The Assistant Coaches Search

[crazyeights]

I think GP and Scott might not be the best mix of personalities...maybe a little too similar.

[crazyeights]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/508759567312752640[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/ESPNSteinLine/status/508760040488984576[/tweet]



Here's his bio from NBA.com:

College - Belgrade University
Igor Kokoskov (kuh-KOS-kov) was named an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers in July 2013. He enters his 14th NBA season where he was most recently with the Phoenix Suns for five seasons (2008-2013). During his tenure on an NBA bench, Kokoskov’s teams have made six conference finals appearances, two NBA Finals trips and have earned one NBA championship.

Kokoskov joined the Suns after five seasons with the Detroit Pistons (2003-2008), reaching the conference finals in each campaign and earning the 2004 NBA title. Prior to joining the Pistons, Kokoskov served as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers from 2000-03 under then-head coach Alvin Gentry, becoming the first full-time, non-American assistant coach in NBA history. Kokoskov later became the first non-American assistant to win an NBA championship and also the first to serve on an NBA All-Star Game coaching staff.

He owns the distinction of being the first European coach to hold a full-time position with an NCAA Division I-A school when he served as an assistant at the University of Missouri during the 1999-00 season under Quinn Snyder and with current Milwaukee Bucks General Manager John Hammond. A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Kokoskov owns extensive international experience as a head coach and assistant coach. He was an assistant with the Serbian national team at the 2004 Athens Olympics under renowned European coach Zeljko Obradovic. Kokoskov has enjoyed six successful summers (2008-13) as the national team head coach for the Republic of Georgia. His team has twice qualified for the European Championships during his tenure, something the nation had never done previously. In 2012, his work with the national team earned him the Order of Honour, Georgia’s highest civilian honor.

This is an interesting development. He's 42, has both head and assistant coaching chops, has had success overseas and has won a championship in the NBA with the Pistons.

I'm a fan of this move on paper, hopefully he fits in well with the rest of the program, but the dude seems like he's got a basketball Jones. IMO, this is the kind of assistant coach we needed on the staff, and who knows if he'll turn into HC material soon.

[Slava]

Sounds interesting and hopefully adds to our European scouting expertise as well.

[TyCobb]

Screw Europe.

[crazyeights]

Screw Europe.

Why?

The only way we're gonna turn around this franchise over the next two seasons is if we start playing an intelligent brand of team basketball.

[TyCobb]

Screw Europe.

Why?

The only way we're gonna turn around this franchise over the next two seasons is if we start playing an intelligent brand of team basketball.

Yeah, we'll need to go to Europe for that.

This team needs top-tier talent, and unless these guys are some amazing player development coaches, then who cares what they've done in Euro-league competition?

- This is more a general observation on how guys get excited over every Euro guy, granted they are the top of the Euro offerings, but that's not saying much as USA basketball is clearly superior. I'm all for basketball with fundamentals, but let's not act like they're the only ones that teach that.

[crazyeights]

IDK about people getting excited over every Euro guy, but as far as this guy's concerned, he sounds like a bit of a trailblazer, and he has plenty of NBA experience.

USA basketball is superior largely because of natural ability...look at Jordan Farmar last year when he spoke on fundamentals, team play, defense being stressed much more in Europe.

Regardless, I'm excited about any early 40s coach who has a ton of basketball experience and that's well-respected in the league. Just as with young talent, we're in the acquisition business right now. The Lakers need as much future potential as we can get.

It also shows we're thinking a little outside the box, which, with the essentially new ownership regime is interesting to chart.

[Slava]

Its not necessarily about the top tier talent or how they play in Europe but if we can snag a guy like Teletovic or Prigioni once in a while for a minimum contract or part of the MLE, that'd help us a lot in restoring some bench talent.

[ChokeFasncists]

http://www.lakersnation.com/byron-scott ... 014/09/07/

As it always tends to do in Los Angeles, the rumors have run rampant about who could be added to Scott’s coaching staff before next season. One former Laker that has been mentioned as a potential candidate is Gary Payton, but there hasn’t been much traction on that front since the rumor surfaced a few weeks ago. Payton has also been linked to an assistant position under Jason Kidd with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Come on GP!

[leeprettyp]

I would like GP to be on the staff. Won't take crap from the players much like B.Scott and has the respect of them as well