Jim Buss Discusses Kobe Bryant's Potential Final Season, D'Angelo Russell, More
In the long, storied history of the Los Angeles Lakers, there has never been a worse version of the team than the 21-61 one fans saw last season.
In the face of that reality, part-owner and executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss discussed the rebuilding efforts, the status of superstar Kobe Bryant and his excitement for rookie D’Angelo Russell, among other topics, with Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
Bryant is a natural jumping off point when talking about the Lakers. He is a franchise icon and helped bring five championship banners to the rafters, but he is also 37 years old and entering his 20th season. He only played in 41 games the last two campaigns because of various injuries.
The upcoming season will be the final year on a contract that made Bryant the highest paid player in the league for 2015-16 at $25 million.
When discussing whether this would truly be Bryant’s final year in Lakers purple and gold, Buss said:
"We're going to approach it like it is, but that doesn't mean it is. I'm not going to sit there and say, 'This is it, Kobe, you're done,' because it's not my decision, it's his decision…
The man has done so much for the Lakers and the fans of the Laker nation, he deserves the money. I don't understand anybody trying to break down what I did for him. Let's break down what he did for us, then say, what is he worth? To me, he's worth that.
He just has to know, at that age, and that many miles on you, what is your role? We'll explain the role, and if he still wants to do that and that's how he wants to go out, that's fine with me.
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Bryant won’t be the only guard making headlines in Los Angeles this season.
The Lakers selected Russell out of Ohio State with the second overall pick of the draft, largely because of his smooth ball-handling, electrifying passing and ability to score from behind the three-point line or by attacking the basket off the dribble. It is not difficult to envision someone with that much talent starring in Los Angeles one day, especially since he is a mere 19 years old.
When discussing Russell, Buss said:
"We've got high aspirations for him. We normally look to get bigs, but [Russell] was just that impressive, that we just didn't feel right passing up on him.
My enthusiasm for D'Angelo Russell, I have to curb it because I'm so excited about it. He could be anything in this league.
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Russell represents the on-court future for the Lakers, but Buss also talked about his personal future with Pincus. Buss said in April 2014 that he would step down from his basketball operations position “if this doesn’t work out in three to four years, if we’re not back on top."
Buss reflected on that comment in the Pincus report:
"I don't mind that I said that, and I live by it. If we're not back contending in two years from now, then really I haven't done a good job. To me, the barometer of success at the end of next year ... is if we have eight core players that are going to be Lakers for the next five years.
It's not a number of wins. It's not if we make the playoffs. It's not how far we go in the playoffs. It matters that we have core players, and that these guys are our future.
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The Lakers were terrible last season in a loaded Western Conference, but the argument can be made that those core pieces are in place entering 2015-16 if everything breaks right.
Bryant still averaged 22.3 points per game last season when healthy, Russell’s ceiling is sky-high, youngster Julius Randle is back down low after missing last season with a broken leg and guard Jordan Clarkson is coming off a campaign that saw him make the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
What’s more, the Lakers added big man Roy Hibbert this offseason. While Hibbert struggled to maintain consistency in 2014-15, he is not that far removed from deep postseason runs with the Indiana Pacers in 2012-13 and 2013-14. He was a superstar in the 2012-13 playoffs and averaged 17 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 19 games played.
If Bryant stays healthy, Hibbert returns to the shot-blocking force he was a few years ago and Russell, Clarkson and Randle quickly fulfill their potential, Los Angeles could be much better next season and beyond.
With that in mind, Buss discussed the overall state of the team as well: "It's just that it takes time to build a core that guys want to play with. I understand a superstar doesn't want to come in and say, 'Oh, we still have two or three years of rebuilding.' I think with Jordan Clarkson, Russell, Randle, even Hibbert ... we're getting a core of seven or eight players."
If it doesn’t all come together this season, Lakers fans can always hope their team signs Kevin Durant before the 2016-17 campaign.
