His departure from the Lakers will come either via resignation or because the franchise opts for a different direction. Granted, there is no certainty that general manager Mitch Kupchak will dispose of him, but the writing certainly seems to be on the wall.
A Bad Hand
The Lake Show are going through a rebuilding phase, and D'Antoni probably is not the man to guide the team into the future despite the hard reality he has been obliged to deal with. Since arriving in Los Angeles, injuries have robbed him of a legitimate opportunity to compete for a top spot in the Western Conference standings.
D'Antoni shared as much with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports:
Obviously, the thing was the chemistry just wasn't right and guys' injuries just decimated us. Our guys weren't right that were even playing. Dwight [Howard] wasn't right until about February. With all the expectations, it kind of crumbles you a bit.
Steve Nash has missed roughly the equivalent of a full season, while Pau Gasol has been sidelined for what should amount to approximately 50 games by the time the All-Star break rolls around.
In addition, D'Antoni has only had Kobe Bryant for a mere six games this season. When looking at the coach's tenure through this prism, it would appear as though the team might retain him going forward, given the challenges he has had to face in the City of Angels.
Moving On
However, the team is going to reboot itself in the summer and go after a star free agent with its projected cap room of nearly $26 million (provided it renounces all of its unsigned players).
One of the players the Lakers are interested in bringing in is Carmelo Anthony, sources told Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
