Candidate names have been thrown out by everyone. The popular names include Phil Jackson and Mike D’Antoni among others.
In the interim, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has announced that Bernie Bickerstaff will take over.
The team is in full-on “win now” mode, which factored into the decision to release coach Brown, as Kupchak said to reporters earlier today:
“You can argue ‘was last season a part of the process?’ ‘Was the preseason part of the process?’ But after five games we just felt we weren’t winning, we weren’t seeing improvement and we made a decision. Maybe it would have changed a month down the road or three months down the road. But with this team we didn’t want to wait three months and then find out it wasn’t going to change.”
Certainly, something that will be given great consideration will be a coaching candidate who can work well with Dwight Howard, who can walk at the end of the season. Phil Jackson would be ideal and sources are indicating that the superstar center would like to play for him.
Whoever takes over will need to be confident in their abilities, as Howard doesn’t have the best track record with head coaches.
In a couple humorous tweets, Matt Moore—editor of Hardwood Paroxysm—reflected on Howard’s recent coach history.
Whatever direction they go in, one thing is certain—as Bryant said, all they can do is “focus on the here and now.”
Backup center Jordan Hill agrees.
Reaction to Mike Brown’s Firing from Around the NBA
Tweet of the Night: Mateen Cleaves
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Michael Brumagin is the “Tweet of the Day” columnist for Sheridan Hoops and a sports correspondent for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter.