PHIL JACKSON ANNOUNCED AS LAKERS NEW COACH...again

[POJO_Risin]

Well...I said by Wednesday...he beat me by a day...the Ego is back...and my guess is that the Lakers...after a few off season moves...will be as well...

it's only a matter of time now...for LeBron...to at the very least...be traded to LA...

Very confounding...

can't wait to hear the Big Easy's thoughts on this...

[POJO_Risin]

There will be a press conference at 5:00...ET...

[Brett]

I'm cool with it, but it's going to take a few years for the Lakers to get back, but having Phil back at least brings some stability and certainly will bring players here again.

[bueno bob]

I just wish we could get a decent basketball team together again...it's not so much that our players suck, it's that the management is running this franchise into the fucking dirt head first...

[Brett]

Who the Lakers? For trading Shaq? Please, in a few years the trade won't mean anything.

The management were geniuses 6 years ago when they hired Phil and brought in a bunch of old vets to put around Kobe and Shaq. Now six years later, Shaq is gone, the old vets are old gone and management are a bunch of fools. That's what happens. The Lakers have never been an org that has developed young talent, honestly. In the last 25 years I can name maybe 5-7 picks that have had an impact on the team, and I doubt many would call Jerry West anything but a model GM. When in fact he wasn't always the best evaluator of talent.

[bueno bob]

Originally posted by Brett
Who the Lakers? For trading Shaq? Please, in a few years the trade won't mean anything.

The management were geniuses 6 years ago when they hired Phil and brought in a bunch of old vets to put around Kobe and Shaq. Now six years later, Shaq is gone, the old vets are old gone and management are a bunch of fools. That's what happens. The Lakers have never been an org that was developed young talent, honestly. In the last 25 years I can name maybe 10 picks that have had an impact on the team, and I doubt many would call Jerry West anything but a model GM. When in fact he wasn't always the best evaluator of talent.

Oh, shit, I forgot to say I was talking about the Blazers - sorry!

Believe it or not, once upon a time we were actually damn good...

[POJO_Risin]

Originally posted by Brett
Who the Lakers? For trading Shaq? Please, in a few years the trade won't mean anything.

The management were geniuses 6 years ago when they hired Phil and brought in a bunch of old vets to put around Kobe and Shaq. Now six years later, Shaq is gone, the old vets are old gone and management are a bunch of fools. That's what happens. The Lakers have never been an org that has developed young talent, honestly. In the last 25 years I can name maybe 5-7 picks that have had an impact on the team, and I doubt many would call Jerry West anything but a model GM. When in fact he wasn't always the best evaluator of talent.

LA Management are fools right now...they've done nothing right...

Now they have a selling point again...

As for your comments on WEST...I'm not even going to...

[POJO_Risin]

Lakers rehire Phil Jackson as coach
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Associated Press
Posted: 3 minutes ago



LOS ANGELES (AP) - Phil Jackson is returning to the Los Angeles Lakers following a reconciliation with the team that cut him loose last year after three NBA championships in five seasons.

Spokesman John Black said Tuesday the team has rehired Jackson, who was let go by owner Jerry Buss last June 18.
A news conference was set for 5 p.m. EDT at Staples Center.

Jackson, who turns 60 in September, has had health issues in the past and underwent an angioplasty two years ago. He told ABC-TV before the opening game of the NBA Finals that he underwent a series of tests to make sure he was healthy.

Jackson's dismissal a year ago set in motion a makeover of massive proportions that proved to be disastrous.

Dominant big man Shaquille O'Neal demanded a trade and superstar Kobe Bryant opted out of his contract to become a free agent the same day Jackson's five-year run as coach ended.

The futures of O'Neal and Bryant were decided the following month, with O'Neal being traded to Miami and Bryant staying with the Lakers.

Rudy Tomjanovich succeeded Jackson, signing a five-year, $30 million contract, but lasted barely half a season, citing health reasons when he suddenly resigned Feb. 2.

Jackson's name was mentioned as a possible replacement almost immediately despite his having written a book detailing the 2003-04 season in which he called

Bryant uncoachable and made other disparaging remarks about the franchise.

________________________________
Just wanted to stand out...because I've heard some Laker fans rant and rave about Shaq's disparaging remarks about the Lakers...but my guess is that we won't be hearing anything about Phil...now anyways...
_______________________________

With injuries playing a major role, the Lakers lost 19 of their last 21 games under interim coach Frank Hamblen to finish 34-48 and out of the playoffs for just the second time since 1976.

Jackson has coached nine NBA championship teams - six with the Chicago Bulls and in his first three years with the Lakers - from 2000-2002. That ties him with former Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach for the most in league history.

Jackson also has a record 175 postseason victories and is tied for 10th on the NBA's all-time list with 830 wins in just 14 seasons - nine with the Bulls and five with the Lakers. He has a .723 regular-season winning percentage and a .717 postseason winning percentage.

The Lakers were 285-125 in the regular season and 68-28 in the postseason under Jackson. But this figures to be his biggest challenge since the current team doesn't appear to have what it takes to return to elite status any time soon.

The Lakers are well over the salary cap, restricting their ability to bring in high-priced free-agent talent for at least two years. Their defense was abysmal last season; they had an unbalanced roster with too many small forwards; they had virtually no inside presence on either end of the court; and they were suspect at point guard.

Jeanie Buss, the owner's daughter and the Lakers' executive vice president of business operations, publicly lobbied for months for the return of Jackson, her longtime boyfriend.

She finally got her wish.

Bryant's reaction to a return by Jackson has seemed lukewarm at best. Shortly after Tomjanovich's resignation, Bryant said he would "roll with it" if Jackson returned.

Two days after the season ended, Bryant said he didn't care who was hired as coach, adding he trusted the track record of Jerry Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak.

"Whoever they bring in here, I'm going to be ready," Bryant said. "I'm just open to whoever they feel like is going to get the job done."

Buss said in early May he believed Jackson and Bryant could coexist.

"Oh, definitely. No question," Buss said. "These people want to win."

[POJO_Risin]

I'm actually extrememly curious about Phil...now we'll see how good a coach he is...and we'll see how good a player Kobe is...because essentially...Kobe is in the same exact position that Jordan was in during the late 80's...

[Brett]

Yup and yup.

Curious to hear both Phil and Kobe's comments on getting back together.

I'm sure Phil sees some similiarities between this team and those late 80's Bulls teams .

[POJO_Risin]

So...the question now becomes...can Odom be Pippen?

You need to upgrade defensively...and get an active center...who can defend...

You don't necesarily need a PG in this offense...because Jordan or Pippen often brought the ball up...although their "Number 2" guards...IE...off guard from Jordan...generally had some skills at the point as well...but could also shoot the ball...I think of Kerr, Paxson and Armstrong...

and the Lakers really don't have that right now...

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Yeah, I agree with both of you....

Getting Phil back is certainly nice, but Phil doesn't play anymore...

Let me regress before I get on my "coaches don't play" rant....

The Lakers need A LOT of work, it seems like they have a whole team of power forwards...

But this is good first step towards respectability....

[Warham]

I approve of the move.

It's the only way Jerry Buss could go, and the BEST way he could go.

[DlocRoth]

How many years on his deal?

[HippieLettuce]

3 years
30 mil.