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http://www.morningnewsusa.com/magic-johnson-willing-recruit-kevin-durant-lakers-2356792.html

Jim Buss needs to step aside…

Magic Johnson opined that co-owner and VP of Basketball Operations, Jim Buss, must step aside and allow a more basketball-oriented mind to make the big decisions for Laker Nation. “First and foremost, free agents have to believe that Lakers are headed in the right direction. If Jeanie made a move (to fire her brother Jim Buss from the post of VP), I think free agents would be willing to see that Lakers are really about winning and want to turn this thing around.


“Jim (Buss) needs to step aside and just be an owner. His father (Jerry Buss) allowed Jerry West to make all basketball decisions. It doesn’t have to be Phil Jackson. It can be someone else,” added the legendary point guard.

Magic also said he “would be fine” if Jeanie brought back her husband Phil Jackson to the Lakers. “There is a trust in L.A. that Jackson knows how to win championships.” Jackson is currently serving as the President of the New York Knicks.

one year ago Magic went on first take and also called out Jim Buss

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/12307956/magic-johnson-rips-jim-buss-says-kobe-bryant-put-foot-down

Magic was on First Take. He and Stephen A Smith have the same opinion about Buss. They both cant be wrong right Its going to be a interesting summer.

Lakers losing, someone has to go. I'm certain the fall guy is Byron Scott. I didn't see Magic putting any blame on BS here.

I also think Jeanie needs to step aside from the business side as well because its out of date and she like Jim needs to be an owner and let someone deal with the business side of this team.

Sofa King wrote:Lakers losing, someone has to go. I'm certain the fall guy is Byron Scott. I didn't see Magic putting any blame on BS here.

Hell will freeze over before Magic criticizes one of his showtime buddies.

Well at least i'll take comfort knowing that Magic isn't the one making basketball decisions for the organization. At the very least he's consistent i suppose when it comes to Jim, if not completely hypocritical in the way he treated D'Antoni in comparison to Byron.

So Magic has been correct for a year. Hopefully you are heard this time Magic.

Too many mouths parroting the same stuff, I think something is definitely brewing behind the door. I hope innocent and loyal people like Kupchak don't become fodder in the process.

Slava wrote:Too many mouths parroting the same stuff, I think something is definitely brewing behind the door. I hope innocent and loyal people like Kupchak don't become fodder in the process.

Not really, these are the same two people that have been spewing the exact same thing for years now. It's no secret that SAS is the biggest Jim hater out there and that Magic isn't far behind. SAS has been butt hurt for years now that Jim won't give him the time of day.

Michael Lucky wrote:

Slava wrote:Too many mouths parroting the same stuff, I think something is definitely brewing behind the door. I hope innocent and loyal people like Kupchak don't become fodder in the process.

Not really, these are the same two people that have been spewing the exact same thing for years now.

Isola and Woj went on record connecting Phil to LA, Stephen A took a radio tour of LA and confirmed that Jim is on the hot seat and Jeannie is ready to make a power play. I can ignore Magic but there's enough smoke there. The retirement of Kobe sets up a neat little curtain raiser for a power void.

Is there any chance this "bring back Jerry West" movement could ever work? Guys keep saying it as if there's a possibility it could happen.

Slava wrote:

Michael Lucky wrote:

Slava wrote:Too many mouths parroting the same stuff, I think something is definitely brewing behind the door. I hope innocent and loyal people like Kupchak don't become fodder in the process.

Not really, these are the same two people that have been spewing the exact same thing for years now.

Isola and Woj went on record connecting Phil to LA, Stephen A took a radio tour of LA and confirmed that Jim is on the hot seat and Jeannie is ready to make a power play. I can ignore Magic but there's enough smoke there. The retirement of Kobe sets up a neat little curtain raiser for a power void.

I won't ignore Woj's take but i can easily dismiss SAS or Magic's considering their clear agendas against Jim.

ArC_man wrote:Is there any chance this "bring back Jerry West" movement could ever work? Guys keep saying it as if there's a possibility it could happen.

You offer him a 10% stake in the Lakers, make his son the GM and he might come on as president of basketball ops.

My annoyance with this situation is the fact that Jim is the lame duck who everyone can blame due to the past success. It's the exact same stupidity as when a president is directly blamed for the economy being bad. He inherited a team in decline from its best years as well as an organization that got royally screwed by the new cba. No president or GM could have done anything to get this team to the playoff in the last few years. There simply was no means for it. The only thing i can actually put blame on him (outside the Byron hire) for is the Kobe contract but even that seems to have been influenced and supported more by his sister. Not that i'm saying, i want him going forward as the vp of basketball operations. I'm more comfortable with someone that has had experience in the field and seems to have an acute interest in the actual game. I'm just not going to blame someone who inherited a situation that was only going to head in one direction for years to come because it's the simple and easy thing to do.

Michael Lucky wrote:My annoyance with this situation is the fact that Jim is the lame duck who everyone can blame due to the past success. It's the exact same stupidity as when a president is directly blamed for the economy being bad. He inherited a team in decline from its best years as well as an organization that got royally screwed by the new cba. No president or GM could have done anything to get this team to the playoff in the last few years. There simply was no means for it. The only thing i can actually put blame on him (outside the Byron hire) for is the Kobe contract but even that seems to have been influenced and supported more by his sister. Not that i'm saying, i want him going forward as the vp of basketball operations. I'm more comfortable with someone that has had experience in the field and seems to have an acute interest in the actual game. I'm just not going to blame someone who inherited a situation that was only going to head in one direction for years to come because it's the simple and easy thing to do.

The Nick Young contract, the Lou Williams contract, letting Ed Davis walk, the Sasha and Luke contracts that each took a pick to dump, the failure to adequately protect the picks dealt for Nash, the free agency pitch failures to Aldridge, Melo, Monroe an whoever else we've been chasing over the past couple years, being ranked dead last in ESPN front office rankings, surely some of that crap storm has to register on Jim right?

Both him and Mitch can do one thing very well, which is swing big trades when they have assets and they can find value in drafts, which is about it. There's big gaps in the franchise when it comes to basketball operations and that can't be explained by the CP3 veto, CBA or Kobe contract.

According to Ireland there's people within the organization who think Byron should be given another year. Whether that's Mitch, Jim, or both, whoever holds that belief has to go, IMO.

Slava wrote:

ArC_man wrote:Is there any chance this "bring back Jerry West" movement could ever work? Guys keep saying it as if there's a possibility it could happen.

You offer him a 10% stake in the Lakers, make his son the GM and he might come on as president of basketball ops.

Where do I sign up for this? Tell Jerry don't forget to pick up Luke along the way.

ArC_man wrote:

Slava wrote:

ArC_man wrote:Is there any chance this "bring back Jerry West" movement could ever work? Guys keep saying it as if there's a possibility it could happen.

You offer him a 10% stake in the Lakers, make his son the GM and he might come on as president of basketball ops.

Where do I sign up for this? Tell Jerry don't forget to pick up Luke along the way.

10% is huge though, that's anywhere between $250 - 400 mil by current valuations, I don't think good old Jerry can swing that. I derped out and dropped a number without thinking.

Slava wrote:

Michael Lucky wrote:My annoyance with this situation is the fact that Jim is the lame duck who everyone can blame due to the past success. It's the exact same stupidity as when a president is directly blamed for the economy being bad. He inherited a team in decline from its best years as well as an organization that got royally screwed by the new cba. No president or GM could have done anything to get this team to the playoff in the last few years. There simply was no means for it. The only thing i can actually put blame on him (outside the Byron hire) for is the Kobe contract but even that seems to have been influenced and supported more by his sister. Not that i'm saying, i want him going forward as the vp of basketball operations. I'm more comfortable with someone that has had experience in the field and seems to have an acute interest in the actual game. I'm just not going to blame someone who inherited a situation that was only going to head in one direction for years to come because it's the simple and easy thing to do.

The Nick Young contract, the Lou Williams contract, letting Ed Davis walk, the Sasha and Luke contracts that each took a pick to dump, the failure to adequately protect the picks dealt for Nash, the free agency pitch failures to Aldridge, Melo, Monroe an whoever else we've been chasing over the past couple years, being ranked dead last in ESPN front office rankings, surely some of that crap storm has to register on Jim right?

Both him and Mitch can do one thing very well, which is swing big trades when they have assets and they can find value in drafts, which is about it. There's big gaps in the franchise when it comes to basketball operations and that can't be explained by the CP3 veto, CBA or Kobe contract.

If we're going to immediately place the blame on him for these moves, what's the point of having a GM at that point? Not to mention the Nash move was still in large part influenced by Dr. Buss. As for FA pitches, i still feel like the extracurricular had more to do with the type of influence Jeanie would have than Mitch or Jim especially when you consider the TWC influence aspect (to be clearer the business aspect is being put forth first over the actual on basketball court aspect).

Slava wrote:

ArC_man wrote:Is there any chance this "bring back Jerry West" movement could ever work? Guys keep saying it as if there's a possibility it could happen.

You offer him a 10% stake in the Lakers, make his son the GM and he might come on as president of basketball ops.

I would be SHOCKED if Jerry West ever came back to the Lakers in any capacity as long as Jeanie is in a position of power and is attached to Phil. The divide between West and Jackson was what drove him away, and as long as Jeanie is in power and with Phil, the faintest threat of Phil being brought on is probably reason enough to keep Logo away.