Lakers Need to Take Charge

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">When Phil Jackson goes on the NBA Finals pregame show this evening to say heaven knows what, Lakers executives will be sitting on their sofas, punching the volume button on their remote controls so as not to miss any precious multi-syllablic sentences.
This is not the sort of control the Lakers' brass needs to project these days when everybody's wondering if the franchise can bounce back.

The front office needs to show it's in charge. It needs to convey its old air of competence. It needs to look as if it's doing more to get the Lakers back to where the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs are today than just sitting back waiting for others to act.

Unfortunately, the image projected by everyone from owner Jerry Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak on down is of powerful people rendered powerless.

I hate to use a cliche and say the inmates are running the asylum.

So I'll say the tail is wagging the dog.

Actually, it's several tails, one motion-sick dog.

Will the Lakers ever name a new head coach, replacing Frank Hamblen, the fill-in for Rudy Tomjanovich?

They'll find out when Phil Jackson tells them.

Maybe he'll have something to say on the subject tonight on ABC. Or maybe he'll propose to Jeanie Buss. Or maybe he'll just break down the Pistons and Spurs, and Nielsen ratings for the region, including the Lakers' El Segundo offices, will reflect a sudden switch to "Home Improvement."

Would Jackson really want to coach the Lakers again after writing all those bad things about Kobe Bryant?

They'll all find out when Bryant tells them.

Jackson has tried to set up a meeting with Bryant to see if they can work together. Whether Bryant wants to have that meeting is anybody's guess. If they meet, and Phil doesn't become the Lakers' coach for any reason, then Kobe will get the blame.

Speaking of Kobe getting the blame: How are the Lakers feeling about themselves nearly a year after Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat?

They found out by watching Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final.

The Lakers had their best night since Derek Fisher's miracle shot against the Spurs when the Pistons held off the Heat on Monday. It meant that the Pistons, who beat the Lakers in last year's NBA Finals, were not one-time wonders. It meant the O'Neal trade did not automatically hand an NBA championship to the Heat.

Detroit won and Los Angeles celebrated.

None of this should make Lakers fans feel more confident that the people in charge are actually in charge of this difficult situation.

Plan A has Phil Jackson coming back to try to make the best of what's left of the roster he coached to the 2000-01-02 titles.

Plan B has yet to be spelled out.</div>

Source