Luke Walton and Ettore Messina are reportedly the Lakers two top targets to be their next head coach
Los Angeles Lakers fans are unquestionably still happy that the franchise has taken a step in a positive direction with the firing of now former head coach Byron Scott. However, the same fans are cautiously awaiting the front office’s next move in regards to who they’ll hire as Byron’s replacement.
Though there are plenty of great candidates to fill the void for the Lakers available, the concern that the front office would bring in another coach that would be detrimental to the development of the young core and, subsequently, the organization is still lingering. However, the word around the league is that maybe fans shouldn’t be quite as concerned about that.
According to a report from ESPN’s Marc Stein late on Tuesday night, the Lakers are high on San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina. However, Stein indicated that there is a hierarchy in the Lakers decision-making in this process and that Messina comes in at No. 2 behind Golden State Warriors assistant and former Lakers forward Luke Walton:
NBA coaching scuttle: Hearing Ettore Messina will get a very legit look from the Lakers if they can't lure Luke Walton out of Golden State.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 27, 2016
This wholly makes sense considering that both Walton and Messina have Lakers ties (Walton as the former player and Messina as a former assistant) and this is an organization that values that. However, unlike valuing the ties with someone like Byron Scott, both Walton and Messina bring a lot more to the table as a potential head coach for the Lakers.
Both Walton and Messina would be coming to Los Angeles from well-established, incredibly run organizations in the Warriors and Spurs, respectively, if they were to take the Lakers job. Not only would that experience prove valuable to a rebuilding Lakers franchise trying to establish a system and culture, but both coaches have also been vaunted for the impact that their individual hands have had on their respective teams.
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Hopefully the resolution to this coaching search comes sooner rather than later, but we have no way of knowing when it’s going to end as of now. What we can tell from these rumors, though, is that the Lakers at least seem on the right path to making a good decision in regards to hiring a new head coach.