Jim Buss has been the target of many Los Angeles Lakers fans who point to him as the main reason behind the struggles of the last couple of years.
The executive VP of Basketball Operations continues to push forward, however, full of optimism about the franchise.
In particular, Buss told Sam Amick of USA Today that he believes the Lakers have ‘turned the corner’:
Yeah, I think we’re in dynamite position. Not good position – dynamite. I think we’ve turned the corner.
Buss is very excited about the Lakers young core, especially second overall pick D’Angelo Russell. Buss believes he could be the key to getting the Lakers past the rebuilding stage and potentially help lure a big-name free agent:
We went through, what 10 years without winning a championship or anything? Sedale Threatt, and those days – Smush Parker and Chris Mihm. You have to do it, until you make the right move. And I think we might have made the right move with D’Angelo Russell. I think he might be something special. And if he is, then that’s what I’m talking about. Somebody special is going to want to play with someone special, and then the dominoes fall. So yeah, I’m extremely confident.
That foundation of Russell, Jordan Clarkson, and Julius Randle is cause for excitement from everyone. Each has shown potential to be a great player in the league, and if they continue to develop, it isn’t hard to envision a major player wanting to join them in Los Angeles.
With Buss still on his self-imposed timeline to return the Lakers to championship contention, he is surely banking on that development to happen sooner rather than later.