Photo: Christian Petersen
Chris and Rob react to the plot-twist report that the Los Angeles Lakers are actually honing in on UConn coach Dan Hurley -- not JJ Redick -- as their next head coach. While nothing is yet official, Rob likes the idea of the Lakers hiring Hurley -- particularly if it's in place of Redick -- but Chris is viewing the situation in more of a vacuum and isn't a big fan of either option.
Rob Parker: "I like this hire better than JJ Redick... If [Redick] is bad, you waste a year of LeBron on a guy who hasn't coached! Whereas here, [Hurley] is a coach!... You need somebody with some experience -- yes, it's a different [level], but this guy is at least a winner... He knows how to put together a team, he just needs to take it to the next level."
Chris Broussard: "I agree that I do like it better than Redick... but I don't think this is the home run that many people are talking about it as... [Hurley] is a great coach, but I would like him better with a younger team... I think the model the Lakers are looking at is Boston with Brad Stevens, who came from Butler. He stabilized that program and developed players... but my problem is, when they brought in Stevens, [Boston] didn't have a 40-year-old and 31-year-old superstar... Dan Hurley's practices are intense. He's a yeller and a screamer. He's gonna get on guys and demand absolute perfection. His practices are somewhat militaristic. And we know a lot of times that won't go over well with your NBA players who are grown men with families [as opposed to] college kids."