Fansided

10 worst NBA front offices

By John Buhler

Oct 16, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks general manager Phil Jackson yawns watching the Knicks play the Boston Celtics during second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks general manager Phil Jackson yawns watching the Knicks play the Boston Celtics during second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 8, 2013; Ontario, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss attends the game against the Denver Nuggets at Citizens Business Bank Arena. The Lakers defeated the Nuggest 90-88. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2013; Ontario, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss attends the game against the Denver Nuggets at Citizens Business Bank Arena. The Lakers defeated the Nuggest 90-88. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Pacific. Los Angeles Lakers. 4. player. 20. . West

There are three reasons the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t worse than fourth in terms of their front office entering 2016-17: 1.) Mitch Kupchak is still a fantastic general manager. 2.) Jeanie Buss has done a fine job with the day-to-day business operations of the Lakers since her father Dr. Jim Buss’ passing a few years ago. 3.) This is the Lakers, a franchise with the second most NBA Championships all-time.

However, the last three years of Lakers basketball has been an absolute train wreck, coinciding with the passing of Dr. Buss. The Kobe Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award contract set the Lakers back years in their rebuilding efforts. Who really knows if any of the young players can play? Former head coach Byron Scott hated playing young players, so that leaves new head coach Luke Walton still unsure of what he has on his 15-man roster.

What has been the most perplexing thing about the Lakers is how they can’t seem to get the head coach right, going on No. 4 since Phil Jackson retired from marching up and down on the Staples Center sidelines. Mike Brown was a defensive-minded coach that inherited an also-ran roster. His Lakers teams weren’t up to playing strong defense and his was fired within weeks of the start of the 2012-13 NBA season.

Replacing Brown was offensive guru Mike D’Antoni, who couldn’t run his patented seven-second-or-less offense, as he had too many big men to play with pace. He made it almost two seasons in Los Angeles before being fired after the 2013-14 NBA season.

Scott’s antiquated coaching style doesn’t mesh well with one-and-done players like D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. He catered to Bryant in his final two years in the league to ownership’s approval to drive ticket sales and television revenue.

Walton was hired by ill-informed president of basketball operations Jim Buss without Buss even considering another candidate. Walton might work out with the Lakers, but to not even interview other viable coaching candidates is borderline deplorable. The Lakers might be the worst team in the NBA in 2016-17 because of bad front office decisions the last three years.

Next: 3. New York Knicks.

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