In DC, Tim Bontemps wrote the return of Magic Johnson to the Lakers as an advisor “wasn’t shocking.” The surprise was the “loud and clear signal about the future of the team -- and, specifically, the future” of Exec VP/Basketball Operations Jim Buss. The team “appears to have given Johnson wide latitude in his new role.” Regardless of what ultimately happens with Buss and/or GM Mitch Kupchak, whose future has “also been under intense scrutiny,” Johnson’s hiring “kicks off a pivotal stretch" for the team (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/3). In L.A., Mark Heisler wrote the Lakers "need to enlist" the help of Basketball HOFer and Warriors Exec BOD member Jerry West. Johnson is “inexperienced at running a front office.” Johnson and Kupchak go back decades, so Kupchak can “count on a fair appraisal with the bias tilting in his favor, as it should if ‘Laker Family’ still means anything” (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 2/3).
HIGHER ELEVATION: In Atlanta, Chris Vivlamore reported some Hawks fans "will see a price increase" for season tickets next year. While some ticket prices “will not be increased, some will see a small percentage and some a substantial percentage.” Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said that "most increases" are less than 10%. Some prices "decreased after the racial issues” surrounding the franchise and former GM Danny Ferry in ‘14. However, some prices were “increased after the team’s 60-win season the next year.” Koonin said that ticket pricing “will be simplified” with “just a 100 and 200 level" once the Philips Arena renovations are completed (AJC.com, 2/3).
TUG OF WAR: In N.Y., George Willis wrote the Knicks are in "basketball purgatory," caught between the "illusion of chasing a playoff berth and the likelihood they are about to rebuild for the future.” That is an attitude that has “trickled down from the top,” starting with President Phil Jackson. The rumors and silence from the Knicks front office “has put everyone else in a difficult position,” and the “noise surrounding the team could get worse” (N.Y. POST, 2/5).
