Jim and Mitch out in LA, Phil likely in?

I think I was the one that said it (the established, proven talent bit). The triangle has never worked without Shaq, Kobe or MJ. Is the triangle better than what we are running now? Yes. The Flying V is a better offensive formation than our current one. But the best offensive system for this team, I hate to say it, is one similar to D'Antoni's. Russell has the potential to be a Nash type player with his vision and sweet stroke. Randle can fill the Amare role.

You're also really setting yourself up for a conflict of interest. If Phil doesn't work out, will Jeanie fire her own fiance? It starts to become like the Jerry Jones dilemma in Dallas where the GM has no one to hold him accountable because he's also the owner. We need to hire Ime Udoka or Luke Walton to coach, someone who has been around successful modern offenses. Get fresh blood in the GM chair. I wouldn't mind seeing Ryan West. If you want to bring in Phil to be Head of Basketball Operations in a purely symbolic capacity, that's OK. But The Triangle is antiquated at this point. And beyond being antiquated by today's NBA standards, the only time it has ever worked is when the best player in the league was at it's head...and let's be completely honest, MJ and Kobe deviated from the triangle all the time.

 

Okay so the article from Woj didn't say it was GOING to happen, but that a lot of people believe it will and isn't that what we all thought in the first place?

I'm not so sure ANYONE trusted this to go past 2-3 years even though Phil signed a long-term deal. Phil wants things his way and Dolan might be one of the few owners worse than ours. He's a clown that demands respect without earning any of it.

As for Phil coming back, I've always been okay with that but not as an actual GM. I want him back just to give us another person in the fold who knows basketball and can help develop that winning mentality. I wouldn't want him to replace Mitch at all. I'd want him to be something like Jerry West is with the Warriors. You can tell me that Phil's not a great evaluator of fit/talent, but I'd still like him there more than Jim Buss and he did well with the Porzingis move along with a few others.

I still DON'T believe that Mitch is out. He's done a ton for this franchise and I think he's being given about as long a rope as you can imagine.

What I'd REALLY prefer is if someone in the organization swallowed some pride and went after Jerry West again. Get him back in our fold and help us figure this out. His son is doing a great job, but I'd just love if his voice was in our FO again.

 

I definitely wouldn't mind Phil being here in some capacity, mainly as help to attract top FA's. But like you Savory, I'm not sure I'm ready for another round of the Triangle, and I am certain that Jerry Buss wanted to see more of a flashy and uptempo offense. With our current personnel, I agree that is more the direction we should go. While it might look like a copy cat move, I am in favor of bringing in Walton especially because of his time with GS and the type of high energy ball they have instituted. We don't have the three point shooting that they do, nor the kind that would translate to a D' Antoni offense, but we SHOULD be pushing tempo, particularly with the skill set we have in Russell, Clarkson and Randle all of whom can push it on the break after a defensive board. The plodding half court style game our starters play doesn't go with any of our strengths.

I don't think there's any way we should let Phil have the kind of control he's asserting in NY in forcing the triangle. And I wouldn't want Luke to have to institute that. Ideally Luke would be free to run his own offense and defense.

At any rate, other than SAS's rather inflammatory comments, no one is talking about such a thing being imminent. All signs are that Jeannie will hold to the timeline established by her brother and confirmed by her - by summer 2017 he needs to produce a team that can contend for a championship. He's got a VERY long, hard road to get there considering we're headed for our worst record in franchise history and he's got a year and half to turn that completely around. We shall see.

 

The Triangle could actually be a decent fit with our young players, but I'd like to see a more modern take on it. I don't mind some Triangle sets in the half-court, but I'd really love to see them break more. We have young, fast, athletic guys and we almost never run a fast break. What was all that conditioning for this summer?

 

EXACTLY! So well said, realdeal. I just read that piece by WOJ and got the same thing out of it. It was basically that he might eventually end up back here because of his ties with Jeannie and yeah, no kidding.

I agree with you on all accounts except one. I think the Jerry West ship has long since sailed. Jim Buss actually ensured that happening because he wanted his job. That's what chased him out, not Phil Jackson. It would be incredible to get him back, but I don't see that as a possibility with Jim on board. That's yet another reason I have no problem with Jeannie booting Jim if he doesn't do what he promised and produce a contending team.

The nice thing though is like you said, we have his son on board who's done a great job thus far as a scout (apple not falling far from the tree in the talent evaluation department) and he looks like he might have what it takes to become the next GM here after Mitch. I do believe they are grooming him for the position. And who knows, if he were to become GM, maybe, just maybe his father might come back into the fold which would be incredible.

 

I think if Ryan got the job Jerry wouldn't want to come back. He'd want to let his son do his own thing and while he'd answer the phone with helpful tips, Jerry would let Ryan build his own brand over there.

You're right that Jerry would not come back unless Jim and Phil were out, but I just want it to happen... I wish Jerry felt more a part of the Lakers than he does. I know he's disenfranchised with us at the moment, but he's a Laker dammit and I just wish we didn't have so many of our valuable pieces scattered around the NBA while we flounder in disrepair.

I do find it rather suspicious that all these rumors are circulating right now. Everyone in our FO has been put on the hot seat except Jeanie... And wasn't it Jeanie who said a few days ago on twitter that she's listening to everything we're saying to her? Hm...

 

This. Mitch is still the guy I want as part of making decision about trades.

We will never forget what he did to get Pau.

 

I actually want to correct my view and mention what @Punk-101 said.

Have Jerry West come back and have him and Ryan working together (an unstoppable force) with scouting and pitchman and then have Mitch be the salary cap/Trade Guru.

 

Obviously it was to prepare our young kids to play a grueling 20 minutes a game.

 

Had to quote this twice!!

 

I mean it's interesting. I don't know what it means, but it's interesting.

 

I hope it means more than it probably means.