Lakers Dysfunction: Jeanie, Jim Buss Clearly Not On The Same Page

Jeanie Buss went on the The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Tuesday and didn’t hold back when asked about the Los Angeles Lakers. Buss, who is the president and part-owner of the team, bluntly stated that she did not expect Byron Scott to be fired, and was surprised by the move. Her statements clearly show that Jeanie and her brother Jim are not on the same page.

The decision to retain or fire Scott rested solely with Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak and they made their call on Sunday. While we’ve already looked at a list of potential candidates to replace him, the bigger story in all of this is the disconnect in the Lakers’ front office.

Jeanie Buss has taken a backseat on personnel and coaching decisions since her father Jerry passed away. She has allowed her older brother and Kupchak to lead the franchise from that standpoint. But that time may be coming to an end.

Jeanie has always been the personable sibling, the one most resembling her late father’s ability to reach people and bring them together. Jim is just not that guy. Kupchak has been a stellar general manager for the franchise since he took over for Jerry West in 2000. He has been instrumental in building five NBA champions and engineering seven runs to the NBA Finals. I have confidence that Kupchak can do what’s right for the Lakers. I have zero confidence that Jim Buss has any clue what he’s doing.

While the Lakers finally have the young pieces they have coveted for years – and potentially another one on the way via the 2016 NBA Draft – the front office is still a mess. Right now there are too many cooks in the kitchen. If Los Angeles doesn’t show marked improvement next season, Jeanie Buss must elbow her brother out of the way. If she needs to bring back fiance Phil Jackson to the franchise as a consultant, so be it, but changes must be made.

From the time he bought the Lakers in 1979 until he passed away in 2013, Jerry Buss was the voice of the franchise. There was never any confusion about who was in charge. If the Lakers don’t improve soon, it will be time for one Buss to supersede everyone else and take that mantle again. That Buss should be Jeanie.