Jim Buss Article (USA TODAY SAM AMICK)

I look forward to Jim Buss stepping down at the end of the season.

 

We are finally back on track after some very dark years. We are in a better place right now than some teams who have been in the bottom for longer.

If he himself steps down, then fine. But I am not for Jeanie firing him. Especially if her goal is to bring Phil back, I'm so over him.

 

No other gm would survive what jim has created the last 3years or so....he made his promise publicaly and this team isnt even 1/10th where he said they would be. I dont care how much they improved, this is no where near a playoff team, let alone a wcf contender. And if people still living of the fantasy like Jim, in that all he has to do is sign that one big name fa. Well we signed Mozgov and Deng and got blown off by even chumps like Bazemore, hell even Monroe choose the Bucks over the lakers, so not exactly sure where the confidence is coning from in regards to signing big name FA

 

Also just cause he finally made the obvious choice in going with luke, when everybody and their mama coupdve predicted doesnt exonerate him from brown, mda and boron, ALL 3 of those hires were Jims choice

 

My measuring stick:

If Jim Buss is available, does any other organization pursue him.

I personally don't think he's a difference maker. Not an easy position for Jeanie to be in, but I will trust her final decision as what is best for the Lakers. And just say no to Phil.

 

Jim's getting to much credit as a decision-maker here. And his timeline of 3-4 years was based on free agency.We failed at free agency. Some of that was retaining Kobe for so much but a lot of people will and maybe should give them a pass on that considering the injuries that plagued us. After our incredible luck in the draft they realized we could rebuild through the draft, this changed everything time-wise and to the FO's credit the Clarkson & Nance Jr picks were great. It doesn't change the fact that JB was not smart for guaranteeing anything. He didn't need to. But the rebuild will take longer than that original estimate which was not based on rebuilding through the draft. We stupidly traded off our picks, it was only by injuries and Byron's total ineptitude that we retained them.

 

If Jim has to go to finally get the front office on the same page and on the right track then so be it. As long as they don't bring back Phil I can accept it. The 3 year thing was just dumb from the beginning and Jeanie is determined to hold that over his head. If we're really going to get back to being a playoff contender, the front office has to be solid. That can't happen as long as the Buss kids continue to fight. I think Jeanie gets let off easy when people talk about the state of the franchise, but it is what it is at this point.

I'm for whatever rights the ship.

 

And if she fires Jim and doesn't fill it from within who do you think she's going to bring in. She would of course discuss all this with Phil prior to end of the season. IMO. Phil has an opt out, right? Maybe she asks him who someone on the outside would be good to bring in as president while she remains engaged to him? Doubt it.

 

I have to agree with Sirron hypothetical situation. The way i see it, Jim would never get another vp position with any other team in the league even with his comments about being part of the executives who produced the 5 chips. Jim uses the stance that because he doesn't hear other teams exec say bad things about him he equates that as being a good executive himself, which is a pretty simplistic view.

 

How does your ideal replacement plan go?

You see Jeanie doing that?

 

I rather see Jim stay, than even entertain the possibility of Phil taking over...

 

she shouldn't have to fire him, just call him out on his promise. If he's a self-respecting man he'd live up to his words, so in other words I see Jim staying till the end of time. He'll just come up some other silly nonsense stuff and weasel himself back. Also I am not in the stance that we need to get rid of him just for the sake of it, I would prefer they have someone in mind and that someone isn't Phil. Phil is no different than Jim, living off of his storied credential as a coach. The one thing I'll hold Jim accountable is his stance on signing that marque FA that will right the ship as he put it, if he thinks it was that easy then fill your oath and deliver, otherwise GTFHO!!!

 

See Kenzo's reply above. Do you see Jeanie doing something different in your hold yourself accountable Jim, and resign scenario? Think about it. And be careful what you wish for if it is simply having someone better than Jim to be president. How exactly is she going to go about replacing that position?? A bunch of young, upcoming FO executive / president capable candidates .... or more likely finally (maybe) just righting a wrong from 4 years ago ..... in her eyes? You have an entirely logical wish .... not a likely plan that Jeanie Buss will do.

 

You mean like hiring a young up and coming coach? Only took him 4yrs, 3 coaches to get it right....guessing we need another 4-5yrs more to his timeline right? Jim talks about all he needed to do was sign 1 big name fa and all he got this off season were 2 overpaid, aging/declining players, what makes you or anyone else here confident enough in Jim to think he'll deliver on any of his promises?

 

I'm asking you and you keep avoiding the question .... if Jim is fired or honors his original promise as you'd seemingly like him to do .... what do you trust / expect / hope Jeanie will do to fill Jim's power position in the organization left by his departure?? I'm not saying there's not a better and more qualified Basketball person out there somewhere to fill that position.

Besides fall back to the Phil Jackson solution? Especially if she really hopes to be married to him at some point finally.

 

Yes im confident jeannie will find a better replacement amd im confident she wouldnt go phil route either as most here who dont like jeannie seems to think. In ref to someone saying when jeannie speaks its just terrible pr spin as oppose to jim, guess someone forgot the "promise/gaurantee" jim made. The way jim speaks about fa and how fast a team can rise backup to contender status suggest to me he has no grasp on reality and the CURRENT makeup of the nba, hes still living in laker lure

 

The same Jeanie with the very best interests of the Lakers going forward .... who for all practical purposes "sabotaged" their free agency attempts this year 2 or 3 days before they got started by approving the timing of Ding's insider information fueled hit piece on Jim? Clearly that had been in the works for some time and no way he just runs with it on the eve of free agency without checking with her first.