The Los Angeles Lakers need to make a massive splash with their head coach hire this summer as the team is desperate to return to their competitive ways. Jeanie Buss has expressed her disappointment at her overpaid team that underperformed mightily in the regular season. That can’t happen again and the Lakers already took action by firing championship-winning coach Frank Vogel instantly.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, former Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson has been given permission to interview for the vacant seat by the Golden State Warriors. Atkinson is an assistant coach on the Warriors and hasn’t been a head coach since 2020 when he left the Nets by mutual consent.
Atkinson hasn’t coached a contending team before but was heralded for turning Brooklyn around into an attractive enough destination for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to join. The Nets’ decision to move on from him was bizarre but now he may get the chance to coach another super team in the other conference.
ESPN Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers have received permission to interview Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson for the franchise’s head coaching job. Atkinson has already interviewed for the Charlotte Hornets’ job.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 12, 2022
The Lakers may take a massive risk with Atkinson. While he is a proven developmental coach, it may be tough for him to adjust to the expectations in LA. His focus won’t be player development or punching above his weight anymore, he will be expected to coach a team of title favorites.
With the Lakers’ locker room full of veterans, they need a veteran coach that can bring them into line when required. That is why the team has been linked with options like Quin Snyder, Doc Rivers, and Mark Jackson.
The Nets moved on from Atkinson as they thought he wasn’t fit to be their coach after KD and Kyrie returned from their injuries. However, getting a chance on the Lakers will definitely motivate him. He is also being courted by the Charlotte Hornets in a program that is more suited to his coaching style, but we will have to see what the Warriors assistant coach chooses.
