Magic Johnson Discussion

amen to all this. i'm done being NO's fools. if davis wants to play here, we can sign a max player this year and would be able to sell off everyone else for parts to create davis-sized space if need be in 2020.

 

I liked what I’ve heard from Magic’s interview today. It had to be done. You are not going to heal a wound without exposing it to the air, as the saying goes.

I think he did cowardly Jeannie a favor by exposing all this b.s. Remember that this dysfunctional organization went dark for a month, while the rumors swirled. They weren’t smart enough to have public relations during a critically important free agent period approaching.

 

his interview isnt gona change whats going on in FO right now all it did was add more ammo to be used against us

 

I disagreed with a few of Magic's assertions noted above (Mistake to let JR walk, Riley situation) but for the most part I thought he wasn't wrong and was straightforward with his assessment. I believe he wanted to clear the air, his position and not try to sweep the toxicity surrounding the team that has affected basketball operations under the rug any longer. This may or may not have been the opportune time to do this but I think he felt it needed to be done before the summer commences. I appreciate his frankness and believe it will allow the team to put this chapter to bed and focus on executing a great off-season.

 

I think it might Khrmp, everyone including Magic is being put on notice. I think it will help focus the FO on the task at hand, no time for the distractions (particularly for Magic, Jeannie and her FO, LeBron, BI, Zo, and Kuz). They are either going to swim or sink together. Lot of reputations on the line.

 

Yeah, Magic admitted responsibility for all of those crappy signings last year and defended that Zubac trade by pointing out how he did on the Clippers.



Now, the team can portray that someone else is making the basketball decisions vs Magic.

 

Kurt gaining more power, not hiring a BPO, so whats changing for the better?

 

Hate how Magic went out, but he didn't hide behind anonymity and sources...it all came from him.

Meanwhile our current execs hide behind ghost peppers and hot sauce. I respect Magic for coming in, saying his piece and giving Jeanie one last plea to put the right folks in power (especially coming off the heels of announcing no new Prez after meeting with potential candidates at the Draft Combine).

It's wild that the same folks that criticize Jeanie/Lakers for running the Lakers poorly and not giving a new Prez his choice and final say in bringing in his own GM and his own coach, are now stating that Magic is hurting the Lakers by coming out and doing this. Put the microscope on this mess and clean it up instead of remaining the course.

If Magic is big picture and Rob is the cap guy to see it to fruition, who's really at fault if you bring the options of Zu/Beas for Mus as the best option to take?

I appreciate he took onus towards BLo although it does no good for us now...and I do agree that Jules/DLo/Zu are being blown up to be more than it really was. But again there are better ways our transitions could have gone and if Rob is the cap guy, he's the one that needs to create better options...he obviously didn't.

Per the official Rob becoming GM release in 2017:

Still, big picture, we sit in better position today than we did 2 years ago with MozDeng.

Jeanie: bring in a worthy Prez of bball ops and let them make their hires instead of forcing puzzle pieces to fit. That should be the take away.

I'm going to give Jeanie an opportunity to right this, but from the looks of it, she's failing to empower the right folks. I admit, I gotta soft spot for Jeanie cause I sincerely feel she's trying to honor her dad, but she really has to understand what worked for Dr. Buss (forcing puzzle pieces together Buss-West-Phil all bumped heads with each other at times and weren't necessarily yes men to each other) is not going to necessarily work in this NBA climate for her.

Each dept needs checks & balances but the Prez of bball ops need only answer to you and should have final say in anything bball ops related. For example, a marketing guy like Tim Harris only needs to have a say in how to sell a head coach to the fan base (bearded vs non-bearded Vogel), not have a vote in coaching that reflects X&O's or anything on the bball side.

With all that said, I hope Magic said his entire piece and now just goes back to being a Laker ambassador of they need him. He has to show support now heading into a critical summer.

And for those making this a "Magic ruined our summer pitch" campaign...look at Ky, KD and AD still linked to the Dolan led Knicks or even Zion disappointed that the Knicks didn't get the 1st overall pick...look at Cp3 okaying a cLip reroute after the Laker deal got nixed...look at Tsai and Prokhorov's BK power struggle, while losing Trajan and how Ky, Butler and KD are still linked to go there.

FA's don't give a s*** really cause ownership is something that doesn't make much cents to them as long as they make the real dollars being in that market and cornering merchandise off diehard fans.

The most comforting thing we found out is that Magic doesn't buy all the Kawhi to cLips hype and we all know he had allies everywhere... including the non-bball sector.

 

I was just wondering why Magic was talking about the Lakers and then I saw a great deal of the quotes. This is all my opinion but I'm thinking the snake in the Lakers was Magic. I've been trying to figure out what is his angle with the press conference to leave? What is his point saying the "truth" now and not then when he knew exactly what he was going to say? Why didn't he tell at the very least the star player and the owner who he supposedly has a great relationship with and loves? Today it finally made sense that Magic is sabotaging Jeannie (again, she may not need help) in order to make her sell the Lakers. Magic is playing his charm card and watching the the fans react. I got to be real I don't trust Magic. Look at all the answers they all ring "I was going to be great but (insert person) they f'd it up" and then everyone needed to trained by him? seriously? Nah, Magic wanted to do anything he would of left LA the way the were and moved on with his biz (like getting the fricken Dodgers on TV in LA like he promised). Nope, instead he on tv sharing with the world how bad all these Lakers people are except him. He even dragged Kobe into it?

Guess I could be wrong but this stinks of self-serving saboteur.

 

I think majority of us feel this way, its just a select few who still trying to spin this as a "positive" thing

 

You are giving him waaaaaay too much credit. He isn't nearly smart enough for it.

 

@puffyusaf#2 your voice matters to me...a select few other "negative" ones don't, so who's sabotaging who? Sources were leaky all season and they largely made Magic look bad.

Jeanie hired Magic as an advisor and he could have advised her to sell in private. Instead he pushed himself into the Prez position, essentially eliminating himself from maneuvering to buy the Lakers over the course of his contract (3 years).

If I'm team Prez and I don't know the CBA, I'm going to go find my own CBA guy. Instead he was forced to work with Rob (a novice on the "buyer's" side of the CBA). Now if my big picture vision is 2 max guys and I'll go make them the pitch, but put us in positionto get there...and then the CBA guy says well your only options are let Jules walk, let Zu's 2m RFA caphold come off the books, let's overpay Rondo and Kcp on a 1yr deal, then sure I'll take those options to fulfill my big picture vision. But are those really my only options?

Magic's big picture vision clearly involved Bron and another superstar. On First Take he said he wanted Lue as coach. Yet leaks within the Lakers (after Magic left) suggest that those within the Lakers are afraid of giving Bron/Klutch too much power. Those leaks also undermined Lue and wanted both Vogel and Kidd as Lue's assistants. Those leaks also alluded to Phil's "posse" aka Kurt having a much stronger voice in the organization and was leading the coaching search with Rob. So if Magic placed his Klutch flag in and wanted Luke out and Lue in, but was met with restraint. Then Lue doesn't end up as coach and the FO still puts Kidd/Vogel within their coaching ranks, then it sure looks like Klutch didn't get their way.

So again, who sabotaged who? Just a thought?

Either way, Magic said his piece and hopefully Jeanie listened. If not, then hopefully FAs this summer still approach ownership as white noise and we win in spite the poor leadership/infrastructure up top. But it goes without saying now, Magic is no longer part of the Lakers and we seemed to have have done worse (not closing on Lue and appeasing our star player and coming out the Combine without a Prez). So is Magic really the problem?

 

Really surprising coming from somebody like yourself; not that I disagree with you, but it gives me a different outlook because you have been consistently supportive...

I hope it doesn't hurt the summer as well...

 

Kurt has experience as a player, has some basketball operation experience (appears to be being mentored by Phil), and has Jeannie's trust (along with Linda). Rob, by all acconts is a salary and cap savant,while Magic is still a closer. This appears to be Jeannie's structure moving forward and not necessarily a bad one. Their first move, although stumbling somewhat, was to hire Vogel who places an emphasis on defensive foundations. Kidd's on board to provide leadership for the youth through LeBron. I think between Magic and LeBron we'll get one standout free agent. In my opinion though, with our cap position, even if we don't land the big fish we'll be highly competitive with a year of health (x factor), and the development of LeBron, BI, and Zo along with good signings of mid to upper tier level talent.

 

This is how I’m feeling to be honest, instead of doing something about it, he ran away and blamed everybody else under the sun (some of whom no doubt deserve it).

I also find it hilarious in a bad way that he “wanted more shooters” after all the back and forth on here about never out golden stating golden state.

 

I don't discount what your saying Weezy it wasn't pretty but that (NYK) situation was a train wreck long before Phil and Kurt got there. Somwhat in Kurt's defense, was that he was an assistant for the majority of his tenure. Phil's strengths and I think Kurt's too will be team dynamics and structure (I think the Vogel hire was a good one) ... a little less so for talent evaluation, but Magic, Jesse, Ryan and Bron appear to be the ones stocking the fridge.