Lakers didn't think roster fit with Phil Jackson triange offense

Phil Jackson expected to receive a phone call from Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, but he also expected different news than he received.

The Lakers very publicly courted the legendary coach for the head coach opening before ultimately giving the job to Mike D'Antoni in a very surprising twist.

SI.com reported on Tuesday that Kupchak didn't think that the current version of the Lakers would fit the Triangle offense that Jackson is known to employ. The Lakers are a different team from the one Jackson coached a couple years ago after they brought in Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to try and bring home another championship.

"As we unwind the drama surrounding the Lakers' choice, it's becoming more clear that the Lakers simply felt that their roster was a better fit for D'Antoni's style. "Without going into great detail, some of our guys, I don't think would be very successful in the Triangle," Kupchak said. "Some of our newer players might take a long time to learn the Triangle."

D'Antoni coached the Suns from 2003-2008 before taking over the head coaching job with the New York Knicks. While with the Suns he directed their fast paced offense to the playoffs four straight years and compiled a 253-136 regular season record.

The Lakers started their head coaching search after firing Mike Brown just five games into the season. Since the coaching change the Lakers have won two straight to improve to 3-4.