The Los Angeles Lakers are in the thick of a vital coaching search.
One of the top candidates for the job is Terry Stotts, who made a name for himself with the Portland Trail Blazers.
However, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, some are unsure of whether Stotts would be able to command respect in the Lakers locker room after former head coach Frank Vogel had trouble doing so.
“Some sources wondered if Stotts would struggle, like Vogel, to command the locker room’s respect, although he worked well with [Damian] Lillard for a long stretch,” wrote Pincus.
The Lakers’ 2021-22 season was a complete failure.
Prior to the season, the team sacrificed some key assets to acquire former MVP Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. Westbrook, along with superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, were expected to form a Big 3.
Unfortunately for Lakers fans, that vision never came to pass. Westbrook and Vogel butted heads. The triple-double king struggled to fit in on the team.
By the end of the season, the Lakers missed the playoffs and terminated Vogel.
Now, they are looking for a coach who can lead the team to success while managing the squad’s various personalities.
While there are doubts about whether the team even wants Westbrook on the roster next season, the franchise is reportedly asking coaching candidates how they would utilize the star guard.
Stotts, 64, saw his time with the Blazers come to an end following the 2020-21 campaign. He led the Blazers for nine seasons as the team’s head coach. During that time, he gathered a 402-318 regular season record and led the team to the Western Conference Finals in 2019.
