All apologies for the recent lull in updates here. The Laker nation just grew by one- I welcomed a healthy son into the world on August 7th! On to the off-season update…
Gasol Injury Update: According to the L.A. Times, Gasol’s finger injury is minor. He should have a ball back in his hands within the next week or two. An interesting point raised, however, is that this injury just might keep him out of the European tournament. While this is sad for basketball fans, I can help but hope he can’t play for fear of injuring himself further and affecting the NBA season. While I feel it would be unfair to ask an international player to skip playing for his country, I only hope the exposure to possible injuries is minimized.
Brian Shaw: With Kurt Rambis parting ways with the team to assume the head coaching position in Minnesota, it opens up the debate on the “heir apparent” as Phil Jackson’s eventual replacement. While Rambis was generally considered a shoo-in for the job before he left, Shaw was also frequently in the discussion. Aside from Shaw, others who could be considered include Byron Scott (currently with New Orleans). Let’s hope this debate continues for years and a decision doesn’t need to be made (i.e. Phil stays awhile longer).
Kareem Wants a Chance to Coach: The issue of the next Laker head coach has blossomed into Kareem publicly lobbying for himself via twitter. It’s interesting how social networking has changed the face of recruitment and job searches. Only time will tell if his very public pleading for a job works out in his favor or not. He has coaching experience, but never as the primary decision-maker. The man is obviously a legend and one of the best players of all time, but we all know that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be a successful head coach. Like he says in one of his tweets, though, “My experience in coaching has not allowed me 2 be a front runner but if someone would have the faith in me I am sure I could deliver.”