When Mark Walter took over the Los Angeles Dodgers, there were wholesale changes which turned that franchise into the powerhouse everyone knows today. The most important among them? Getting Andrew Friedman out of Tampa Bay and positioning him as the leader of the Dodgers front office.
Friedman had proven a very capable executive with the Tampa Bay Rays. Walter removed the shackles of having to prove his competency with the financial limitations that a situation like the Rays forced him to navigate.
There are naturally a ton of differences between how MLB and the NBA operate. Walter could not simply execute a copy and paste strategy with the Los Angeles Lakers. If he could, the dynasty would be in full gear next to immediately.
However, Walter can still take a good, hard look at the decision-makers who are leading the Lakers and assess whether they are the best personnel possible for the job. If not, there should be no hesitation in upgrading those positions like any other in an organization.
Mark Walter gave the Dodgers a new exec — the Lakers may need to follow suit
No one is rushing Rob Pelinka out the door in Los Angeles. In fact, if Jovan Buha is to be believed, the Lakers general manager is in a comfortable position behind the scenes.
"I continue to hear Rob's in good standing, and he's going to be around for the foreseeable future," Buha said during a recent episode of his podcast. "I know for some fans, they don't want to hear that, but that's what I continue to hear."
The conversation point came up in relation to a viewer asking about whether the Lakers would quietly force Pelinka out under the guise of retirement. The odd thought was met with appropriate skepticism from the Lakers reporter.
However, there should still be a clear audition period for Pelinka here. At present, it would be his job to oversee the Luka Doncic era in Los Angeles. Doubts about the inaction for a team that should be in win-now mode are already starting to creep.
In all fairness, retooling the roster around Doncic was never going to be an overnight thing. Some patience is certainly due.
Even so, there is a clear blueprint of Walter seeing positive change from a more aggressive overhaul. There should be names out there who can help the Lakers if Pelinka is ultimately deemed unfit.
Tim Connelly is eerily similar to that of Friedman in noteworthy ways. Plucking Connelly out of the more money-conscious environment of the Minnesota Timberwolves and putting him in Los Angeles could be an interesting venture. Bob Myers and Masai Ujiri, both architects of championship teams, could also be worth a look too.
The upcoming years with Doncic are incredibly important for the Lakers. Having the right support pieces around him — on and off the court — will be integral.