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NBA A-Z: Jim Buss unhappy with Los Angeles Lakers' start

By Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports
  • "It's very frustrating because I think there are many little factors," Jim Buss told USA TODAY Sports
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant shares team President Jim Buss' frustration with a 9-13 start.

Back when all was well with the Los Angeles Lakers, when scribes, coaches and analysts alike saw great things in their future and the other 29 teams lamented the way they stockpiled so much talent over the summer, Jim Buss was a happy man.

The Lakers' lead executive and son of owner Jerry Buss sat courtside for a preseason debut against Golden State at the Save Mart Center in Fresno on Oct. 7, the excitement of seeing his team together for the first time tempered only by the fact that Dwight Howard wasn't yet healthy enough to play. And before his team would go on to lose the first of eight straight preseason games en route to a 9-13 regular season that no one saw coming, he shared the sort of optimism and humor that are in short supply in Laker Land these days.

"I like this team with (reserve center) Robert Sacre on it," Buss had joked at the time about his temporary starter.

But the laughing has long since stopped for the Lakers, this so-called super team that currently sits in 12th place in the Western Conference they were supposed to dominate. They're 4-8 under Mike D'Antoni, the former Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks coach who replaced the fired Mike Brown just five games in and will make his first trip back to Madison Square Garden tonight.

With the season marred by injuries to point guard Steve Nash (left leg), forward Pau Gasol (knees) and Howard (slow recovery from April back surgery), Buss' mood — as one can only imagine — has long since changed.

"It's very frustrating, because I think there are many little factors that are causing the issues that we're having," Buss wrote in a text message to USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday. "Nash, injuries, (a) new system. Like I said before, there are a lot of little ones, but the ones that figure to help the most would be Nash returning (and) Gasol returning and just playing together in a new system."

Jim Buss poses with sister Jeanie Buss and Lakers center Dwight Howard this offseason.

Yet as the Lakers' struggles have continued, with Gasol looking like a mismatched piece before he was sidelined on Dec. 2 and the defense deteriorating more by the day, the debate has raged on about whether D'Antoni's system is a good fit or whether the Lakers should have hired Phil Jackson as it had seemed they would. Lakers legend and Jackson advocate Magic Johnson has been the loudest of the dissenting voices, his latest salvo coming Tuesday when he said so bluntly that "his system doesn't fit the talent the Lakers have." D'Antoni's former boss in Phoenix, TNT analyst Steve Kerr, agreed with him this week in an interview with USA TODAY Sports.

But Buss, who has stayed mostly quiet since Brown was fired on Nov. 10 and D'Antoni was hired two days later, disagreed with the notion that D'Antoni is a bad fit. And like the coach whose best years came with Nash in Phoenix from 2004 to 2008, he's counting on Nash's return to fix what ails them.

"I think the system is fine when you have someone like Nash running it," Buss wrote. "I personally like the system, because - like Mike says - you can always tweak it to fit the players."

While Nash's fractured left fibula has had him out since Oct. 31, nerve pain in the same leg has since delayed his return and he told USA TODAY Sports' David Leon Moore on Sunday that he would be out "at least another two weeks." But as Kerr sees it, the problem isn't Nash so much as it is Gasol (whose return date is unclear but expected to be soon). As the former Suns general manager noted, there is a direct correlation between Jackson's departure in 2011 and Gasol's decline.

"Phil made the most sense based on his own relationships with the team, but also because the Triangle really utilizes two bigs, and it allows those bigs to work in concert with each other," Kerr said by phone. "I felt like for this particular team, that the Triangle made more sense than Mike D'Antoni's system."

"If you think about it, Gasol has not been the same since Phil left, and Gasol is the perfect Triangle player. My feeling was that it doesn't matter what you run for Kobe. He's going to score his points. He'll adapt to any system. And so what you really have to do is figure who you really need to empower, and to me it's Gasol and Howard together. You don't even have to worry about Nash. He'll adapt to anything because he's so smart and such a great shooter. If you put him in the Triangle, he wouldn't have put up the big numbers that he put up in the past, but he would've adapted quickly and they could've played pick and roll out of that."

While Kerr sees Jackson as the better fit, he deemed it unfair to judge the Lakers until they are fully healthy.

"Until both Steve and Gasol are back, and all four of the All Stars are playing together, we won't really have a true gauge of where they are," Kerr said. "But what I see right now is really poor defense, and I don't see any semblance of the D'Antoni system that we saw in Phoenix and we saw in New York, which is basically point-guard dominated, high pick and roll, space the floor, tons of three-point shooters, and you have a roll man. I don't see any of that. But in Mike's defense, they don't have the personnel for it right now."

The reunion with the Knicks couldn't come at a worst time for D'Antoni, as the team that he resigned from in March leads the Eastern Conference with a 16-5 record under Mike Woodson. The schedule won't be making life any easier for the Lakers, who are 2-7 on the road overall and have five of their next seven games away from Staples Center.

Surprise, surprise: What Golden State's upset in Miami means

The Miami faithful will surely sound the alarms after Wednesday night's loss to Golden State, but the real relevance of the game was what it meant for the once-lowly Warriors. First, though, a Heat check.

Even after losing three of their last five games, the defending champs are just one game off their pace from 2011-12 (the current 14-6 compared to 15-5). From their 9-8 start in the 2010-11 season to a three-game losing streak early on last season, stretches like these have become something of an annual affair ever since LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh met on South Beach three summers ago.

Their defensive decline is very real and worth watching going forward, but time and talent (not to mention the quality coaching of Erik Spoelstra) remain on their side. Meanwhile, the 15-7 Warriors - who have occupied some serious space in these early A to Z columns because they're the surprise team of the season - would have been deserving of all this attention even if they stuck to the original script.

Lest anyone forget, new center Andrew Bogut was supposed to be the one prompting the about-face for this woebegone franchise that has been in the playoffs just once in the past 17 seasons. But while the big man who came their way in last season's trade with Milwaukee remains out with lingering left ankle problems, his April surgery turning out to be much more serious than originally believed, coach Mark Jackson and his crew have Warriors fans forgetting all the frustration that was starting to build. Should they improve to 6-0 on this seven-game road trip when they play at Orlando on Friday, the six-game road winning streak would be a franchise first.

There's still no set timeline for Bogut's return, but there is this funny fact that wouldn't count as comedy if they weren't winning: Bogut bobblehead night is on Tuesday at Oracle Arena when they host New Orleans. This comes, of course, some six weeks after he was expected to be fully healthy in the flesh and the ceramic version of the 7-footer would be the only one considered fragile. That's the beauty of this stretch for Golden State, though, the fact that the Bogut black cloud isn't looming like it was just a few weeks ago. Every win, as Warriors consultant Jerry West said recently, makes the disappointment of Bogut's delay and the season-ending injury to swingman Brandon Rush on Nov. 2 a little more manageable.

"He's disappointed; everyone's disappointed," West told USA TODAY Sports about Bogut. "The reality of it is that the doctors assured us that he was going to be fine to play. With him, I think it definitely helps our team, and we have to be pretty pleased with where we are (this season) after losing another really good player (in Rush).

"I'm very pleased with where we are in a short period of time. I think you can see there's a difference in the team. We've got some guys who can do different things, and to me that's the most important thing. We have versatile players, players who play multiple positions, and we've got some veteran players for when things get tough. I'm pleased by that."

As impressive as rookie center Festus Ezeli has been in his stand-in role, adding a healthy Bogut - and not the running-on-skates version that we saw in four games this season before he shut it down - should only bolster this defense that is already ranked 10 spots higher in points allowed per game than it was last season (28th to 18th). Until then, Stephen Curry, David Lee, Klay Thompson, Jarrett Jack and the rest of this surprising lot seem to have things under control.

The Big Man Beat, New York Knicks edition

Speaking of big men integrating with their team during a hot streak, Kerr weighed in on the New York Knicks situation that looms large when Amar'e Stoudemire (left knee) returns for his season debut. The forward who played for Kerr and D'Antoni in Phoenix is expecting to return later this month, with a Christmas Day game against the Lakers an unofficial target.

The Knicks are rolling right along without him, and it seems likely that he'll be asked to come off the bench when he returns. A person with knowledge of his thinking said Stoudemire will do whatever coach Mike Woodson wants in order to win, but added that those discussions about possibly coming off the bench have not yet taken place. The person requested anonymity because of the private nature of the talks.

"They're playing great," Kerr said of the Knicks. "They're in a good rhythm, a good groove, and it's so difficult to try to fit in a guy like Amar'e who's obviously a highly-paid, very skilled, ball-dominant (player).

"And it's just the spectacle of it all. If this were JR Smith, nobody would say anything…It wouldn't be much of a story. But when it's a high-profile guy, it becomes very tricky. I think this is sort of the key moment of the Knicks' season. I think they've proven they're an elite team after 20 games, or whatever it is. But I think the key to the season will be 'How do they figure out this Amar'e thing?' It's going to be really tricky."

Kerr's opinion, like that of so many others, is that Stoudemire will need to come off the bench.

"My feeling is that you have to bring him off the bench," he continued. "You've got such a good group with the way you're playing. To mess with the starting lineup at this point would seem crazy, especially because the style that they've found is based on the floor-spacing, and they wouldn't have the floor spacing with Amar'e at the four and (Tyson) Chandler at the five…The Amar'e, Carmelo (Anthony), Chandler three-some was one of the least efficient frontcourts in the NBA (last season)."

Breakout player of the week: Cleveland point guard Kyrie Irving

Reigning Rookies of the Year won't typically get notice here, but Irving returned with aplomb from his left index finger fracture on Tuesday against the Lakers after an 11-game absence. He battled with Curry for the starring role in that night's highlight reel, offering a reminder why he was worthy of the No. 1 pick out of Duke last season. The line: 28 points on 11 of 21 shooting, 11 rebounds and six assists in the win, much of it coming against Kobe Bryant. He was stymied by Indiana on Wednesday night, finishing with nine points (3 of 12 shooting) and four assists in a loss.

Putbacks

* LeBron James may want Charles Barkley to "shut up" about Dwyane Wade, but he'll probably want to hear what the TNT analyst had to say about whether the reigning MVP will be able to hold onto that title.

Barkley, who drew the harsh words from James because of his recent assertion that Wade's game was fading, was recently asked by yours truly whether Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant could soon surpass James at the top of the NBA's totem pole. Barkley, as he is wont to do, didn't hesitate to disagree.

"No, because LeBron can win the game three ways," he said. "And right now, Kevin can only win the game one way – and that's scoring. And if you want to count (James') defense, then that's four ways (he can beat you). LeBron can get you 30 (points), can get you 10 assists, can get rebounds, and can guard any player on the court."

With all due respect to Sir Charles, who was kind enough to discuss Durant in more detail for this piece, that's a simplistic look at the league's two best players. Durant's overall has game has never been better than it is right now, and it's tough to quantify the impact of his personality and selfless style that have had everything to do his ability to grow alongside the dynamic-but-difficult Russell Westbrook. And while James' defense stands alone in comparison to Durant and all other, there have been major improvements there too.

"I have no problem putting (Durant) on the best players," Thunder coach Scott Brooks told me during the Oklahoma City visit. "That's the thing he'll continue to improve on is that end of the floor."

* Even with Mike Bibby working out for Memphis on Wednesday, he won't necessarily be following in the infamous footsteps of Allen Iverson and Gilbert Arenas as long-in-the-tooth, high-profile, Grizzlies backup point guards. A person with knowledge of the Grizzlies' plans downplayed the chances of him being signed by Memphis. Bibby's agent, David Falk, called him "a great candidate for eight to 10 playoff teams" and said he's "cautiously optimistic" that Bibby will find work soon.

"He's super savvy, and can win a game or two in a (playoff) series and be a difference maker without playing a ton of minutes," Falk said.

Two key dates to remember in this situation and countless others: Dec. 15, when players who were signed as free agents during summer can be traded and thus the roster reshuffling may resume; and Jan. 10 when teams face a financial fork in the road because most contracts that are nonguaranteed become guaranteed unless the player is waived.

* As if Toronto's loss to Portland on Monday night wasn't bizarre enough, what with the Raptors' Amir Johnson throwing his mouthpiece at an official and all, the Blazers managed to win going away (92-74) despite this humbling slice of their box score: 0 for 20 from three-point range. Toronto, which has now lost six straight games and 12 of 13, made that statistical oddity possible by hitting just 3 of 21 three-pointers of their own.

It has been a simply brutal year for the Raptors so far, one that was captured well here by the esteemed Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. For more on what it means for general manager Bryan Colangelo and coach Dwane Casey, read our Hot Seat story from earlier this week.

Personal Power Rankings

My top five:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (18-4): Their ninth straight win (92-88 against New Orleans on Wednesday night) wasn't pretty, but it was enough to put the Thunder on top here after they became the new No. 1 in our group power rankings. Durant didn't get much help, as his 35 points more than doubled second-leading scorer Kevin Martin (17 points). And so his MVP candidacy continues. More on that to come.

2. San Antonio Spurs (18-5): The loss to Utah on Wednesday night wasn't the benchmark game. Monday night's showdown against the Thunder, however, most certainly is (with games against Portland and Boston in between).

3. New York Knicks (16-5): Seven wins in their last eight tries, with wins against Miami and Brooklyn among them? The Knicks, dare we say it, are for real.

4. Los Angeles Clippers (16-6): Rest assured, we'll start covering the Los Angeles team that actually wins more heavily soon enough. No matter how many storylines the Lakers are providing, the feats of Chris Paul & Co. simply shouldn't be ignored. Their win over Charlotte on Wednesday night made it eight straight wins, thereby justifying the leapfrogging of Memphis in this top five debut.

5. Memphis Grizzlies (14-5): It's not just three losses in the last five games for the Griz. It's the fact that the two wins in between were close ones against cellar dwellers Phoenix and New Orleans.

MVP Pulse

My top 5:

1. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City: There was some obvious foreshadowing above on this front. So alas, the league's best record coupled with weeks like his last one from Durant put him here for the first time this season: four games, all wins, averaging 32.5 points (on 49.4 percent shooting overall), 7.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists per.

2. LeBron James, Miami: James is still playing at a level all his own, but the Heat have taken a step back and someone must pay. It's admittedly nitpicking, but he had a season-low three rebounds against Golden State on Wednesday on a night when a few more might have made the difference (to go with 31 points, five assists and four turnovers).

3. Carmelo Anthony, NY: Just in case you thought the Knicks could survive without him because of their Dec. 6 win over Miami that came with him sidelined, New York fell to Chicago two nights later without him and Anthony then returned to score 34 points against Denver in a win and 45 points on Brooklyn in yet another.

4. Tim Duncan, San Antonio: How does one absolve himself from responsibility in a loss like Tim Duncan did against Utah on Wednesday night? By finishing with 22 points, 21 rebounds and six blocks. Duncan is having his best season since 2006-07 at the ripe young age of 36.

5. Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers: Paul has more help in his second season in Los Angeles and thus his scoring is down (19.8 ppg to 16.3), but his 9.1 assists and 2.6 steals per game tell the tale of one of the game's most well-rounded players. The 16-6 Clips have won eight in a row after dropping four straight prior to that stretch.

Rookie Watch

My top 3:

1. Damian Lillard, Portland PG: His 18.4 points and 6.4 assists per game leads all rookies in both categories, though he struggled mightily from the field in the win over Toronto on Monday (nine points on 2 of 14 shooting, six rebounds, five assists).

2. Anthony Davis, New Orleans F: The top pick in the June draft returned from an 11-game absence (left ankle) on Tuesday night, and didn't have to work too hard to find his way into the rookie rankings again (though the Hornets could have used more help in losses to Washington and Oklahoma City). He is averaging 15.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.

3. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte SF: The Bobcats have lost nine in a row, but Kidd-Gilchrist is still doing his part on both ends. He's averaging 11 points, 6,4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.

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