Los Angeles Lakers: 3 potential coaching candidates if Luke Walton gets fired

(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

3. Mark Jackson

It was not too long ago that Mark Jackson was laying the foundation of what would eventually lead to the dynasty that is the Golden State Warriors. He still does not get enough credit for helping develop Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green into the perennial All-Star level players they are today.

He helped transform them from a lottery team into a team that made consistent improvements until they were a championship contender and eventually won the title the year after his departure.

This experience working with budding stars early in their careers could benefit his run as the Lakers coach if they wanted to keep their young core of Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram and develop them to reach their individual ceilings.

He was supposedly run out of Golden State because he became increasingly difficult for the front office to work with, but maybe he has learned his lesson from that since taking a step back for the last half of this decade. Also, his dominant personality would instantly command respect in the locker room with veterans or younger players, including James.

Jackson could be the best way to go because he would be able to handle either direction the Lakers go into this offseason. If they keep their young guys and add other pieces via free agency he might be the most proven player developer available.

Conversely, if they go into all out win now mode and dump the young core for Anthony Davis, Jackson’s voice carries enough cache to have success in that scenario as well because of his proven success as a point guard and a coach in the league.

Vegas currently ranks Jackson as the second likeliest man to get this job at +200, so this suggestion is not far fetched at all. It would also not be surprising for Magic Johnson to favor someone like Jackson who has a more old school mind set and racked up tons of assists playing point guard during the same era he played in.

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