Yesterday, Mike Brown signed a deal to become the next Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Sources said he agreed to a four year, 18.25 million dollar deal to be signed later this week. Star guard Kobe Bryant was said to be surprised by the hire when he found out yesterday, and frankly I don’t blame him. Brown does not fit the stereotypical Lakers coach. The typical Lakers coach is cool and collected but also has a no nonsense attitude. Coaches like Phil Jackson and Pat Riley both had fiery sides that Lakers fans and players respected and fought for. Earlier in the playoffs, Jackson was seen in the Dallas pushing and yelling at Gasol to be more aggressive and aware.
During Brown’s tenure with the Cavaliers, I never saw an instance of Brown getting angry at his players. He always seemed to be outgoing and respectful during game time situations. It will be interesting to see how Brown acts in the Staples Center because of the major attention and drama the Lakers franchise attracts. In Cleveland, Brown was able to hide behind Lebron James and never needed to be in the spotlight for any type of controversy, until eventually the end of his tenure. Recent Lakers coaches have all been known to make controversial statements, whether it is about the teams play or referee issues.
I do, however, understand Jerry Buss’s reasoning for the hire. He and the Lakers felt that it was the defense that was the weak point during the 2011 season and playoffs. Buss wanted to find a person who was defensive oriented and who know how to win. Despite his nice guy mentality, Brown does know what it takes to be successful in the NBA. He won Coach of the Year, led the Cavs to a Finals appearance and was considered a serious playoff contender from 2006-2010. Many people, however, accredit much of his success to the talented Lebron James. Many people felt that Brown had it easy with the Cavs because of James ability to take over and run the offense. People still don’t know if Brown can run an intricate offense that takes good floor spacing and passing with multiple scorers. During his time with Cleveland, Brown was constantly letting Lebron make decisions and find open shooters.
The veteran Lakers players have grown accustom to the triangle offense and floor spacing throughout the last decade. This offensive set has helped Kobe Bryant get the one-on-one matchups and lanes that has made him one of the greatest players in NBA history. It will be interesting to see how Brown uses the floor with the Lakers veteran scorers. It will be the first head coaching job where he will have more than one person who can generate points on their own.
In the end, I don’t think Jerry Buss found the right person to handle one of best coaching jobs in professional sports. Because of his nice guy attitude and inability to get angry, I don’t think he can handle the attention that goes along with the Lakers top job. Coaches like Phil Jackson and Pat Riley used controversy and anger to push the Lakers team and put a chip on their shoulder. Mike Brown also was a long-time assistant for the Spurs and Coach Gregg Popovich. Poppovich has been known to get angry and share his true feelings with the press and his team. We will see if Brown will use some of the lessons he learned from his experience in San Antonio and apply them to the much flashier LA.
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