Lakers: LA’s Front Office Is As Much to Blame As Byron Scott
By Eric Yee
The Lakers’ front office is just as much of a problem as coach Byron Scott
Fans have been quick to place the blame on Lakers’ head coach Byron Scott, and rightly so, but the more the front office talks, the more apparent it becomes that Scott has become a scapegoat for their short comings.
Since the passing of Dr. Jerry Buss, the Lakers organization hasn’t been the same. Many thought that general manager Mitch Kupchak could control the front office but it seems that he’s as misguided as the rest of them.
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, Kupchak clearly laid out his goals for the season.
"Under normal circumstances [in a season like this], at some point, you would probably concentrate on just developing all your young players. But we can’t do that right now. . .This [season] is really a justified farewell to perhaps the best player in franchise history. . .And as long as that continues, which it should, then that’s 30-35 minutes that you might give to a young player that you can’t. How do you get a feel for your team going forward when you know that your best player is not going to be there next year? So it’s really hard to go forward until he’s no longer here."
This should be cause for concern for many reasons, the first being that Kupchak’s shortsightedness does not qualify him to be an effective general manager.
For years, Kupchak has sacrificed the Lakers future for present success — see Steve Nash trade — and continues to do so today. Instead of focusing on the future, Kupchak is still rooted in the past and present, to the detriment of the Lakers.
Second, the idea that Kupchak still believes that Kobe Bryant is the Lakers’ best player is befuddling.
If this is him just paying respect to Kobe for all of the things he has done for the Purple and Gold, all the championships he’s won them, all the money he’s brought in, then that’s one thing. But it honestly seems like Mitch believes that Kobe Bryant is still the best player on the Lakers.
Kupchak went on to say:
"That’s not a bad thing. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing at all. It’s something that I think is a good thing. In some regards, there’s a silver lining. Our younger players can make mistakes, and it can kind of go under the radar because Kobe garnishes so much attention."
Kupchak’s silver lining is a reach and makes it seem like honoring Kobe and fully developing the young players are mutually exclusive, but they’re not. This is to say that there are ways to accomplish both, reducing Kobe’s minutes in the second and third quarters and letting him run free in the first and fourth being one of them.
Sadly, it seems that Kobe seems to be the only one who recognizes this, even directing Byron Scott to sit him and let the young guys play at times.
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Further, none of the younger players’ mistakes “go under the radar” because you have Byron Scott nitpicking to the media about their most minuscule mishaps.
Kupchak finishes by revealing insights about last year’s free agency debacle, explaining how the Lakers’ pitch revolved around having cap room, the number two pick, Julius Randle and Kobe Bryant, all which weren’t enough to convince a top free agent to hop on board.
In regards to this summer, he revealed, “I think going forward, we’re going to have a lot more than that this year. And I’m hoping that will be attractive to more free agents this summer,” but the fact remains, what “more” have the Lakers gained? Addition by subtraction now that Kobe’s gone?
Next: The Lakers Must Begin Playing Tarik Black
The Lakers seem to be deeply rooted in the past and present and it all starts at the top. For those thinking that things will all be better when Kobe’s gone, the dysfunction in LA has only just begun.