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Lakers coaching search: Analyzing the three finalists

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More than a month since firing their head coach, the Lakers might finally be closing in on a replacement.

After initial interviews, the Lakers have narrowed down the field to three, according to multiple media reports. ESPN was first to report that Milwaukee assistant Darvin Ham and former Portland head coach Terry Stotts had moved on to the “final round” of the coaching search, while the Athletic reported that former Brooklyn head coach (and current Golden State assistant) Kenny Atkinson is also in the field.

Interviews are expected to continue in Los Angeles. While the Lakers have conducted their coaching search with deliberation – much like their last one – there could be a stronger sense of expediency with the Charlotte Hornets also connected to all three men for their open head coaching job.

The decision facing team owner Jeanie Buss, general manager Rob Pelinka and a group of trusted advisors, which now is widely understood to include former coach Phil Jackson and former team president Magic Johnson, is a massive one – a critical step in which the Lakers are eager to get back to contending status after missing the postseason for the seventh time in the past nine seasons.

Here’s an overview of the remaining candidates to coach the Lakers:

DARVIN HAM

Experience: Eleven seasons as an assistant coach with the Lakers, Atlanta and Milwaukee; won 2020 championship with the Bucks

The case for Ham: There aren’t many assistants waiting for their first head coaching job who are more experienced than Ham. A longtime disciple of Mike Budenholzer, Ham is a journeyman player-turned-coach who has been a piece of some of the best regular-season teams of the past decade and played a role in ushering in Milwaukee to where they are now among the NBA’s elite teams. He’s widely seen as a respected locker room voice, a key figure in skill development, and a gritty coach who asks a lot from his players on the defensive end. He’s a champion as a player and a coach, with an understanding of that unique alchemy required for winning chemistry. He played in the NBA – the other candidates on this list did not – which could help him build relationships in the locker room with stars who can be notoriously hard to win over.

Possible hurdles: It is no fault of Ham’s – he’s waited a long time for an opportunity – but the most obvious difference between him and the other candidates is that he has not been a head coach before. It’s a big jump, and while this has been a good year for longtime assistants-turned-head coaches (Boston’s Ime Udoka, New Orleans’ Willie Green), it could be understood if the Lakers feel hesitant about giving the keys of the league’s biggest franchise and biggest stars to a rookie. Another potential nitpick: While Ham was a Lakers assistant under Mike Brown, he’s spent most of his coaching career in Atlanta and Milwaukee, decidedly lower-pressure environments compared to L.A. Unlike many spots where he might have the benefit of time to gain comfort in his first head coach job, the pressure will be on Ham from Day 1 in Lakerland, where a championship is the constant expectation.

TERRY STOTTS

Experience: Thirteen seasons as a head coach in Atlanta, Milwaukee and Portland (517-486 record); nine playoff appearances (23-44 record)

The case for Stotts: Of the three, Stotts is leading the pack in experience. He’s a three-time head coach with short stints in Atlanta and Milwaukee, but he’s best known for his nine-season run in Portland that peaked with an appearance in the Western Conference Finals in 2019. Stotts had a winning record in six of those seasons, and is widely credited with helping develop Damian Lillard into an MVP-caliber player. His Xs-and-Os prowess on offense is also highly regarded. If the Lakers do take another crack with Russell Westbrook in the fold – which is seeming increasingly likely – Stotts might be the best of the final bunch to come up with some answers for how to use him effectively.

Possible hurdles: Stotts by far is also the oldest candidate at 64, and in those terms, it’s hard to imagine there’s more upside than his track record suggests. During his Portland tenure, he finished with only two top-10 defenses, and in his last two seasons the Trail Blazers were nearly at the bottom on that side of the ball. Having experience also means more scrutinizing your past work: Stotts has only ever gotten out of the first round three times in his nine playoff runs. It’s going to be a natural question that arises if such a coach can get the Lakers back to a championship, and if Stott’s best days are behind him.

KENNY ATKINSON

Experience: Four seasons as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets (118-190 record); one playoff appearance (1-4 record)

The case for Atkinson: Let’s start with who he’s worked for: Mike D’Antoni, Mike Budenholzer, Ty Lue and now Steve Kerr. Atkinson has been a trusted bench coach for some of the most dynamic, respected minds in the game. In his own whirl as a head coach, he took over a desperate situation in Brooklyn and helped the Nets rebuild, pushing the plucky group into a playoff berth in 2019 with the likes of D’Angelo Russell and Jarrett Allen. While he got squeezed out midseason the next year, the motivations have always been suspected to be more political in nature than due to his coaching shortcomings. Atkinson is known for doing a lot with a little, stressing player development and being a sharp all-around mind.

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Possible hurdles: With the looming possibility that Westbrook is coming back next season, Atkinson would likely find himself thrust into similar power struggles with stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving that pushed him out in Brooklyn. Has working with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson given him better bearings on how to work with influential stars? Is he ready to work with LeBron James, who in many ways will be much more powerful than he is? It’s also worth noting that while Atkinson has worked with some of the best offensive minds in the game, he’s known more for getting the best out of the defensive end – which the Lakers surely need, but is that the top concern of ownership after firing their own defensive-minded coach?

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