5. Mike Brown (2011-12)
I promise this isn’t a joke. As ugly as Mike Brown’s time in Los Angeles ended, it’s difficult to deny that he made a sizable impact when he was the head coach of the Lakers.
Honestly, I think Brown was doomed from the get-go. Too many expectations were placed on him for a number of reasons. The first was that he was taking over for a legend in Jackson. Those are ridiculous shoes to fill, meaning Brown was essentially set up for failure. The other was the fact that the Lakers invested big in giving him a strong roster to work with.
Apparently what he did with it wasn’t enough. That’s surprising seeing as Brown took the Lakers all the way to the Western Conference semifinals in his first season. Despite having a strong-but-limited roster, he battled through the first round of the playoffs before bowing out in the second round.
In his second season, former All-Stars Dwight Howard and Steve Nash were added to give the Lakers the push they needed. Unfortunately, the brass wasn’t impressed with a 1-4 start to the regular season, leading to Brown’s firing.
It wasn’t a great time for the Lakers or their fans. The departure of Jackson left a hole that was too painful to fill. Unfortunately for Brown, he was forced to bear the burden.