Ryan West For President ...... Pitch Perfect?

Anything that is a change from the norm is a great idea. Also serious question, why and how does the Rambis' have so much power in the organization?

 

Magic in his shocking resignation prior to the last game made a point to say to Jeanie (reference to Rob I assume) to surround herself with people she could trust and she knew for certain would have her back. Given the circumstances that left her in just prior to the most important off season since Shaq and Kobe ..... I could see why this has happened. Not hiring a Buss and coming with an eminently qualified appointment in West over any outsider for the position of PBO from WHERE (???) would allow her to keep Rob, whom she said no to firing for her personal reasons and would put NBA players and opposing FOs at ease about the Rambises, while the organization would still have their input if actually useful.

 

You could please start with a read of the article above in the first post from Ding that chronicles his literal growth from a young kid around the front office and early influences from Jerry himself? Seriously you look at him as that much of a mystery? That article was 5 years ago with all the practical experience since. Kind of surprised you look at him as having such an unknown background. What did Bob Myers have going from a talent agency background that GS thought it was a good move to bring him into their FO as an assistant GM? We have a GM and all the other existing input in the FO available to help with his decisions. And every other positive thing I have mentioned per my hypothetical here why I feel personally he would be a fabulous progressive choice at an older age than when Meyers was brought in. And again the job is not rocket science as far as using the phone and working well with other franchises.

 

Agreed with Cookie. The next PBO needs to have experience and a rep. We need to go out there and get the most qualified candidate possible.

 

Cookie cutter answers it seems to me on the no side. Where would you expect Ryan to encounter problems he could not work through with advice still available from Jerry and all the input of the Lakers FO? The safe thing would have been to keep our proven, young and talented center Vlade Divac and not trade for a 17 year old kid out of HS, Kobe Bryant. Ryan learned from the master. He's been groomed under Jerry and Mitch and since for his entire life. Immediate good will from the Media stopping our free fall as it's embellished now by the likes of ESPN and what the Clippers media machine is orchestrating.

 

His initials are RW, so it's a no for me.

 

@LTLakerFan Love your enthusiasm!

Unfortunately, Magic made it pretty clear that fast risers like Ryan West, the Buss Brothers, etc. were to be put in their place - I was told possibly in order to prevent them from threatening his position. He did make it clear to multiple execs in the Lakers FO that they did not have the experience. Either for political purposes, or maybe they truly aren't ready. I cannot be sure of his exact motivations/intentions.

Regardless, that may have killed the chance of us seeing them in more powerful positions for a while...

As far as a new PBO - it's pretty much Kurt Rambis, he just can't have the title for optics reasons. Pelinka is the other main basketball guy, but he unofficially answers to Kurt - who reports to Jeanie, Tim Harris, and Linda Rambis.

 

@therealdeal I don't know how lasting Magic's impression was. Last I heard about Ryan West and the Buss Brothers was around the time Magic was leaving/had just left. Things could have changed, but I haven't been updated on that front, or really asked much about it.

 

@therealdeal I sure hope so! From what I understand they're very talented individuals who deserve leadership opportunities!

 

You're so positive that sometimes it just makes me....



It's not a bad thing though.

 

I think it’s more likely Rob becomes PBO and Ryan GM. Other way around creates strife and infighting in the front office. Imagine you have an employee younger than you at work that you manage who gets promoted to be your boss. Probably wouldn’t sit well with you right?

 

I was looking at this from a hypothetical where the position becomes win win win all the way around. I would trust Ryan's scouting skills and basketball opinions more than either Rob or Kurt. I know from a PR standpoint it's Scoreboard over either of them not debatable.

 

Rob should not be made PBO for all the obvious reasons (Magic Johnson thank you very much) and if Jeanie hires someone from the outside and have their own say he may get let go. If she says you can be PBO to the outsider but Rob stays, then how does that affect the choice. It would be a progressive, ballsy and low risk, high reward decision on her part to avoid nepotism with a brother and hire West. But again on top of his history with the team, experience scouting and around the front office and from a PR standpoint stops this Lakers are a Joke narrative. People would be forced to wait and see and let him do his job. No one will continue attacking the FO because of a Ryan West promotion. IMO.

 

I don't agree at all that the Lakers wouldn't be questioned if they made Ryan West PBO. It's not direct nepotism by way of family relation to Jeanie, but he's still a young and unproven candidate who would be seen as an internal hire with family links to the team. The comparison to Bob Myers isn't necessarily valid here either. Myers progressed through the ranks from assistant GM to GM to President (albeit quickly), and made his moves upwards at a time when the Warriors were still perennial losers and not a franchise with a history of winning anything. Much less pressure from media and fans to right the ship there. He's made fantastic moves and proved himself since being named GM and eventually president, but he was in the right situation to start with to move upwards and showed the makings of a good President. Ryan going from head scout to director of player personnel to PBO? Not quite as straight forward and not proving himself in the same way Myers had. I do agree that promoting Ryan internally and not losing him is a great idea. Purely in terms of basketball decisions, he could very well excel as a PBO if he had the job today. But it would be a very naive business decision IMO.