How to fix the Los Angeles Lakers season, Pulp Fiction style

The Los Angeles Lakers have to trim the fat on major roster decisions like Russell Westbrook’s blockbuster trade!

Now it is understood that this meeting might be a little bit awkward considering that Lake Show Life went on record wondering if the NBA should intervene on the issues concerning the franchise a couple of seasons ago.

Also read: Should NBA intervene with the Lakers organization?

But there’s a narrative that floating around this organization that needs to be addressed. The Russell Westbrook trade has been a disaster up to this point and no one is denying that. The problem is how many parties are involved in that decision.

Fans have flooded the comment sections blaming Rob Pelinka for the construction of this roster. Well, there’s a misunderstanding of HOW MANY PEOPLE actually get a vote. It’s not just the blame it on LeBron and Rob show here.

1. Rob Pelinka gets a voice.
2. Yes, LeBron James and Anthony Davis is involved.
3. Kurt Rambis is involved…yes, the dude that got clotheslined in the 1984 NBA Finals by Kevin McHale.
4. Not only Jeanie Buss, but all of the minority owners. Yes, the Buss family owns only 66 percent of the team. 
5. Magic Johnson (Oh, like you didn’t think he wasn’t in the mix? The only thing that changed was the removal of his title. He’s got juice!)
6. Coaching staff has input.
7. Hopefully the scouts have a vote considering they are amongst the best in the NBA! 
8. One more…just a guess, but Phil Jackson would get a vote if he wanted one! Remember Ms. Jeanie was engaged to him for years.

This is too many people folks. 75 percent of these people have to move back and allow a few to sign off on this decision.

Now it’s understood that Ms. Buss would balk at this, but I would have to remind her that the minority owners might cause a ruckus like they did in 2019 at the money being tied into three players for the next two seasons with few wins on their investment.

Here’s a reminder of Los Angeles Times’ Bill Platchke’s statement a couple of years ago on the Dan Patrick Show. 

"“There’s a lot of rumblings from the AEG’s of the world and some of the partners. I think they’re going to wait to see what happens this summer. But obviously, she’s never going to sell, herself. Don’t forget, she took over the team in a coup from her brothers. So the team can be taken over in a coup. I don’t see that happening until at least they see what happens this summer and see what happens next year. People are upset. The real money-movers and shakers and money people, those are the people who are quietly protesting and they’re upset. She has this summer to figure this out and next season. And if they don’t make the playoffs again, I think that becomes a reality.”"

Since this interview, there have been changes to the ownership group. Two years ago here’s how the team was divided.

• The Buss family owns 66 percent of the team in a trust that is divided six ways.
• Philip Anschutz, who owns the AEG company that Plaschke was talking about, owned 27 percent of the team. Since then he sold his minority interest to Los Angeles Dodgers co-owners Mark Walter and Todd Boehly in a deal in June of 2021.
• Rounding out the ownership group is Edward P. Roski and Patrick Soon-Shiong (Soon-Shiong owns the LA Times).

No other NBA team runs basketball business like the Lakers. It’s no secret that it’s run like a family business, but that does not match. Dr. Jerry Buss was a businessman first that used Showtime as a business blueprint instead a marketing catch phrase.

The decision making will be sliced to Rob Pelinka, the scouting staff, the coaching staff and when the heavy hitters are done, call LeBron and AD in to tell them how things are going to go.

Finally, I would need Magic Johnson’s number on speed dial.

Will this cause a mutiny? Yep. However this way Pelinka can actually deserve the blame that is being heaped on him unfairly now. See, Pelinka’s job is to crunch the numbers and make the deal work. As you read above, there too many scientists in the lab adding chemicals on the Russ experiment.

Well we are witnessing the explosion.

Now that we have reminded Jeanie Buss of how bad things can get with one max deal player on the shelf (Anthony Davis), one max deal player burning the rest of his energy keeping the franchise out of the bottom of the conference (LeBron James) and another flat out underachieving with an attitude (Russell Westbrook), we can go to the next meeting with Rob Pelinka.

Hit the purple bar and join us in the meeting…