Jerry West: 'When I look at this Lakers team, I see flaws in it'

Before Magic Johnson, "Mr. Clutch" was Mr. Laker.

Jerry West, the guy from the NBA logo, served as superstar guard, head coach and champion general manager for the Los Angeles Lakers. The 74-year-old West Virginian never exuded the flash of Johnson, but he defined the purple and gold, winning one title as a player and seven as general manager.

When West speaks, Laker Land listens. He joined fellow Lakers legend and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recently on Fox Sports Radio's Petros & Money show to discuss the hiring of Mike D'Antoni and expectations for a presumed super-team.

"A lot of people think they have a championship caliber team," West said. "They may and they may not. When I look at this Lakers team I see flaws in it, but I think they are very capable and certainly injuries are going to be a part of that. But the most difficult thing to do when you have really good players is to hire the right coach."

West, now a Golden State Warriors executive board member, was surprised by the hire of D'Antoni, though he was less grating than Johnson. And he provided some insight into the Lakers' chain of command.

"Will Mike be the guy to lead them (to a championship)?" West asked. "I don't know. But I went to bed the other night thinking Phil Jackson was going to be the coach, and it didn't work out that way. Why? An owner has a right to change his mind, and the owner is Jerry Buss, and he still has input. And at the end of the day, I'm assuming, that was as much his decision as it was (general manager) Mitch Kupchak's and (team vice president) Jim Buss'."

Abdul-Jabbar, a critic of the Lakers organization in the past, was less skeptical.

"I think Mike D'Antoni is a great coach. He's proven that," Abdul-Jabbar said. "His offensive schemes work. He really got the Phoenix Suns up and moving, and I think that will work well for the Lakers team with the talent that they have.

"It should be a very interesting season."

It already has been.