Should the LA Lakers Be Worried About the Franchise's Future Under Jim Buss?

After years of excessive winning, it seemed that the Los Angeles Lakers had hit rock bottom when they were swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Playoffs.

Immediately, numerous questions arose about the Lakers future head coach, the team’s maturity, Kobe Bryant’s health and ability to carry the team and trades and signings of superstars such as Dwight Howard and Chris Paul.

In the midst of all of these questions about the franchise’s future, one thing seemed certain: Dr. Jerry Buss’s son, Jim Buss, was to control the team.

This summer, the Lakers made some controversial moves, and many blame these moves on Jim Buss.

A lot of this blame is undeserved, but that doesn’t mean that the Lakers shouldn’t be worried about the franchise’s future.

When Mike Brown was hired and news leaked that Kobe Bryant, the Lakers franchise player, wasn’t informed, everyone rushed to blame Jim Buss.

While the hiring of Mike Brown was, in fact, Jim Buss’s call, informing players of the decision was not.

Dr. Jerry Buss, the owner of the Lakers, specifically stated that no Lakers players would be notified of the new coach’s hiring.

However, Dr. Buss shifted power into GM Mitch Kupchak’s hands, when he stated that informing players over a coach’s hiring is in “general manager territory.”

Once everyone found out that Bryant wasn't notified of the decision, Jim Buss attempted to clean up the mess that resulted from lack of communication and stated that Bryant should have been informed after all.

Clearly, there is a power struggle within the Lakers organization.

There is no distinction over exactly who should do what when it comes to important matters.

If these lines aren’t drawn and the powers of Dr. Jerry Buss, Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss conflict, the Jim Buss era has the potential of being very gloomy.