When the Lakers hired Mike Brown, the immediate response, outside of “Oh, good grief” and “Really?Really?!” was “Wait, what happened to Adelman?” Rick Adelman was a perfect fit for the Lakers. A similar offensive system to the triangle, a coach that could work both sides of the ball, a veteran ego-manager who could both coach up role players and understand when to get out of the star’s way. It was perfect. So why didn’t he get the job? Well, outside of Jim Buss’ cute little power play, the reason may have been that Adelman’s not really looking to coach again. Instead, he sounds more and more like he’s ready to follow Pat Riley and move upstairs where the chairs are comfier, the nights are shorter and the pay’s just as good.
From the Portland Tribune:“I’m looking to do something different, with not quite the stress the coaching aspect has.
...
If someone calls, I’ll look at the situation, but I don’t know if I want to do the coaching thing again.”
via Adelman would have interest in Blazer GM job.
Adelman’s an intriguing choice for a front-office official with the experience he has coaching. But losing him as a coach would be a real shame after such a stellar career without a ring. At the same time, Adelman’s definitely earned getting off the road and being able to kick back and just scout college kids for a while. Adelman says in the interview the Lakers “thing” was interesting, which still makes you wonder why he didn’t get the gig. But if he’s this ambivalent about continuing his coaching future and so certain about wanting more of a front-office role it would make sense why the Lakers wouldn’t want him. They’ve got enough forces grabbing for power there.
