With Darvin Ham gone, the Los Angeles Lakers are shopping for a new head coach, and there is a considerable amount of pressure on them to get this hire right.
Many signs seem to point to LeBron James remaining with the team past this season. That would mean it will continue to be in win-now mode, which means it will need a coach who has the right stuff now, as opposed to someone who could grow into a good coach in a few years.
Los Angeles’ top candidates seem to be (in no particular order) Tyronn Lue, Kenny Atkinson, Mike Budenholzer and JJ Redick. Terry Stotts, the former Portland Trail Blazers head coach, is another name that has come up, but some want L.A. to think outside the box and go with a more innovative choice, even if it means hiring another first-timer.
According to Dan Woike, David Adelman and Micah Nori, both of whom are currently assistant coaches, could be candidates to become the Lakers’ next head coach.
Via Los Angeles Times:
“In addition to Atkinson and Stotts, Denver [Nuggets] assistant coach David Adelman and Minnesota [Timberwolves] assistant coach Micah Nori are both highly regarded inside the Lakers’ organization, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.”
Adelman is the son of Rick Adelman, who Lakers fans will remember as the head coach of the Sacramento Kings teams of the early 2000s that couldn’t get past the Purple and Gold in the playoffs. He has been an assistant coach for eight seasons, one of which was spent serving under Frank Vogel, who later went on to coach the Lakers to the NBA championship.
Before that, he was a player development coach under his father about a decade ago.
Like his father, the younger Adelman is considered a sharp offensive mind. According to a Sports Illustrated Fan Nation article, he has had a hand in maximizing Nikola Jokić’s triple-threat skills in Denver’s offense.
Nori was an assistant in Denver under Michael Malone several years ago, and while there he forged a relationship with Chris Finch, Minnesota’s head coach. With Finch crippled due to a freak knee injury he suffered days ago during a playoff game versus the Phoenix Suns, Nori has taken on a more prominent role on the sideline as his team takes on the Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals.
His team scored a 106-99 win on Saturday in Game 1 versus the defending world champs. He is considered very smart when it comes to basketball, but he is also smart when it comes to making players, reporters and fans laugh.
Everyone: "How are the Wolves so good in the 3rd?"
Micah Nori at halftime: pic.twitter.com/XakJEJdD66
— /r/Timberwolves (@r_timberwolves) December 19, 2023
Not only could the Lakers use a fresh voice and some sincere resourcefulness on the sideline, but perhaps they could also use a little humor from time to time, especially when they hear what they need to hear.
