By Cory Elfrink - Email Cory
Remember before any of this Kobe Bryant trade talk started, there was one smart, sensible request Kobe made of Lakers decision makers.There was only one demand, and not of the trade variety. A demand I will prove to be amazingly in need of being made.
Fire Mitch Kupchak and bring in Jerry West. ( Link to ESPN article)
What a great idea! Idea? Hell, isn’t this an obvious common sense suggestion that anyone in the know would understand? Was Kobe out of line to request the removal of his general manager? Normally, I would say yes, but in this case I think Kobe was simply speaking up and saying what everyone else already knows.
Mitch Kupchak is a terrible decision maker.
IS KUPCHAK REALLY THAT BAD?
No. He’s far worse.
Aside from giving Isaiah Rider and Dennis Rodman (post-Bulls) millions after they had proven an intense level of manic-irresponsibility, Kupchak is still serving the same poison to Los Angeles.
SIGNATURE 2004 MOVE
Three summers ago, he sent the Miami Heat the anchor L.A.’s three consecutive championships; Shaquille O’Neal. In return he received Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and a future pick. How did that work out for your franchise, Mitch? The Lakers paid Brian Grant a total of more than $45 million dollars over three years. Grant played one season and averaged a career-low 3.8 points and 3.7 rebounds while bothered by chronic tendonitis in his knees. Kupchak paid Brian Grant $45 million dollars. I guess he felt this cyanide pill was better than holding onto the surefire Hall-of-Fame center that would go onto win his fourth championship the next season.
The highest profile player they received, Lamar Odom is by no means a bad NBA player. However, it’s safe to say that Lamar Odom has never gelled with the team’s undisputed leader, Kobe Bryant. Chemistry is an element to be projected by the general manager. See R.C. Buford, Joe Dumars or...AHEM!...Jerry West. Caron Butler was a true gem, and had his best season to date. It would be his last with the Lakers.
To make this trading-Shaquille fiasco reasonable, Kupchak and owner Dr. Jerry Buss allowed Bryant to shoulder the blame for it and he more-or-less did because his ego is that big. Many GMs, in fact every one I know of, will typically take responsibility for making a trade. But, hey, there’s a first for everything. The media spun this as Kobe’s fault not Kupchak’s or Buss’s.
We have since come to learn that Lakers management did not, at the time, feel Shaq was worthy of his contract. Before Kobe opted out of his Lakers deal, Dr. Buss told him he had already decided to not extend Shaq. He was concerned about Shaq's age, fitness and contract demands. Dr. Buss and Mitch Kupchak, not Kobe Bryant, thought it was best for the Lakers to make a trade to get value for Shaq while they could. The decision was final and no matter what Kobe did in free agency, the Lakers were still going to move Shaq.
Even today members of the Lakers organization are still blaming Kobe for Shaq’s dismissal. What kind of organization are you running, Mr. Kupchak? How in God’s name would you allow your employees to alienate your franchise center-piece based on information that is false and information that simply protects your name from further moving up “The Most Terrible GMs in NBA History” list?
SIGNATURE 2005 MOVE
Butler was packaged with serviceable PG Chucky Atkins, who is still having productive seasons, for an already declared “bust” and waste-of-time, Kwame Brown. I will not delve into the dissertation of how bad trading your only PG and best F for a team’s third guy off the bench really is. However, I would like to ask – “How could that have even looked reasonable at the time?” Kupchak traded two starters and 29.1 points per game off his roster to bring in a higher paid, backup PF and his 7.0 ppg.
SIGNATURE 2006 MOVES
After going 45-37 and falling one game short of eliminating one of the most dangerous teams in the league, the Phoenix Suns, in last year’s playoffs, Kupchak knew the team wasn’t far away from being a possible contender.
Your star just had the most dominating individual season in recent history. Just find the right role players. The right chemistry. Just slightly tweak that roster and…42-40. What were those big moves the GM orchestrated? Well, he gave Vladimir Radmanovic $31 million over the next five years. Being the highly dedicated winner Vladi is, he was hurt snowboarding during the All-Star break in his first season under Kupchak’s riotous reign.
The unwanted Smush Parker was good enough to follow Kobe to 45 victories the previous season, but any GM could tell you that L.A. needed to upgrade at the PG position.
So you handed Shammond Williams $1.75 million. Why Shammond? Well you may have determined he had the most embarrassing NBA career of the available free agents so he would be out to prove himself. Your selection for “glue-guy” had played on six different teams in six seasons. What got your stamp of approval? Maybe the fact that he HAD NOT PLAYED IN THE LEAGUE FOR TWO YEARS!
You did select one decent player to sign in Maurice Evans. Unfortunately, manning his position was the best player in the league who played 40 minutes a night.
WHERE DID JERRY WEST GO?
In 2002, after winning a third consecutive championship with a roster and staff he had assembled, West saw his authority given to Kupchak. Dr. Buss, who does that? He was then hired as President of Basketball Operations for the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies had played 6 full seasons in the NBA at the time of his hire. They had won an average of 19.3 games per season. They were hands-down the most unsuccessful of all-time.
A year later, they began their run of three consecutive playoff appearances under Jerry West. While West was accepting his second Executive of the Year honor, Kupchak was plotting how to give away Shaquille O’Neal, a player West had the foresight to sign eight years before. West had turned the most recent laughing stock of the sports world into a respected division champion.
During a disappointing 2007, West publicly stated that he would leave the Grizzlies as soon as a suitable replacement was found. I wonder where else he would rather be. On June 19th, Chris Wallace was named the new General Manager of the Memphis Grizzlies, and Jerry West has become, well, a free agent.
WHY DOES KOBE WANT WEST BACK SO BAD?
- He was the first to see and trust Kobe’s ability at a young age.
- Mitch Kupchak has not made a single good decision.
- Every player in the league respects West, and would be honored to play for him.
- Kobe won three championships while West was in charge of team personnel.
The Lakers have $57 million committed for next year and they still need to add 6 more players or contracts. The luxury tax will be around $70 million and Dr. Buss could avoid it. However, if he wants to truly keep Kobe and truly contend for a championship (and likely make a steep profit), he would do best to ignore it.
Kobe and coach Phil Jackson know the power Jerry West has. West might be the only GM who could talk Chauncey Billups into signing with L.A. outright. West could also get Grant Hill, Luke Walton, Jason Kapono and Dikembe Mutumbo signed for below market value before he turned the air-conditioning in his office on.
If the Lakers were to sign Billups for $13 million, Hill for $4m, Walton for $4m, Kapono for $3m, and Mutumbo for $2m then they would have a total of $83 million dollars on their payroll. Thus, they would be about $12-16 million over the luxury tax meaning they would have to cut an additional check for that amount to the league.
Don't look for #24 to help with this check after having to fight so hard for what should have been so obvious.
The Lakers need to make a change, but it has nothing to do with trading their players.