Sitting at 30-31, aspirations of a deep playoff run for the Los Angeles Lakers are more than unrealistic. If the Lakers don’t make the postseason (now sitting a whole 5 games away from topping the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers) it is increasingly likely that current Lakers head coach Luke Walton will be shown the door. Walton’s seat is piping-hot as we turn the bend on the final stretch of the regular season, so it is more than likely Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka and President Jeanie Buss will be looking in the market for a new play-caller.
Fortunately, a former coach of LeBron James could be the next in line to take over playcalling responsibilities.
According to Yahoo! Sports NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Lakers could be looking at Tyronn Lue to be their next head coach. A former Laker himself, Lue has been out of basketball since Sunday, October 28 after an 0-6 start; his first season without LeBron in his starting five as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Aside from Erik Spoelstra’s time with LeBron from 2010 to 2014, the coaches that have been successful with LeBron James could be counted on a hand. Yet, after David Blatt was relieved of his duties at the beginning of the 2016 season, Lue, who was an assistant head coach for the Cavs at that time, helped guide the Cavaliers to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals to defeat the 73-9 Golden State Warriors.
Ty Lue could replace Luke Walton if Lakers part with the head coach this summer, per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/jv5e6u7q0x
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 1, 2019
Led by Lue, the Cavs went 101-63 over the course of the next two season, winning back-to-back Eastern Conference titles and taking consecutive trips to the finals.
Unfortunately for Lue and the Cavs, they lost in the next two times they visited the finals to the stacked Warriors, complete with sharpshooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and all-around scorer Kevin Durant.
If the Lakers don’t get over .500 and profit off their playoff push, Lue’s camp could be getting a phone call from Jeanie Buss and the Lakers organization as early as this summer.
