I love Mitch Kupchak. He happens to run one of the best franchises in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers and has been doing so since he ended his NBA career in 1986, after playing for the Lakers himself for 5 years. It wasn’t until 2000 when Kupchak became the official Lakers GM after the departure of Jerry West. Since Mitch started managing this L.A. team, the Lakers have won seven NBA championships. They also won two with him as a player.
Despite his sometimes controversial career, with things like trading Shaquille O’Neal, and last year’s trades of Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher, Mitch always manages to come out on top. The man is smart; not only has he had a long standing basketball career, he’s a Bruin graduate of the Anderson School of Management. The key to much of his success hasn’t been to play to the norms, but to think outside the box. The last time the Lakers drafted a player in the first round of the NBA draft was 2007, and yet L.A. has been to the Finals three times and won two championships within those five years.
Pretty impressive.
In the draft, once you get past about pick 17, the risk of drafting a quality player between 18 and 60 is pretty much the same. But there’s a pretty big difference between first and second round picks as far as money is concerned. Lakers Nation writer Andrew Ungvari breaks down what it could be that Mitch knows, that no one else does. It is very interesting to try and figure out a mind like Mitch’s, who’s career has been a success and, when even at it’s worse, has a team better than most. I mean, he is responsible for this guy: Steve Nash.
Mitch has upgraded the starting lineup and the bench for this coming season tremendously. Now, 24 year-old Jodie Meeks from the Sixers may be heading to L.A. soon to help the shooting guard position. It is rumored that his interests lie with the Bucks, Wizards, and Lakers. Acquiring Meeks will be all about what he wants as a player; the Bucks and Wizards can offer him considerably more money, but L.A. can give him a potential championship.
Lakers Nation News
Jodie Meeks Labels Lakers One of Top 3 Choices
Poll Results: Kobe Bryant/LeBron James or Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen?
Olympic Teammates Urging Kevin Durant to Shoot More
Matt Barnes Arrested for Traffic Warrant and Resisting Arrest
Mitch Kupchak Has Proven Again That First Round Picks Are Overrated
Lakers’ Steve Nash Parodies ‘The Shawshank Redemption’
USA Chairman Jerry Colangelo Wants Coach K. Back for 2016 Olympics
Vanessa Bryant ‘Furious’ by Kobe’s Shirtless Party Pictures in Barcelona
United States Beats Tunisia After Strong Second Half
Team USA Basketball Highlights vs. Tunisia | Olympic Videos
Lakers News
Lakers Countdown: At #9… The 2010 Lakers [Forum Blue and Gold]
Lakers’ Matt Barnes Arrested [OC Register]
Should Lakers Take Hedo Turkoglu’s Salary to Get Dwight Howard? [LA Times]
Lakers Will Hire Eddie Jordan, Implement Princeton Offense [Silver Screen and Roll]
Kobe in Hot Water Over Photos [Lakers Blog]
USA vs Tunisia Open Thread [Silver Screen and Roll]
Kobe Excited About New Offense [Yahoo Sports]
Kobe Bryant Signs Autograph for Tunisian Player [Eye on Basketball]
Lakers To Go Ivy League On Offense? [Land O’Lakers]
Matt Barnes Faces Felony Charge of Threatening a Police Officer [LA Times]
Spain,Lakers’ Gasol Keep Cruising [OC Register]
NBA and Olympic News
London Olympics chat: Team USA vs. Tunisia [LA Times]
Brandon Roy Says He Never Retired, Just Put Career On “Pause” [Pro Basketball Talk]
Anthony Davis Impresses as Team USA Obliterates Tunisia [Eye on Basketball]
Free Agent Profile: Lester Hudson [LA Times]
Could Doc Rivers Coach Team USA [Yahoo Sports]
Warriors Re-Sign Brandon Rush [Eye on Basketball]
Clippers Pick Up Willie Green [ESPN]
Former NBA Star Dennis Rodman Will Obviously Write Children’s Book [Bleacher Report]
Celtics Officially Sign Collins, Three Others to Round Out Roster [Pro Basketball Talk]
Free-Agent Profile: Mickael Pietrus [LA Times]
First Real Upset of Olympics: France 71, Argentina 64 [Pro Basketball Talk]
