Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach

Subject: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 3:43 pm

Quote :: Mike Brown is the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown and the Lakers agreed in principle Wednesday to a four-year, $18.25 million deal, according to league sources.

The Lakers will announce Brown as the 22nd coach in franchise history Wednesday afternoon. Brown, who is currently in Cleveland, will sign the contract later this week.

Kobe by Head Coach
Mike Brown will become the sixth person to coach at least two games for the Lakers with Kobe Bryant. Only Phil Jackson won a title with Kobe but Del Harris did put together a higher winning percentage.

Bryant: Career by Head Coach
Win PCT Titles
Phil Jackson .676 5
Frank Hamblen .256 0
Rudy Tomjanovich .558 0
Kurt Rambis .648 0
Del Harris .699 0

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The development is a victorious comeback for Brown, who was fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers almost a year ago to the day. Now, the 41-year-old Brown, the winningest coach in Cavaliers history, is leading one of the most prestigious and successful franchise in modern basketball history.

The contract is a three-year deal with a team option for a fourth year. If the Lakers don't pick up the option, Brown is guaranteed to receive $2.5 million.

Brown's union with the Lakers came together quickly. An ESPN analyst and the 2008-09 NBA coach of the year, he emerged as the leading candidate for the vacancy created when Phil Jackson retired after a strong face-to-face interview Saturday with Lakers brass including executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss, ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher reported.

Brown, 41, guided Cleveland to the 2007 NBA Finals and two trips to the Eastern Conference finals in five seasons with the Cavaliers, posting a record of 272-138.

While Brown's teams were noted for their defense, their offensive schemes were much maligned for their over-dependency on LeBron James to create without the consistent involvement of his teammates. Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss addressed the issue of the team's offense moving forward in an interview with SiriusXM Radio on Tuesday.

More on the Lakers
For more news, notes and analysis of the Lakers, check out the Land O' Lakers blog from the Kamenetzky Brothers. Blog

"We're not going to continue exclusively with the triangle," Buss told Playboy Radio's Michael Eaves and Bonnie-Jill Laflin. "Certainly, there will be facets of the triangle incorporated into any modern offense."

Brown would be likely to implement an offensive system similar to what the San Antonio Spurs run, which includes triangle principles, according to a Western Conference coach familiar with Brown's career. Brown was an assistant coach in San Antonio from 2000-03.

Brown's interview, combined with his track record of success in Cleveland, moved him ahead of the two other candidates the Lakers interviewed, Rick Adelman and Brian Shaw.

Shaw, a longtime Lakers assistant under former coach Phil Jackson, had a public endorsement from superstar Kobe Bryant, but Shaw will likely be moving on to another franchise after the hiring of Brown. He is a candidate for the head coaching job in Golden State, though sources say the Warriors want to hire a coach with prior head coaching experience.

Lakers brass did not consult Bryant during their coaching search, but sources say Bryant has great respect for Brown and is on board with the hiring.

With the Lakers realizing their hopes of landing Brown, runner-up Adelman would move to the Warriors' short list, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher.

Former Minnesota Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale is also among the Warriors' top candidates. McHale was expected to meet with Rockets' owner Les Alexander on Wednesday, but a source cautioned not to interpret that as McHale being on track to get the job. McHale is battling assistant coach Dwane Casey to succeed Adelman in Houston, a source said, and the Rockets could make a decision as early as Thursday.

The Warriors, conversely, will not hire a new head coach until next week at the earliest, a source said.

Happy for Mike. Defense is still gonna be great in LA, but the offense is gonna revolve around Kobe chucking the ball up I'm thinking.

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 3:59 pm

.......

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 4:03 pm

I guess now we'll see if Brown wasn't able to win a title with the cavs because he wasn't a good enough coach, or the team wasn't good enough.

well.. maybe.

I'm kinda surprised by this though. I thought for sure it would be adelman or shaw.

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 4:49 pm

Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach 67163

This is a head scratcher for me

I never thought that Brown would LA next head coach

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 5:36 pm

Great move to get a great head coach, who was axed only to appease LeBron.

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 6:29 pm

Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach 900593

Finally the Lakers get something they truly deserve....

But in all seriousness Mike is a great defensive coach, and this will finally help the Lakers fill their defensive void

Hopefully the assistants can still be a huge part in coaching the offense

Watch out for Kobe to put up huge numbers next season

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 7:49 pm

Lol.

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 8:09 pm

I know he was listed as a candidate but I didn't think he was actually going to be the next head coach...I would've so much rather had Adelman or Shaw. Then again, who knows? I'll go to my default cautious optimism until I've actually seen him in action.

Doesn't sound like Kobe's a fan of the hire, though. Not a good sign.

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 9:08 pm

Lakers offensive playbook:

1. Isolation Kobe on the left wing
2. Isolation Kobe top of the key
3. Isolation Kobe on the right wind
4. Isolation Kobe in the post
5. Pick and roll for Kobe

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 9:24 pm

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 9:26 pm

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Wed May 25, 2011 9:36 pm

I don't understand something; what makes a good defensive coach? Is defense the least bit complicated? Like, how the fuck do you 'coach' it?

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Thu May 26, 2011 12:08 am

... I just noticed that Mike Brown looks like an uncle of mine...

Subject: Re: Mike Brown; New Lakers' Head Coach Thu May 26, 2011 3:08 pm

is this a prank?

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