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Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next coach
Posted: Sat Apr 5, 2014 9:04 pm
by leeprettyp
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-kevin-ollie-head-coach-20140404,0,556363.story#axzz2y30Bx7bkThe only top 10 draft prospect still in play may be Kentucky's Julius Randle, but the Lakers should keep their other eye on a potential candidate -- Connecticut Coach Kevin Ollie.
In just his second year as head coach of the Huskies, Ollie has exceeded expectations. The 13-year NBA veteran seems destined to coach his way back to the association.
As a rookie coach, Ollie was named the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.com after a 20-10 season. He improved this season to 30-8, getting past Michigan State (fourth), Iowa State (third), Villanova (second) and St. Joseph's (10th) for the Final Four berth.
With an impressive, albeit brief, coaching record at Connecticut, but no NBA experience on a bench, why Ollie for the Lakers?
In his final season as a player, Ollie put in a year with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2009-10), making a significant impression on All-Star Kevin Durant.
"Kevin Ollie, he was a game-changer for us," said Durant to Bill Simmons in February, during All-Star weekend. "He changed the whole culture, I think. He might not say it, but I think he changed the whole culture in Oklahoma City."
In 2008-09, the Thunder won just 23 games. The following season, Ollie's lone year with the franchise, Oklahoma City made the jump to 50 wins, losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Lakers in a six-game series.
What was it about Ollie that made such a difference?
"His mind-set, his professionalism every single day," said Durant. "And we all watched that. We all wanted to be like that."
One of the Crenshaw High School all time basketball greats. He's done a hell of a job at UCONN in such a short time frame. He's young, played in the NBA himself and has the respect of the players. You like the idea being floated out there by Eric Pincus?
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next h
Posted: Sat Apr 5, 2014 9:17 pm
by Tiesto_Lakers
I like it.
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sat Apr 5, 2014 11:19 pm
by Slava
Fred Hoiberg & Billy Donovan are both excellent candidates too. I like Hoiberg a lot.
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sat Apr 5, 2014 11:43 pm
by ballaholick
Slava wrote:Fred Hoiberg & Billy Donovan are both excellent candidates too. I like Hoiberg a lot.
After Kobe retires we can start thinking about rookie coaches, not yet.
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 12:58 am
by Tiesto_Lakers
ballaholick wrote:Slava wrote:Fred Hoiberg & Billy Donovan are both excellent candidates too. I like Hoiberg a lot.
After Kobe retires we can start thinking about rookie coaches, not yet.
Good point, I doubt Kobe will listen to anyone around the same age as him. These potential coaches are the same players who he wanted to destroy on the court when he was in his prime.
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 1:08 am
by crazyeights
ballaholick wrote:Slava wrote:Fred Hoiberg & Billy Donovan are both excellent candidates too. I like Hoiberg a lot.
After Kobe retires we can start thinking about rookie coaches, not yet.
Which is tough, because there isn't a veteran coach out there who is a no-brainer.
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 1:43 am
by Fresh360Waves
crazyeights wrote:ballaholick wrote:Slava wrote:Fred Hoiberg & Billy Donovan are both excellent candidates too. I like Hoiberg a lot.
After Kobe retires we can start thinking about rookie coaches, not yet.
Which is tough, because there isn't a veteran coach out there who is a no-brainer.
Not exactly a no-brainer, but Nate McMillan?
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 2:43 am
by DEEP3CL
I'm not sold on Ollie, and there are still enough vet coached who aren't entirely "retreads" so to speak. I mean guys may consider Byron a retread but he's done enough in the league to warrant another job. I always said he shouldn't have taken the Cavs job, that was C4 waiting to explode.
I also like Nate McMillan, he's defensive minded and just caught a bad deal in his last days in Portland.
Coaches are only as good as their talent, same reason why MDA is struggling. But his system is no good either, that's why I wasn't surprised what Phil said this week about the Triangle. It's an offense that allows you to play defense, I knew that already and it's evident on what it can do for a team.
But as far as Ollie....nope not yet, maybe for an extremely young up and coming team. But not a team that's kinda in a neutral transition, we're trying to get young but also trying to build to come back into contention quickly.
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 3:50 am
by Slava
ballaholick wrote:Slava wrote:Fred Hoiberg & Billy Donovan are both excellent candidates too. I like Hoiberg a lot.
After Kobe retires we can start thinking about rookie coaches, not yet.
Life doesn't stop and start at Kobe's convenience.
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 4:27 am
by iamworthy
Slava wrote:ballaholick wrote:Slava wrote:Fred Hoiberg & Billy Donovan are both excellent candidates too. I like Hoiberg a lot.
After Kobe retires we can start thinking about rookie coaches, not yet.
Life doesn't stop and start at Kobe's convenience.
I believe he meant rookie like Kevin Ollie. Now if an established college coach say duke coach or Kentucky coach Im sure it would be all good. Kobe has pretty much taken a s*** on MDA and Mike brown what makes you think he wouldn't with a rookie coach?
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 4:57 am
by Slava
iamworthy wrote:Slava wrote:ballaholick wrote:
After Kobe retires we can start thinking about rookie coaches, not yet.
Life doesn't stop and start at Kobe's convenience.
I believe he meant rookie like Kevin Ollie. Now if an established college coach say duke coach or Kentucky coach Im sure it would be all good. Kobe has pretty much taken a s*** on MDA and Mike brown what makes you think he wouldn't with a rookie coach?
Other than coach K, Phil & Pop is there a coach that Kobe wouldn't take a **** on if he pleased?
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 5:07 am
by TyCobb
I would definitely support Ollie as the head coach post Kobe era. The man knows his x's and o's and is a great leader.
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 5:45 am
by ROballer
On the Ollie/Hoiberg wagon for sure....we need a young coach,not an old geezer we have to replace every couple of years
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 7:07 am
by dockingsched
id support any fresh face in the mold of ollie.
as long as we don't have re-treads like mcmillan, karl, scott, and especially hollins i'll be happy.
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 7:12 am
by WCDYNASTY
With Kobe around the Lakers will never hire a rookie pro coach no matter how good he is, with the exception of Coach K but that's not happening... bring on Byron Scott!
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 7:15 am
by ROballer
**** Kobe....he's out in 2 yrs anyway
Time to start thinking about the future post-Kobe
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 7:50 am
by crazyeights
DEEP3CL wrote:Coaches are only as good as their talent, same reason why MDA is struggling. But his system is no good either, that's why I wasn't surprised what Phil said this week about the Triangle. It's an offense that allows you to play defense, I knew that already and it's evident on what it can do for a team.
That's exactly what I thought when I saw this list from ESPN re best coaches:
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10717235/2014-nba-front-office-rankings-coachesYou guys seen this?
Take away Kevin Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka and tell me Scott Brooks could navigate the Thunder out of the locker room let alone to 25 wins.
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 4:09 pm
by politm
crazyeights wrote:DEEP3CL wrote:Coaches are only as good as their talent, same reason why MDA is struggling. But his system is no good either, that's why I wasn't surprised what Phil said this week about the Triangle. It's an offense that allows you to play defense, I knew that already and it's evident on what it can do for a team.
That's exactly what I thought when I saw this list from ESPN re best coaches:
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10717235/2014-nba-front-office-rankings-coachesYou guys seen this?
Take away Kevin Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka and tell me Scott Brooks could navigate the Thunder out of the locker room let alone to 25 wins.
Brooks is awful and I think everybody knows that, but nobody could make OKC win 20 games without Durant or Westbrook. I don't think it's a fair example...
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 4:16 pm
by crazyeights
politm wrote:crazyeights wrote:DEEP3CL wrote:Coaches are only as good as their talent, same reason why MDA is struggling. But his system is no good either, that's why I wasn't surprised what Phil said this week about the Triangle. It's an offense that allows you to play defense, I knew that already and it's evident on what it can do for a team.
That's exactly what I thought when I saw this list from ESPN re best coaches:
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10717235/2014-nba-front-office-rankings-coachesYou guys seen this?
Take away Kevin Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka and tell me Scott Brooks could navigate the Thunder out of the locker room let alone to 25 wins.
Brooks is awful and I think everybody knows that, but nobody could make OKC win 20 games without Durant or Westbrook. I don't think it's a fair example...
I'm saying the difference between MDA, Brooks, or any other coach is talent (at least when it comes to those rankings. A lot of mediocre coaches rated highly, because of teams that are having good years.)
There's obviously truly great coaches like Popovich, but you need the talent.
Re: Lakers should target Connecticut's Kevin Ollie as next c
Posted: Sun Apr 6, 2014 4:19 pm
by crazyeights
How Brad Stevens is at number 11 is a head scratcher...I haven't seen a lot of Celtics games this season, but to me this is based on his NCAA reputation and not earned by this current season.