Memphis Grizzlies: Tyronn Lue Should Be A Candidate For Head Coach Opening

The Memphis Grizzlies still have an opening for their head coaching spot and one of the top coaches on the market is available. Tyronn Lue should be considered for the job.

The Memphis Grizzlies have started their coaching search without Tyronn Lue being included with coaches such as Alex Jensen and Jarron Collins being interviewed. With Lue thought of to be locked into the Los Angeles Lakers head coach opening there was no need for any other team to pursue him, but with that supposedly coming to an end it could be time for the Grizzlies to reach out.

There’s a large group of people who don’t like Lue as a head coach, but there’s no denying the success that he had with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He won an NBA championship in his first season and won the Eastern Conference the next two. Lebron James was a big part of that, but Lue showed that he has what it takes to coach a generational talent which could help him in coaching Jaren Jackson Jr.

That’s not meaning that Jackson is close to a generational talent yet, but Lue being able to work with an established star would help him if he were to ever coach Jaren Jackson Jr. or any young star for that matter. He might not have a lot of interest in coaching the Grizzlies, but if he wants to coach next season then this is where it will be. Memphis is the only head coach opening outside of the Cavs and Lakers so he could be willing to consider taking this job.

The most important thing for Memphis should be player development with their young core, but getting an established head coach can be a good thing as well. If the Grizzlies feel that Lue has what it takes to develop these young guys successfully then there’s no reason he shouldn’t be considered. It’s not quite that simple when it comes to hiring a head coach, but the other candidates don’t have the resume that he does.

Tyronn Lue was also a longtime player in the NBA who had a lot of success primarily as a backup point guard. He won an NBA championship in 2001 with the Lakers when he was just 23 years old. His most famous moment as a player might be the Allen Iverson crossover, but he was a good player which has helped him become a very good coach as well.

Lue has only been an NBA coach for part of four seasons with a regular season record of 128-83. He was fired earlier this season after an 0-6 start as the Cavs wanted to go in another direction as they started their rebuild. His 41-20 playoff record is very impressive despite some of the struggles in the Eastern Conference.

His success as a head coach was with an already built team competing for championships. It would be a completely different challenge for him with the Grizzlies, but if he’s going to get back into coaching it’s very unlikely that he would be given the opportunity to take over a team that features multiple star players as he was able to in Cleveland.

He has shown he can coach at a high level and that is what the Grizzlies need going forward. This young core needs somebody that they will respect for the long haul. Memphis has undergone so many coaching changes recently and they need to get a guy who they trust and can be patient as they build this team.

If the Grizzlies are going to want Lue it’s going to cost them. He reportedly turned down a 3 year,$18 million deal from the Lakers as he wanted more money and more time. The Lakers were where he wanted to be so if he’s going to come to Memphis they would likely have to go above the deal he was offered from Los Angeles.