Since Magic Johnson was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers to head basketball operations, most people have lined up to praise the move. Mike D’Antoni was having none of that, though it’s probably also fair to consider the source.
The analysis of the firings and Johnsons hiring often follows a fairly consistent formula:
“Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak = Bad. Magic = Good. Magic will help lure free agents with his charisma. Did we mention Jim and Mitch were bad?”
Read through that equation again. There isn’t much room for nuance, is there? Nuance can be difficult at times, but in the case of Kupchak and Buss, acting as if they didn’t do a few good things in their times in charge is pretty ridiculous.