Lakers interview Mark Jackson, but would he be a good fit?
The Los Angeles Lakers are considering hiring Mark Jackson as their next head coach.
Jackson has been linked to the team since former head coach Frank Vogel was relieved of his duties shortly after the season ended. Last week, the Lakers began planning their next steps, conducting an interview with Jackson to evaluate his fit with the regime.
Jackson's lone coaching stint came with the Golden State Warriors from 2011-2014, and while his Warriors never made it past the second round of the NBA playoffs with him at the helm, many credit him with setting the foundation for the legendary motion offense that the "Splash Brothers" — Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson — would make dominant.
Since departing the team following the 2014-15 campaign, Jackson has been on ESPN's broadcasting team, but coaching again could very well be in his near future.
According to Skip Bayless though, that role should be far away from the chaos that currently plagues L.A.
"I love Mark Jackson as a basketball coach in and of himself, but I think it would be a nightmarish fit for the Los Angeles Lakers," Bayless said Monday on "Undisputed."
"Mark Jackson is old school. He is his own man, ‘my way or the highway.’ Why did he finally fall apart with Golden State in management? He said ‘leave me alone, I do it my way.’ They clashed. The guy you hear on T.V. isn't exactly the guy you hear as a basketball coach. He showed that Golden State team the ropes. He showed them how to win at this level, and that foundation still benefits them. You need a puppet coach who would operate under Phil Jackson. That's how it's set up from the top right now."
Shannon Sharpe held a different opinion.
"I think it'd be a wonderful fit," Sharpe dissented.
"Not only for the Lakers, but LeBron James. He played at a high level. He's, what, third or fourth on the all-time assists list? He won the Rookie of the Year. He nurtured Steph and Klay. You have somebody that communicates, and if you listen to him on the telecasts, you can tell he knows what he's talking about. He talks about adjustments. I think James and Anthony Davis would respect him, and when those guys do, the other guys fall in line. Why not give him an opportunity?"
Lakers interview Mark Jackson for head coaching position
During his tenure with Golden State, Jackson recorded a 121-109 (.526) overall record, while going 9-10 in the postseason. The team's 51-win record in his final season marked its highest win total since the 1991-92 season at the time.
The Warriors averaged 101.3 PPG during his three seasons (seventh in NBA), while posting a 104.3 average offensive rating (10th), 102.6 defensive rating (11th), and +1.7 net rating (11th). They also ranked fifth in pace (94.5).
