[SlickBouncePassParticipant]

 This is about the Lakers and Magic Johnson…

The Lakers pop up on my youtube and I gotta give them props, they are excellent with their tv media and social media.  

Magic Johnson recently took the advisory position with the Lakers so he was being interviewed by sportsnet with James Worthy by his side.

He said some noteworthy things.

"The Lakers are heading in the winning direction by bringing me in" — There is very little that I disagree with magic Johnson about.  He is and always has been great on TV as an analyst whether for TNT or ESPN.  I think bringing him in was inevitable given the Lakers current situation.  He is one of the smartest basketball players ever.

"This team is one superstar away" — I sort of agree.  The Lakers if they can get their talent to improve and buy in, and then add a Paul George type, they might be fine.  Magic Johnson will make the right impression for D’Angelo and Randle and put Ingram in the right spot.  They’ve already started this by sitting their slow aging vets like Deng to give the younger guys more experience…makes sense, an easy move, just need the right leader to stand up to Jim Buss etc.

"Winning takes care of everything" — Yes, the more you win everyone is happy.  Carmelo and Paul George or a Blake Griffin woudln’t think about signing with the Lakers as is.  They gotta get rid of Nick Young, a player Magic never mentioned in 24 minutes of interview, Build a winning culture with the young players you attract better players, not Mozgov and Deng.  Why is Nick Young playing over D’Angelo Russell?  Let the young guys be exciting, lead the team, and win.

I think Magic doesn’t believe in relying on the draft.  I think he likes what the team has now, wants them to start winning instead of tanking, in order to make themselves attractive.  I don’t think he wants to tank this year and potentially draft a star.  I don’t think he sees a star in this draft.  He wants to win now, put the pieces in place to win in the future, and just rely on the bankroll and free agency to play with this core.  

Let’s be honest, the Sixers have gotten lucky in their draft fortune to grab a Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.  They could’ve ended up with an underwhelming Wiggins and Ingram, who are really good, but Simmons and Embiid have the Potential, to be hall of famers if healthy based on their skillsets.

I don’t think Magic wants to rely on the draft this year, he wants to start winning, now.  At least I hope so, been waiting two years for their picks!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[r377Participant]

I would take what magic Johnson says with a grain of salt.

In 2011 he said he would take Brandon Knight (who is a backup on one of the worst teams in the league) as the no1 overall pick….

[frogmanParticipant]

 Because no other great basketball minds have made a mistake in drafts hey.

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 Magic is being brought in an advisory role. While he will no doubt have input, Kupchak and buss will still ultimately be the ones making the basketball decisions for the time being. Whether magic is ultimately being brought in to replace Kupchak or buss in the near future is up for debate.

While I love the fact that magic is back with the franchise, I would have serious reservations about giving him total control of the franchise. Don’t get me wrong, I am no fan of buss and believe he needs to go or at least step back from the basketball side of things. Kupchak does have a proven track record of building championship level teams, but his approach in this current rebuild has left a lot be desired, particularly in free agency. It may be time for him to go. However, I’m not sure if magic is guy I would want to replace him.

Magic is a brilliant basketball mind, but he is also an emotional guy who can be somewhat impulsive at times. Some of his comments in recent years about the franchise, whether warranted or not, have rubbed me the wrong way. He was absolutely brutal on dantoni which I don’t think was fully deserved. The thinking that the Lakers are a superstar away from contention scares me. Does this mean that he would be willing to blow up the young core they have in place in order to acquire an established star? If so, I think that is absolutely the wrong approach to take. How much patience will magic show during this rebuilding process? This is a guy that is not used to losing and was never a part of a losing team in his career.

I’ve always said that success as a coach is usually a pretty good indicator of how someone will do in a front office role. Not always but in most cases. Magic’s coaching career ( though brief) was an absolute disaster. What I would really like to see is them somehow find a way to bring Jerry west back to the organization. Not sure how feasible it is but they should at least try I think. Maybe him a magic could split the front office basketball decision making duties. I’d also really like to see them bring their analytics department into the 21st century, as they are way behind most franchises in this regard. If they are just planning on magic and the Lakers mystique to lure the big names and turn things around I don’t think it will work.

 

 

 

[SlickBouncePassParticipant]

You may not think Magic is a basketball genius, and I don’t think he necessarily has to be.  Some of the stuff he said in that interview was so obvious to me, and I’m not a basketball genius.

A typical Laker fan would say "yeah let’s just get Jerry West back"…as if he’s willing to come back and work with Jim Buss.  Its so obvious on Magic Johnson’s face anytime he mentions Jim Buss that he know Jim Buss is what is holding this team back.

Magic Johnson simply said, do whatever you do, systematically.  When you have Kobe and you bring in Dwight Howard, why on earth do you bring in Mike D’Antoni to play with that roster?  As evidenced, that was a horrible fit, the guy wants to play 5 quick guards, not an aging Kobe at the 3, and Dwight Howard a former all-star reduced to teh Amari Staudemire role when he is in his prime….why would you do that?

Why would you then go the opposite and hire a Mike Brown who also likes to slow the game down from an offensive perspective which doesn’t work with the current NBA.  Why also would you sign a has-been Byron Scott who wasn’t even a good coach in NJ, and whose hardheadedness prevented from meshing with the younger stars and the way the game is played today.  All that is Nonsense, and Magic saw that and understood, you have made a series of bad hirings to go with your talent on the floor.

What they needed was a progressive coach, like GSW understood when they fired Mark Jackson and brought in Kerr, and what the Lakers FINALLY got when they hired Luke Walton instead of Byron Scott Mike Brown etc….

Its a very simple fix.  Think progressive, think about hiring a coach that works with your talent.  Jerry West likely won’t come back unless he is happy with the organization and sees them committed to winning.  Maybe Magic Johnson will bring in a wave of fresh ideas.

But to me its simple, you have all those guards, let Lou Williams and Clarkson and D’Angelo and Ingram play in a free flowing style, with Randle and Zubac, and don’t try to overstructurize it.  

He said he would NOT blow up the core, he just wants them to start working on their games, by getting more game experience so you don’t play the old Deng and Mozgov at teh behest of the young talent.  I think Magic has a lot more vision than the asumptions you are making.  He knows good basketball players, talented, and knows their capabilities.  If Magic doesn’t think a player would help, like the way he never mentioned Nick Young on the roster which I agree with 100% because I dont’ think the guy takes the game seriously enough, then I’d trust him to make the best move for the squad.

You got Russell, Clarkson, Ingram, Randle, Zubac….make them your core, allow their games to mature around you, figure out the system that works best for them all, start winning and be exciting, let teh celebrity fans show up, and then go after the Free Agent or two that can lead you to titles.  

At the very least, create a winning environment so your players have fun, get rid of the cancerous players like Nick Young, and if the Free Agent doesn’t work out in the next two years, then go after him in the 3rd year.  If you end up in the lottery thats fine, but at least play hard, and don’t rely on ending up with the first pick, because the chacnes of you drafting a Hall of Famer is much less likely than you attracting a Superstar once you become a winner.  

Carmelo isn’t the answer, but if the Lakers were winning more its likely he could be a piece, if he knew how to make his teammates better of course.  

 Yes Lakers fans, you aren’t being gifted Paul Gasol for Javaris Crittendon anymore, you gotta do it the hard way.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[MopgrassParticipant]

Jerry Buss is terrible. He insisted on the Steve Nash trade: the only true mistake by the front office. I’d be glad to see him ousted. However, Kupchek deserves to stay. He helped assesmble a championship team by getting Gasol, he technically traded for Chris Paul (though rescinded) and Dwight Howard. If not for league tampering, Paul, Howard, and Bryant would be a formidable big 3. Had the league let that trio exist, Howard might have stayed, Gasol wouldn’t have been so annoyed to walk away without letting the Lakers get something in return, Buss’d never have sought Nash, and the draft picks lost by getting Howard and Nash would’ve felt worthwhile. 

Kupchek hasn’t failed. The league, Jerry Buss, and collective bargaining have failed him. The Lakers used to win by outspending. Lakers fans can’t expect those quick turn around a anymore. They have to develop players like everyone else… somewhere in the cycle they have to do that. They’re currently taking the best route possible. Don’t jump ship. 

Jeanie Buss is under a lot of pressure from everyone today. Magic Johnson isn’t an expert at anything other than being an awesome point guard. Bad coach and a big know-nothing about how the game is played today (Byron Scott-level). Great guy, great PR. Adds nothing. 

 

If if you want to promote someone, how about Jerry West’s son: the scout that found Jordan Clarkson in the 2nd round. 

[Ahkasi ClayParticipant]

Time for at least one of the Buss babies to leave.

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 I don’t think Johnson wants to build in the draft because A. he’s not patient enough to do that and B. because he’s not a good enough talent evaluator to identify who projects to be a star. He’s good at seeing who proven players are (hence his ridiculously obvious tweets all the time) but I don’t know if he’s the guy I’d want in charge of building a team that can’t just try to swing for the fences in FA. 

Hopefully people don’t think he’s going to be a miracle worker in LA. He’s always tried to recruit players to the Lakers so I doubt his role changes all that much. It’s just in an official capacity now. 

Aren’t the Lakers just always going to do what they’ve been doing though Johnson or not? They are going to chase after the big game and try to cut corners when it comes to building their team. I think that’s what Johnson will try to do just the same. 

 

 

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