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In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss shared her view on the team's performances in 2022-23, the outlook for the upcoming season and many more.
Here are the excerpts from the interview:
1. How do you evaluate the Lakers’ past season with advancing to the Western Conference Finals, but losing to the Denver Nuggets?
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It was a wonderful run at the end of the season after the trade deadline. You can dial it back to the [Rui] Hachimura trade with bringing in a player that fit in nicely with the team that we had. Then Rob furthered at the trade deadline by making moves that really fit the way that Coach Ham wanted to play.
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I really like how Rob talked about pre agency and that we got a chance to look at someone like Rui and how he fit in on our team so that we had the first option at bringing him back. Instead of waiting for free agency to make moves, he did it by making trades during the season. I thought the way he handled it was really strategic. He and Darvin were on the same page as to what they wanted to accomplish in terms of roster building.
2. What were the keys for the organization to maintain continuity, and adding depth within the confines of the salary cap?
It was a strategic and well-planned execution with the team that they wanted to build. It wasn’t about, ‘Hey, let’s look at who is available’ and ‘Do we have enough money to spend on this player in free agency?’ They knew what they wanted well in advance. It was clear that the team that we got to the Conference Finals with, they wanted to try to keep together. They did a good job at that.
With the players that we needed to replace, I think they pivoted with good pickups. A player like Gabe Vincent is really significant with picking up a player that fits the style of play that our coach wants to play.
3. What’s your outlook on the Lakers’ championship chances given LeBron and Anthony Davis, the off-season moves and the rest of the league landscape?
I’m not going to predict that. That always limits a team. When people say, ‘The Lakers only play for championships,’ well, you have to be in the playoffs first to get to the championship. You have to put one foot in front of the other. Making it into the playoffs last season, to me, was getting over that hurdle.
That playoff experience that we could give to our younger players that had never experienced playoffs was like money in the bank, in particular, for Austin Reaves. You can’t ask a young player to go from never being in the playoffs to now playing in the NBA Finals. That’s a huge jump. You need that experience.
It would’ve been nice to get to the NBA Finals. We had an opportunity because we were one of the top four teams. But certainly, we came across a Denver team that was very well prepared. Congratulations to the Denver organization for winning the championship. We learned a lot during that series, and we’re going to use that as we go forward.
With the changes to the roster that Rob made, that will give Darvin the necessary tools that he needs to take us to that next level. The end of last season wasn’t just a one-off. It’s the momentum that we’re going to continue to build. Stay tuned. There will be more.
4. What do you think you all learned?
That’s a basketball question. That’s better answered for Rob and Coach Ham. But generally it’s about answering, ‘What were we missing that we weren’t able to beat Denver? What do we need to shore up? What are the pieces that we need? How do we address those needs?’”
5. What did you think of the Nuggets’ trash talk after winning the title and at the championship parade?
(laughs). It’s just that. I know the emotions they were feeling. [Former Lakers coach] Pat Riley was notorious for putting something out there to motivate his team. If that’s what the coach [Michael Malone] was trying to do, I completely understand it. We’ve experienced those emotions many times in this organization. There was no offense. No harm, no foul as Chick [Hearn] would say. Good luck to them.
On our path this past year, we knocked off the defending champs [Golden State Warriors]. Denver is now going to have an experience it never had before because they’re wearing the crown. That means everybody is going to be coming after that. That’s part of the NBA landscape. That’s what you have to go through in order to defend your title.
6. So I gather you laughed when Michael Malone was referred to as “The Lakers Daddy?”
(laughs). Yes. I thought it was a very timely pop culture reference to call somebody that. I can take it with the intention that he’s trying to keep his team geared on one of their rivals, which is the Lakers. They know we’re going to be ready for them. He’s got to keep his team motivated by identifying their threat going into the upcoming season.
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