Mike Brown gathering his old crew at the Los Angeles Lakers - NBA Update
Los Angeles Lakers’ newly appointed coach Mike Brown is looking to get his old team back together in Los Angeles. Mike Brown had been the coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers till 2010, when he was fired after losing to the Boston Celtics in the playoff semifinals.
According to reliable reports, Mike Brown is set to meet with his former assistant at Cleveland, Mike Malone. Malone is currently the assistant coach at the New Orleans Hornets, but Brown wants him to come over to Los Angeles and help him on the sidelines of the second most successful team in NBA history.
During their time at the Cleveland Cavaliers, Mike Brown was the head coach and Malone used to be the “defensive coordinator”. In their last season together, Malone became the “offensive coordinator” of the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers offense looked a little weak that season but they still won 61 games, even after resting star players at the end of the season.
After Mike Brown was fired, Malone went to the New Orleans Hornets as an assistant coach. He is believed to have been given his favoured defensive coaching job there. Malone produced instant results with the Hornets, moulding Chris Paul and company into the 8th best defensive team in the league. The previous season the Hornets had ranked 22nd.
The other man that Mike Brown wants by his side before the season starts is John Kuester. Kuester has only recently been fired as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons, where his two year spell failed to impress anyone. Kuester’s time at the Pistons saw the coach involved in several bust ups with senior players as the team struggled on the court. Detroit were a poor 57-107 in two seasons under John Kuester.
However Kuester resume as an assistant is very impressive. He was part of Larry Brown’s staff at Detroit in 2004 when the Pistons won the NBA World Championship. Kuester was the “offensive coordinator” at the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2008-2009 season when the Cavs won 66 games. He visibly improved Cleveland’s offence before leaving for the ill fated spell at Detroit.
If Mike Brown can get his old assistants together, he would have a formidable staff to guide Kobe Bryant and the Lakers to the heights they aspire to. The recruiting could also mean an end to Brian Shaw’s time at the Los Angeles franchise. Shaw was Phil Jackson’s assistant during the last season and was tipped to succeed him in the Lakers hot seat. Shaw even received public backing from Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher but the Lakers management decided to give the job to Mike Brown.
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