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Do Luke Walton, Lakers Have an Assistant Coach Template?

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In the past week, names like Brian Shaw and Chris DeMarco have been floated as possible options as assistant coaches on Luke Walton’s staff. DeMarco is familiar with Walton due to ties with the Warriors where DeMarco is a player development coach after working in the video room and in advance scouting. Shaw, of course, has ties to Walton from their time with the Lakers where Shaw as an assistant while Luke a player on Phil Jackson’s teams.

Both guys fit the mold of the type of theoretical staff I would imagine Walton would build. They offer a mix of young and experienced, a guy who worked his way up through an organization and a former player who has championship experience on the floor and from the bench. Finding the right balance, I think, is vital for any staff, but especially for a coach like Walton who needs to surround himself with like minded guys, but also those with more experience with him who can offer a varied perspective and, at times, challenge him as he strives to improve as a first time head coach (and not just an interim one).

This is all speculation on my part, though. Luke Walton has not gone on the record of what he’s looking for in his staff and the names floated were, themselves, based on speculative reports from league and Warriors’ insiders. But while we don’t have insight from Luke, we do, luckily, have some from Mitch Kupchak who spoke with the media on Friday about Walton’s hiring. And in those comments, Kupchack hinted at the type of assistant Walton and the Lakers (who will have input on this) will be looking for.

It should not be a surprise the Lakers would want a defensive specialist who can help Walton implement a scheme and teach the young players how to be more effective on that end of the floor. The Lakers were last in the league in defensive efficiency last season and saw their players make the same mistakes over and over again over the course of the season. Finding an assistant who can help establish better fundamentals and find ways to maximize the talents of the players is essential.

Beyond a defensive minded coach, though, the Lakers are also looking for someone who has experience in the role Walton himself will fill.

This, too, makes a lot of sense. Walton was great as the interim coach in Oakland while Steve Kerr recovered from multiple back surgeries, but he is still only 36 and has limited exposure to the league from the chair he will be sitting in next season. Having an assistant (or more) who have gone through what Walton will, have game management experience, have had to diagram plays in crunch time, and have had to organize their own staffs would serve as a nice support system for Walton. He can lean on them and use their experience to supplement his own — not only on the bench in game situations, but in coach’s meetings, in practices, the film room, etc.

In saying all that, though, I hope the Lakers and Walton do not fall into the trap of looking for/hiring a specific coach just because they check off a list of predetermined traits. Yes, experience would be nice. So would someone who can teach defense. But, ideally, Walton will fill his staff with the best candidates — people who are smart, can teach the game, and be a resource to him and the players in order to move the team forward and on the track back to competitiveness.

If that turns out to be guys like Shaw, David Blatt, Nate McMillan, or Frank Vogel (all of whom are candidates for current openings as head coaches and some of which will surely be hired as lead guys), that’s great. But if it ends up being career assistants, an up and comer or two, or a combination of both, that would be fine too if that’s what the process bore out.

The Lakers, too often, have found themselves looking to fill voids by targeting a certain type of candidate who fits a specific profile. Those limited searches probably did not produce the best hires. The goal is to get this right and, while I’m all for the idea of what the template Mitch Kupchak laid out represents, it’s not the only way to produce good results.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. harold says

    I hope they will hire somebody with a very strong analytical background and an open mind to the new developments in the sport. There are no signs that Luke is against it, but it will help to have somebody who can really grasp it and communicate it in basketball terms that the rest of the staff and players can understand.

    Not sure if i like the head coaching experience part, I would rather not want somebody who may inadverdantly undermine Luke’s authority. Don’t want a Lue-Blatt situation although it’s probably not as likely to happen here. Still, if that person is defensively-focused, I would be fine with that risk.

  2. P. Ami says

    Very much looking forward to seeing who gets hired as assistants. I think Walton is a secure guy, smart, and capable of understanding limits (in himself and others). I think there will be some excellent basketball minds spending time with our young guys (if we keep them). I’m actually particularly interested in who replaced Gary Vitti as trainer. The man did a great job since the 80’s but so much has happened in sports science and health that must have passed him by in some way. A new training staff is going to have a huge effect on development. Let’s see what direction that goes.

  3. LKK says

    P. Ami…
    You made an excellent point about the retirement of Gary Vitti and how the team will have to transition from his era. This also represents an opportunity the Lakers to experiment with new and different techniques to manage the the physical well-being of their players.

    What I’m really hoping for is a strong defensive assistant. Watching the Lakers’ “defense” the last two years was like poking one’s self in the eye with a sharp stick. Improving the defense has to be a top priority.

  4. Josh Hardin says

    I would be ecstatic if we could grab Vogel as an assistant. I definitely want Shaw as he is a much better coach than given credit and some other top defensive guys. The Vitti replacement will be interesting but with the money the Lakers have they should be able to find a quality replacement to fill at least 3/4 of Vitti’s shoes haha. Vitti is a Laker legend in his own right. I think we’ll see some surprises this year in FA so who knows what will happen.

  5. Gary says

    Did you see the graphic on the Blazers / Warriors game. Virtually the entire Blazer team is under 25 years old. They’re in the second round of the playoffs. No reason why the Lakers have to trade their pick (if they keep it) or go out of their way to add vets.

    Going young is not the problem — lack if talent is.

  6. Ed says

    Defensive minded with HC experience if possible,but most important someone Luke can lean on and trust.Luke has enjoyed success at GS,but it really helps to have experienced guys around when things are not going well.

  8. Warren Wee Lim says

    The part where the Lakers choose Luke’s staff is rather complicated when you don’t have Luke yet. What I mean is that in the true sense of the word, assistant coaches work for the coach, not for the team. They are Walton’s staff, and they do not report independently to Mitch or Jim. Although technically, Mitch and Jim are everyone’s boss, including Walton.

    In this regard, it’s tough to hire people without the consult of Luke first hand. We might have to wait a bit in order to find Luke’s buddies coz it has to be people he is comfortable with, not a threat to his job (no matter how secure he is) and someone who will not overstep boundaries just because 100% of former HCs have “more” experience than the head coach.

  9. Patrick Lanigan says

    Gary, I’m with you. Unless it is a trade of the pick straight up for Paul George or Demarcus Cousins, my preference is to keep it. Cap space is the currency to acquire veteran talent, and a top three pick is the currency to acquire a potential franchise player.

  11. J C says

    I heard Mitch giggled when he read that Lakers had already decided to trade the pick.
    He had no idea where that came from, or so he said.

    The thing to remember about the Lakers and what makes them fairly effective in these areas is they don’t reveal their hand early; that is one of their strengths.

    Agree that a former head coach would be great as assistant to Luke and would give the staff balance. Preferably a guy such as Blatt or Messina that has a lot to bring to the table.
    Interesting that Luke declared his need for a defensive assistant publicly.

  12. matt says

    Trade rumors makes you wonder if the rest of the league sees d’angelo russell as a future star

  13. matt says

    Regarding the pick, what if simmons is better than derozan in two years, and what if ingram is better than batum in two years, and what if jaylen brown is better than butler in two years.

  16. J C says

    I think he meant Rabbi Kelly.

    I actually did win the powerball last night.
    Then I woke up.

  17. matt says

    I’m getting tired of hearing about the lakers not having a good pitch for free agent lamarcus alderidge last year, could someone please tell me what you think they should have said.

  18. Anonymous says

    I’m getting tired of hearing about the lakers not having a good pitch for free agent lamarcus alderidge last year, could someone please tell me what you think they should have said.
    __

    A vision for what the Lakers are trying to do:
    – how would he be used on the floor
    – life with Kobe and life beyond Kobe
    – player acquisition strategies: free agency, trades or draft
    – player development strategies
    – positive perspective of the forward momentum of the organization: appropriately leveraging anayltics/scouting/training/medical
    – organization on the same page:Jeanie/Jim?Mitch and Buron

    I think the feedback was that the pitch covered very little of the above. Yes, Jeanie spent all the time how being a Laker could make Aldridge a star off the court but not how he could be part of a winning team on it.

    If you recall, this was a player that the Lakers really wanted and hours before the pitch it wasn’t sure whether Jim would actually attend. The person who’s vision was the key selling point for LA was considering not attending.

    It was a total fail and I believe sealed the fate of the Jim Buss regime.

  20. Baylor Fan says

    How is this for a defensive coach template: let Luke decide what he needs in the coach and make the hire? Mitch and Jim may give their inputs but it should be up to Luke to make the call. Yes Luke is new to the HC job but that does not make him incompetent to make his own decisions. Clearly, Mitch and Jim have missed on the previous three HC’s, so it is not like they have keen insight on who will work and who will fail. Give Luke the breathing room to make good decisions and bad ones. This is not a veteran team with a two year window, they can afford to have Luke grow with the job.

  21. Keith says

    That Times article was a snapshot of the year to come — failure after failure. The really funny part was that the Lakers FO was really confident that they nailed the Aldridge pitch. The reports that the Lakers removed tweets indicating that Aldridge was coming once feedback came out from the LA camp that the Lakers bombed the meeting. Sad, just sad.

    Man, this past year has got to be a low point for the franchise. Yes, they made a lot of money selling the Kobe retirement, but man, what a painful year. So hopeful that the Luke signing points to progress. Again, we may not have enough talent to really move the win needle but I’m, confident the FO isn’t going to ask LW to creatively lose games.

  22. Anonymous says

    Lamarcus Aldridge was never going to come to the Lakers, what with the youth movement in full force. His time window was way too short, and he knew that they were never going to compete for a title with or without him. The argument that he declined because the Lakers did not show proper basketball analytics was probably spot on, because there weren’t any good reasons for him to join the team. The team wasn’t good enough, wasn’t going to be good enough, and there was no way to spin the numbers to prove otherwise. He chose the Spurs, can’t blame him there, a better choice and within his time window for success. Going forward, with our rookies getting better, a new coach, hopefully a top pick, the narrative changes a bit. LA will start looking like a better destination.

  23. Brian says

    I want the Lakers to spend a boatload of cash on assistants!! There’s no salary cap on coaching hires, so they should go all in on this. Vogel, Blatt, Messina, Shaw, Hollins, Bickerstaff, Musselman. I think if you had Shaw and either Vogel/Blatt/Messina, the team would be in great shape.

  24. R says

    Seems like LMA made the right decision; he went to the Spurs, who had a fantastic season and he was able to contribute to their success. And, it ain’t over yet.

  25. J C says

    I personally think Lamarcus isn’t a great closer.
    He’s great through three quarters. I noticed this when he was in Portland and it seems to be bearing out against OKC. To me he’s not a great #1 option and that’s probably why he was relieved SA wanted him.

    It may be true that we never had a real chance to land him here but I believe he did consent to a second interview – right? So he prob wouldn’t have agreed to come back for a second chat unless he was actually considering it.

    The discussions of whom the Lakers should hire as assistant and whether he has or should have input as to that choice are two different conversations. It seems to me the Lakers most likely have a procedure in place for this sort of hire, which naturally, probably includes some input from their head coach.

  26. Andy says

    Anon – The reality is that the Lakers wanted Aldridge. Yes, you are right he was never going to be a Laker. But that doesn’t mean that the Lakers didn’t want him and were pretty sure, until feedback from LAs camp showed otherwise, that they were going to get him.

    Applying reason and rationale, a year later, doesn’t change the fact that the Jim Buss FO banked their future on rebuilding the Lakers by signing multiple free agents. You and I — most people, in fact, knew that was a strategy destined to fail. The Lakers were no where near competing — and money being equal that is what a free agent wants.

    Again, the reality is that the FO wanted to spend money on top free agents last summer. It wasn’t some tease to show the fan base that management was pretending to improve the team — they were legitimately trying to improve the team. Jim knew he needed to get better and quick. Was it the right move for the Lakers long term — no. However, Jim felt it was the right move for a FO that was on the clock.

    All this tells me that Jeanie will hold Jim’s to his promise. Whether she has the authority to or not isn’t the question. She will use the media and fan sentiment to get him to step down.

  28. Vasheed says

    Considering everything I heard last year as to why Metta was brought on as a player to help develop guys like Randle, I wouldn’t mind considering bringing him back this year as a player development coach.

    @Brian, I think having a coach of that pedigree for Luke’s defensive assistant might be a good thing. However, for the other guys I think you would have too many cooks in the kitchen.

  29. Anonymous says

    Both Carmelo and Aldridge were bad fits for many reasons. The Lakers still tried to sign them.

  30. 24hrx. says

    If you all can’t stand listening to Byron talk, Blatt is even worse.
    He got fired because his personality is so grating; not because he’s a bad coach, but because they were losing, not anything other than being a mega d-bag1.
    That he got fired while winning should give you an idea.
    Blatt has nothing to offer this team but drama and discord.

  31. A Horse With No Name says

    If you recall, this was a player that the Lakers really wanted and hours before the pitch it wasn’t sure whether Jim would actually attend. The person who’s vision was the key selling point for LA was considering not attending.

    It was a total fail and I believe sealed the fate of the Jim Buss regime.

    rr/anonymous: This is a shrill reading of that event. (Not to mention a classic rehashing of your stock material.) I agree, by all accounts, it was a piss poor presentation. But knocking it out of the park wouldn’t have changed a thing. As anonymous @ 11:04 sagely opines, the lakers were on a different timeline than Aldridge.

    Andy/rr/anonymous: Only time will tell if your prediction proves true. Frankly, winning cures everything, and the lakers are likely on the cusp of building an entertaining team with promise; one that will win just enough to quiet Jeanie’s silly campaign.

  32. Mid-Wilshire says

    Vasheed,

    I’m so glad to hear your views on Metta. I, too, think that he’d be an excellent player development coach and an outstanding mentor to the young players on Defense.

    If he were allowed to coach them full time — especially considering that there’s already a positive relationship that’s been established and, apparently, some solid, mutual respect already in place — I think it would be a great move to bring Metta World Peace on as an assistant coach.

  33. Andy says

    Frankly, winning cures everything, and the lakers are likely on the cusp of building an entertaining team with promise; one that will win just enough to quiet Jeanie’s silly campaign.
    __

    My comment was based on the fact that the Lakers tried to genuinely sign Aldridge. You are taking a different stance, that Aldridge never was going to sign with the Lakers. I argue that both comments are true. That the Lakers botched the pitch only adds insult to injury.

    My interpretation of the family dynamics leads me to believe that Jeanie has an agenda. Jeanie was more than willing to work with Jim out of respect for her father. But Jim’s now famous promise has given her an out. She can force Jim out while still honoring her dad’s wishes — Jim will be resigning on his own volition.

  34. Michael h says

    Mitch has said on a few occasions that the worst thing in the NBA is to be mediocre. I think the plan all along was to try and land big name free agents and if that failed roll the cap over and stay bad. I think it’s worked so far. I like our young core. It’s to early to tell if any of them become stars but I’m confident that they all will be good players. The other path we could have taken is sign a bunch of mid level guys and sneak into the playoffs like the Mavs. I’m glad we didn’t take that path. The players Cuban has isn’t going to land them KD. I think our future is brighter then the Mavs. Only time will tell.

  35. barry_g says

    Agree w/ Michael h’s hypothesis. Swinging for the fences re: top tier free agents at least shows you tried. Then strike out, stink for the season, and get a lottery pick w/out the backlash for not going after anyone over the summer. Not a lot of use in picking up 2nd-3rd tier free agents (like Isaiah Thomas a few yrs ago) if you don’t have a franchise player on the roster. You get back up to 40ish wins… and then what? If/when the Lakers strike out again this summer (talking specifically about KD), I’m hoping (1) we get to keep our draft pick, and (2) the FO spends wisely and/or waits until next summer to try again. All the while we grow our young talent and bring in vets to steer them in the right direction.

  36. Robert says

    Horse: “one that will win just enough to quiet Jeanie’s silly campaign” Exactly what I am afraid of.

  37. Chearn says

    J C May 9, 2016 at 12:43 pm
    I personally think Lamarcus isn’t a great closer.
    He’s great through three quarters. I noticed this when he was in Portland and it seems to be bearing out against OKC. To me he’s not a great #1 option and that’s probably why he was relieved SA wanted him.

    Oh my gosh! On point analysis! Noticed it myself and never wanted Aldridge. Additionally, the guy is porous defensively.

  38. J C says

    i totally dug Phil when he was here and now I don’t want any more of it. Even if Jeannie will be happier with him around.
    He’s old enough to retire anyway, and it’s like Kobe – the time eventually comes when you should bow out and let others take center stage.
    I don’t think Phil “plays well with others” – and could undermine Luke somehow, just cuz that’s what he seems to do for kicks.

    Agree – keep Metta around.

  39. LKK says

    I agree with the “championship or bust” mentality for a team that is already established and projects to be a 4th seed or better in the playoffs. For a team in the Lakers’ position, that type of mentality is unrealistic, IMO. Players like Isiah Thomas have real value. Lakers should be looking to get better in any way possible. Bazemore and Ed Davis would look good on this squad right about now. Valuable players are assets that can help build a champion. True superstars are few and far between.

  40. Teamn says

    Whatever assistants Luke ultimately picks (or gets picked for him), I sincerely hope he gets the time and the support to grow into the job and does not have to constantly look over his shoulder at the “coach-in-waiting.” An experienced assistant coach is great, too a degree, but not if that person undermines Luke or provides the FO with an excuse to act hastily.

  41. J C says

    Chearn – thanks. I really never noticed his D – now I’ll be watching that as well 🙂

  42. Fern says

    Brian Shaw won’t interview for Knicks job. Looks like not even Phil’s guys want to touch the Knicks…

  43. LKK says

    The Blazers are giving the Dubs the first good punch in the mouth the champs have gotten all season.

  44. rr says

    Horse,

    I have not posted in this thread until now, and in the past, when I have inadvertently posted as one of the Anonymi, I have almost always gone back and said, “That was me.” Also, my position on Aldridge, like on Anthony, was that the Lakers probably should not have been recruiting him to begin with.

    As to rehashing stock material, show a little self-awareness, and check the mirror. All the regulars repeat ourselves, and you are no exception. You have made your Jeanie/Jim argument multiple times, and you have repeated the same basic speech about Julius Randle multiple times, and those are only two of many examples.

  45. Chris J says

    I hope Russell is watching this Golden State/Portland series and is seriously studying the play of Lillard and Curry. It’s so much fun to watch those guys, and more than fun, they each play to win. They’re the gold standard of what D’Angelo should aspire to become.

  46. Fern says

    I remember Curry as a rookie i thought “this guy is going to be a good player”, but i never in my wildest dreams imagined he was going to go Super Saiyan on the NBA. Last night was an inhuman feat for the ages. About Aldrige, the Lakers could had put the most excellent presentation in the history of the world and it wouldn’t had mattered. He was looking for a situation like the one in SA, the Lakers weren’t providing that. Even if the Lakers somehow pull it off what would it meant? Fringe playoffs as best case scenario? Defering to Kobe? The Lakers history and past prestige earn them a courtesy meeting, nothing more. Im bitter i miss my team battling in the playoffs…

  48. Andy says

    For the most part the Blazers roster is between 22 – 26 years old. I hope Mitch is taking note of that.

    There are so many good teams in the West (Warriors, Spurs, Thunder and Blazers among them) we shouldn’t be in a hurry to load up on older vets. I’d take a slower path that develops a really competitive roster. If that means we miss out on free agents this summer, fine. Grow the kids and try again in 2017.

    Its been said here that the Lakers shouldn’t look to add anyone over the age of 27 or 28. I agree. That means no to Horford, which I’ve heard some say should be a back up plan for Whiteside. Horford is too old for our core and his skills are diminishing. Pass.

    Go young and go long.

  49. teamn says

    Fern,

    “Super Saiyan” — classic, thanks for the laugh. Now we just need someone to do a meme with Steph bursting into golden energy flames.

  50. T. Rogers says

    A Golden State/ OKC Western Conference Finals would be epic! I’m rooting for the Thunder to pull grind it out against the Spurs.

  51. Clay Bertrand says

    Totally OT here but I wanted to mention RE the recent Coaching turnover:

    How Bad of a situation is it in Memphis when the Head Coach starts begging his own bosses for permission to interview for the SACRIFICIAL KINGS job???? Seems like a BIZARRO backward move.

  52. T. Rogers says

    Clay,

    And it seems like only a couple of seasons ago when Memphis fired Hollins supposedly for being too old school. Sometimes these coaches are put in no win situations.

  53. A Horse With No Name says

    rr: Yes, everyone has their pet arguments–some are more inclined to repeat them with greater frequency. One’s post count is a likely indicator of how often the repeat button is pushed.

  56. Anonymous says

    Regarding pet arguments and looking in the mirror….

    There’s about a dozen folks who consistently post here that are prone to beating a dead horse till its nothing but red pulp. Problem is that most will not recognize themselves as such. So, here’s a small suggestion. go back to the last 6 or so “articles” posted on this site and read your own comments. Assume that you tally up your responses and you have made 30 comments. If you find that you keep arguing that Jim Buss is good or bad and that we would be better off/worse off under Jeannie or Phil or how good or bad the FO moves have been in 90% or more of those posts – even if replying to others comments, then this is probably a good indication that of an obsession bordering on compulsion. Then ask yourself whats more important to you: to keep making the same point over and over again or contributing other aspects to the ongoing conversation.

    For many, the answer to that question is that they have lots to contribute – if they just walked away from the dead horse. For others, well…. i guess they are one trick ponies.

  57. rr says

    So, here’s a small suggestion

    _____

    Fair enough. My suggestions to you are to show a little backbone and get a handle if you want to throw shade at people, and to ask yourself why you have such a weird emotional need to to worry about anti-Jim Buss posts on an internet site. One thing I do agree with Horse on: winning is pretty much a cure-all. If the Lakers start doing better and making decisions that work, then the narrative about Jim will change and the people who have bagged on him will be called upon to acknowledge it, although it won’t change the FO’s past mistakes. Until then, you will just have to suffer. Time to man up, as Byron might say.

    And, at the moment, more people around here are trashing Phil than Jim, even though Phil doesn’t actually work for the Lakers, and one reason for that is that pretty much everybody, including me, supported the Walton hire, and that is one reason that I haven’t said that much about the FO the last few days and had not posted in this thread. There is not much to say. Coaching hire makes sense, Walton is looking for people for his staff, we will find out about the lottery in a week, and then we will see about the draft and FA. Then we can see where the roster is in July.

  58. Anonymous says

    I think there’s no need to tell anyone what handle they should use when it’s really not anyone else’s business. If you focus on what is being said in the post rather than the poster it shouldn’t matter, anyway. And it will make reading the comment section more enjoyable.

    (On a side note, don’t assume I’m the guy who made the earlier comment. It’s unimportant, anyway.)