L.A. Lakers Rumors: David Blatt Could Be The Next Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach
Rumors regarding David Blatt and his next NBA head coaching job have been running rampant since he was fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it appears there is more interest than originally expected. While it seems like Blatt was not a great fit for a contender like the Cavaliers, the rebuilding L.A. Lakers are rumored to have interest in his services. And even though LeBron James and the Cavaliers’ ownership did not believe in Blatt, many coaches around the league are speaking out on his behalf.
According to ESPN, Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle believes the firing is an embarrassment.
“I’m embarrassed for our league that something like this can happen like this. It’s just bizarre…. It just leaves you with a bit of an empty feeling, because Blatt’s a great guy, and he did a great job there. Teams have the right to make changes, but David Blatt is going to be a highly sought-after coach this summer if and when there are openings, if he chooses to stay. After this, you just hope a guy like this is still open to coaching in the NBA.”
While Carlisle believes that Blatt is a great coach, the problem appeared to be with his respect in the Cavaliers’ locker room. At the moment, the Cavaliers are currently the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but management and ownership did not believe that Blatt was the right coach to lead the team to a championship. He knew his Xs and Os, but the veteran players just did not have respect for him as a head coach.
George Karl sees David Blatt situation as "embarrassing" for the NBA.
— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) January 24, 2016
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, Blatt actually has suitors from a variety of teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers.
Seems like former Cavs coach David Blatt won't be out of a job very long – hearing he's drawn interest from the Nets already.
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) January 23, 2016
Blatt's name also linked to Wolves and Lakers. Seems he could be more sought after than expected.
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) January 23, 2016
Blatt was originally brought in to coach a young Cavaliers team featuring Andrew Wiggins and Kyrie Irving. After James returned to Cleveland, Wiggins was traded in a deal that included Kevin Love, and suddenly the Cavaliers were a real contender. With no NBA head coaching experience, the players viewed Blatt as a “virgin” to coaching, according to Business Insider. While Blatt did not have any prior NBA head coaching experience, he was a successful head coach overseas for 22 years.
With Kobe Bryant set to retire at the end of the season, the L.A. Lakers are in a similar position to the Cavaliers before James returned. In Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers have two young potential stars to build around. While the Lakers are struggling this season, their future still appears to be bright with young players with upside and high draft picks coming.
With the second worst record in the league, the Lakers currently have the best chance to receive the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA draft. They even have a great chance of moving up and getting the No. 1 overall pick. This means the Lakers will have their selection of Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram if they manage to secure one of the top two picks. It is important that the Lakers continue to lose though, since the Philadelphia 76ers will receive their draft pick if it falls outside of the top three.
Randle, Russell, and Simmons or Ingram would be a solid young core, and it could make the Lakers an attractive destination for Blatt. Since Kobe will be gone, there will not be any veteran personalities to directly challenge Blatt and his coaching methods. The players will also be more likely to learn from and trust Blatt, as opposed to Cavaliers’ veterans that were already set in their ways.
Fansided also notes that Blatt excels at developing younger players. Current Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott is apparently controlling and identifies better with veteran players. With Kobe gone next year and a team full of young guys, Blatt could be the perfect fit to coach the Lakers.
LeBron James says he was “surprised” by firing of David Blatt https://t.co/G9pVDzg8rH pic.twitter.com/IXs3k5jxaI
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 23, 2016
As the Inquisitr previously reported, the Cavaliers were either going to trade Kevin Love or fire David Blatt. Now that Blatt has been fired, there are still reports that Love could be traded. While Blatt may have not fit in perfectly with the Cavaliers, he was not their only problem.
Rumors will continue to surface regarding David Blatt’s next coaching destination. With a young team full of promise, the Los Angeles Lakers could move on from Scott and hire Blatt.
[Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images]
