Will Brown be coaching Kobe Bryant and company beyond 2012-13, or will this upcoming campaign be his last? He hasn't improved the team since coming aboard last fall, and the squad probably regressed a bit both on and off the court in 2011-12.
How could Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak justify keeping Brown past next season?
In short, they should keep him beyond 2013 because he was dealt a sub-par hand his first year and will be dealt a new hand to work with next year.
This past season was a tricky one for the Lakers. The squad lost mainstay Lamar Odom, underwent mid-season roster changes and had a thin bench that included mediocre contributors such as Troy Murphy, Andrew Goudelock and Devin Ebanks.
Moving forward, he'll have a new group to lead. Los Angeles will likely be making a few moves to revamp its roster this fall, whether it's making a run at Dwight Howard, adding a shooting guard or picking up a marquee point guard.
Andrew Bynum might be dealt, and if not, Pau Gasol could be gone. Metta World Peace could get amnesty-claused right out of town, and the supporting cast could change as well.
With all these moving parts and a new (and hopefully improved) roster, Brown will have his work cut out for him making the new pieces come together in winning fashion.
I realize that it's "championship or bust" in Laker town, but cooler heads will prevail and recognize that building a cohesive team is a process. Not everyone is as fortunate as the 2008 Boston Celtics.
Kupchak and the rest of the Lakers' brass will proceed with the understanding that the roster is gradually improving and the defensive-minded Brown should be given a fair chance to work with it.
