Should the Los Angeles Lakers consider hiring Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie as a replacement for current head coach Mike D'Antoni?
With the league's most popular franchise in disarray, the Los Angeles Times writer Eric Pincus is suggesting that the Lakers try to pry away Ollie from the Huskies and make him their head coach. Although D'Antoni still has a year left in his contract, it is believed that the Lakers are shopping around for a new head coach after last year's debacle and this season's 25-50 record.
"Ollie is the coach the Lakers should target to succeed D'Antoni," suggested Pincus, saying that while the former NBA player never wore a Lakers jersey he has ties with the LA area fter playing high school ball in South Central Los Angeles.
Ollie, who has led the Huskies to a Final Four berth in this year's NCAA tournament, has not yet coached on the professional level. But Pincus thinks that his resume as an NBA veteran will serve him well should he coach in the big league.
Oklahoma City superstar Kevin Durant has high respects for Ollie.
"Kevin Ollie, he was a game-changer for us. He changed the whole culture, I think. He might not say it, but I think he changed the whole culture in Oklahoma City," Durant told Bill Simmons of ESPN during the All-Star weekend in New Orleans.
Ollie was a member of the Thunder in the 2009-10 season, when the Thunder made a big jump from perennial whipping boys into a title contender.
Pincus also speculated that the Lakers could pursue Durant should he leave the team in 2016, when superstar Kobe Bryant's massive contract expires. This is of course a possibility should the Thunder fail to win a title between now to 2016.
"If he's someone the Lakers are seriously planning to target, Ollie is the man for the job," acknowledged Picus.
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