Jeanie talks about Lakers franchise at UCLA seminar

[LLcoleJ]

Not a media soundbite, it was her actual statement when she asked to settle the score and right the boat on the Phil Jackson mess. In that same interview, she intimated that she has essentially not been as involved as she would have normally been (regarding staying home and watching games with Phil).

Jeanie's miscalculation is that she could throw live grenades (such as the airing of family grievances--as if it were Festivus) in her latest book, while publicly disappearing from the fans, giving the impression that we were left to the devices of the kooky man behind the curtain.

I'm glad she's realized that the Lakers desperately needed the figurehead that she can play, but it's done a significant amount of damage to the team's perception in the short term. It also doesn't help that some of the first things out of her mouth are straight up silly sounding--when the entire point was for her to get us back on track.

Essentially, the Jeanie response is justified in relation to the response to Jimmy. So many people have raised her status, deeming her worthy of owning and running this franchise...but if she wants to be seen in that light, she's going to have to appeal to more than the casual fan (which I agree, most people don't care or take the time to understand the cap. Hell, not even our radio personalities seem to, either. Probably because it would cause you to hate the normal fan )

She lost me when saying that the fans should not worry about cap numbers and I highly doubt she's into the Larry Coon FAQ page.

I would say 1% of the Laker fan base have any working knowledge of the Salary Cap and how it works. Most people just listen to talk radio and the talking points.

So to a point she is right. However, the job is theirs.. Jeanie, Jim and Mitch that should not involve what the casual laker fan thinks about the Salary Cap. To Dock's point above if this was a business decision it was one with the salary cap in mind and not absent of it.

Considering she has been on the " business" side of multiple successful franchise years, TimeWarner Deal, Board of governors, part of the CBA negotiations, etc.. I would say she has some level of competence when it comes to salaries and caps.

You making a huge assumption based on a media soundbite.

I don't know if she attended the CBA meetings, it was mostly done before Dr. Buss' demise. Also she had this to say recently:

"I don't know specifics on the plan, but they're confident and have assured me that next year will be better, measurable by more wins," she said. "We'll continue to build from there."

http://articles.latimes.com/2014/mar/19 ... i-20140320

I have no doubt she's smart and capable but I doubt she understands the gravity of constructing a roster capable of challenging while committing 1/3rd of your cap to an aging veteran coming off a catastrophic injury.

She seems to be investing a lot of faith in Jimmy & Kupchak.

So should she make more of a point to clarify to the fans that know about the salary cap and what the plan is? Or is is just the usual owner to fan, we go this sound bites?

I guess I am more shocked that people read statements and interviews and draw conclusions about business operations.

Unless these people work alone or on islands and the only interaction they have with each other and to the fans are through the media?

I am assuming that these people work together everyday and keep most of their plans and business moves close to the vest for, well, business purposes.

And when I mean 'working' together I don't mean they all just clock in at 9 am , play candy crush all day long clock our at 5 then do media interviews because they are confused with what is going on.

This is BIG business, right?

[Slava]

So should she make more of a point to clarify to the fans that know about the salary cap and what the plan is? Or is is just the usual owner to fan, we go this sound bites?

I guess I am more shocked that people read statements and interviews and draw conclusions about business operations.

Unless these people work alone or on islands and the only interaction they have with each other and to the fans are through the media?

I am assuming that these people work together everyday and keep most of their plans and business moves close to the vest for, well, business purposes.

And when I mean 'working' together I don't mean they all just clock in at 9 am , play candy crush all day long clock our at 5 then do media interviews because they are confused with what is going on.

This is BIG business, right?

The only opinion I can make of her is through the media. Its just that whenever she opens her mouth she seems to drain the confidence out of me, like her opinion on how "We as a franchise failed Dwight Howard", that's completely opposite to the narrative Mitch seems to convey.

When ODB spoke, you had the feeling that there was cohesion between the ownership and management. With Jeanie, it seems like the cracks and discord that seem to be apparent. I feel much better listening to Mitch, there's no sign of weakness or the den-mom attitude there.

[LLcoleJ]

So should she make more of a point to clarify to the fans that know about the salary cap and what the plan is? Or is is just the usual owner to fan, we go this sound bites?

I guess I am more shocked that people read statements and interviews and draw conclusions about business operations.

Unless these people work alone or on islands and the only interaction they have with each other and to the fans are through the media?

I am assuming that these people work together everyday and keep most of their plans and business moves close to the vest for, well, business purposes.

And when I mean 'working' together I don't mean they all just clock in at 9 am , play candy crush all day long clock our at 5 then do media interviews because they are confused with what is going on.

This is BIG business, right?

The only opinion I can make of her is through the media. Its just that whenever she opens her mouth she seems to drain the confidence out of me, like her opinion on how "We as a franchise failed Dwight Howard", that's completely opposite to the narrative Mitch seems to convey.

When ODB spoke, you had the feeling that there was cohesion between the ownership and management. With Jeanie, it seems like the cracks and discord that seem to be apparent. I feel much better listening to Mitch, there's no sign of weakness or the den-mom attitude there.

I would say that collectively we need to move on from ODB, as he is gone. There is no replacement of him and we are all doing ourselves a disservice by comparing him and Jim and him and Jeanie.

But the madness that goes on here is.... if Jim doesn't say anything he is not reaching out to the fans and giving them enough. If Mitch says something it's not true because it was Jim,we want Jeanie to be in charge..." oh she spoke , now she needs to shut up"

We should let them do their job IMO instead of searching for the ODB move. In reality, though their " job" and clock hasn't really started. It pretty much begins this offseason. So that will be a better litmus test if Jimmy is competent and or Jeanie understands what 2+2 means.

[LLcoleJ]

The only opinion I can make of her is through the media. Its just that whenever she opens her mouth she seems to drain the confidence out of me, like her opinion on how "We as a franchise failed Dwight Howard", that's completely opposite to the narrative Mitch seems to convey

One more thing on this that I was thinking about. This comment about failing Dwight IMO is conveyed in a different context. She is taking that stance as a leader/mother type figure. In which,regardless of what happened it falls on us9 The Lakers) type context. They need to own it and move on from it. It doesn't come across, atleast to me that she is saying this as an excuse or in some support of Howard the man and the player.

[crazyeights]

This speech epitomizes Jeanie for me:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLMnVzBuHzI[/youtube]

First off we hear the cat calls. Second she identifies herself as a voice for the fans. Then, she goes on to utter the words: "The first time I met Kobe in 1996, he came to the Forum for a press conference after he was chosen 8th overall in the NBA draft [...]"

Notice anything? Well, Kobe wasn't drafted 8th--he was drafted 13th, and what's worse is she is reading this speech--I couldn't care less if someone simply misspoke, but to be at a public event, being introduced by Jimmy Kimmel, purporting to speak on behalf of us, the fans, and then getting something so basic as where in the 1996 draft Kobe was selected wrong? It's lazy. It's incompetent. She either has no idea when Kobe was drafted, or didn't write her speech, or is too distracted to care.

This person is not a genius. I don't care who tells me she's great, that she runs a multi-billion dollar franchise, that she was the head honcho when the team signed the no brainer TWC deal, nothing I have ever heard her say inspires anything but a lackluster disappointment in me.

Ultimately, does it matter? No. It doesn't. Because it doesn't matter if Jeanie Buss is all that intelligent, all she has to do is not rock the boat too much and the team will eventually succeed.

Maybe I'm being hard on her, but something tells me many people love Jeanie more for her relationship to PJ/her father and her Playboy photo spread days, rather than on merit. Her realizing that she needs to be the face of the Lakers is a first step, and yes, it's probably good that Phil's shadow is gone for now, but if she's gonna wear the crown, she's gotta step it up. Just like Jimmy.

[Slava]

Excellent post!

[LLcoleJ]

I guess everyone needs someone to blame.....

[Kilroy]

I guess everyone needs someone to blame.....

Seems like it...

Being 'right' about what happened is about as satisfying as thinking about the burger you had a year ago for lunch today.

[crazyeights]

I guess everyone needs someone to blame.....

I'm not blaming Jeanie. I'm putting her into context

Seriously though, the past 5 seasons of the Lakers have been so tragic that there are so many fascinating events, twists of fate, wayyy too complicated to hang around any one person's neck:

-Comeback in game 7 against Boston, capping a 3 year revenge journey for Kobe and Pau.
-PJ staying on and going for his 4th 3-peat
-PJ getting cancer (unbeknownst to us)
-Kobe's knee problems (unbeknownst to us)
-The Dallas series
-PJ retires
-Jeanie spends more time with PJ
-Mike Brown's hiring
-The lockout/CBA/CP3/LO
-Trading D-Fish for Sessions
-Ousted again
-Sessions opting out
-Nash trade
-Dwight trade ("Now This is Going to be Fun.")
-TWC Lakers Channel broadcasts scene of Mitch telling Dwight: you see dat der? onesday ya jersey's gonna go right up der!
-Winless in the preseason
-Jerry Buss has had cancer somewhat unbeknownst to us
-Brown fired
-Kobe endorses MDA
-TWC broadcasting rumors of PJ
-We want Phil chants
-Midnight call to PJ (Jerry's choice)
-We hire MDA, fans go ape****
-MDA is on drugs!
-Bernie goes on a winning streak that the fans will always cherish
-Did we mention that career-altering Nash injury?
-Did we mention Dwight's not himself?
-Pau either
-Dr. Buss passes away
-The team galvanizes in his memory
-We finally get healthy (read: Kobe starts running the show) [er--except Nash]
-We're streaking (Earl the Pearl--I don't wanna be known as the team that doesn't make the post season--)
-Kobe guarantees playoff birth (starts checking himself into games--Dwight and Pau caution "trust")
-Kobe plays one of his all-time great games in Portland, playoffs in sight
-Kobe v Warriors: what appears to be a Herculean turns Achillean
-Kobe out (Dwight: I will carry us)
-Lakers swept in 4 (Dwight ejected)
-Kobe comes out of the tunnel
-Dwight: Lemme make it up to ya, LA
-Dwight takes pictures next to Kobe like at a bedside vigil
-Dwight flees to Houston
-We sign guys who want to be here, get the b-squad back together ("Best chemistry in 30 years)
-Blake for 3 (suck it Dwight!)
- .500 for Kobe's return
-Kob breaks his leg
-Tank is on ("5 guys" has new meaning)
-Jimmy Buss is flayed alive
-NY tries to hire PJ
-Fans demand our PJ!!
-The Buss Brass stands pat
-Jeanie wakens from her slumber (mama bear on the TWC)
-Buss fam doubles down on Mitch's magic wand
-MDA/Swaggy spoil tank
-Kobe mad, supposedly, (he's never around to verify)
-MDA "resigns"

Today, Wednesday May 14...less than one week from lottery day...all is quiet....

[madmaxmedia]

the issue starts to develop when you start analyzing how his contract affects the basketball side of things. Kobe will be the highest paid player in the league, 3 mil more than lebron james, 4.5 more than kevin durant, 1.5 mil more than parker and duncan combined, that right there puts the lakers at a SERIOUS disadvantage, perhaps even an insurmountable disadvantage.

it was one thing when kobe was arguably the best player in the league and the lakers had no hand cuffs placed on them by the CBA for going deep in the luxury tax. its another now that you can't just spend your way out of mediocrity. i won't go into all the new and recent ways that the NBA has seemingly successfully leveled the playing field, but it has made it very important to spend your cap wisely.

It's not hard to consider it an INSURMOUNTABLE disadvantage when looking at those players you mention that make less. Is that what Kobe wants? I guess not, though he's competitive enough that he is probably going to try to will himself back into playing at a super high level. So he's probably not seeing his contract in that way.

http://articles.latimes.com/2014/mar/19 ... i-20140320

I have no doubt she's smart and capable but I doubt she understands the gravity of constructing a roster capable of challenging while committing 1/3rd of your cap to an aging veteran coming off a catastrophic injury.

She seems to be investing a lot of faith in Jimmy & Kupchak.

Actual basketball operations, personnel, etc. doesn't seem to have ever been in her area of responsibility (maybe if it had, she would have that 'Salary Cap' sweater.) If someone is rooting for Jeannie to take over Jim's job, the best outcome would be that Jeannie would then hire someone really good to run basketball operations. Although I think Mitch is already pretty good.

[gts1]

Didn't they offer him a contract extension while he was injured? This is all on the front office. Let them deal with maneuvering around his contract to field a competitive team and judge later.

i'm willing to be surprised, but to me it was a business move not a basketball move, and i'm ok with that.

I think it was a little bit of both.. Business move that effects basketball down the road

One of the things this new CBA does is it makes it hard for players to feel secure. With the purse strings so tight/restrictive on teams that are willing to spend money everyone has become expendable when their contracts draw to an end.

Kobe's contract is a bit inflated but it signals to the players of the league that if you play here and you produce you will be rewarded for it, that the CBA may shape our decisions but it will not dictate our decisions...

After Dwight left for Houston the Lakers had to do something to show they're still a destination for the elite of the NBA and what better way to reinsert themselves in that conversation than locking up one of the leagues all time elite players

The contract may hamper the Lakers for a season or two, it might not at all, we won't know until this summer and we see who becomes a free agent but I guarantee players and their agents have taken notes and the contract will do more for the Lakers than just keeping Kobe in Purple and Gold