Lakers Didn’t Tell Brian Shaw He Wasn’t Hired As Head Coach

Shaw doesn’t appear to be pleased by this, either, according to an interview he did on ESPN Radio.

He had good reason to not talk to his former team, too, considering the way they passed him over despite his credentials and familiarity with the team.

It’s okay, everyone. Calm down. Now that we all know that Kobe Bryant and new Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown don’t actually hate each other, or at least reportedly don’t hate each other, we can all get a good night’s sleep.

Now, Brown and Bryant have reportedly spoken in person on more than one occasion and their conversations have relieved Bryant’s concerns. Of course, Bryant himself hasn’t said those exact words or anything close to them, but that’s probably because he wants some privacy in the offseason, not because he has a problem with Brown.

He’s right about one thing, winning does cure almost all problems in sports. If Mike Brown and the Lakers can win basketball games, the criticism will suddenly evaporate.

For more on this story and the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Silver Screen And Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles.

For more on the Brown hire, visit Silver Screen And Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles.

In an absolutely stunning turn of events, Lakers vice president Jim Buss is expressing regrets about not contacting Kobe Bryant before hiring Mike Brown as the Lakers’ next head coach and successor to Phil Jackson this week. From the Los Angeles Times:

“Looking back on it, we should have contacted Kobe,” Buss says. “Kobe said it was management’s job to pick a coach. He just said, ‘Defense first.’ That’s what we were doing, but we should have reached out to him.“Buss is, however, encouraged by the idea that Brown’s work ethic might impress Bryant, who he calls ”the workaholic.”

Mike Brown is the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, a move that’s left the media surprised, Laker fans cautiously optimistic, and Kobe Bryant ominously silent. But another decision on Wednesday raised even more eyebrows. If it wasn’t clear who’s running the Lakers beforehand, firing Ronnie Lester, a scout who’s worked with the for 25 years, removes all doubt.

Hiring Brown without consulting Kobe Bryant--and (apparently) without seriously considering Phil Jackson’s longtime assistant, Brian Shaw--sent a message that beyond the facade of Kobe-catering, the Lakers have real authority running their organization. They weren’t going to hire whoever Kobe and Phil had handpicked to guide the franchise. That’s fine.

As I wrote back when the Lakers were facing elimination in the NBA Playoffs, the passing of the baton isn’t going down easily in L.A.

That’s where a feud begins.

“In response to rampant speculation and reports about our head coaching position and Mike Brown, we’ve met with Mike and are very impressed with him,” the statement reads. “In addition, we have an outline for an agreement in place and hope to sign a contract within the next few days.”

News broke late Tuesday that the Lakers were in serious talks with Brown, who was fired by the Cavaliers in 2010 after Cleveland finished the season with the league’s best record but flamed out in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. On Wednesday, reports that Brown was preparing to sign a four-year deal worth $18 million broke.

Kupchak remains in place, but how long he is for the job is anybody’s guess. This is unprecedented turnover for the NBA’s glamor franchise, at least over the past few decades.

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Mark Price, Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance would like to have a word with James about the whole “brought the fans of Cleveland what they hadn’t seen before” comment.

What does a dismissed heir do? What’s next for Brian Shaw?

If not? There can’t possibly be a scenario in which Shaw remains with the Lakers, not after this wait and this snub by Jim Buss, who has apparently taken over franchise leadership in full. If Shaw doesn’t become a head coach this offseason, he immediately becomes the most sought-after free agent assistant coach in the nation. Let’s face it: assistant coaches don’t earn nearly what head coaches do. Brown will make $18.25 million over four years. Shaw hasn’t been drawing anything remotely close to that. He needs to work, not just to keep his pockets green but to keep his name and face in front of teams that will be looking for coaches in coming years.

For more on the Brown hiring, head over to Silver Screen and Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles.

Brown has reportedly been offered a contract “in the ballpark” of four years and $18 million, according to McMenamin. He became the favorite for the job after what was deemed as a “strong face-to-face interview” with key members of the Lakers’ hierarchy, including executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss.

Under Brown, they’ll be prepared; there’s no question about that. Jackson is famously chill on the sidelines, in terms of directing traffic, especially on offense. He has instilled a system (the Triangle offense), he has taught the system, he trusts the system, he trusts the players to implement the system. He chills. Brown may not have that conviction of a system, but like Jackson he’ll trust his players to make the right plays.

In fact, if we make a visit to my old friend, the Coaching Tri-force Classification System, Jackson and Brown aren’t that different at all.

Turner reports that Brown had been looking for a contract worth at least $4 million per season for four years; the reported deal with the Lakers has a team option with partial salary guarantee in the fourth year.

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While the two sides are in serious talks, Wojnarowski cautions there are issues and may be pitfalls involved in the contract negotiations. If the hurdles are passed, Brown could be the Lakers’ next head coach in 24 hours.

Stay with our Los Angeles Lakers coaching search StoryStream for the latest as it becomes available. For more on the Lakers, visit Silver Screen And Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles.

Brown has a reputation as a defensive-minded coach; Cleveland actually brought in an “offensive coordinator” late in his tenure. Dunleavy is also considered a defensive-minded coach; Adelman’s team have typically been more well-known for their offenses. Shaw has never been a head coach.

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Adelman is seen as a coach liable to allow his stars to guide themselves in game action, and his offensive style trends toward up-tempo, pass-heavy sets versus the more methodical Triangle that Jackson employed. It’s unclear whether Shaw or Person would commit to maintaining the Triangle, or whether Lakers ownership even wants that to happen.