Bizarre times are calling for bizarre measures in the Los Angeles Lakers universe.
Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni received the strangest votes of confidence, courtesy the Los Angeles Times.
A Los Angeles Times article voted in favor of keeping D'Antoni on as coach of the storied franchise, but not because he is a good coach.
Because he is a bad coach.
The Times argued that the Lakers shouldn't fire D'Antoni now, despite the fact that the team just had the worst loss in franchise history and is on its way to its lowest winning percentage since moving to L.A. in 1960.
"There is no point in installing an interim coach in a season that has become such an epic fail that now the more losses, the better for draft lottery purposes. So what if Kurt Rambis or Johnny Davis could restore some vigor and help the team net five more victories; they would come at the expense of precious pingpong balls."
In other words, the Lakers' tanking tactics are better served with D'Antoni as coach than one of their assistants - the coach that executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak chose over Phil Jackson.
The Times even went so far as to say that the Lakers might as well keep D'Antoni in 2014-15 as well because the team is all but out of the running for an elite free agent this offseason - LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony joining is unrealistic - and the draft choice the Lakers get will not be enough help to Kobe Bryant to get the team back to the postseason.
"There is also no point in starting to build a winning culture when the players who will the lead the turnaround haven't even arrived," the Times explained.
Of course, Buss and Kupchak likely are more interested in giving D'Antoni next season to turn it around to so that he's not the failure they hired over Phil Jackson when they had the chance.
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