Stephen A. isn’t sure Dan Hurley would change the ‘trajectory’ of the Lakers | First Take

Stephen A. isn’t sure Dan Hurley would change the ‘trajectory’ of the Lakers | First Take

do you think Curley will make the Lakers Western Conference contenders next year um I don’t think he will do it um I think if it’s going to be done it’s going to be done because LeBron and AD and somebody else that shows up I don’t think that you know I think when I think about Dan Hurley I think about longterm in terms of the immediate moment for this future I don’t think his arrival changes uh to the trajectory of the Los Angeles Lakers person personally I think that Darin ham I would remind everybody he was in the Western Conference finals last year all right this year he got when he lost in the first round he lost in the first round to the reigning defending NBA champions okay so you know what when we were talking perk refresh my memory if I’m wrong UD same thing when we were talking about the Los Angeles Lakers before the playoffs began we had the Denver Nuggets as the only team they shouldn’t want to face we looked at everybody else in Western Conference and we said LeBron James and Anthony Davis can take them that’s what we said they just ran into the wrong team and it happened to be the first round the year before that that same team prevented them from going to the NBA finals so although I love Dan Hurley and I think that he is an exceptional coach he is a champion I think that he deserves this opportunity if he decides to take it and what have you what we’re not going to do is sit here and act like he’s going to pull off something that wasn’t on the verge of being pulled off that the Lakers were so far removed from a championship equation or anything like that under Darvin ham that all of a sudden he’s coming in as the Savior darham had him in the Western Conference Finals Darin ham when he lost in the first round one team in the Western Conference beat the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis it wasn’t Dallas it wasn’t Phoenix it wasn’t Minnesota it wasn’t Oklahoma City it wasn’t the Los Angeles Clippers it was nicoy yic Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets let’s pump the brakes Hurley I think we’ll do a good job I really really do but the job that he would come there and do for the Los Angeles Lakers I believe Darin ham would have done that job that’s where I’m at with all agree with you I I think he deserved a job I think he’s going to do a great job down the line but I just remember when I had conversations with Billy Donovan and the first thing I asked Billy was the transition coming from college into the pros and the first thing he said to me was I had to realize that one day what the hell can I possibly tell Russell Westbrook about playing pick and roll defense so there’s a learning curve when you come from college to the pros yes he’s prepared he’s leveled up from every level when you talk about high school he leveled up when you talk about college he leveled up from Rhode Island to Connecticut he’s leveled up and he’s met all those challenges so I fully expect him to level up I fully expect him to meet the challenge of being the Lakers new coach I fully expect him to meet the challenge of implementing a system implementing a culture but it takes time to do all those things I don’t think one year is going to be enough time this is not a knock on what I think he will be this is not a knock on what I think he can do but I don’t think in one year it’s realistic to expect Dan Hurley to send the Lakers to the championship or make them a contender piggybacking off what Stephen A said they was going to do that last they was going to do that regardless no matter who the coach was if it was daram they was going to get back there again and one thing I would say East going to get tougher them Thundercats over in Minnesota they coming back they coming back trust me yeah I’m Excuse yes I’m sorry the West them Thundercats over there in the west they coming back you know what I mean Denver it’s coming back they’re going to figure out a way to get better they are coming back so yes the West is going to get better he’s going to come over there but it’s GNA take time he can’t do it in one year I don’t think anybody can do it in one year that’s unfair expectation and by the way big perk before you go one could argue if Jeff Brown and Bruce Brown were you know were retained by the Denver Nuggets they might be here now yes one could argue that I agree yes they miss I agree now now with all that said that was beautiful I love the praise that both of you guys gave dingham but damnit dham is not there no more that’s right so they got to feel the void and right now Dan Hurley is the best available option yeah and if I’m Rob pink and jeie bus I’m pulling a Doc Rivers move when DeAndre Jordan tried to sign with the Dallas marriage didn’t they go into didn’t they uh go down his house and they hun it they bu they hun it down in his house wouldn’t let him get any phone calls wouldn’t let him leave the house all of that happen yeah they kidnapped in his own that’s what I do I’m not I’m not letting Hurley walk out of Los Angeles I’m not letting him walk out of Los Angeles because for so long right for so long think about it we’ve been we have been talking about the Los Angeles Lakers for the last three years as being a disfunctional organization why because they haven’t had culture they haven’t had a foundation they’ve been looking and searching for the right coach they’ve been looking and searching for the right players right and right now is the perfect time and I believe they believe this is to start addressing the Long Haul again this is not a LeBron James hire this is a Anthony Davis hire this is a Los Angeles Lakers hire on what’s next for the future do I think he’s going to make them a a title Contender yes just because anytime you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the same team they they’re going to be considered title contendant as they should here’s the thing know right this another thing we got to keep in mind who are the guys if he does get this job who’s the guys that are going to be sitting next to him for as the assistant coaches UD Stephen A y’all know this the assistant coaches matter right who’s on that bench who’s who who can they bring that had that has had uh uh uh NBA uh experience right you look at the Boston Celtics right now one of the things that goes unnoticed when you think about the Celtics and the success that they’re having guess who they went out and hired with gr spec finally got it right he went got Sam C he went got yeah he went got Sam cel [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause]

Stephen A. isn’t sure Dan Hurley would change the ‘trajectory’ of the Lakers | First Take
On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins and Udonis Haslem debate whether Dan Hurley would make the Los Angeles Lakers Western Conference contenders next year.
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