In just a few weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers have gone from a veteran team that could make some noise in the playoffs, to a squad with some major issues. With coach Darvin Ham on the NBA coaches’ hot seat, we’ll evaluate Lakers coaching candidates in 2024 who can turn the team around.
Lakers players have been questioning some of Ham’s decisions. Those include using 11 different lineups, including taking Austin Reaves out.
Anthony Davis is playing some of his best basketball right now and LeBron James just turned 39. So, the feeling with the Lakers is this team should be winning.
After the Lakers got to the Western Conference finals last season and won the NBA In-Season Tournament this season, the idea of firing Ham seems crazy. But here we are, evaluating possible replacements.
Breaking down Los Angeles Lakers coaching candidates
Doc Rivers, ESPN commentator, former NBA coach
Doc Rivers won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and that team beat the Lakers. Two years later the Lakers got their revenge. Rivers has coached for 24 seasons with four teams. He has a .590 winning percentage and has taken his teams to the playoffs 19 times. He had 14 teams to win 45 or more games in a season.
He has a Coach of the Year award on his mantle and in 2022 was named one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history. Rivers is good at working with veterans; his Celtics teams were made up mostly of players who had been in the league for four years or more.
After he was let go by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Phoenix Suns showed interest before hiring Frank Vogel.
The most difficult thing might be to pry him away from ESPN. There is a lot less pressure calling games than coaching them.
- Doc Rivers’ coaching stats: 24 seasons, 1,860-1,097 record, .590 winning percentage; 111-104 playoff record
Mike Budenholzer, former Milwaukee Bucks coach
In his third season Mike Budenholzer and Giannis Antetokounmpo got the Milwaukee Bucks an NBA championship.
Budenholzer, who had been a longtime assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, had a 391-271 record with Milwaukee. The only team he had that had fewer than 50 games was the one that won the title. He was fired after the Bucks, the No. 1 seed in the East, lost to the Miami Heat in the first round. But, the Heat ended up making the Finals, so in retrospect, it wasn’t such a bad loss.
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He won 60 games as the coach of the Atlanta Hawks in 2014-15 and had three winning seasons there. In his 10 seasons has a head coach, nine of his teams made the playoffs. He is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year award winner.
- Mike Budenholzer’s coaching stats: 10 seasons, 484-317 record, .604 winning percentage; 56-48 playoff record
Jeff Van Gundy, Boston Celtics consultant
Jeff Van Gundy took the New York Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals, beating the best team in the league Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
In 11 seasons with the Knicks and Houston Rockets, Van Gundy’s teams won 45 or more games six times. His teams missed the playoffs only once. He does have the distinction of being one of the few coaches to have been traded, as the Knicks sent him to the Rockets in 2003.
Van Gundy worked at ESPN for 16 years and was on the main team for most of that time. Even after transitioning to television, he spent summers working with Team USA. He was part of a house cleaning at ESPN last year and is interested in coaching again.
He is now a consultant with the Boston Celtics and is involved in all areas of the organization, including the G League Maine Celtics.
- Jeff Van Gundy’s coaching stats: 11 seasons, 430-318 record, .575 winning percentage; 44-44 playoff record
Chris Jent, Lakers assistant coach
When he took over as head coach Darvin Ham lured Chris Jent to join the Lakers staff when Jent was an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks. Jent is a longtime assistant coach and has ties with Lakers star LeBron James.
Jent was an assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2006 to 2011. During that time, he worked as James’ personal shooting coach. He worked with James on his 3-point shooting and free throws. James shot 78% from the line in the 2008-09 season, which is his career best.
He has been an assistant coach at the college level, in the G League, and for six NBA teams. He is known in league circles for his basketball IQ and having that relationship with James would be important.