The only thing better than ear candy is holiday weekend ear candy. And with ESPNLA.com Lakers beat writer Dave McMenamin, no less. The degree of awesomeness can't be quantified without the use of science. Here were the talking points for the conversation:
- Mike Brown is the Lakers' new coach, a hire which has sparked fan and media reaction ranging from surprised to skeptical to outraged. Dave offers tidbits on how Brown ended up in the fold, plus a nickname we dare not call the coach in front of Dr. Buss!
- With so many variables still unknown -- in particular, who Brown's new offensive coordinator will be -- it's difficult to predict how the team will operate. There has been speculation Brown might look to replicate San Antonio's schemes from when he was an assistant, with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum playing the roles of Tim Duncan and David Robinson, but nothing is set in stone.
Dave also elaborates on some potential names to fill chairs as Brown's assistants, a crew that will be exceptionally important in the coming years.
- No matter who the Lakers hired, roster upgrades would still be in order. We discuss positions and skill sets in need of bolstering, which naturally led to point guard talk. If new blood can't be acquired, the next best solution might be flipping Derek Fisher and Steve Blake in the starting lineup. At the very least, consideration must be given to this approach, which might not sit well with Fish.
Brian and I covered the Dodgers when Luis Gonzalez, who arrived from Arizona with an impeccable "clubhouse" rep, became a poisonous presence after his role was reduced. It's premature to assume Fisher might act out, but concern is reasonable, especially considering the veteran's sway in the locker room.
- Was Brown hired by Jim Buss first and foremost as a basketball decision or as a means of announcing who's now running the show? Unfortunately, there are plenty of reasons -- the whirlwind nature of the process, hiring against the grain, the distance created from the Phil Jackson era, not keeping Kobe Bryant in the loop at all -- to feel like the latter was a driving element, which gives us all pause.
- We share quick thoughts and predictions for the Finals.
- With an NBA work stoppage looming, we pitch a new show: "Lockout McMenamin." Fans get an inside look at the life of a beat writer in career-flux as a camera is fixed on Dave 24/7, Truman Show-style. Watch Dave as he grows his hair and beard super-long, then finds romance with the lady ostensibly hired to Feng Shui his apartment.