Jeanie Buss wants Lakers competing for West title next season
According to Jeannie Buss, the Lakers will be competing for the Western Conference Finals next season.
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2 min read
For the third straight season, the Los Angeles Lakers won't make the playoffs. And for the third straight season, the Lakers are one of the worst teams in the league. One of the winningest franchises in the history of the NBA, the Lakers are stuck in rut and although there is some hope for the future, it looks like they won't be an elite team for quite some time.
But team president and part owner Jeanie Buss doesn't appear to be too worried because she thinks by next season, the Lakers will be competing for the Western Conference Finals.
From USA Today's Sam Amick:
There is no change to the timeline that Jim first shared in April of 2014, when he indicated that he would resign if the team wasn't contending for a title by next season. Since then, it has become clear that Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak would likely be part of this equation as well.
“I think that (Jim Buss) was very sure of himself when he promised that timeline, and I think that he has everything he needs to fulfill that promise of getting the team back competitive,” Jeanie Buss said. “And when I say competitive, it’s competing for the Western Conference Finals, which would mean at least second round (of the playoffs) – if not more … They have earned the right to take the time that they’ve needed to put together what they want to have out on the court, and if they can’t do that then we have to re-examine how things are going.”
And while next season seems unrealistic for the Lakers to make such a drastic turnaround and compete in the Western Conference Finals, they will have plenty of cap space next summer so they could potentially sign a marquee free agent. Coupled with the fact that Kobe Bryant is retiring, a free agent that wants to play in a bigger market and have a large role while playing alongside the Lakers' promising core of Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell could choose to come to Los Angeles. Buss is optimistic that this will happen:
“I think that what we offered (the many free agents who passed on the Lakers in recent years) didn’t match where they were in their careers or what they were looking for,” Jeanie said. “Hopefully now, our story and what we have to present will be enticing to whoever they have targeted in terms of free agency to bring here. But again, I don’t make the decisions about the vision of basketball.”
A whole lot of factors -- and quite frankly luck -- need to work in the Lakers' favor if they want to be one of the top two teams in the West next season. As of right now, it seems extremely unlikely that this will happen. But you never know, anything is possible and the Lakers very well could be in the playoffs again next season.
However if that doesn't happen, it sounds like Buss will hold her brother and the team's vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak accountable.
