but but but STATS!

Shut up.

foxsports.com:

>Magic backs Kobe on Gasol comments

Magic Johnson is rarely hesitant about voicing an opinion on just about any subject, especially his beloved Los Angeles Lakers.

Wednesday afternoon during a conference call, he not only gave a short "State of the Lakers" address, but he also put team management on blast for the turmoil surrounding the team.

"We have to remember that it's not Mitch's situation anymore," he said, referring to Mitch Kupchak, the team's beleaguered general manager. "He's not running the team; Jim Buss is running the team, so Mitch has to follow the direction of Jim Buss and what he wants.

"So, I wouldn't say Mitch is the problem."

That would be Jim Buss you hear screaming "Ouch!"

Magic then went on to address Kobe Bryant challenging management to either trade Pau Gasol or publicly remove him from the trading block so the big man could just concentrate on playing.

"It's great to see Kobe support his teammate," said Johnson, who was a minority owner in the team until 2010. "I think what Kobe really wants is just to be informed — as a leader and a future Hall of Famer, and as a guy who's brought five championships to the Lakers and the fans of Los Angeles. He probably wants just to have more communication, like he did when Phil Jackson was there and he worked well with Mitch.

"I don't think Kobe feels he has that type of relationship — or communication — with Jim. What has to happen is for Jim to sit him down. ... Hey, Dr. (Jerry) Buss was a master of taking you to lunch or taking you to dinner and really going over what he was thinking about doing with the team. Jerry West was great at that as well. ... Kobe, Mitch and Jim just (have) to get on the same page, and it will be OK."

Magic seems to be saying that Jim Buss isn't running the organization like his father or West or even Kupchak did. If he were, Magic suggests, Jim Buss would have steered the yacht back on the right course.

All of which begs the question: Is Jim Buss capable of running an NBA franchise? Especially one that has been the league's crown jewel for the past three decades, give or take the Nick Van Exel era?

So far, the answer is not looking good for the younger Buss.

If Jim is truly the man now, as Magic claims, his reign as the successor to the most successful pro sports owner in LA history is off to stumbling start. And it goes way beyond the Gasol situation or Kobe’s feelings about it.

It began with the Lamar Odom trade before the season started. Everyone within the Lakers organization knew how sensitive Odom is and how much of his life and identity were tied into being a Laker and living in Los Angeles. Yet instead of preparing Odom for a possible deal, he was kept in the dark until the trade for Chris Paul was agreed upon. And when it was nixed by the league, the situation became so toxic that they had to trade Odom. Neither he nor the Lakers has been the same since.

Then there's Metta World Peace, the player who perhaps should have been moved before Odom. His skills seem to be waning, especially offensively, and he has questioned the ability of new coach Mike Brown, referring to him as "having a background as a video coordinator" and being a "stats guy." And yet he’s still here while Odom is gone.

There have been two players-only meetings after recent games. The Los Angeles Times reported that Bryant and Derek Fisher implored the players to forget about everything else — including complaints about Brown's fondness for long workouts — and just focus on winning.

Will the meetings make a difference?

"If they play the way they did against Portland — that was beautiful to watch," Magic said of Monday’s 103-92 win. “(But) the Lakers have been inconsistent; that's been their biggest problem. They have yet to be a team that's really been consistent. Until they get that, it could be an up-and-down season."

Johnson believes there's one sure cure for the Lakers’ woes.

"If they can make a trade, they'll be right there competing for the Western Conference championship. We're lacking at the point guard, like we've been saying for the last year-and-a-half or so. But if they don't (make a deal), with Oklahoma City and San Antonio playing so much better than the Lakers, I don't think they will compete."

Magic has put the ball in management's court. Will it be another brilliant assist, or will Jim Buss watch the ball go right through his hands?

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