Mike Brown on the hot seat. - Page 4 - Basketball Forum : Professional and College Basketball Forums

**King Sancho Fantastic** · 11-09-2012, 08:15 AM

http://m.espn.go.com/wireless/story?...ity=losangeles

Quote:

Lakers' Mike Brown on hot seat

An unsuccessful homestand for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they settle into Staples Center for the next six games, would put the job of Lakers coach Mike Brown in immediate jeopardy, according to sources close to the situation.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Lakers, while having publicly expressed support for Brown in the wake of a 1-4 start, have privately grown sufficiently concerned about the state of the team to the point that management is prepared to look seriously at a coaching change at this early juncture if L.A. can't take advantage of what looks to be multiple winnable games in the upcoming stretch.

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The homestand begins Friday night against the banged-up Golden State Warriors, who'll be without injured center Andrew Bogut and key reserve Brandon Rush, and continues through Nov. 20 with games against Sacramento, San Antonio, Phoenix, Houston and Brooklyn.

The Lakers have had a healthy Steve Nash in the lineup for only 1½ of their five games so far thanks to a leg injury, while fellow newcomer Dwight Howard has acknowledged that he's still recovering from the back surgery that brought a premature end to his 2011-12 campaign and knocked him out of the London Olympics. Kobe Bryant has also been playing through a foot ailment.

Yet sources maintain that patience in the organization is starting to erode as the wait continues for signs of improvement in the Lakers' play.

The Lakers are off to the worst start in the Western Conference despite carrying the league's largest payroll at just over $100 million, which would trigger an estimated luxury-tax bill at season's end of nearly $30 million.

On Wednesday, in an interview with ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne after a 95-86 road loss to the Utah Jazz, Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss said of the mounting pressure on Brown: "You don't start 0-3 for the first time since we've owned the franchise without being on top of it. No matter what you have to be aware. That doesn't mean change is coming. That just means you have to be aware."

Buss, though, did insist that he still has confidence in the coach he pushed for stronger than anyone else in the organization when Phil Jackson retired from the Lakers' bench for the second time after a humbling second-round exit from the 2011 playoffs.

"I have no problems with Mike Brown at all," Buss said. "He just works too hard and he's too knowledgeable for this to be happening.

"So either the (new Princeton offensive) system is flawed or something's going on. Or, like the Triangle, it's very hard to pick up and understand. I'm not a basketball mind like he is or the players are, and the players are fine with it, so I just have to be patient."

The challenge there is that heading into the season, Buss acknowledged that "this team was built to win now," raising questions as to how patient the Lakers are willing to be.

"You have to give it time to understand [what's going on]," Buss said. "I don't know if there's an actual game total that would make me impatient. I know if we're 1-15, I don't think that would be very good. I'm sure that would be a panic button. But at this time, I'm fine with what's going on. It's a learning process for the players. As long as everybody is on the same page, I think we're fine."

After practice Thursday, Bryant admitted that he's dismayed by the first 1-4 start in his 17-year career but labeled himself as Brown's "biggest supporter" in the organization.

Brown, meanwhile, told reporters he remains convinced that his players "still believe" that a turnaround is forthcoming as the team builds continuity and returns to health.

"For us, (belief is) the biggest thing right now, especially while we're trying to find our way," Brown said.

Said Howard: "Right now, there's a lot of noise. We're trying to figure out how to play with each other. We're trying to figure out where we're going to get our shots. Everybody is trying to just figure each other out and how we can put this thing together. So once the noise is settled, we can all just have a clear mind. We'll be fine."

Although there are numerous quality coaches available for hire, sources stress that it's not yet clear what sort of direction L.A. would pursue if it decides that an early season change on the bench is unavoidable.

Mike D'Antoni, Nate McMillan, Jerry Sloan and Howard's outspoken former coach in Orlando -- Stan Van Gundy -- are among the accomplished coaching names who are presently unattached. The prospect of Jackson's third stint coaching the Lakers is also sure to be talked about if the star-studded roster continues to slump.

The Lakers' projected starting five of Bryant, Howard, Nash, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace have combined for 33 career All-Star selections. The additions of Nash and Howard via trades in the offseason marked just the fourth time in league history that any one team acquired two players with at least six trips to the All-Star Game.

In Friday's editions of the Los Angeles Times, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said: "Expectations are high, there's no doubt. The city is impatient. At what point do you lose patience? Is it 1-15? Is it a higher number? A lesser number? I don't know right now. But we have a game Friday night and we're going to win it and try to build off that."

Kupchak continued: "Nothing's unfair. Everybody has an opinion and they have a right to their opinion. You're free to decide what you think is fair and not fair.

"I think it's fair to say after five games we didn't think we'd be 1-4, but we have a lot of new players, we have some injured players and we're introducing some new concepts. All these things get factored in. We'll continue to monitor the team and we understand expectations."

They're saying this six game homestand will be looked at very closely by management.

**Diable** · 11-09-2012, 09:10 AM

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon...itter/1694401/

This isn't why I think twitter is dumb. It's why I think that people on twitter are idiots.

Quote:

The son of Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown has received death threats on Twitter in the wake of the team's 1-4 start to the 2012 season, according to the Orange County Register. Elijah Brown, a high school basketball player at Los Angeles powerhouse Mater Dei, has been the focus of misplaced vitriol from a bullying segment of the Lakers fan base.
"UR dad is the dumbest dude" and "does your grandma regret having your dad" are two of the messages we can print. There have been much worse.
"That's the tough part about this business," Mike Brown said to reporters on Thursday when he was told about the threats, apparently for the first time. "To go after somebody's family or something like that is, in my opinion, just ridiculous. It's stupid, crazy, whatever you want to call it."

**Basel** · 11-09-2012, 09:38 AM

Some fans are so ****ing over the top stupid, it's unbelievable.

elcap15 · 11-09-2012, 09:38 AM

That is so dumb. But that is why there is a block feature on twitter

**Geaux Tigers** · 11-09-2012, 09:40 AM

This guy was interviewed sitting on a hot seat.

**Knicks4life** · 11-09-2012, 10:11 AM

Quote:

‏@WojYahooNBA
As USA Today first reported, Mike Brown has been fired as Lakers coach.

...

**Headliner** · 11-09-2012, 10:11 AM

Well damn. Looks like they just fired Mike Brown. Breaking news on ESPN as we speak.

**Basel** · 11-09-2012, 10:12 AM

Wow.

**Cris** · 11-09-2012, 10:13 AM

Excellent news. He was a terrible coach that the players didn't respect. Now they can bring in someone good and light a fire under these pre-madonnas asses.

Sent from my iPhone using Verticalsports.com Free App

**Knicks4life** · 11-09-2012, 10:15 AM

Quote:

@WojYahooNBA
As Lakers ownership has been considering firing of Brown, Mike D'Antoni has been a prominent name discussed as replacement, sources tell Y!

...

ss03 · 11-09-2012, 10:15 AM

Any idea if they have someone lined up already? Getting fired 24 hours after a public show of support--however phony it may be--from management and the players, 5 games into the season, is pretty unexpected unless something happened over that time.

... Has anyone other than his agent confirmed this?

**Luke** · 11-09-2012, 10:40 AM

Wow.

**Diable** · 11-09-2012, 10:52 AM

They did him a favor really. He is going to get his money and it isn't like he was going to keep the job. So far that team doesn't seem to be playing hard though and you can't fire all of them for it.

elcap15 · 11-09-2012, 11:15 AM

Motivation is what a coach should be bringing. If your coach isnt getting the best effort from his guys, something needs to change.

11-09-2012, 09:38 AM	#48 (permalink)
Basel Legen-wait for it-dary! Legendary! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Parts Unknown Age: 27 Posts: 68,437 Rep Power: 21474913	Some fans are so **ing over the top stupid, it's unbelievable. __________________ Best there is, best there was, best there ever will be.**

11-09-2012, 09:38 AM	#49 (permalink)
elcap15 Star Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 3,573 Rep Power: 1038197	Re: Mike Brown on the hot seat. That is so dumb. But that is why there is a block feature on twitter

11-09-2012, 09:40 AM	#50 (permalink)
Geaux Tigers Wheres the gameclock in this place? Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Louisiana Age: 28 Posts: 12,608 Rep Power: 12100097	Re: Mike Brown on the hot seat. This guy was interviewed sitting on a hot seat. __________________ "Louisiana has a heritage of great players that play their high school football within the boundaries of Louisiana." "As soon as we know exactly who we are playing and what date we will be playing on, the schedule will become more finite." "If we're defending, come see the trophy, it's in our trophy case. We're not defending it; it's there." - Les Miles

11-09-2012, 10:11 AM	#52 (permalink)
Headliner ____________ Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,892 Rep Power: 665818	Re: Mike Brown on the hot seat. Well damn. Looks like they just fired Mike Brown. Breaking news on ESPN as we speak.

11-09-2012, 10:12 AM	#53 (permalink)
Basel Legen-wait for it-dary! Legendary! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Parts Unknown Age: 27 Posts: 68,437 Rep Power: 21474913	Re: Mike Brown on the hot seat. Wow. __________________ Best there is, best there was, best there ever will be.

11-09-2012, 10:13 AM	#54 (permalink)
Cris Global Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: EightZeroFive Age: 23 Posts: 23,363 Rep Power: 11947859	Excellent news. He was a terrible coach that the players didn't respect. Now they can bring in someone good and light a fire under these pre-madonnas asses. Sent from my iPhone using Verticalsports.com Free App __________________ Only losing can make you terrible LOSE METHOD

11-09-2012, 10:15 AM	#56 (permalink)
ss03 Player Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 752 Rep Power: 569918	Re: Mike Brown on the hot seat. Any idea if they have someone lined up already? Getting fired 24 hours after a public show of support--however phony it may be--from management and the players, 5 games into the season, is pretty unexpected unless something happened over that time. ... Has anyone other than his agent confirmed this?

11-09-2012, 10:40 AM	#57 (permalink)
Luke Go Dawgs Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 11,869 Rep Power: 4300832	Re: Mike Brown on the hot seat. Wow. __________________ Formerly VanillaPrice

11-09-2012, 10:52 AM	#58 (permalink)
Diable Limehouse Blues Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 22,140 Rep Power: 14577544	Re: Mike Brown on the hot seat. They did him a favor really. He is going to get his money and it isn't like he was going to keep the job. So far that team doesn't seem to be playing hard though and you can't fire all of them for it. __________________

11-09-2012, 11:15 AM	#59 (permalink)
elcap15 Star Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 3,573 Rep Power: 1038197	Re: Mike Brown on the hot seat. Motivation is what a coach should be bringing. If your coach isnt getting the best effort from his guys, something needs to change.

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