That might be what finding a replacement for D'Antoni will boil down to.
In the past, it may have been more about who the Lakers want, as they've always had their pick of the litter when it comes to available coaches. But now, with no reliable players in place thanks to Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash's age and injury troubles, different leadership at the top after the passing of Jerry Buss and a little less shine attached to the Lakers name after the last two seasons, the question has changed.
The Lakers may want one of the league's very best coaches, like Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, but will he want them back?
Here's Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo! Sports with more:
The Lakers have lost talent, lost stability, lost what separates winning and losing franchises. Bryant won't pick the next coach, the way he had no input into Mike Brown and little into D'Antoni. Bryant will wish for Tom Thibodeau to free himself from Chicago. He loves Jeff Van Gundy, and shares management's affinity for Euro legend Ettore Messina, who spent a season on Mike Brown's staff.
One of the positives about having an early opening is that the Lakers will be able to play the field quite a bit. With that in mind, it's no surprise that Thibodeau's name has come up, particularly since the Bulls just bowed out unceremoniously in the first-round of the playoffs.
Will that be enough for Thibodeau to see if the grass is greener elsewhere? On its own, probably not, but the relationship between Thibodeau and the Bulls front office has never appeared to be on very solid ground. Here's Royce Young at CBSSports:
Thibodeau and the Bulls have had a bit of a tens...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
