Sometimes when it comes to the latest news regarding coaching openings or player moves in the NBA, logic can be your biggest enemy. And in this case of one report from a reliable reporter left me asking this question: just who exactly do the Los Angeles Lakers think they are?
Marc Stein of the New York Times reported on Tuesday morning about the Lakers potential opening if they fire Luke Walton and agreed with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that former Cavs coach Ty Lue is a strong candidate. But that wasn’t the head-scratcher, rather it was another name that Stein brought up that once again raised questions of the Lakers self-awareness.
From Stein’s weekly newsletter
I’m told that the Lakers, who are widely expected to dismiss the beleaguered Luke Walton at season’s end, are also big fans of Dallas’ Rick Carlisle.
Great. Good for the Lakers that they’re fans of Rick Carlisle, someone who is widely seen as a top two or three head coach in the league. Also, he’s a coach who just went through a few tanking seasons and finally ended up with a franchise guy to build around in Luka Doncic. And that’s not even considering the fact the Mavericks are expected to get a healthy Kristaps Porzingis back next season.
There is no objective reality in which I could see Carlisle leaving the situation he’s currently in. And if you want to talk money, Mark Cuban has plenty of money to give him so it’s not as if the Lakers can just buy him. But money aside, he has a 20-year old basketball phenom and another 23-year old All-Star center on the way. Given all the questions about the Lakers future, the call for Carlisle is as easy as they come.
So keep those eyes on Ty Lue, or perhaps some other candidates we haven’t heard of quite yet.
