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TV analyst Magic Johnson has called out Lakers honcho Jim Buss, while also wondering in a tweet why Kobe Bryant isn't doing the same every day.
In online excerpts from an interview Phil Jackson did with HBO, Jackson is asked why Jim Buss has "chosen to almost disassemble so much of what you've built?"
And now the Lakers don't have a starting point guard on their roster, with Ramon Sessions opting out of his contract.
"Bring it on," says Buss, "where do you want to start?"
What are the chances of the Lakers starting the season with Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol all in Lakers uniforms?
"Very good," says Buss.
So you don't agree with those who say the Lakers must turn Gasol into two or three players via a trade?
"No," he says. "I think changes are going to be made moving Pau lower to the basket. We can improve that way with a change in coaching strategy rather than a change in personnel."
No moves?
"We will try to sign Sessions when the rules allow beginning in July," he says. "And improve the bench."
No major free-agent signings, no blockbuster trades?
"No," he says.
Smelling salts, please, for Magic.
Magic was looking right into the ESPN camera when he told a national audience: "Jim Buss, brother, you have a job to do. I'm telling you right now because if you don't do it, you're going to hear from me."
Buss laughs. "He's got my phone number."
To hear Magic talk, and this has to make Dodgers players nervous, he's ready to blow up the Lakers because they failed to advance.
"He sounds like a TV analyst to me," says Buss. "That's his job to give opinions. I don't have a problem with that, and like a good Lakers fan he just wants us to get better. So do I."
Magic remains listed as a Lakers vice president, but the team says he's not being paid for the honorary le. They therefore aren't fined when he suggests they trade for Josh Smith or Dwight Howard.
"I would think Magic knows better than anyone," says Buss, "when the Lakers lose the last game of the season, everyone here is going to do whatever they can to make improvements."
And I thought Mitch Kupchak said there would be major moves a short while ago?
The Lakers need to make major moves, the first of which is firing Mike Brown, the second of which is trading either Gasol or Bynum and the third of which is to quit dumping salary and first round draft picks.
I have to believe that the contract with Time Warner has a clause in it based on how many people buy/watch the team... NO way they will get folks to s out bucks to watch the same team next year, no way.
Also no way will they pay these kinds of dollars for this type of team, they would be nuts & nuys is not what they are.
So, being that he is the "biggest" lightweight in the organization, can we expect one of the little moves to be Jimmy Bust getting out of our Laker lives????
As Good As It Gets...Starring Kobe, Pau, Bynum and Jack...
It's shocking how successful the Lakers have been with all these buffoons running the show.
Buss is smart, at least here. All these Pau rumors are killing his value. Lakers need Pau to play well in the Olympics and have a GM make a .75 cent trade on the dollar. Right now best deal they get would be .50 cents. If that is the case i would rather keep Pau.
Pau could easily be the gift that keeps on giving (Kwame for Pau 2008 Scam)
if the Flamers shooting guard could simply learn how to pass.
ohmwrecker
Just by doing as they've done before. Following a WWE written script.It's shocking how successful the Lakers have been with all these buffoons running the show.
When you want to sell a car or house you don't go running to anyone who will buy and say "I'm selling!". You act like you don't really wanna sell it. It brings the value up a bit, no matter how ty the car is.
Frenzy gets it. We shall see how they proceed.
Only stupid people would buy anything from someone using such a transparent tactic.
So instead of second round pergatory..lakers will have first round exits as the norm..
They don't need major moves. Their core, with more time to practice with their new coach is le worthy if healthy. They need some depth at G/SF and really they will be fine IMO. There are no dominant teams at the moment.
If they can land an OJ Mayo type + a Pietrus type they will be damn good. Some add athletes, ball handling and shooting
Tha funk
Lakers have a good team, just need a better point
i was pondring our team & if u really think bout it we dont need nobody else..............we got tha talent..............if u really think bout it we should be right back in tha mix next season..............
Ouch... Laker fans reading too deeply into Jim Buss' quote, hoping it really means their dream Pau for Dwight trade is happening tbh... kinda sad.
I thought you said Kobe was to blame for not being contenders... how are they fixing that?
Huh? What? nothing buss says implies that.
Technically, the Lakers don't need any big moves and should be fine, add depth to the bench. But people are forgetting that Bynum is the variable, and his frequent episodes of mentally "checking out" and showing up the coach is what ultimately led to a second round Knockout.
In all honesty, LA isn't winning with Kobe on the team..
Kobe's style of play is cancerous..he won rings, because he's one of the most talented players in NBA history, in addition to receiving support from the best frontcourt in the NBA, which negated any strategical shortcomings..
At this point, Kobe's style of play isn't going to change, and he's now barely a top 10 player..in addition, LA's frontcourt is no longer consistently the best frontcourt in the NBA..
They would need to acquire Dwight Howard to have even a remote chance at a le IMO, barring injuries to other teams..
don't forget all the help they got all this years from Stern but now he has a new darling so Lakers are ed again
True Byns checks out at times.
But how often has he been 6-7 and doing great down low and Ko refuses to keep feeding him?
In the early Laker Scam years Magic related how if Kream didn't get the ball enough he'd pout and stop playing hard. Thus Magic made it a point to get him the ball early and the game and thruout.
While both Kream and Bynum should play hard regardless, one can see where Ko *contributes* heavily to the "check out".
“I don’t discredit the effort San Antonio had when they won it in ’99 after the lockout,” LeBron said. “We all know Gregg Popovich is an unbelievable coach and Tim Duncan is an unbelievable player. It shouldn’t matter."
Now listen to the great Phil Jackson:
"Anybody who was around basketball in '99 knows it was entirely an aberration," Jackson said. "Not that (the Spurs) didn't deserve it ... but that's an asterisk."
is pathetic..
Accomplishments
3 MVP's
1 Bronze Medal
1 Gold (couldn't win without Kobe)
1* Asterisk le
What a ing court jester
I have confidence that Kobe is not a complete loser and will eventually play the right way.
Not sure if putting Gasol deeper in the post is really going to be a long-term answer. That just frightens me if that's the case. Don't know if Pau is going to become a sliver of what he was in say, '09 or '10, but if he somehow gets his courage, then perhaps it'll be something that will give the Lakers a shot at another 2nd round flameout.
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