Lakers Majority Owner Mark Walter Discussion

Rosen is legit and a definite upgrade to Harris.

No concerns with this for me.

Magic will be involved on some level. Not running anything but involved. Folks are going to just have to make peace with that.

 

I don’t have to make peace with jack.

Piss off, Earvin!

 

rosen's magic's former agent

this really doesn't have anything to do with bball though. he's going to be running the business side of things

 

Yes you do. And you will.


Magic is inevitable.

 

What did that rant have to do with my question? Mark Walter Lakers owner … YAY. Magic Lakers executive …. BOO. Pay attention!

 

Cool. Hope it works out.

 

I think he’s a good pick. I want to see some people outside of the Laker family but he’s got experience and has been great with the Dodgers.

 

He actually did answer your question, my guy. From everything we’re hearing, this gentleman will likely be working behind the scenes on the business/operations side and won’t have direct authority over basketball decisions or personnel moves.

That’s important — because we’ve seen what happens when reporting lines get fuzzy. Remember when Magic Johnson said he thought he was only reporting to Jeanie Buss, but then felt like Tim Harris was involved in defending Luke Walton and influencing decisions? If that account is accurate, that kind of overlap creates confusion and tension. Basketball ops should be clearly separated from business ops.

So if this new hire is strictly handling the corporate/organizational side and staying out of coaching hires and roster construction, that’s how it should be. And from a qualifications standpoint, he seems more than capable for the role.

Honestly, what we should really be focused on is the scouting department. That’s where long-term success is built — identifying talent, developing players, and finding value on the margins.

Hope you’re having a great day, my little optimist. Is it raining hard out there where you are?

As always — Go Lakers.

 

No he didn't. I was referring specifically to Magic the Lakers executive, including personnel.

Yeah again today and this past week, but more importantly has been dumping at Mammoth like 6-7 new feet of snow that looks like the weather will be clearing just at the right time. Taking off for skiing trip with family next Wed morning coming back Sunday. Whoooooo!!!

 

i honestly have no clue about any of this.

i do think it's a bit rich that rob is a "nepo" hire and this guy isn't, though.

i'm more interested in who's brought in to help with bball ops, though. well, that and this guy having nothing to do with it, which, as vlade indicated above, was the issue with harris. i'm sure harris made the franchise money and all, but we don't need people thinking the marketing guy should have input on who we're drafting or whatever.

 

He’s a “nepo” hire which I don’t love but he understands modern principles of building out an organization and I believe was actually with the franchise as an intern before Dr Buss even bought the team. Hes even in winning time.

And yes, having a guy whose clear role is just business is a huge step in the right direction. I believe Walter is setting a real organizational hierarchy with clear roles and responsibilities.


All of that is why I like the move.

 

Rob lucked out.

Got AD because of Rich Paul and LeBron who basically forced the trade.

Got Luka out of sheer luck. I mean, Mavs not taking Luka to the offseason for a trade just tells you how grossly incompetent that move was. They would have secured the largest haul of any trade ever, IMO.

But I think the biggest problem started with not re-signing Dwight and Javale. They got Marc Gasol and Montrezl instead... Montrezl was good for the Clippers but not a good fit with the Lakers who needed enforcers, big body defenders, and lob dunkers. Marc Gasol was too old and a system player. He could barely move out there.

Then to fix that, they thought KCP and Kuzma were the problem so they traded them for Westbrick... Who was absolute garbage because he did nothing for the team that was needed. They also let Caruso go so they can prioritize THT... cheapass Lakers could've gotten both of them but obviously, LeBron wanted his Klutch partner THT so the Lakers couldn't get Caruso.

If they had just kept Dwight, Javale, Caruso, Kuzma, and KCP but added Schroder and some other role players, they would have been fine... And I'd like to believe the Lakers were basically listening to LeBron at that point because they won a ring and gave him the benefit of a doubt. Didn't help that AD was always injured and never recovered his midrange jumper that he was so lethal in... But that was the beginning of the end until the Lakers got Luka and rejuvenated the franchise.

Either way, I'd like to give Rob one more offseason to make it right.. if no good moves in the offseason, time to sack this dude and get the big dogs to take over.

 

still love that being the general manager during maybe the three biggest acquisitions by any team in the past decade occur is all luck. well, if that guy's truly that lucky, keep him around. it's like having a horseshoe made of rabbit's feet!

the truth is that all of rob's successes and failures have stemmed from the same philosophy--building specific relationships. one with klutch that got us lebron and AD (but also westbrook, nunn, and THT over caruso) and one with nico harrison (which got us luka). again, rob's agency-as-co-gm strategy was so successful that the knicks basically stole it to revive their franchise. it certainly has its downsides, but it was kind of innovative and one of the reasons you hire a former agent as a manager (which has its own downsides in the form of having built-in enemies from day one).

anyway, the klutch thing is over now, and walter is signaling that we'll beef up the front office, so things will run differently going forward. we put all the eggs in the summer flexibility basket, and if it crashes this year, rob will be out. but the fact that walter allowed it as a strategy at all means he must have bought what rob selling, at least in the short term (and btw, i fully agree with the plan to prioritize flexibility this summer, even with the weak FA crop).

 

People who claim getting Luka was only luck and Rob doesn't deserve any credit for that fail to recognize that he managed to obtain him without giving up Reaves and in general negotiated a very favorable "price". Yes Nico made an incredibly stupid decision to give up on Luka and by all accounts was the one who initiated the trade talks, but that doesn't mean there were no negotiations in the process. People are calling this trade the worst in history and everybody seems to agree the price the Lakers paid was incredibly low, yet the guy who negotiated it somehow doesn't deserve any credit? Give me a break.

Rob made many mistakes and is certainly not a perfect GM, but give him credit where it's due.

Having said that, I'm fine with letting him go if this summer isn't a spectacular success in terms of team building. He's been kicking the can down the road long enough, now is the time to show us some results. I hope he is creative and most of all effective enough to obtain at least two true starting caliber, two-way players and in general build a much more balanced roster around Luka and Austin.

 

I still don't think luck is a bad thing. Really believe you have to position yourself properly to get lucky but that's a different convo.

I think that the front office executed two very big moves in acquiring AD and then Luka. There's some luck in getting Luka, but you still gotta execute and work that deal out which Rob did well.

I think waiting until the summer when we've built out the staff makes a lot of sense and have no problem with it. I'd like to have some folks in there who really understand how pieces fit together making the decisions on who will sign or trade for.

I also think its smart to not put any additional pressure on Rob and the rest of the front office right off the bat. Definitely don't want them making moves out of desperation or to send the signal to the league that his removal is imminent as the other GMs would dig in their heels even more.

I think the front office is going to wind up being in a much better spot this time next year than it is now.

Who remains from this regime is up in the air but I have no issues with them getting rid of any current member of the front office.

 

The low key million dollar question is...Will Max ultimately be considered, to have been the better fit next to Luka over Austin? Better player or better fit...they aren't the same thing. If we had given up Reaves, we probably could have demanded Gafford or Washington back in return.

 

For the love of God! What the f*** is it with you people and your hard on for Max Christie?!!

 

How many teams have won a Championship with a 1 and 2 as their two best players? How many teams have won a Championship when their two best players were defensive liabilities?

 

The defensive liability stuff is overblown and not accurate. If properly slotted by the players on the floor with them, with regard to whom they defend ..... more accurately described they are average to above average defenders. Physically and certainly with their mental aspect of it.