The Los Angeles Lakers had a shocking and disappointing season. They missed the playoffs and finished 11th in the West with a record of 33-49.
The Lakers came into the season as potential contenders, and as their season shows, things did not go in their favor.
The Lakers fired their head coach Frank Vogel on Monday, and while Los Angeles does not have a replacement in mind, they want to have a coach in place before June.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said the search will be “thorough and methodical.” And with a number of NBA coaches and college coaches available, the Lakers have options.
Here are three coaches the Lakers could pursue:
1.) Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard is the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines. Howard led the Wolverines to a 19-15 record this season, and they reached the Sweet 16 where they lost to Villanova.
Howard faced backlash towards the end of the regular season when he slapped Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft. Howard was suspended five games and received a fine of $40,000.
After the Lakers fired Vogel, Howard’s name came into the mix. Shams Charania of The Athletic said several candidates will emerge, including Howard for the position. However, there are also reports that he is not interested in leaving Michigan.
Howard is an NBA veteran that knows the game. His knowledge has helped him succeed at the college level, and as a former teammate of LeBron James (during his time in Miami), Howard’s transition to the Lakers would not be an issue.
This just in, a statement from Howard:
2.) Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson is an experienced coach, whose name comes into the mix every year. He last coached the Golden State Warriors and took them from a 23-43 record in 2012 to a 51-31 record in 2014. The Warriors went a different direction after this season and hired Steve Kerr. Kerr led the team to their first championship in 40 years.
Jackson deserves a coaching job and year after year he gets overlooked. The Lakers opening could be the opportunity he needs to get back into coaching.
According to reports, LeBron James would be “very enthused” if Jackson was named head coach of the Lakers. So, it will be interesting to see how that pans out.
3.) Nick Nurse
Nick Nurse is the head coach of the Toronto Raptors. He has coached them since 2018 and led the Raptors to their first championship in franchise history. And after a year of missing the playoffs, Nurse and the Raptors will take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.
Nurse is an experienced coach and with his young team in the playoffs, it is unlikely he will leave. But his name came up along with other candidates such as Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder, former Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford and former Portland Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts. So, there is a chance he lands the job.
The Lakers have a tough task ahead of them. If they want to succeed next season, they’ll need the right coach. And as time goes on, it can be any of these candidates.