Fire Mike Brown.
That has been the sentiment of many Lakers fans after watching their super team open the season with three straight losses.
Don’t believe me? Check out our “When will Mike Brown get fired” poll.
It turns out, fans aren’t the only ones having an issue with the scrutinized coach’s methods, from Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld:
Fans have already started calling for Brown’s job and many of his players have started wondering if he’s the right person to lead the team. Behind closed doors, they’ve questioned Brown’s rotation and how players have been utilized through four games.
While the three-game losing streak increased the amount of frustration in the locker room, it first surfaced several months ago. After the Lakers acquired Howard and Nash, several veteran free agents wanted to sign for the minimum so that they could compete for a championship in Los Angeles. However, Brown made it clear that he wasn’t going to expand his rotation regardless of who signed. This scared away the free agents and kept the Lakers from further bolstering their roster, which frustrated many players.
Many within NBA circles believe it’s only a matter of time before Brown is fired. Jerry Sloan and Mike D’Antoni are two names that have surfaced as possible replacements for Brown.
“Jerry Sloan to L.A. by December 1,” one league source predicted. “Nash and Howard are the new Stockton and Malone. He wants a ring, not to mention the money. He didn’t seriously consider Orlando, Charlotte or Portland [openings] over the summer because he knew Los Angeles would open up.”
So what exactly has been the biggest issue for the team? TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal have already mentioned the idea of scrapping the Princeton offense because it minimizes the effectiveness of Steve Nash and generally slows things down too much.
“I want my accountant from Princeton,” Barkley would say. “I don’t want my damn offense from Princeton… Mike Brown has got to nix that Princeton thing and let Nash push the ball”.
As coach Nick of Bballbreakdown would tell you, though, the Princeton offense has been a great thing for the Lakers. Here is a video explanation (with game footage) of why the problems for Los Angeles lie in its defense and not the offense: