The NBA rumor cyclone refuses to stop for Memorial Day weekend. Today, courtesy of ESPN's Ric Bucher, we've got news that seems likely to affect the Lakers and the composition of their new coaching staff.
Bucher reports that the Detroit Pistons will soon fire head coach John Kuester. Kuester was "offensive coordinator" of the Cavaliers for a couple years under Mike Brown, and the Los Angeles Times mentioned a couple days back that Brown would seek to hire Kuester if the latter were let go by Detroit. Add it all up, and it makes sense that Kuester could soon be on the Laker payroll.
Kuester enjoyed much of the credit for the Cavs' huge jump up the league scoring tables in the 2008-09 season but has been a washout with the Pistons. In two years as head coach his teams have posted a 57-107 record. This past season saw a full-on revolt in the Detroit locker room, as several Pistons players reportedly bailed on practice when team management refused to fire Kuester over the All-Star break. This February article by Alex Kennedy of HoopWorld details the chaos:
Kuester lost his players months ago, and the rift between the two sides continues to grow each and every day. Nobody is hiding how they feel in Detroit. Players have openly mocked the coach in the locker room prior to games and a question about Kuester sometimes garners a sigh or eye roll.
Sounds good! To be fair, Kuester might be one of those guys who doesn't have the chops for a head job but can still work magic as a coordinator.
In any case, if you'd like to study up on the offense Brown and Kuester ran in Cleveland, I recommend the post Sebastian Pruiti put up at NBA Playbook earlier today. It's a nice look in particular at how those guys used LeBron James and how they might try putting Kobe Bryant to good use.
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