While Jim Buss has made some excellent decisions—he was the driving force behind the team's selection of Andruw Bynum in the 2005 draft—he never really got along with legendary coach Phil Jackson. (h/t Yahoo! Sports and ESPN).
Nearly everyone who follows the game believes that Phil Jackson is the perfect choice to replace the recently fired Mike Brown as head coach of the talented but under-performing Lakers' team—even if some of those people aren't naming names:
Jim Buss has another big decision. The @lakers need a championship caliber coach.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 9, 2012 Unfortunately, Buss' animosity, dislike, or whatever we want to call it towards Jackson poses a problem towards reaching that point.
Long-time NBA insider Ric Bucher, now with CSN, reports that Jackson would accept a return to the Lakers under one condition—that Buss relinquish all of his player personnel decision-making authority to Jackson, not GM Mitch Kupchak.
Considering that Buss was quick to move away not only from Jackson following the 2010-11 season, but anyone who was deemed a "Jackson guy"—like assistant coach Brian Shaw—you'd have to believe that Jim isn't in any rush to relinquish any power at all, especially to Jackson.
Unfortunately, this may become a scenario where Lakers' majority owner—and Jim's father, Jerry—needs to step in and assert his power.
Phil Jackson is the right man for the job. He's not considered one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time for nothing. If swallowing his pride and taking a back seat to a proven winner is what it takes, then Jim Buss needs to suck it up and take the hit.
The Lake...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
