2010 NBA Offseason: Top 10 Coaches to Replace Phil Jackson in L.A.

In my first article regarding Phil Jackson's possible departure from the Lakers, I honestly thought there was absolutely no chance of Phil Jackson actually leaving. There was a part of me that thought there was a .0001 percent chance he would back-door Mike D'Antoni in New York, but I never even considered the possibility of his retirement. During the season, Jackson dismissed retirement completely saying he would coach next season whether that be in L.A. or somewhere else. I guess that's what I get for taking the word of the often tongue-in-cheek Jackson. However, with the news that Jackson is "leaning toward retirement" after undergoing a multitude of medical tests, Laker fans should begin preparing themselves for life without the "Zen Master." Because of that, my B/R NBA editor asked me to update the article in the aftermath of an already hectic NBA coaching carousel. Much like in my first article, I weighed three different criteria for ranking the coaches: strict coaching ability, the ability to handle Kobe Bryant, and the ability to handle the near-impossible task replacing of a legend. You know it's certainly not lost on Laker fans what happened the last two times Phil "retired." Tim Floyd, Phil's replacement in Chicago, became so hated in the Windy City that he received death threats. Even Michael Wilbon, one of the media's most rational minds, and co-host of ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption," has an irrational hatred for Floyd. I'm pretty sure Floyd is coaching rec league YMCA basketball somewhere in Tuscaloosa or something now. (Writer's note: Tim Floyd is actually currently the head coach at UTEP.) Rudy Tomjanovich, Phil's first replacement in Los Angeles, couldn't even bear more than 43 games as Lakers coach. One could attribute that to Tomjanovich's secretive battle with cancer, however, dealing with Kobe Bryant at the height of his petulance and struggling in the aftermath of Kobe vs. Shaq/Phil probably made his resignation let...

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