Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss and Kurt Rambis
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Jayne Kamin, Isaiah J. Downing – USA TODAY Sports activities
The Los Angeles Lakers could be the most well-known NBA franchise, however beneath the hood, it is a small household operation. One of many methods it is mirrored is in how a lot the Lakers spend on anybody who is not a famous person participant. (In case you ask across the league, the phrase “low-cost” would possibly pop up.) However the present s**tshow in LA is extra than simply not spending on entrance workplace workers. It is the last word instance of nepotism.
Dave & Busters
Having such a lean entrance workplace will increase the variability of outcomes. When you may have Jerry West working the present, nice issues occur. Mitch Kupchak takes over, with West as an advisor? We’re good. It appears Jeanie Buss thinks Rob Pelinka and Kurt Rambis are on that degree, and Chris Mannix went on a rant explaining how delusional that place is.
“Jeanie Buss appears to consider she’s acquired the most effective and the brightest in that group, which, she doesn’t. They’re a marquee franchise that is being run like a Dave & Busters.” mentioned Mannix on the Bill Simmons Podcast.
Mannix made positive to level out this is not on Rob Pelinka. We have seen profitable brokers transfer to a front-office position, like Bob Myers in Golden State, and succeed. There is a logic behind that rent. The opposite individuals on the core crew are those that elevate everybody’s eyebrow.
“To learn Jeanie Buss defend Kurt Rambis by describing his 40 years of expertise which have led to nothing consequential, after which type of denying that Linda Rambis is concerned in basketball operations, however affirming that she is an advisor, which type of recommend she is concerned in basketball operations,” Mannix defined.
In case you did not decide up the hints in quite a few podcasts and articles, plainly alongside Pelinka, the Lakers’ decision-making committee consists of Linda Rambis, Jeanie Buss’ finest buddy, Kurt Rambis, and Phil Jackson. As a lot as their considering aligns with LeBron James and Wealthy Paul.
What are their credentials? Phil Jackson is likely one of the finest coaches ever, however everyone knows his GM observe document is on the opposite aspect of success. Kurt Rambis is likely one of the worst coaches in NBA historical past and solely acquired jobs when Phil Jackson gave them to him. Linda is, properly, Jeanie’s BFF and Kurt’s spouse.
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“I do not know the way a crew like that, which ought to have limitless assets, which ought to exit of its approach to have the most effective entrance workplace in all of basketball, could be run in such a mom-and-pop manner,” Mannix summarized.
We do – it is known as nepotism. Whereas that is nothing out of the bizarre in skilled sports activities — lots of family and friends members get “particular advisor” positions — however normally, they’re low on the totem pole. With the Lakers, they appear to be your complete totem pole.
The Sam Presti cunudrum
As Simmons identified, 29 groups within the Affiliation hope nothing adjustments with the Lakers. Their present entrance workplace is a significant aggressive benefit for the opposite 29, possibly even to the purpose the place it outweighs the status of taking part in for the Lakers and dwelling in LA.
The answer for the Lakers appears easy – name Sam Presti and provide him a ton of cash to get your own home so as. Anytime somebody’s GM job is in query, Presti comes up as a goal. OKC’s GM is extremely revered and is working, properly, a crew in Oklahoma Metropolis.
”Presti is sitting there, as Masai is in Toronto, the Boston scenario is secure, Golden State is secure – if you happen to’re speaking who’s the massive ticket title that may immediatley repair your franchise, I might say it is Presti.”
Invoice Simmons, The Bill Simmons Podcast
For instance the Lakers do what they by no means did and pay market cash for a top-level entrance workplace man – Simmons talked about $15 million a yr. And for the sake of argument, as an example Presti truly needs to take care of LeBron/Klutch, the Westbrook scenario, not having management over their first spherical picks till 2027, and the stress of doing all of it for the Lakers. Guys like him prioritize one factor above else. Chris Mannix defined it properly.
“I am 100% positive that if Sam Presti took a job like that, he would solely take it if he may pink-slip everyone within the group, and he may inform each member of the Buss household apart from Jeanie that they need to lose his quantity. That they haven’t any acces to the entrance workplace and that their enter is now not required.”
How can he be 100% positive? Should’ve gotten it from a really dependable supply. Might this be Sam Presti signaling his circumstances to Jeanie Buss? Completely. Will she pull the set off? In line with every little thing she mentioned within the interview Buss gave to Bill Plaschke, she will not.
She’s not completely happy and would not perceive why she’s paying luxurious tax for such a poor crew, however Jeanie Buss would not appear to assume the decision-making course of and the individuals concerned might be the trigger. Her answer? Discover a coach that may make the Westbrook scenario work.
Good luck Laker Nation. You are gonna want it.
