The Lakers have begun interviewing candidates for their head coaching position. So far the team has spoken formally with both Mike Dunleavy and Byron Scott, two candidates who have years of NBA coaching experience.
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Apparently that is no accident. The team has been linked to former point guard Derek Fisher, but Fox Sports 1 NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the team considers Fisher a ‘secondary option’:
"For the #Lakers, he's (Fisher) a secondary candidate right now. They want an experienced type coach"- @WojYahooNBA
— FOX Sports Live (@FOXSportsLive) May 23, 2014
Though Fisher doesn’t have any coaching experience, he has long been considered one of the best leaders in the NBA, and was even named President of the NBA Players Union. With guys like Mark Jackson and Jason Kidd recently assuming head coaching roles with no previous coaching experience, many believe that Fisher could be next in line.
The Lakers are a different type of organization, however. The team will likely be going through a slight rebuild this season, but they don’t plan to stay down in the lottery for long, and may not have the patience to stick with a coach growing up with the team.
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A new coach is not the Lakers immediate priority at this time. The team is focusing on the draft, where Mitch Kupchak hopes to land an impact player. But the team would like to have a new coach by draft night, and it looks like that coach will be someone who has sat on the bench before.
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Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak Q & A: Kobe Bryant, NBA Draft, Coaching Search