Now that Magic Johnson has left the Los Angeles Lakers, Rob Pelinka is the man in charge of roster decisions. How well has he done in his job?
Once Magic Johnson resigned from his position as the Los Angeles Lakers President of Basketball Operation in April, most people figured that General Manager Rob Pelinka would soon be out of a job as well.
In fact, it was a big surprise that Pelinka had even been hired in the first place. After owner Jeanie Buss appointed Magic, her close friend and a former Lakers star, in early 2017, it was generally assumed that she’d then add an experienced NBA person to the staff to balance out Johnson, who had never served in a team’s front office.
But Buss pulled a rabbit out of her hat when she appointed Pelinka as the team’s new GM. Up until then Pelinka, who was a reserve on Michigan’s “Fab 5” college basketball team, was mostly known for being Kobe Bryant’s agent. Rob had exactly zero direct NBA experience of any kind. And he and Magic didn’t even know each other beforehand.
Johnson set the early agenda for the front office. The Lakers were a team with a history of stars, dating back to Minneapolis and George Mikan, then extending into LA with Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic and James Worthy in the ‘80s, and Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe in the 2000s.
All nine of those players are or will be in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Johnson was determined that the path to glory for the current Laker squad required adding at least two established elite stars through either free agency or trade.
In the two-plus years before Magic abruptly quit, the Lakers overhauled their roster, making a series of draft picks, trades and free agent signings, many that were sharply criticized. Fans could not be certain who was most responsible – Magic, Pelinka or the two combined, often referred to as “Maginka”.
In the aftermath of Magic’s departure, the Lakers front office was often portrayed as dysfunctional. Buss defied conventional wisdom yet again when she decided not to hire anyone to replace Johnson.
Instead, she entrusted Pelinka to run the show, even though he was characterized, usually by unnamed sources, as someone who had developed poor relationships with several agents and other general managers. Few fans were confident of Rob’s ability to lead the Lakers into the future.
But Pelinka deserves credit for diligently accepting the challenge despite widespread skepticism. With little hesitation, he ignored the naysayers and continued to move in the direction established by Magic. In short order, he completely changed personnel and set up the franchise to challenge for the title this coming season.
Specifically, his accomplishments span three areas in ways that even the most cynical Lakers fans have embraced:
1- Hired an excellent coaching staff
2- Added a second big star
3- Filled out the roster with a bevy of quality role players
Here is a closer look at each of his feats.