Lakers and Coach K in "serious discussions"
 

Holy Crap. I didnt see this one coming.

Read about it here

I'm not sure what I think about this move if it happens. Too many great college coaches seem to flame out in the NBA and why would Coach K want to leave Duke to take on the mess that the Lakers are becoming.

Larry Brown's doing okay. :)

College hoops needs Coach K.

Sure, he's doing fine now. How many years has he been coaching in the NBA? It took him 17 years to win that first ring. Even if you took out the Clippers years, it was still over a decade. We don't tolerate more than a decade between championships here in Laker-land :)

As a UNC fan, I would be happy to see K leave Duke.

As a college ball fan generally, I would miss having K in the college game.

Izzo makes more sense IMO. He almost took other NBA jobs and nothing gets more prestigious then the Lakers HC spot

The fall of the Lakeres, Coach K, and Duke all in one move.

I can't wait!

The NBA is much different now. There is much more teaching involved in the NBA than when Brown came into the league. The current NBA game is a lot closer to what the college game was 10 years ago (18-22yo's and zone defenses) and is a much better fit for college coaches moving up than it used to be. I don't think the adjustment period would be that long (definately not as long as it would have been a few seasons ago) for someone like Coach K.

This is very interesting. As a Maryland fan this could only be a "good" thing in terms of a less stable Duke program. As a college basketball fan this is not a good thing at all. The NBA as noted above is becoming more and more of a "teachable" league. Teams now have to look at that ability to mold players into good players and the good thing from Coach K's perspective is that he doesn't have to worry about academics or making sure they attend class. Plus with his recent recruits opting to go to the draft it must have have been quite fustrating. If The Lakers offer enough money I think coach K is gone, not because he doesn't love college basketball but because it no longer is the sport he has known for the last 20 years or so.

Except the thing is, he was a sucessful pro coach who happened to coach in college for a couple years, not a successful college coach who made the jump.

Coach K will be a disaster in the pros, not because he can't coach, but because he's never spent a minute in the NBA, and the players will know it and ignore him because of it. Larry Brown played pro ball, then was a pro assistant, then a pro head coach, then spent 10 years or so coaching college, then came back to the NBA. There is a big difference.

Do you think Johnny Dawkins is holding his breath?

Larry Brown took UCLA to the Championships before he left for the NBA the first time around

I have to strongly disagree with this. According to reports, this is all Kobe. He's the one that really wants this to happen. If thats the case, I can't see him being ignored. Not only that, its Coach K. Its not Tim Floyd or someone that hasn't proved anything. I think the name Krzyzewski brings respect with it anywhere in the world of basketball.

Kobe was also going to go to Duke if he didn't go to college. But as a HS senior, he knew he was going to the show out of HS

Solid point.

I think the most ironic point is that Kupchek is a Heel

I think there are enough Duke players in the NBA that he could find someone who'll listen to him.

I couldn't have said it any better myself! :D

Funny, I always thought he was an ass. ;)

I'm leaning that way...

I think Coach K will do fine. On the other hand, I can't help considering it a bad move. In the NBA, he's another coach. A "named" coach, to be sure, but just another coach. In college basketball, he's the high and mighty Coach K (and I say that with due respect, I like the guy . . . even though he's a Dukie). He has all kind of pull within the game, the coaching rank and all that. It'll be interesting, if nothing else.

Well, it's just part of pursuing the challenge I guess. Same reasons why people give up cushy jobs for jobs that might not excel at, but they try it nonethless.

I think he'd be another NBA coach, could be worse I suppose

The timing may be right for this on Coach K's end.

Deng plus part of his recruiting class left early or didn't show up at all. Coach K was also the most vocal opponent of ACC expansion (which became official today). He may not be as content at Duke as people think.

I didn't even think of that aspect of it digamma. I was thinking more of the change of player movement in the past 20 years but had neglected to think of the ACC expansion as a possible reason. The press confrence that Duke held was essentially useless though, The AD didn't let on that he knew more then what espn news has said and frankly I think he is scared to death of losing coach K.

Today's players only listen to guys who have played in the league. They tune everyone else out. A veteran is simply not going to listen to someone who has never spent a minute in pro ball tell them how to play the NBA game. The list of good college coaches who have flopped miserably in the pros is long and distinguished.

Yes, because we all know both of the Van Gundy's have been so awful.

Taken from another message board

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First off, let me say I hate Duke like you can't even believe. I hate how they are arrogant and I hate how they always seem to be all over any talented white player. By no means are they a white-only team but they always have a certain white-bread feel to their team. I'm white myself I just don't like it when a private elite mostly white school in the south does this kind of thing.

Anyway, I hate Duke for lots of other reasons too.

But I have always respected Coach K. The man is a legend. He does things the right way and he is an amazingly basketball coach. More than that, he is a master motivator. He always gets his players to give 110% all season long for every single game they play. Also, once they're up on you, they tend to crush you. They usually have that killer instinct. And it's all due to Coach K.

Now, I've made fun of Coach K a lot just because I hate Duke SOOOOO much. But I feel he is always classy in his press conferences. He is dignified in defeat and understated after a win. I personally feel he is pretty classy. At least publically. And that goes a long way with me.

I think taking a chance on Coach K might be just the thing the Lakers need. That guy could end up being one of the best coaches in the NBA. The only question is whether he would work well with players with an NBA mentality. I just don't know the answer to that. For that reason I admit he could end up like another Rick Pitino. Awesome college coach, but not a good NBA coach.

But it is possibly worth taking a chance on. Possibly. Rudy T vs. Coach K is a fascinating question. With Rudy T you have a known quantity and less risk. There is a lot of upside with Rudy T. But with Coach K you're taking more of a risk since we don't know how NBA players would respond to him. Also I'm not even sure Coach K's system would work in the NBA. I think you need awesome three point shooters and a sick transition game. Which would be fun to watch. But his teams don't really use a Center. Maybe that's perfect since there are so few true Center's in the league right now. Rudy T., on the other hand, won big with Hakeem but I'm not sure he'll be successful without a big man.

At the end of the day, I love that the Lakers are considering Coach K. I know he represents Duke who I hate but he's a damn good coach and I honestly don't find the man personally offensive. If they hired Coach K they would leave themselves open to second-guesing about whether Rudy T. would have been the better choice. OTOH it is compelling to imagine what kind of coach Shef would be in the NBA. The guy is very motivation oriented and I liked that about Phil Jackson too. Basically, in Coach K, you'd have another guy who loves to work on players' emotions and mentality, usually with a lot of success. As a fan, that is tremendously fun to see. Of course, Phil and Shef have completely different approaches to motivating. But still, I like when coaches play those mental games with their players to get the most out of it and I think Shef would be a lot more entertaining than Rudy T.

A good coach in the NBA can not just be measured by if he played in the league, came from college or was a bum off the streets. At the end of the day it is how his team performs and of course if the coach had at least some talent to work with.

Interesting. Coach K is great for college basketball and the ACC, so I don't want to see him leave. Of course, maybe Duke would fall a bit with him gone, and I would love to see that. But with the bullshit additions to the ACC coming soon, the ACC needs all the basketball help it can get to remain at the top in baskeball most every year.

Huh? Larry Brown won a National Title with Kansas in 1988, and took UCLA to the title game in 1980. He reached another Final Four and was the Big 8 Coach of the Year once. Throw in the fact that some coaches never win a title, and you're looking at a hell of a coach.

The recent history of college coaches moving up to the NBA, whether it is Pitino (who had previous sucess in the NBA) or O'Neil or even Floyd the record isn't too good for college coahces. While the NBA might have become more of a teaching game, I think it is a bit of an insult to so many of the NBA coaches to imply that they don't know how to teach the team to win.

Unless Rudy T flat out declines the job I don't see why he wouldn't be offered over Coach K. Unless the Lakers go through a rebuilding phase (real rebuilding phase, not reloading), then I don't see Coach K having much success at the level. He gets a lot of breaks in college, and I just do not think he is that great of an X's and O's coach.

The ACC and Duke will be fine with or without Coach K. The Devils were fine with Vic Bubas, and they'll be fine with Johnny Dawkins, Wojo, Amaker, Mike Brey or whoever gets hired.

Give it 3-4 years and I think the new additions to the ACC will make it stronger in basketball. And the talent at the top until then should be enough to keep the ACC at or near its spot at or near the top of college basketball. (I mean, there could be 3 teams in the pre-season top 5 next year.)

It's probably Kobe's call

Yep, Kobe's call all the way. He has power since Buss has deemed him the Laker to keep, and hence if he doesn't get a coach he likes then poof onto some other team he goes, or at least that's his plan.

You think Coach K would listen if the Bulls offered him Chris Duhon for Kobe? CHRIS DUHON!

Darn it, got the wrong quote in there!!! Oh well. :)

Wrong. Samdari is right, Brown coached pro ball before he coached college. He was also a pretty good player in his day. Went to North Carolina, was all-ACC one year, won a gold medal in '64, a three time ABA all-star.

He then went on to coach in the ABA from '73-'79. You could call the ABA a minor league if you want to believe the NBA's hype, but that league had a lot of talent in it. (Dr. J, Issel, George Gervin, Rick Barry, Artis Gilmore, Moses Malone, David Thompson just to name a few)

What I don't agree with Samdari on is the college coaching failure thing. Sure, there have been a long list of college coaches that have failed. There are also a long list of NBA players that have failed. Most college coaches take over horrible teams. In the NBA, you need two things to turn a horrible team around: Luck and time. Most of the college guys haven't had the time.

Heck, now NO coach has the time. They are being fired quicker than they can accept a job. Guys like Bzdelik and Carlisle can have unexpected success and still get canned. (as if Carlisle couldn't have added Rasheed Wallace in place of his pathetic bigs and won with the Pistons this year)

I think Coach K can succeed in the NBA. I think there are a number of coaches who could. The problem is that there hasn't been a decent team give many of them a chance. The Lakers will be better than decent next year. It'll be time to test the theory. I think K will do well. (of course, he wins 55 games and loses in the second round to Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett and he'll be an idiot again)

Reports indicate that Coach K has been offered the job. Wonder how Rudy T feels about this turn of events.....

Well, Rudy did say he wanted to take 2 years off before going back into coaching...

That is how I see it too. Big difference between Brown and Coach K.

Of course, Larry Brown is probably a Top 10 college basketball coach as well as a Top 10 pro coach of all time

For the first time ever I agree with Bug on a basketball issue.

The worse poll ever?

No middle of the road answer...

ESPN and Duke....Blah

I'm bummed. Coach K makes college hoops for me. He's the last true class act in the game. I only hope this is like when the Celtics flirted with him. I also thought for sure the Lakers would make a move on Jim Cleamons since Ohio State has expressed interest, but I guess in LA you have to go for the most high profile guy you can find regardless of what's best for the team. I suspect this really lines Cleamons up for the OSU job (which is not a bad thing for them). If Coach K does go, bet your bottom dollar Johnny Dawkins takes over at Duke.

Like Kurt Rambis or Del Harris?

Rambis has proven to suck, but Harris is a very good coach. Yeah, they could do a lot worse than Del Harris.

You know what this means right...


NO MORE DICK VITALE RANTING ABOUT COACH K...

Yep, coach K has to go back to getting oral sex from his wife.

Hopefully Quin Snyder will follow suit and take the Duke job and Mizzou can get a real coach. Or did Quin ruin that with the Ricky Clemons mess?