Lakers Hire Mike D'Antoni as Next Head Coach

So much for that Phil Jackson return.

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In a somewhat surprising twist, the Los Angeles Lakers have hired Mike D'Antoni as their next head coach. There had been rumors of Phil Jackson being the favorite to take over the Lake Show after Mike Brown was fired on Friday. However, early this morning, D'Antoni's agent announced that the former Knicks coach had inked a four-year deal with L.A.

Up until late last night, there was talk of Jackson assembling an elite coaching staff that would include former Laker player and current assistant coach Brian Shaw and Scottie Pippen. One road block in that potential plan is the fact that Shaw is the current associate head coach for the Indiana Pacers.

D'Antoni coached the Knicks to an 18-24 record last season before being released and replaced by Mike Woodson. The new Lakers coach holds an overall record of 388-339 along with five playoff appearances in 10 seasons. Is he the right man for the job?

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[via ESPN]

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