Former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach, Mike Brown , will be taking over for Phil Jackson as the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.  According to Yahoo! Sports, Brown will receive a four-year, $18 million contract.  This move is a bit of a surprise, given that longtime Jackson assistant coach and Kobe Bryant approved, Brian Shaw, was thought to be the frontrunner for the job. 

The Lakers’ management decided that there needed to be a new emphasis placed on defense after their dismal showing in the playoffs, making Brown the most logical choice to captain the ship.  Brown was not only brought in for his defensive expertise, but for his ability to lead a superstar, as he did with LeBron James in Cleveland.  Brown will be able to focus on implementing an improved defensive scheme.  Something that is much needed after the Lakers watched as Chris Paul had his way with Derek Fisher, and J.J. Barea repeatedly found his way into the lane untouched (except the time he was met by Andrew Bynum’s elbow) in their short playoff run.  The Lakers have the pieces to be a superior defensive team in Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum and even an aging Kobe.  Brown will only need them to buy into his system the way LeBron and company did in Cleveland, in order for this match to work. 

An intriguing twist to this signing is the possibility of bringing in Dwight Howard to wear the purple and gold.  Howard’s arrival looks more likely now that there will be a new emphasis on defense in Laker Land.   If Howard is able to escape the nagging of Stan Van Gundy, he will be able to be applauded for his shot-blocking abilities and rebounding as the anchor of Mike Brown’s squad.

However, it remains to be seen if Brown can handle all of the unique personalities and spotlight of Hollywood as he steps in for Jackson.  At times in Brown’s career with the Cavs it seemed like LeBron was the coach, as Brown stood idly by and let James run the team.  Perhaps his time away from the bench has allowed him to reflect on how he handled his interactions with James, which will permit him to be more forceful in handling the inevitable decline of Kobe’s reign as the star of the show.  If Brown can somehow manage to keep all of the egos in check (something not even the Zen Master himself could do this season), he will be successful with this group of players.

Brown would be wise to retain Shaw (if he doesn’t leave for a head coaching position of his own), since Brown has been constantly ridiculed for his lack of offensive knowledge.  Having Shaw on the bench would allow Brown to place Shaw in charge of the offense and maintain the triangle offense that has worked so well for the Lakers under Jackson’s reign.  This move could allow each coach to focus on their strengths and would give the Lakers the best possible coaches at each end of the court. 

The only thing that remains in need of fixing is to find a point guard who doesn’t look like he’s trapped in quicksand.  With Brown now involved, if the Lakers can manage to find Derek Fisher’s replacement, they will be back in the thick of things next season.