Keeping the talent pipeline stocked and refueled is essential to building a winning culture in the NBA and nobody has done it better in the past decade than our very own, Mitch Kupchak. The coach may determine the system which dictates the type of player needed via free agency, trade or lottery pick, but as the GM you still have to go out there and recruit talent. It takes ninja-like precision to locate a diamond in the rough that most overlook and that’s where Kupchak shines. In this day and age when fans drool over athleticism and upside, developing talent into results is what matters. There’s also the issue of chemistry that can’t be overlooked (see Dwight Howard), so it takes a special set of eyes to foresee the future than it does to glamour at past achievements. A GM’s role encompasses selling a player on the total package of being part of a bigger culture. Today’s athlete wants endorsements, playing time, and power. Similar to coaching, basketball executives are as much psychologists as they are shrewd business people. It’s not just about having the best talent on a roster, but knowing which players fit together best.
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The past couple of seasons are far from what Lakers fans expect. From the vetoed CP3 trade, Steve Nash free agency pick-up, Dwight Howard trade, Mike Brown’s abrupt firing to Mike D’Antoni’s hiring over Phil, there is cause to doubt the Lakers front office’s recent decisions. There’s nothing the Lakers could have done about the CP3 debacle, yet Steve Nash has been a shell of his former self plus Dwight was chemistry disaster and huge disappointment after he walked after one season. Things went from bad to worse when Mike Brown was fired and Mike D’Antoni was hired.
One should never rest on his past successes, but if the past is the best predictor of the future the Lakers are in good hands. Kupchak’s new contract extension can give all fans a sigh of relief knowing the architect of our most recent championships is here to stay. As Jerry West’s apprentice, Kupchak has been groomed under the best. It’s hard to argue his four championships since his promotion and by his regular game-time attendance, it shows his loyalty to the purple and gold. The summer of 2014 will be the first step in a 3-year rebuilding process back to the top. Things do look dark right now, but beware rest of the league, the calm precedes the storm. This off-season will be like no other in Lakers history, yet we as fans are in good hands. Kupchak has done it before and he can do it again. That’s why our hope lies: In Mitch We Trust.
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Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak On NBA Draft, No. 1 Pick And Trading The Pick