Mike D’Antoni’s Job is Safe With the Lakers

According to Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, head coach Mike D’Antoni will be back on the sidelines in Hollywood next season after helping guide the team to a 7th Playoff seed (going 28-12 since the infamous late January team meeting.) Per the LA Times: “Yeah, he’s back. I think he’s done a great job,’ Kupchak said. ‘There’s been no discussions otherwise. He’s made adjustments. He’s been flexible. He’s evaluated how he coaches as the season’s progressed. He’s listened to the players. He’s very easy to work with and we think in particular since the meeting the day of the Memphis game, yeah.’ D’Antoni is 40-32 since taking over as the Lakers’ coach, though the Lakers are 28-12 since the day after a team meeting called by D’Antoni in Memphis in January. D’Antoni, 61, has two more guaranteed years for a total of $8 million. The Lakers also owe former coach Mike Brown about $6 million over the next two years. Brown was fired five games into this season. […] ‘Much has been made of the injuries, and the coaching change [in November] and no training camp, which is certainly a part of it,’ Kupchak said of their up-and-down season. ‘It takes a while. You’re in New York coaching and you see the Lakers once or twice a year, you don’t know the personnel. And the injury situation when he got here, Steve Nash had the broken leg. There’s just too much going on to really look at it any other way.'”