New Lakers Coach: Is Mike Brown's Hiring By Lakers All About Money?
By Adam Wells
Los Angeles Lakers Reportedly Close To Hiring Mike Brown, Is This A Money Hiring?
When the news broke early Wednesday morning that Mike Brown, the current ESPN basketball analyst and former head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, was the leading candidate to take over the Los Angeles Lakers, it was met with a lot of questions to say the least.
The biggest question is the most obvious: Why Mike Brown?
No disrespect to Brown, who did a good job in his five seasons with the Cavs, but he doesn't exactly have the name recognition that you would expect from someone taking a job with the Lakers. Maybe he is what this team needs right now - a guy who isn't flashy, but is a good X's and O's coach with a strong defensive mentality.
This could be a question on finances, too. Last year, when the Lakers were negotiating a contract with Phil Jackson, the front office made it known that they wanted him to take a pay cut because they couldn't afford to keep paying a coach in excess of $12 million. Jackson signed for $8 million last year, but with him retiring the Lakers clearly want to bring in their own guy for their price.
The Lakers are expected to give Brown a contract for four-years, $18 million, according to Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com.
The Lakers wanted to bring in someone who wasn't going to cost them an arm and a leg, and Brown certainly isn't going to do that. But this team has also interviewed at least five candidates with Brown being the most impressive of the bunch. That candidate list included Rick Adelman, Jeff Van Gundy, Brian Shaw and Mike Dunleavy.
Clearly the Lakers had money in mind when they went through this whole process, but perhaps Brown just fits with what the team wants to do right now and that's why he looks to be the man in Laker-land.
By Adam Wells
Los Angeles Lakers Reportedly Close To Hiring Mike Brown, Is This A Money Hiring?
When the news broke early Wednesday morning that Mike Brown, the current ESPN basketball analyst and former head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, was the leading candidate to take over the Los Angeles Lakers, it was met with a lot of questions to say the least.
The biggest question is the most obvious: Why Mike Brown?
No disrespect to Brown, who did a good job in his five seasons with the Cavs, but he doesn't exactly have the name recognition that you would expect from someone taking a job with the Lakers. Maybe he is what this team needs right now - a guy who isn't flashy, but is a good X's and O's coach with a strong defensive mentality.
This could be a question on finances, too. Last year, when the Lakers were negotiating a contract with Phil Jackson, the front office made it known that they wanted him to take a pay cut because they couldn't afford to keep paying a coach in excess of $12 million. Jackson signed for $8 million last year, but with him retiring the Lakers clearly want to bring in their own guy for their price.
The Lakers are expected to give Brown a contract for four-years, $18 million, according to Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com.
The Lakers wanted to bring in someone who wasn't going to cost them an arm and a leg, and Brown certainly isn't going to do that. But this team has also interviewed at least five candidates with Brown being the most impressive of the bunch. That candidate list included Rick Adelman, Jeff Van Gundy, Brian Shaw and Mike Dunleavy.
Clearly the Lakers had money in mind when they went through this whole process, but perhaps Brown just fits with what the team wants to do right now and that's why he looks to be the man in Laker-land.