates have no head coaching experience or limited success at the helm.
This could get dicey for general manager Rob Pelinka as he needs to get this decision right. But with the NBA Draft not until the end of June, L.A. is expected to be methodical and take their time during this search, looking for specific qualities in their interview process, via Jovan Buha and Shams Charania of The Athletic:
The Lakers are taking a methodical approach with their process and are seeking a coach who will command the locker room and hold players accountable, as well as tirelessly game plan and provide a level of structure and organization, according to multiple league and team sources.
This is a decision that should not be rushed as it is obly the Lakers and the Washington Wizards currently without a head coach. Pelinka has shown some struggles during head coaching searches, so hopefully having additional time could help the organization make the right choice.
As things stand currently, JJ Redick, Sam Cassell and James Borrego are viewed as the frontrunners in the Lakers’ search. All of these candidates have some downside to them though, meaning that there is no clear-cut guy for this vacancy. As interviews are rumored to be taking place, more reports could come out to see who is separating themselves from the pack.
LeBron James not involved in Lakers head coaching search
When creating wholesale changes, Ron Pelinka typically factors in the opinions of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who have limited time left together. With James entering his 22nd season, making sure this new head coach can win now and build for a new era of Lakers basketball is essential.
But while James opinion matters as he needs to be happy with this new coach if he is going to re-sign with the Lakers, the four-time champion is reportedly not involved in the coaching search. So should things go south once again, James will not be blamed for whoever is hired for the job.
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