Phil Laughed and I yelled NOOOOOO!!!

[jayviabay]

LOS ANGELES -- When Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak called Phil Jackson to tell him the Lakers were hiring Mike D'Antoni instead of him as coach, he responded the only way he knew how.

"I laughed," Jackson told ESPN's "Mike & Mike in the Morning" show Wednesday. "It was humorous to me when Mitch said that we think that Mike is a better coach for this group of guys."

Jackson had been prepared to tell Kupchak whether he was interested in returning to the Lakers' bench the next day, but the GM called Jackson late that Sunday night, Nov. 11, to tell him the Lakers had decided to go in another direction.

“

NameI think they thought first and foremost about Steve Nash and how Steve Nash was going to fit inside of an offensive system that I coach. ... I think that was a concern for them.
” -- Phil Jackson, on the Lakers' process
of hiring a coach

Jackson said he thinks the Lakers made the decision largely based on catering to Steve Nash, their 39-year-old point guard who was limited to 50 games this season as he battled a variety of injuries.

"I think it didn't happen because there was some concern, How are we going to move in the right direction for this ballclub?" Jackson said. "When Mitch gave me the call close to midnight on Sunday night right before I was going to give them an answer Monday morning and said, 'We've made a choice. We're going to hire Mike D'Antoni. We think he's the best coach for this group of guys,' My answer was, 'For Steve Nash, yes, I agree, but for Dwight Howard, I'm not so sure.'

"In the process of thinking about how they could best use the team I think they thought first and foremost about Steve Nash and how Steve Nash was going to fit inside of an offensive system that I coach. ... I think that was a concern for them."

D'Antoni's up-tempo style had worked well in Phoenix with Nash as the point guard, and there was a feeling that reuniting the two would create another version of "Showtime" in Los Angeles. But Jackson felt that the Lakers could win by focusing on their talented big men rather than forcing them to run and shoot from the outside.

"They wanted to move to a quicker, 3-point-oriented game, which is kind of the rage right now in the NBA," Jackson said. "I felt like with Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard we could emulate a lot of what we did with Andrew Bynum and Pau and pound the ball inside and have an interior game that was strong. But it was their choice, and that's all right with me.

"It was OK with me if that's what they wanted to do. In fact, there was a little part of me that felt relief in not having to strap it up and make the decision and get on the road. I think it was only five games into the year, so we still had 77 games left to go in that season."

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Although Jackson was interested in returning to the Lakers last season, he said he wouldn't be interested in the job now even though Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, whom he is engaged to, still thinks Jackson can coach.

"I don't see myself coaching again, I really don't," Jackson said. "When I discussed this with Jeanie Buss, she said, 'Make sure you tell them that Jeanie still thinks you can coach even though you might say you're not going to coach again.' Jeanie still thinks I can coach, but I'm not going to go there."

At the moment, Buss is not involved in the basketball operations of the team. But even if that were to change and she tried to persuade Jackson to come back and coach the Lakers, Jackson said he would try to persuade her to look at one of his former assistants for the job.

"We got people who can do this job quite well, and [I'd try to] convince her of that. I think that's the real truth," Jackson said. "The Lakers need to do a few things. They need to sign Howard, they need to get their monetary system, their contracts under order so they can move forward. That's their biggest challenge right now, management basically."

In his book, "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success," Jackson revealed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago when the Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks. Jackson said Wednesday that his health is a big reason he would not want to return to the rigors of being an NBA coach.

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"The health issue is part of it," Jackson said. "It's an issue of getting back on the road and getting in at three in the morning and back-to-backs and playing four games in five nights at some point in the middle of the wintertime and not being there physically with the energy that you have to have to drive a team."

Jackson said he would be open to taking a front-office position in the NBA but is not actively pursuing that, either, as he considers offers that come his way. Jackson is currently working as an adviser to Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores as he tries to find a new coach for his team.

"I don't feel the ultimate urge to go back and be in management, either. Mentoring is something that I feel is good. I'm doing pro bono work for the Detroit owner and the Pistons organization, which is almost a conflict of interest when you think of the Bulls and Pistons in the '90s and the rivalry that we had. But they have a young owner that wants to do something different."

 

[rmilia1]

Honestly with all the injuries this year I dont think even the hiring of Phil would have mattered. Although perhaps we would have had a playoff berth on lock and not had to play Kobe 50 minutes per game ( out of 48)..... OK so maybe it would have mattered. I changed my mind. LOL

 

[Retroram52]

Good read Jayviabay. I had the same response as your title. What is emerging here is that in his egotistical zest to make a name for himself, Short Buss committed a collossal blunder that is going to eventually blow up in his face when Dwight bolts for Texas.

Don'tknowi is no PJ and now Short Buss has harnessed his franchise with aging, over-paid and injury-prone players who are at the end of their careers and can't be moved because of declining trade value.

Short Buss's great need to "be" as good as his father has cost him the very thing he wants and he is going to hamstring the franchise for awhile because he mortgaged the farm for that desire and we are going along for the miserable ride.

 

[jayviabay]

Short Buss's great need to "be" as good as his father has cost him the very thing he wants and he is going to hamstring the franchise for awhile because he mortgaged the farm for that desire and we are going along for the miserable ride.

its mind boggling that he doesnt have the passion and the love his father had, which was the key to his success.

I bet Mitch laughed inside as well when he had to deliver Short Buss's prepared statement to Phil about going in a different direction

 

[trojanfan12]

Good read Jayviabay. I had the same response as your title. What is emerging here is that in his egotistical zest to make a name for himself, Short Buss committed a collossal blunder that is going to eventually blow up in his face when Dwight bolts for Texas.

Don'tknowi is no PJ and now Short Buss has harnessed his franchise with aging, over-paid and injury-prone players who are at the end of their careers and can't be moved because of declining trade value.

Short Buss's great need to "be" as good as his father has cost him the very thing he wants and he is going to hamstring the franchise for awhile because he mortgaged the farm for that desire and we are going along for the miserable ride.

I agree with most of this. However, I don't necessarily agree with Short Buss having mortgaged the farm.

The bulk of these contracts were set up 3 or so years ago by Dr. Buss and got the Lakers a couple of championships. Next summer, the Lakers will have a ton of money coming off the books (I believe that only Nash is signed beyond next season).

The only question in my mind is whether or not Short Buss will spend the money and whether or not he will spend it wisely!!

 

[jayviabay]

Honestly with all the injuries this year I dont think even the hiring of Phil would have mattered. Although perhaps we would have had a playoff berth on lock and not had to play Kobe 50 minutes per game ( out of 48)..... OK so maybe it would have mattered. I changed my mind. LOL

LOL Good Call!

 

[jayviabay]

I agree with most of this. However, I don't necessarily agree with Short Buss having mortgaged the farm.

The bulk of these contracts were set up 3 or so years ago by Dr. Buss and got the Lakers a couple of championships. Next summer, the Lakers will have a ton of money coming off the books (I believe that only Nash is signed beyond next season).

The only question in my mind is whether or not Short Buss will spend the money and whether or not he will spend it wisely!!

This! We would hope that he allows Mitch to do his job. There is no question he will spend the money but it will be a disaster if he tries to be a Jerry Jones, swiss army knife type of owner. He needs to let the FO personnel do their jobs

 

[Retroram52]

Trojanfan12: I was basing the "mortgage" comment on a historical precedent of what happened in 75-76. It took about about 5 years to rid the team of aging vets with big contracts and rebuild into the championship club we all experienced. One of teh strategies was to manuever to get one Earvin Johnson in the draft in 1979. We got that selection because we had not exactly been "winning" Laker style for a number of years and through a trade.

Perhaps Short Buss is trying the same strategy to rebuild in 2015. Perhaps. He has yet to clearly demonstrate that type of business acumen and planning. But you are right that alot of contracts expire next year and money will be available.

I say in the interim, develop the ballclub with fresh young talent they already have like Meeks, EBanks, Goudelock, Morris, Sacre, Hill, Clark. You can have Duhon who is overpaid anyway.

 

[trojanfan12]

This! We would hope that he allows Mitch to do his job. There is no question he will spend the money but it will be a disaster if he tries to be a Jerry Jones, swiss army knife type of owner. He needs to let the FO personnel do their jobs

 

[trojanfan12]

Trojanfan12: I was basing the "mortgage" comment on a historical precedent of what happened in 75-76. It took about about 5 years to rid the team of aging vets with big contracts and rebuild into the championship club we all experienced. One of teh strategies was to manuever to get one Earvin Johnson in the draft in 1979. We got that selection because we had not exactly been "winning" Laker style for a number of years and through a trade.

Perhaps Short Buss is trying the same strategy to rebuild in 2015. Perhaps. He has yet to clearly demonstrate that type of business acumen and planning. But you are right that alot of contracts expire next year and money will be available.

I say in the interim, develop the ballclub with fresh young talent they already have like Meeks, EBanks, Goudelock, Morris, Sacre, Hill, Clark. You can have Duhon who is overpaid anyway.

If memory serves, the contracts were a little different back then as the Lakers had to wait for those contracts to expire.

I believe free agnecy rules may have been a bit different back then too.

Next summer, it seems that virtually the entire roster, outside of Nash (and Howard if he re-signs) will have their contracts expire. Kobe, Pau and MWP's contracts alone will free up close to $60 million in salary. The Lakers could literally re-make the entire roster.

I would hope that Short Buss will be smart enough to listen to Kupchak. The team can be re-built more quickly if the right moves are made.

 

[trojanfan12]

There is one scenario that occurs to me and gives me a little hope for the future. I apologize if someone else has already posted this on another thread.

When D'Antoni was hired, the talk was about the Lakers becoming more of a Showtime era style team rather than the Triangle team that they became under Phil.

Is it possible that the hiring of D'Antoni was with an eye towards next summer?

The Lakers brought in Dwight to build around, but in the meantime, they added Nash and brought in D'Antoni with the idea that they'd see what they can get this year and next before adding players that are better fit for D'Antoni's offense next summmer.

D'Antoni's system doesn't HAVE to be the 7 seconds or less that he ran in Phoenix. It was played that way because those were the players that they had. With Dwight's athleticism and with the right personnel around him, I believe that a Showtime type of offense could work with him in the lineup.

After all, the Lakers ran Showtime with an aging Kareem. Why couldn't they do the same with a younger, more athletic Dwight?

Thoughts?

 

[Retroram52]

That's a good scenario Trojanfan12 and maybe that is what Short buss has in mind. If it is though, the speed element of the old showtime is limited somewhat with the present roster especially in our backcourt with guys like Nash, Blake, and a recoverying Kobe from an injury that does not engender speed reclamation. We just are not that fast and we would have to use the young legs we now have to run it to reincarnate that system.

 

[jayviabay]

In addition to the slow front court, the back court is just as crippling. Gasol and Metta simply just have to go. It would have been nice to have kept Odom instead of Gasol, who would have fit nicely into DA's system

 

[trojanfan12]

That's a good scenario Trojanfan12 and maybe that is what Short buss has in mind. If it is though, the speed element of the old showtime is limited somewhat with the present roster especially in our backcourt with guys like Nash, Blake, and a recoverying Kobe from an injury that does not engender speed reclamation. We just are not that fast and we would have to use the young legs we now have to run it to reincarnate that system.

I agree re: the speed element!! I think that his offense can be run with this team, just not nearly as fast!!

The base of D'Antoni's offense is not that "7 seconds or less" nonsense!! It was run that way in Phoenix because those were the type of players that he had. The base of that offense is spreading the floor and moving the ball!! That is something this team can do and the offense worked well when they did that.

The problem was, they were never healthy enough, to have the main guys playing together enough, to develop any consistency!! Perhaps, if they can stay healthy next season, we will get to see that!!

Then, next summer, they can get some younger legs and speed it up!! Maybe not to 7 seconds or less levels, but enough to resemble the Showtime offense!!