After firing Mike Brown, the Los Angeles Lakers are in need of a new head coach to lead their quartet of superstars.
And what better man for the job than the same man who has already led the Lakers to five championships; the same man whom Kobe Bryant himself publicly supports and the same man whom Dwight Howard has already asked for?
Paging Mr. Jackson.
Actually, there's no need to, because according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers already have:
Mike Bresnahan@Mike_Bresnahan
The Lakers have officially contacted Phil Jackson to gauge his interest in coaching them, The Times has learned.
9 Nov 12 ReplyRetweetFavorite
Of course, we saw this coming, but it's encouraging to know that Los Angeles isn't messing around. Sure, there are other worthy prospects available, yet reaching out to Jackson immediately after the coaching vacancy was created was the right (borderline necessary) thing to do.
But will Jackson be amenable to a return? Will he opt to come out of the easy-going life that is retirement and enter the hectic fray of a Lakers championship push?
According to CSNBayAea.com's Ric Bucher, he just might:
There is a scenario in which former Lakers coach Phil Jackson would consider returning for a third stint with the team, sources said late Friday, but it will require executive VP Jim Buss once again relinquishing the organizational reins—and this time handing them to Jackson, rather than back to GM Mitch Kupchak.
One source described the possibility of Jackson returning, should a suitable offer be made, as “strong.”
So there you have it. Jackson is open to returning to the sidelines in Los Angeles for a third stint. It's now up to the Lakers to make it happen.
Or rather, up to Jim Buss to make it happen.
Merely reaching out to Jackson and expressing interest or offering him the job is not enough. They have to give him what he wants, which, as Bucher eloquently puts it, are the "organizational reins."Will deferring such responsibility, such power, be difficult for Buss to do?
Well, to put it bluntly, hell yes.
It's never easy for anyone—players, coaches, front-office personnel alike—to relinquish power. Doing so is as good as admitting that there's someone better than you for the job.
But in this case, it's necessary. Not only have Jackson's coaching methods been league tested, but they've been Los Angeles tested, too. Not to mention Kobe approved.
And that's huge.
Jackson's ability to earn instant respect from his players, a virtue Alex Kennedy of HOOPSWORLD reported that Brown didn't possess, makes it a given the current Lakers will buy into his triangle offense.
It's that ability that ensures he will be able to keep this team motivated defensively.
It's also that ability that guarantees he can right this sinking ship and transform Los Angeles into the immediate contender it was supposed to be.
So why not give him free rein? Why not do whatever it takes to bring back the coach who will render the Lakers' early-onset struggles an unfortunate occurrence of the past? Why not go back to what works, what you know is going to work?
Should Jim Buss give unconditional control of the Lakers to Phil Jackson?
Yes
No
Not sure
Submit Vote vote to see results
I don't have an answer for that. Any of that.
Because there isn't one.
Jackson is the one who can fix this; he is the one who can make this complex entity work.
And if all it takes for him to commission his magic is an assurance that Buss is prepared to swallow his pride and let inevitable success run its course, then so be it.
After all, we're talking about the difference between a team embarking on an extensive quest to find an identity and instant gratification.
Which makes such a concession a smaller than diminutive price to pay.
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Saturday, November 10th 2012 at 2:39PM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...
