Prospect Examination: Jabari Parker

"Jabari could not have been better," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "He is the epitome of what you would want a basketball player to be -- outstanding every day on the practice court and in the classroom and a very humble young man. He had a fantastic freshman year and is so deserving of the opportunity to play in the NBA and follow his dream."

He was so good that his High School (Simeon) uplifted their "No freshmen on varsity" rule just for him, not even Derrick Rose had that uplifted but Jabari Parker did and having a rule like that uplifted for a freshmen means he's a very good basketball player. Parker has been talked about since his high school senior year and was thought of to be the leader of the "Year of the Freshmen" in college basketball and for the most part he certainly was having one of the best freshmen seasons in recent memory. Despite his surprising early exit in the NCAA Tournament by Mercer he is a virtual lock in the Top-3 of this years draft.

Unlike other college athletes, Parker actually took his time to think about declaring for the NBA Draft. After Duke was upset by Mercer in the round of 32, Parker would go on to call his college career "incomplete" which appeared to indicate that he was leaning towards returning for his sophomore year and team up with another Chicago product, childhood friend, former AAU teammate and 2015 NBA Draft prospect Jahlil Okafor ( cousin of Emeka Okafor ). Parker is the 5th Blue Devil to be one-and-done joining Corey Maggette, Luol Deng, Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers.

"If I feel like there are things I could improve on or things I left, like during the season, then I will probably come back," Parker said. "A deciding factor is where I'm going to grow the most, whether it's in the NBA or even in college, the learning experiences that I need as far as [growing as] a basketball player."

"I love the whole attitude of ‘staying in college,’ because I want to take advantage of it. Getting a free education is big time in my family." Parker said. "Everything in my city is negative, [The media] try to bring it down so much with the violence and I’m an African-American male in my community…going to college and that’s big time. I want to represent them in the best form, the best manner just to keep them close to my heart so they can see that there’s a young [guy] out on the South Side doing big things."

Despite being the afterthought to Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins, many thought Wiggins had more potential than Parker mainly because of his athletic ability.  The athletic ability of a player should never be the judging point as to how good a player could be because if that was the case then Kevin Love would've never gotten drafted back in '08. Parker may not have dunk contest athletic ability but he is athletic — more like Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony athletic.

Regardless of how you look at it, Parker is to Durant as Wiggins is to LeBron. What I mean when I say that is in all rankings and mock drafts, Parker was ranked No. 2 to Wiggins and in the NBA Durant usually finishes second behind LeBron and it even got to a point where Durant publicly said he hated being known as No. 2 because it's been like that his whole entire life.

Parker excelled tremendously this season at Duke and was very impressive with his high IQ and desire to score along with rebounding at a high rate and despite his low assists totals, he isn't a selfish player as his seasonal stats may fool the naked eye. Parker is a very burly young man with great speed and can get to the rim at will and could finish with a emphatic dunk or a contact layup along with averaging about six free-throws per night .  

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
13-14	19.1	8.7	1.2	1.1	1.2	0.473	0.358	0.748

Year	PER	USG	TS%	ORtg	DRtg	WS	TRB
13-14	28.1	32.7	0.558	115.0	99.3	5.5	17.1

Just looking at Parker's advanced stats you could tell that he was just dominant this season without a unprecedented 28.1 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and a ridiculously high 32.7 Usage Rate (USG)  which shows that he was very active this past season along with sky high  115 Offensive Rating (ORtg) and 99.3 Defensive Rating (DRtg).

Parker has shot better than most forward/guards that have entered the draft in past years. He isn't the best shooter but once he gets hot it's a forgone conclusion and in the NBA his shot will become scary good and evolve just like Anthony's and Durant's. Parker is smart enough to realize that if his shot is having a night off then he should just drive to the rim consistently and being the threat he is, he is likely to be fouled. For a guy 6-8 it's very intriguing to see someone of that size with impressive passing skills and ball-handling skills which makes him a bigger threat on offense as a scorer or play maker.  With his 7'0" wingspan Parker can disrupt passing lanes which helps makeup for his lack of defensive skills.

Parker this season struggled against bigger and longer opponents than him and will struggle against a few Small forwards but as his career matures that won't be much of a problem. The 19-year old also doesn't have great lateral quickness on the defensive end which allowed other forwards to go around him to either make a play or score which led Coach K to bench him sometimes in the closing minutes of a game. He also sometimes becomes unaware of what's going on defense and needs to improve his post defense. There are better players in those categories than Parker but none of them have as great as work ethic as him to improve.

There have been players in the past that have been hyped up but couldn't execute on the court, Parker is not one of those players as he has exceeded expectations. Parker is the most NBA-Ready player in this years draft and Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Joel Embiid (Kansas), Aaron Gordon (Arizona), Julius Randle (Kentucky) and Marcus Smart (Oklahoma St.). Parker is 6'8" 241-pounds which is similar to some current NBA players as in Paul Pierce, Luol Deng and Carmelo Anthony. To me Parker is the best player in this years draft and is a definite future All-Star and is at the top of all his peers in the draft.

This season Parker has been bombarded with multiple comparisons from Luol Deng to Carmelo Anthony to Kevin Durant to Paul Pierce.

"I think he’s having that Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant-type impact on the game," Grant Hill said. "His versatility is through the roof. He can play multiple positions, guard multiple positions, handle the ball, post up, shoot from long range. Then there’s the intellect. And the beauty of his game is his personality. He’s 100% bought in, he’s emotionally invested and that’s the sign of a champion. He has an incredible feel for the game and it’s something that’s hard to quantify."

"There’s a lot of Melo in him as far as guy that can stretch you to the 3-point line," UCLA coach Steve Alford said. "He can drive the basketball. He creates space off the dribble to get jump shots. He can take you to the post, so I just think he’s a very, very talented, gifted player. And you don’t see a lot who are this polished 10, 11 games into their freshman year." But Parker is more satisfied with the comparison to Melo saying It’s a good comparison, He mastered the fundamentals. He’s always good at his craft. He works on it and that’s a person I’ve been looking up to, so yeah, that’s good compliment."

With so many NBA comparisons going on with future NBA prospects, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant points to technology as most of the youngsters in today's game having skills before their time.

"You can basically go to [search] your favorite player and watch film," Durant said. "You can go on YouTube and type in 'LeBron James' and watch every move he does, break it down and work on it. It's simple. When I was coming up you had to figure it out. I'm seeing [young] guys shooting fade-away and Euro-step floaters. Where are they getting this stuff? They're just watching these guys thoroughly [on video] and breaking it down. Some of these kids have access to going to my camp, or LeBron's camp or D-Wade's [Dwyane Wade's camp], getting 1-on-1 instruction. It's amazing. The game is growing."

In today's day-and-age we are so used to seeing athletes declare for the draft or college in fancy ways if it's via press conference, national TV or at a location where something special happened; Jabari Parker is different as he declared for the draft in a well written letter to Sports Illustrated — Who else does that?

"Ultimately, I boiled my decision down to two simple questions," Parker wrote. "Which environment -- college or the NBA -- offers me the best opportunity to grow as a basketball player? Which environment -- college or the NBA -- offers me the best opportunity to grow and develop off the court? The answer to both questions is undeniably the NBA."

"There is something else. My father, Sonny, played in the NBA," Parker wrote. "I know firsthand that the career span of a pro basketball player is finite. The lucky ones play until their mid-30s. With that perspective, I shrink my professional career with each year that I remain in college. It's ironic, but true."

Parker is showing great admiration and appreciation for joining the NBA and is already promising to give it his for whichever team drafts him in June.

"I realize how much of a privilege and an honor it is to join the ranks of the NBA,” Parker wrote.“I will do everything in my power to help deliver championships to the franchise that drafts me. At the same time, I recognize the obligation to represent the league in an admirable way off the court."

I don't get very fascinated with players on and off the court but I am with Jabari Parker as he is what the NBA needs as Parker is becoming a true man before his years and has gained my support and possibly others more than any other college and possibly pro athlete and with something people admire — respect. Parker plans on returning to school to finish what he just started as he is already thinking of life after basketball and he isn't even 20 yet. He had a 3.7 GPA in high school and is a honor student at Duke; despite not completing his Mormon mission, he remained faithful to his religion as he constantly carries the Book of Mormon and does much charity work in his community.

"My days as a Duke student are not [over]. I intend to graduate from Duke while I'm in the NBA," Parker wrote. "I was an honor student when I arrived at Duke, and I'd like to graduate as one. I know some people will say this is unrealistic. Others will say, why bother? The fact is that I have many interests beyond basketball. I'd like to write a children's book. I am interested in various business aspects of the entertainment industry. And I'd like to work with corporate America in one way or another. A college degree from Duke will help with each of these aspirations."

"I want to follow in my father's footsteps as a role model to youth," Parker wrote. "especially those kids who need the most help. My dad created the Sonny Parker Youth Foundation, which has helped countless boys -- including me -- develop into manhood and stay out of trouble."

Jabari Parker clearly has his head straight and is a great example of what a African-American athlete should aspire to become because most of them just don't cut it as role models. 

Some will put on a smile and say some stuff to the youth for the camera trying to boost their image and the next day end up in jail or have a negative report written up about them. Parker and LeBron James are the two role models in the NBA that personify that term. Once drafted, Parker will bring true maturity to the locker room along with a All-Star caliber skill-set which will make him on the better NBA players from now in 10 years and just like Laker legend guard Kobe Bryant, I see "Great Potential" in him.

Best fits: Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers

NBA Comparisons: Carmelo Anthony, Paul Pierce and Kevin Durant

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Prospect Examination: Shabazz Napier

"I want to get everybody's attention right quick," Napier said to the crowd. "If I don't have your attention, let me get your attention. Ladies and gentlemen, you're looking at the Hungry Huskies. This is what happens when you ban us ... last year ... two years. We worked so hard for it. Two years and hungry. Hungry Huskies."

Shabazz Napier ended his tenure at UCONN the way he started it — with a NCAA Championship. As a freshmen, Napier was the substitute to Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker during their 2011 championship run and in 2014 he was the man of the team leading his squad to a 2014 NCAA Championship in spectacular fashion over the Kentucky Wildcats. Napier's go-getter mentality was on display in March and April is the reason why the No. 7 seeded Huskies went on to upset all of their opponents en route to the championship game. Entering the season, Napier was thought of as a 2nd-round pick to being a undrafted player, and now he has the possibility of being a mid-late 1st-round pick.

Throughout March Madness, Napier had become the spokesperson for college athletes and the necessities they need to surviving on a day-to-day basis. The 22-year old said that there were nights in which he would go to sleep hungry despite being the top guy on campus; not being able to eat as much as he needs playing in games and practicing along with traveling. Napier wasn't scourged by his stomach though with the performances he's had put up.

"We as students athletes get utilized for what we do so well, and we’re definitely best to get a scholarship to our universities. But at the end of the day, that doesn’t cover everything. We do have hungry nights that we don’t have enough money to get food in. Sometimes money is needed. I don’t think you should stretch it out to hundreds of thousands of dollars for playing, because a lot of times guys don’t know how to handle themselves with money.

I feel like a student athlete. Sometimes, there’s hungry nights where I’m not able to eat, but I still gotta play up to my capabilities. I don’t see myself as so much of an employee, but when you see your jersey getting sold, it may not have your last name on it, but when you see your jersey getting sold, to some credit, you feel like you want something in return."

Napier showed that he doesn't have eye-popping athletic ability but is good on his feet with nimble movements. Throughout the tournament he showcased his scoring and shot-making ability throughout the tournament and when needed, he would convert on a clutch shot.

Year	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
13-14	18.0	5.9	4.9	1.8	0.429	0.405	0.870
12-13	17.1	4.4	4.6	2.0	0.441	0.398	0.819
11-12	13.0	3.5	5.8	1.6	0.389	0.355	0.743
10-11	7.8	2.4	3.0	1.6	0.370	0.326	0.771

At 6-foot-1 maybe shorter (5-foot-11 without shoes), Napier showed a innate ability to get the ball to his teammates in the right place which wasn't the case his first two years. In Napier's first two collegiate seasons he was more known for his questionable shot selection and had setting up his teammates in the back of his mind. That could have been attributed to the way he was coached at the time. Jim Calhoun coached him his first two seasons and former NBA journeymen Kevin Ollie coaches him his last two years.

On the offensive end, Napier has a nice looking shot and gets it off quickly and has shown his range beyond the three-point line. If he isn't going to the paint or taking a three-point shot, then he's taking a mid-range in which he is making more difficult than needed. He has improved his shot selection over his four-year career and has the confidence that any shot he takes is going in and won't become fazed if his shot isn't going through the net. Since Napier is undersized, a big advantage he will have in the NBA is his ability to use and come off screens if it will lead to a pass or him taking the shot. He also has a nice crossover to his advantage with his quickness to leave his defenders in the dust.

The Roxbury, Massachusetts native played adequate defense over his four-years as he averaged 1.8 steals throughout his collegiate career. Along with being 6-foot-1, Napier has diminutive wingspan at 6-foot-2 which will make him a liability on the defense end against the premier Point Guards of the NBA. His small stature will make him a easy target for bigger and more athletic guards ala Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose etc. Napier will need to become a system defensive player if he wants to play bulk minutes in the NBA but it's also worth noting that he has great defensive awareness and has great lateral movement.  

Along with being small, Napier has another disadvantage and that's him being a senior - can't believe that's a disadvantage. In the NBA it is believed by many that if you're a senior then your already fully developed into a player and you don't have much more room to improve. Napier is "old" since he's older than Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Michael Carter-Williams etc. A recent player who has demolished expectations placed on him due to him wanting a education and maximizing his scholarship were Blazer guards Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. To me, Napier using all years of his eligibility shows that he's ready for any moment he's put in and any franchise should know what they are getting which is a leader on the court and great representation of the team off of it.

Napier also showed great loyalty to UCONN despite the team being on probation and ineligible for the tournament. He had the opportunity to transfer but decided to stay with the Huskies through the tough year. Whichever team drafts Napier, they'll end up with a stud that can put the ball in the hole and isn't shaken by the moment but is more than happy to excel in it but his age and physique is a disadvantage. The young man has the toughness and heart to do what he can on the court after averaging almost six rebounds per contest, which also shows that he can impact the game in multitude of ways. To me Napier will become a solid backup in the NBA and will provide energy needed to wherever ends up It will be interesting to see where Napier ends up on June 26th, and of Adam Silver is calling his name in the 1st-round or if it's Mark Tatum saying it in the 2nd-round.

NBA Comparisons: J.J Barea, Reggie Jackson

Best fits: Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Bobcats or Utah Jazz

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Re-making The Cleveland Cavaliers From a Fan's Perspective

The city of Cleveland hasn't enjoyed a championship parade in any of the four major four sports since 1974. Back in 2003 the Cleveland Cavaliers hit the jackpot when they drafted hometown kid LeBron James, who was dubbed the "Chose One" and "King James" coming out of high school. James was the "Chosen One" in Cleveland, but his coronation as "King James" didn't come until he took his talents to South Beach in the summer of 2010......the rest is history. Right now the only buzz in Cleveland is the Browns' Quarterback Johnny Manziel, who hasn't even laced up a pair of cleats yet in a regulation game.

Since James departed from the franchise, the Cavaliers were in rebuilding mode. After going a dismal 19-63 during the 2010-2011 season, and having a dubious NBA record for futility with a 26-game losing streak, the franchise was desperate. After having a 19.9% chance of winning the lottery, Cleveland rocked by winning the No. 1 pick. They went on on to draft Duke Point Guard Kyrie Irving, giving him the keys to their car.

Individually, Irving had a good rookie campaign, going on to win the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year award. He accomplished this even though his team failed to make the postseason with a 21-45 record in the lockout condensed season. With the No. 4 pick in 2012, Cleveland decided to bring in Syracuse Shooting Guard Dion Waiters to be  Irving's sidekick.

The 2012-2013 campaign was nothing special with Cleveland, as they struggled creating an identity, as their young core went through the growing pains of the NBA, suffering a multitude of losses with wins far and few between. Cleveland ended another dreaded season with a 24-58 record and had a 15.6% to win the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft. Unfortunately for Cleveland, it was labeled one of the worst drafts in recent NBA history.

*Just with their luck,* Cleveland would go on to win the lottery, and surprise the world by selecting UNLV Canadian freshmen forward Anthony Bennett.  Experts and fans alike shared the same sentiment of shock and awe when Bennett's name was announced. ESPN's Bill Simmons had a classic reaction to the selection, as he exclaimed loudly and was as confused as the viewer.  

Right off the bat, Bennett going No. 1 wasn't a fan friendly pick and his 2013-2014 rookie year did nothing to change people's thoughts. Bennett's inept play was quite moronic at times. His career wasn't off of to a sexy start as most No. 1 picks were in the past. It took Bennett five games to score his first basket as a NBA player and admitted he never previously struggled like that in his basketball life. Bennett's play was so anemic that there was talk of him becoming the first No. 1 pick to be sent to the D-league. The thought was that he would regain his confidence and start to play like a No. 1 pick to a certain degree. 

"It's something I'd think about, for sure," Bennett said on possibly going to the D-league. "It's not a bad thing, especially going down there, hopefully playing a lot, going out there, building my confidence."

"It's a learning process, and all I can do is just work hard, you know?'' Bennett said. "I'm just patient. I missed the whole summer due to the surgery, so I'm kind of behind in everything, trying to catch up on everything. Like I said before, the only thing I can really do is work hard. It doesn't show much in the games, but in practice I've been going hard. My conditioning is a lot better. I lost weight and everything. So it's coming along slowly."

Bennett would go on to average an underwhelming 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in his rookie season.   Bennett's struggles were just one of the reasons the Cavaliers had a tumultuous 2013-2014 season, as Irving and Waiters were involved in rampant trade rumors, and GM Chris Grant was fired.

Many of these problems could have been avoided had Cleveland went a different direction in the 2013 draft, selecting Victor Oladipo instead of Bennett. Drafting Oladipo would've made the most sense, as he is further along in his development, and has been compared to Avery Bradley, but with a higher ceiling. Oladipo isn't a ball dominant guard and is more of a slasher and off-ball player, the type of sidekick that would mesh well with Irving's needs.

With drafting Oladipo, the Cavaliers would have gotten a special player, not only with how he plays but how he carries himself. Oladipo is a very conscientious man with his work ethic that would be contagious to his peers. The Cavaliers needed someone like Oladipo in the locker room as he is youthful but has the maturity level not many 22-year olds carry with them.

Also, Waiters would have been able to slide into the sixth man role, a situation he succeeded in at Syracuse. Scoring is his first, second and more often times than not, his third option. He is a capable distributor when he wants to be, but the Cavaliers already have a ball dominating guard in Irving in the starting lineup, so moving Waiters to the second unit would help everyone involved. In the NBA, if you are a potent scorer with not much else to offer, then you are  better suited to come off the bench with a scoring mentality, ala Jamal Crawford, J.R. Smith, Jordan Crawford, Nick Young and Nate Robinson.  

In May of 2014, the Cavaliers become hypocrites by firing Mike Brown one season after calling it a mistake when they originally gave him the pink slip in 2010. In just four short years, Brown has been fired three times (Cleveland twice and Los Angeles Lakers in 2012).

Cleveland now has a vacant head coaching position and many coaches are being linked to their somewhat lucrative position, in which they have many options. Cleveland could hire a former head coach, current assistant coach on another team, or just give someone a opportunity.  Former Warriors coach and current ESPN analyst Mark Jackson is a strong candidate. The reason why Jackson has culminated as the best option for Cleveland is because he's a players coach, someone who can get the most out of young players.

Back in the Bay Area, Jackson took a team which was fun to watch but addicted to losing weren't winners at the NBA level, and turned them into one of the most exciting teams with a winning attitude at "Roaracle," the popular nickname for their home court, Oracle Arena. In three seasons, Jackson compiled a 121-109 record (.526) and led Golden State to the second-round of the postseason for the first time since 1991. In the process, they compiled their first 50-win season since 1993-1994. Jackson developed Stephen Curry into an All-Star point guard, something he should have a penchant for after playing the position from 1987-2004. He is the coach Irving needs to take the next step in his development into becoming a floor general and finding the balance between scoring and passing, something he struggled with at times throughout his career thus far.

"Being in our particular position, he'd obviously help a guy like Kyrie [Irving] being as he played the position," Cavs guard Jarrett Jack said about his former coach. "The type of person he is and the attitude he has, he demands certain things -- respect, discipline, togetherness. Those are three things that he definitely incorporates. That's the thing you can't measure in wins and losses."  

One can agree with Jack's sentiment because Jackson preaches to his players as somewhat of a father figure; he is beloved by anybody who crosses his path. Jackson isn't the most stringent person and that's something most players appreciate, but at the same time he isn't a pushover, letting his presence be felt when needed. The Cavaliers need a coach like Jackson to bring a winning attitude back to Quicken Loans Arena, the "Q". With him being a former player, he would gain more respect from players.

On May 20, 2014 the Cleveland Cavaliers become the second team with a 1.7% chance to win the lottery.  This is the third time in four years that the Cavaliers have won the lottery, and unlike the Anthony Bennett pick, they can't mess up this time around with the unprecedented amount of hype this years draft class has received from basketball pundits.

The three top prospects in this years draft are Andrew Wiggins (Kansas), Joel Embiid (Kansas) and Jabari Parker (Duke). You can't go wrong with any of the trio, but all have their flaws going into the draft. Selecting Wiggins is a toss up because watching him play, it seems as if he lives off his athletic ability, a pure talent with no skill. His basketball instincts are up for debate, but for the Cavaliers to be safe their top two choices should be Embiid and Parker.

Embiid has been linked to Cleveland since they won the lottery, but medical reports about his back have made them skeptical about him, even though there are conflicting reports about it. The thing with Embiid is that he's only been playing basketball since 2010. He has a massive amount of potential to blossom into a dominant big-man which is something the NBA is deviating from. Having Embiid would be advantage because not every team has a traditional center, most teams are playing forwards at the five. Embiid, if healthy, would dominate the league and with the look to develop into an Andrew Bynum-type of player when he was a All-Star with the Lakers. 

Even with that said, the Cavaliers would be best off having Adam Silver announce, "With the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select Jabari Parker from Duke University." Parker in wine and gold is the best fit because of his scoring and shooting ability, rebounding, athleticism, work ethic and maturity. Parker is an All-Around player and has equal or possibly more potential than Embiid. 

The NBA is entering a golden age of Small Forwards, and to win a championship it's becoming more crucial to have a wing player that can defend and shoot. Parker has all the intangibles and a high IQ, giving the Cavaliers their first real shot to fill the void at the 3-spot since James left a few years ago.

The Cavaliers need to do their homework to make the most of this pick. In all reality, you cannot go wrong with either Parker or Embiid, as either would go well with Irving and Waiters and hopefully a rejuvenated Bennett. In a perfect world Irving and Waiters would already be combined with Oladipo with Parker being added this year and Jackson manning the sidelines. But this is the Cavaliers we are talking about, so they have to make due with what they have and hope it is enough to convince Irving to stay in town past his rookie contract and have some talent come and join him in Cleveland.

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Due Diligence: The Los Angeles Lakers Coaching Search

On April 30th, 2014, Mike D'Antoni resigned as the Head Coach of one of the most storied franchises in American sports.....the Los Angeles Lakers and the fans of the franchise rejoiced. The reason why D'Antoni resigned was due to Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak opting not to exercise the 2015-2016 season on his contract and D'Antoni was paid a undisclosed amount of money from the $4 million owed to him. In years past only one coach has proven capable of controlling the "Black Mamba" that is Kobe Bryant and now that master of Zen has taken on a greater task in the concrete jungle.  With that being said, whomever coaches the Lakers next must know how to control the venomous Mamba and also embrace the larger task of restoring the franchise to the days of past, the days where the just making the playoffs wasn't the goal....contending for world tiles was the only option.  

After the somewhat surprising departure of D'Antoni, Kobe Bryant subliminally displayed being happy that D'Antoni was gone by saying he "didn't care".  The display showed Bryant didn't have an iota of respect for D'Antoni. Since the resignation of D'Antoni, the Lakers were immediately linked to a multitude of coaches ranking from college, to former coaches and finally current NBA coaches. The men who were associated with the franchise were none other than, Kevin Ollie (UCONN), John Calipari (Kentucky), Roy Williams (UNC), Tom Thibadeau (Bulls) and former coaches Jeff Van Gundy, Mike Dunleavy, Sr., Byron Scott, Lionel Hollins, Kurt Rambis and George Karl. None of the NBA coaches have denied interest in the Lakers but the college coaches have as they are content coaching student-athletes. 

To be brutally honest, I couldn't blame the college coaches ala Kevin Ollie, John Calipari and Roy Williams for staying where they are. The NBA is a business where you are hired to get fired; in college that isn't the case as you are hired there to be viable as long as your team is respectable. Also in college, the fans seem more loyal to their coaches than players and in the NBA it's vice versa.

Kevin Ollie was a 13-year NBA journeymen but didn't gain national attention until he led the UCONN Huskies to a improbable NCAA championship. The 41-year old was linked to "The City of Angels" because of his success in two short years at Connecticut and his league wide reputation as a player which made some believe that he would be a perfect for since LA would be in rebuild soon. But the chances of him becoming the new coach of the Lakers ended when he agreed to a multi-year extension with UCONN which would pay him $3 million annually.

University of Kentucky coach John Calipari was immediately linked to the Lakers job. Calipari has led Kentucky to the NCAA championship game two of the last four years and has produced many NBA players in John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and soon-to-be draftees James Young and Julius Randle. Most of their starters are returning and he has yet again put together another dominant freshmen class. So the question now is, Why would he leave? Calipari quickly put out the flames of the possibility of him becoming the Lakers coach.

"Before it starts," Calipari said as he shutdown the Laker rumors. "I'm totally committed to helping this group of young men reach their dreams," said Calipari. I wouldn't & couldn't leave this group." 

In 2004, one season after leaving the University of Kansas for the University of North Carolina, Roy Williams had declined to speak with the Lakers. The 10 year time period saw Williams have a change of heart. With the Lakers deciding to once again flirt with Williams, this time around he has "friend zoned" them by saying he believes he's solely meant to be a college coach and couldn't make the commitment to being in a relationship with the Lakers or NBA. In the college ranks, Williams has won two national championships at Chapel Hill in 2005 and 2009.

"I've always felt like that I'm a college coach and that's where I belong,” Williams said. “(Lakers general manager) Mitch Kupchak is one of my best friends in the whole wide world, there's no question there, but I'm a college guy and if somebody calls and offers me the greatest job in the world, it better be really good because I feel like I've got about the greatest job in the world."

Tom Thibadeau's relationship with the Chicago Bulls front office is as bad as his team's offense. Thibadeau and the Bulls are a good pair but he and GM Gar Forman reportedly don't see eye-to-eye which could prompt Thibadeau to leave. He has been linked to the Lakers but is under contract in the Windy City through 2017. Despite those rumors, no gas has been added to the fire and the only way Thibadeau is coaching the Lakers is if the Bulls agree to compensate them which is what the Los Angeles Clippers did with the Boston Celtics last season to acquire Doc Rivers. Thibs had also been linked to the Warriors (Steve Kerr is new coach), Memphis Grizzlies and the New York Knicks, which is the only team he has interest in coaching. 

George Karl, Jeff Van Gundy and Kurt Rambis are three coaches that have been linked to the Lakers and that's about it. There have been no reported conversations between the team and any of those former coaches. Two of the three candidates are being linked to other franchises as the Lakers take their time in naming a new coach. Karl has been associated with the Cleveland Cavaliers as he could make a return to the franchise as their coach and possibly their team  president. Karl, 63, has the most wins of any candidate with a 1,131-756 record — 59.9% winning percentage — in 25 NBA seasons. Van Gundy on the other hand, has been linked to the Memphis Grizzlies as possibly becoming their coach and president of basketball operations which would make David Joerger's exit imminent and Rambis is just being linked to the team with no eye popping credentials.  

    

Byron Scott, Lionel Hollins and Mike Dunleavy, Sr. have all been linked to the Lakers recently and are likely to become the new coach of the franchise than the previous candidates, unless new candidates emerge. Mike Dunleavy, Sr. — father of Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy, Jr. — has recently interviewed for the Lakers job as he has 17 years of experience in the league — coaching record is 613-716 (.461) — in which he coached the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers. Dunleavy was recently with the Clippers in 2010 but resigned. He has a history with the Lakers as he coached them from 1990-1992 and made a NBA Finals appearance in 1991.    

Byron Scott probably has the most notoriety of all the candidates since he actually played with the organization from 1983-1993 and 1996-1997 and helped them to three NBA championships when "ShowTime" was must-see-tv in LA. 18 years after being the veteran presence to a young Kobe Bryant, he could now reunite now with him. Scott recently coached the then New Jersey Nets and New Orleans Hornets and also the Cleveland Cavaliers. He led the Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. Scott hasn't coached a good team since the 2008-2009 season in which the Hornets went 49-33. Since then, Scott has been a aberration of what he once was which was a winner. From 2010-2013 he went 64-166 and has a 416-521 (.444) coaching record all together. As Scott recently interviewed for the Lakers job, he left feeling confident.

"I don't feel I'm a very arrogant guy, but I feel like I am the perfect guy for this job," Scott said to ESPNLA 710 Radio. "I got a great relationship with Kobe. I know the team, know the roster. I watched them all season long and I just think it would be a great fit.

There's one thing we all know about Kobe Bryant, he likes playing the game of basketball the way he wants to and doesn't plan in changing his game for anyone unless your name is Phil Jackson. Byron Scott recently said Kobe needed to change his game if he got the job: "Obviously, if I get the job, the first conversation I have is with Kobe... talk about the type of game that he's going to be playing because he's going to have to change his game a little bit, and I think he knows that." An argument could be made if Scott is the perfect fit for the job, but looking at his recent success and the type of players he's coached, it looks as if he will still be unemployed especially since the chances of Kobe changing the way he plays is like the chance I have to make it in the NBA – zero.

The last candidate but certainly not least is former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins. Hollins is a former NBA player and champion and is a coach in which perennial All-Star guard Kobe Bryant might enjoy to play under due to his stringency in which the franchise will need as they will enter a youth movement. Hollins also brings a championship swagger due to reaching the NBA Finals as a player (Portland) and assistant coach (Phoenix). Hollins is as close to a perfect fit as one can get as he took a horrific Memphis Grizzlies team into a team to watch and got accustomed to winning. He led Memphis to the 2013 Western Conference Finals and made history in 2011 at they swept the No. 1 seeded San Antonio Spurs. If the Lakers enter win-now mode then Hollins is the perfect choice, if in rebuilding mode then your hire Hollins, it's a win-win situation hypothetically speaking. Coach Hollins has a 214-201 (.516) coaching record and is the guy Mr. Bryant wants to see drawing up playa for him during timeouts. 

The Lakers will do everything they can to hire the right coach and someone who won't extirpate the franchise even more. The question now is, How will Kobe Bryant impact their decision? Bryant wasn't a big fan of the hirings of Mike Brown and Mike D'Antoni and would like the team to not play favorites and wants to have input on their next coach, which would likely be his last. 

"On the last two they didn't," Bryant said. "On the third one, I'm hoping they do... Honestly, it's not really about whether the players like the coach or not, it's really about getting results. Liking somebody and those results don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. Sometimes when a coach is driving you, you don't necessarily like it, but it's a part of the process, and then once you win, everybody is buddy-buddy after that."

The Los Angeles Lakers franchise plans on communicating with Kobe Bryant throughout the coaching search, but it has been made clear that he won't be a part of the process and whatever he says it won't thwart the organization from making a final decision.

"From time to time we ask his advice," Mitch Kupchak told ESPN's Andy Katz at the NBA draft combine in Chicago. "He really won't weigh in on something like this. I'm not even sure that we'll talk to him prior to interviews. But from time to time, he is in our facility, I'll go downstairs and I'll talk to him about a bunch of different things."

LA is trying to return to the glory days, the days which began with George Mikan and evolved to the days of Wilt-West, Magic-Kareem and Kobe-Shaq. Their way back to the top of the totem pole starts with their next coach as the 16-time NBA Champions are in a precarious situation. The ball is in their court, will they go for a coach that is a rough, tough and intimidating like a slam dunk or someone who is soft, finesse and simple like a layup. The Lakers have a bevy of candidates that have congregated to them and it's only a matter of time until they decide who will become the 25th Head coach in franchise history. The new hire can either tame the "Black Mamba" or get struck by its deadly venom which will prompt the search for number 26. Mitch Kupchak and his peers have many options to pick from and it doesn't seem like they will rush the process which is wise. Will the Lakers return to prominence next year or the NBA's Draft Lottery? The next coach will have a abundance of pressure and it will be entertaining to see who is selected. Lionel Hollins, Byron Scott, Mike Dunleavy, Sr., George Karl, Jeff Van Gundy and others are all worthy candidates but there can only be one.

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