http://grantland.com/features/jeanie-buss-lakers/
During a tour of the Lakers facilities, I came across Kupchak chatting with assistant GM Glenn Carraro and Nick Mazzella, GM of the Lakers’ D-League team, the D-Fenders, near the stairs going down to the practice court. When Kupchak called me later that afternoon, he was still dismayed about the previous night’s close road loss to the Miami Heat. “It was a shame,” Kupchak said. “I think they played so hard. We just couldn’t pull it out at the end. I felt bad for them.”
As for an overview of the Lakers’ 2014-15 season, Kupchak began by stating the obvious: They were not making the playoffs. He liked a few things, however. He thinks Byron Scott has established a culture where the players play hard every night; at that point, the Lakers had only one double-figure loss since the All-Star break. The players appear motivated. And for a team loaded with guys on one-year contracts, Kupchak says they are playing the right way. No one is chasing stats. No one is gunning. Kupchak has dismissed a quick fix to the Lakers’ situation, even though they’ll have a significant amount of cap space this summer and, possibly, a top-five draft pick.13
Jeanie Buss is publicly optimistic that the Lakers can turn things around. Though unfamiliar with the nuances of the game, she says, she trusts the vision that her brother and Kupchak have for the team. More than anything, she believes in the brand.
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