Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE
The 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers season will put head coach Mike Brown in the hot seat. The pressure to win will be higher than perhaps anything else he has experienced before. Brown and LeBron James couldn’t secure an NBA finals victory and thus, James would leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Brown would be fired. Brown again finds himself in the same kind of hot seat he faced in Cleveland. He must deliver. Fortunately for him, there is a new experienced and talent coaching to aid him his campaign.
Mike Brown was the head coach of the Cavaliers for five years. He was taught by Gregg Popovich, when he served as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs. Brown is especially knowledgeable about defensive play.
In 2009, Brown was named NBA Coach of the Year after guiding the Cavaliers to a franchise best 66–16 record. He was fired the next year when team failed to advance to the NBA finals. he would be hired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011. Brown finished his first season with a 41-25 win-loss record, first in the pacific division.
Brown succeeded Phil Jackson as the head coach of the Lakers. When he accepted the position, he was stepping into the biggest coaching shoes in NBA history. Jackson has won 11 NBA titles as a coach, six with the Chicago Bulls and and five with the Lakers. He has coached Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal to victories.
What’s the secret of these coaches’ successes? All of these coaches delivered on the high expectations of great players – Tim Duncan, Kobe, Shaq, Jordan, the list goes on and on. So far, Brown has been unable to do this, especially in clutch situations.
This year, Brown has added new coaches to improve upon the Lakers talented, skilled and knowledgeable roster. The coaching team, aside from Brown, is made up of Eddie Jordan, Steve Clifford, Bernie Bickerstaff, Chuck Person and Darvin Ham. Jordan, Clifford and Bickerstaff are all new additions.
Brown specializes in defense and brought in Jordan, a offensive specialist. One of the first moves that Jordan made was to implemented Princeton offense. A strategy that is highly dependent on advanced teamwork and passing…insert your own joke here __
Bickerstaff and Brown go way back. Bickerstaff hired Mike Brown back in 1992. It was Brown’s first job in the NBA as intern for the Denver Nuggets. He has 39 years of experience and is probably around mostly for his leadership and mentorship experience.
Like, Dwight Howard, Clifford comes to LA from the Orlando Magic. Where he spent last five seasons as an assistant coach. He works mostly with the big men.
Person focuses more on the defensive end and three-point shooting and Ham works on both ends while also working with the big men.
