4 Darvin Ham replacements the Lakers must avoid at all costs

3. James Borrego

Borrego was the Hornets' head coach for four years. He inherited a team with Kemba Walker, but the All-Star guard left after just one season. Charlotte entered a rebuild, but Borrego had them back over .500 and in the Play-In Tournament in just three years. The Hornets with LaMelo Ball finished ninth in the NBA in offensive rating in his final season.

Adrian Wojnarowski mentioned Borrego as a potential candidate for the Lakers. He had some success in Charlotte but was fired after four years where he went 138-163. The Hornets failed to qualify for the playoffs during his time as head coach, and he has been in the conference finals just once in his 14 years combined between his assistant and head coaching experience.

Borrego was an assistant with the Pelicans this season. They finished 11th in offensive rating and were a full 1.1 points per 100 possessions better than the Lakers. LA’s offense would improve under Borrego, but he has no experience in playoff moments.

Hiring a head coach with a career 44.7 winning percentage, if you add in his 30 games as an interim with the Magic in 2015, seems dangerous for the Lakers. They just fired a head coach who lost in the first-round of the playoffs. Could Borrego get the most out of LeBron James and Anthony Davis? It is unlikely given his track record.