Flippin' Out

Assuming Phil Jackson doesn't want to reenact his Kobe Soap Opera, and assuming that Larry Brown is too tied up to leave Detroit, Flip Saunders is about the best the Lakers could do.

Saunders is a fine coach, who did an excellent job in Minnesota turning an NBA joke into an NBA title contender. Saunders developed Kevin Garnett, and he's one of the best X's and O's strategists in the coaching ranks. LAist still wonders why the T-Wolves fired him in a season where Latrell Sprewell's inability to feed his family, and Sam Casell's whining had a lot more to do with the team's slow start than Flip himself.

Still, LAist isn't so sure that Saunders would just come over and bow down to Laker Purple and Gold. He's a Cleveland native, and if he wants to coach LeBron James and the Cavs, he can just name his price. LAist hopes for the Lakers' sake that there are a few other names on Mitch Kupchak's coaching list.