Profile of Coaching Candidate replace Phil Jackson with Mike Brown

Third post in a series of posts focusing on the Lakers' coaching candidates to replace Phil Jackson.

Brown led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals and two Eastern Conference Finals appearances through his five seasons where he compiled a 272-138 record and won NBA Coach of the Year honors in 2009. Despite leading the Cavaliers to a league-best 66-16 regular season record in the 2008-2009 season, Cleveland fell to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals. Brown followed up with a league-best 61-21 season, but that only translated into more playoff turmoil where Cleveland fell to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Brown was then fired after the season before becoming an ESPN NBA analyst. He also held assistant coach stints with the Washington Wizards (1997-99), San Antonio Spurs (2000-2003) and Indiana Pacers (2003-2005).

Brown certainly fits that bill, with his Cavalier teams among the best defensive units in the league and Lakers forward Ron Artest winning the 2003-04 defensive player of the year award under Brown's defensive system in Indiana. Considering the Lakers battled defensive inconsistency during the 2011 playoffs, they could use the help. Their 17-1 start after the All-Star break largely pointed to the Lakers' new defensive scheme that stressed funneling drivers into the lane so the team's frontline could close in at them on the basket. But once the playoffs hit, the Lakers fell behind on rotations as they struggled defending New Orleans and Dallas. Brown would surely fix that, showing a strong ability in getting the best out of a team that lacked much talent outside of LeBron James and continuing to convince Andrew Bynum to thrive in a defensive role. As Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry said about Brown after Cleveland parted with him, "Mike established a work ethic, defensive identity and culture of winning that was not here previously," Ferry said.

As accomplished as Brown proved to be on the defensive end, his offensive sets with Cleveland lacked much of an identity. Considering the Lakers frequently deviated from the triangle offense last season and appeared entirely disorganized, this weakness will only expose the Lakers even more. They certainly have the talent to be an offensively efficient team with Bryant's skillset as well as the team's frontline presence with Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. But with the Lakers' poor outside shooting, Bryant's occasional trigger-happy tendencies and the team's inconsistency in properly using its size advantage, lacking a strong offensive identity won't allow the Lakers to fully take advantage of their offensive assets.