News broke this morning that the Los Angeles Lakers have tapped former Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni to pick up the pieces of the franchise’s 2012-13 season. That came as a surprise to fans, after rumors swarmed that the Lakers were courting former coach Phil Jackson to come out of retirement and coach the squad for a 3rd time in his illustrious career.

Despite the surprise pick, fans hope D’Antoni’s experience coaching two-time MVP/first-time Laker Steve Nash, and his personal relationships with both Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard will help ease the transition. The team is probably also happy to see the complicated Princeton offense, which former head coach Mike Brown implemented over the summer, replaced. The downside could be in the X’s and O’s; D’Antoni’s offense is a faster, uptempo form and sports analysts worry it might not fit well with an older starting five and untested bench players.

What do you think of this coaching change? Do you think the Lakers made a mistake by hiring D’Antoni over Jackson?

Guest:

A. Martinez, KPCC host; former host of ESPN LA's In the Zone and Laker Lines