RealGM

Phil Jackson said in a radio interview Tuesday that he will make a firm decision about returning to the bench next season by "early July" and that he will also explore the possibility of letting Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis coach more road games in his stead.

In the interview Jackson insisted that health concerns would be the only reason that prevented him from completing the final season of his current coaching contract.

The Lakers completed a test run of the concept in April when Jackson, having had both of his hips replaced in recent years, skipped a one-game trip to Portland on the second night of back-to-back games shortly after the team had finished a grueling seven-game trip. With Rambis in charge, L.A. suffered a 106-98 loss to the Blazers.

"Yeah, we've toyed around with that idea actually," Jackson told ESPN Radio hosts John Ireland and Mychal Thompson. "I guess it's not that revolutionary. We talked a little bit about it, and you know I was actually kind of given the green light to actually try this out and when the time came."

Via Wiretap

I thinks its pretty interesting.. i'm on board w/ anything that will keep phil as our coach.

Btw... does anyone know if this has ever happened b4?

i could fill in as a coach when they go to Minnesota

I see right through this secret plan for Phil, Jeanie Buss, and Linda Rambis threesomes while Kurt is on the road.

Question: If Lakers repeat with this coaching scheme, would Phil have 10.5 or 11 rings?

Xlnt question kno

we lost a very very winnable game in portland. due to rambis imo.

Kno wrote:Question: If Lakers repeat with this coaching scheme, would Phil have 10.5 or 11 rings?

I believe everyone in the Lakers got a ring, everyone in the organization. So he would have 11 rings if Lakers win one with PJ coaching only the home games

It could help or it could backfire. At least it'll give Rambis more of a coaching role. Heck why not just have kobe coach away games lol jk.

But it might work since rambis and phil have worked together for so long. Rambis might even have better rotation schemes the phil since i think rambis explores more than phil does. IMO.

daddyfivestar wrote:I see right through this secret plan for Phil, Jeanie Buss, and Linda Rambis threesomes while Kurt is on the road.

I got the camcorder !

EiRON wrote:

Kno wrote:Question: If Lakers repeat with this coaching scheme, would Phil have 10.5 or 11 rings?

I believe everyone in the Lakers got a ring, everyone in the organization. So he would have 11 rings if Lakers win one with PJ coaching only the home games

It was more of a rhetorical question of the joking manner...

If Phil retires, will this be the first team to lose its coach after winning the championship? (Well other than the '98 Bulls but everybody knows that was their last dance)

I see it being a lose-lose situation for us. If Phil retires and we win nonetheless, this will just support the fact that anyone can coach a team as talented as these Lakers. On the other hand, I do not want to be in the losing end next year either.

The fact is there is no coach that can match the resume of Phil. No other HC from another team can command the same respect as Phil. Byron Scott will not do. If Phil retires it will be either Shaw or Rambis - and we do not want a rookie HC in the playoffs.

It will be a nightmare waiting to happen when Phil does retire.

lakersfanatic wrote: Rambis might even have better rotation schemes the phil since i think rambis explores more than phil does. IMO.

this is the fine line between genius and insanity. this is the tough part to figure out, that i dont think ANYONE will ever figure out. there are methods that phil has, but there are things that ONLY HE can do and takes years to master. HIS ROTATION SCHEME. now im with many that it is truly upsetting when he tinkers with schemes figuring things out. on the other hand, trevor ariza said he will always be greatful to phil, for giving him his chance. again, ariza is a guy who has been shipped around and around and when he got here, BIG TIME BENCH AND STARTER MINUTES. shannon brown for example, shipped around, shipped around, BIG TIME ROLE MINUTES.

now this is the genius part. nobody wanted these guys. but phils schemes, (that only he knows about in that head of his), finds minutes, exploits their psyche, builds their confidence, and when they come in, they feel they have a chip on their shoulder and wanna do the absolute best they can! shannon brown? dude came up BIG in the denver series game5 or 6 i think it was. ariza? singlehandedly took down a pivotal quarter in the finals that propelled us down the stretch.

this is why i believe JIM CLEMONS is the man for the job. this is a guy who knows many many more nuances to the TRIANGLE than rambis does. rambis is a company guy who i believe has been pushed on phil to train as his successor. but CLEMONS i believe has the experience to continue with this young group long into the future.

could be worse

could have no phil at all

daddyfivestar wrote:I see right through this secret plan for Phil, Jeanie Buss, and Linda Rambis threesomes while Kurt is on the road.

I think Phil is coming back to coach home games and road games. He sees something special with this team, but the lakers have to sign Lamar, Ariza, and brown back.

i am not happy with this, we wont have a great record without him

Gasol interview today said Phil would likely do the home games AND long road trips.
It's the short trips and the up n backs he'd eliminate to ease the physical wear and tear.

real coaching goes on in practice. its all good.

I heard on the radio from Mitch himself....If Phil comes back it will be for home and away games.

BTW dcash thanks for the heads up on 830, I love it!

If phil cant coach on road then he will stay on as Assistant coach or consultant...

No way Mitch and Buss will pay 12 million and allow him to coach half the games...

Reminds me of Shaq and Tmac experiment last years..