Lakers: GM Mitch Kupchak Would Prefer to Hire New Coach Before the Upcoming Draft
By Eric Yee
The Lakers haven’t been quiet so far when discussing their head coaching plans and the transparency is refreshing for fans and players alike
In the past five seasons under Mike Brown, Mike D’Antoni and Byron Scott, the Los Angeles Lakers’ record has plummeted with each passing year. However, now that the franchise has finally decided to rid themselves of Scott, it is essential that they tread lightly.
General manager, Mitch Kupchak, made it known that the team would prefer if their coaching searching didn’t “drag out,” but also that they won’t rush into any rash decisions.
Per ESPN,
"I think it’s unlikely there will be anything done in the next week or two . . .But certainly I don’t anticipate this dragging into the summer. We’d like to get it done. We’re looking to have a big offseason. It would be nice to have our staff in place during the draft and certainly when July 1 rolls around."
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This is interesting for many reasons, the first of which being the fact that many assumed the Lakers might hold off on selecting a coach in an attempt to lure Kevin Durant to LA with the prospect of hand picking his own coaching staff.
However, it would be nice to have a coach for the entire summer to gain some consistency and grant more time to establish a new culture in LA.
Kupchak also revealed another sentiment that should have fans excited,
"“There are a lot of different arenas that we can look to to find a coach,” Kupchak said. “That opens up, clearly, assistants, existing head coaches, and we’ve got a list. We’re trying to narrow the list down. We’ll contact some people, and hopefully we’ll have some phone conversations, maybe some in-person interviews, and go from there. I don’t think it’s going to drag out, but you don’t know.”"
With news that assistant coaches, Luke Walton and Ettore Messina, sit atop the Lakers’ short list of candidates, the order of Kupchak’s statement is reassuring.
Kupchak also dished on Byron Scott’s firing, saying it was a “bunch of things,” that led to his firing but it was headlined by having the second worst record in the association.
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With the GM specifically stating that a move likely won’t be made in the next week or so, fans can finally take a breathe and wait patiently for the day when the decision is made.