L.A. Lakers: Mike Brown Would Be a Great Pick If He Never Worked in Cleveland

Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown was recently named as the choice to succeed retiring Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, and all I can say is really?

If the Lakers were seeking to send a message to the rest of the NBA in the wake of their postseason demolition at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, then mission accomplished.

But I'm not sure if the signal Mitch Kupchak and Jerry Buss are sending will really benefit the Lakers in the long term.

Since the announcement was made that Brown would become the next Lakers coach, numerous articles have been written that illustrate the bewilderment most Lakers fans feel over Brown's appointment.

Friend and fellow Lakers Featured Columnist Harrison Moore calls the selection of Brown the end of the Lakers dynasty, and after considering the out-of-nowhere decision to hire Brown, I would have to agree, but perhaps for different reasons.

There is no denying that Brown has proven himself as one of the best defensive-minded coaches in the NBA as his stint in Cleveland reveals, but his time with LeBron James and the Cavaliers also offers a little more insight into Brown's coaching abilities.

When it comes to the x's and o's of basketball Brown has shown that he is capable of strategizing with the best of the NBA's coaches, but when it comes to motivating and inspiring his players, it would be kind to say he falls a little short.

If you don't remember, Brown led the Cavaliers to the NBA's top playoff seed for two consecutive seasons in 2009-10, only to see his team fail on the game's grandest stage each time without a Finals trip.

James received most of the blame for Cleveland's postseason failures but Brown was just as responsible, because when the Cavaliers were against the ropes in the playoffs, coach Brown was unable to make the proper adjustments.

And the Lakers choose to hire a guy who couldn't even reach the NBA Finals as the league's top seed in a formerly weak Eastern Conference, with LeBron James? 

It's no knock against Brown, but if Lakers fans were paying attention during the 2011 NBA Playoffs then they surely understand that the last thing the team needs is a coach who has gained a reputation for folding in the postseason.

Brown was a great coach for Cleveland, and he should be commended for bringing that franchise back to relevance, but in Los Angeles, the aspirations are a little higher.

Lakers fans want rings, and unfortunately, Brown may be the antithesis of that concept.

And then there are the whispers of James' displeasure with Brown's coaching style, and that same sentiment resonated with many of the players on Cleveland's roster during their two great regular season runs.

If Brown couldn't handle a lone superstar in James and arguably a bunch of nobodies, how does he deal with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and the rest of the NBA's most dysfunctional team?

I could mention Brian Shaw or Byron Scott and ponder what reasons Lakers brass had for passing on either candidate.

Maybe the fact that Shaw would have employed Jackson's triangle offense as his primary scheme pushed Kupchak and Buss away, especially after witnessing its ineffectiveness against Dallas.

Or maybe the refusal to seriously pursue Scott means that the Lakers might be more interested in New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams as their point guard of the future as opposed to Scott's favorite player, Chris Paul.

At any rate, the above-mentioned paragraph is purely speculation, but the fact that the Lakers will likely not be returning to the NBA Finals anytime soon is not.

Brown's hiring virtually guarantees that, and the only questions that really remain now are how much more of the team are Kupchak and Buss willing to sacrifice, and do they really even have a plan for the future at all?