Magic Johnson is rarely hesitant about voicing an opinion on just about any subject, especially his beloved Los Angeles Lakers.
Wednesday
afternoon during a conference call, he not only gave a short "State of
the Lakers" address, but he also put team management on blast for the
turmoil surrounding the team.
"We have to remember that it's not
Mitch's situation anymore," he said, referring to Mitch Kupchak, the
team's beleaguered general manager. "He's not running the team; Jim Buss
is running the team, so Mitch has to follow the direction of Jim Buss
and what he wants.
"So, I wouldn't say Mitch is the problem."
That would be Jim Buss you hear screaming "Ouch!"
Magic
then went on to address Kobe Bryant challenging management to either
trade Pau Gasol or publicly remove him from the trading block so the big
man could just concentrate on playing.
"It's great to see Kobe
support his teammate," said Johnson, who was a minority owner in the
team until 2010. "I think what Kobe really wants is just to be informed —
as a leader and a future Hall of Famer, and as a guy who's brought five
championships to the Lakers and the fans of Los Angeles. He probably
wants just to have more communication, like he did when Phil Jackson was
there and he worked well with Mitch.
"I don't think Kobe feels he
has that type of relationship — or communication — with Jim. What has
to happen is for Jim to sit him down. ... Hey, Dr. (Jerry) Buss was a
master of taking you to lunch or taking you to dinner and really going
over what he was thinking about doing with the team. Jerry West was
great at that as well. ... Kobe, Mitch and Jim just (have) to get on the
same page, and it will be OK."
Magic seems to be saying that Jim
Buss isn't running the organization like his father or West or even
Kupchak did. If he were, Magic suggests, Jim Buss would have steered the
yacht back on the right course.
All of which begs the question:
Is Jim Buss capable of running an NBA franchise? Especially one that has
been the league's crown jewel for the past three decades, give or take
the Nick Van Exel era?
So far, the answer is not looking good for the younger Buss.
If
Jim is truly the man now, as Magic claims, his reign as the successor
to the most successful pro sports owner in LA history is off to
stumbling start. And it goes way beyond the Gasol situation or Kobe’s
feelings about it.
It began with the Lamar Odom trade before the
season started. Everyone within the Lakers organization knew how
sensitive Odom is and how much of his life and identity were tied into
being a Laker and living in Los Angeles. Yet instead of preparing Odom
for a possible deal, he was kept in the dark until the trade for Chris
Paul was agreed upon. And when it was nixed by the league, the situation
became so toxic that they had to trade Odom. Neither he nor the Lakers
has been the same since.
Then there's Metta World Peace, the
player who perhaps should have been moved before Odom. His skills seem
to be waning, especially offensively, and he has questioned the ability
of new coach Mike Brown, referring to him as "having a background as a
video coordinator" and being a "stats guy." And yet he’s still here
while Odom is gone.
There have been two players-only meetings
after recent games. The Los Angeles Times reported that Bryant and Derek
Fisher implored the players to forget about everything else — including
complaints about Brown's fondness for long workouts — and just focus on
winning.
Will the meetings make a difference?
"If they play
the way they did against Portland — that was beautiful to watch," Magic
said of Monday’s 103-92 win. “(But) the Lakers have been inconsistent;
that's been their biggest problem. They have yet to be a team that's
really been consistent. Until they get that, it could be an up-and-down
season."
Johnson believes there's one sure cure for the Lakers’ woes.
"If
they can make a trade, they'll be right there competing for the Western
Conference championship. We're lacking at the point guard, like we've
been saying for the last year-and-a-half or so. But if they don't (make a
deal), with Oklahoma City and San Antonio playing so much better than
the Lakers, I don't think they will compete."
Magic has put the
ball in management's court. Will it be another brilliant assist, or will
Jim Buss watch the ball go right through his hands?
