Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson
Photo: Yahoo Sports

Stephen A. Smith is on NBA Countdown and doesn’t think Darvin Ham, Terry Stotts or Kenny Atkinson are among the best options to be the Los Angeles Lakers’ head coach.

“I want to be very respectful and honest when I say this. I don’t like any of these choices,” smith said. “None of them… All three of these coaches deserve to be head coaches in the NBA. This is not about them. I’m not talking about them.

“I’m saying the nonsense that we witnessed this year in Los Angeles, the new head coach of that franchise has to be somebody with a cache to galvanize the front office, the fans to a point where the players feel compelled to capitulate to the coach’s wishes. I don’t think that’s the case with any of those candidates.

“Stotts had nine years in Portland. We understand he’s a good coach, but we understand the challenges. Darvin Ham will be a first time coach. Kenny Atkinson did a good job in Brooklyn with building players development the whole bit. But that is not the ideal situation for those three coaches. I don’t like it.”

When asked who would fit the bill in his opinion, Smith named two coaches – Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy.