After adjustment period, Jeanie Buss ushering in 'different generation' for Lakers

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — Jeanie Buss doesn't look the part of unforgiving ruler.

The 53-year-old president and governor of the Los Angeles Lakers still has that magnetic way about her, a combination of business sense and beauty that has long since made her one of the most intriguing executives in professional sports. But when it comes to fixing what's broken with her team, to ending this torturous two-year run that began not long after her father and legendary longtime Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss died in Feb. 2013, she's as ruthless as they come.

And with good reason: this isn't how she was raised.

"I don't think that I'm being stubborn when I say I expect the best for the Lakers," Buss told USA TODAY Sports. "That was a bar that my Dad set, and certainly there was always a feeling around the house that the Lakers don't miss the playoffs. And the idea that we missed the playoffs two years in a row was different territory, and it was not comfortable for me.

"I couldn't get a feel for where we were going. We were turning coaches over – a new coach every 18 months. That doesn't make you feel comfortable in terms of a direction if the direction keeps changing all the time. And that's the kind of stuff where I didn't see how that was going to help us get back to the bar that my Dad set. And so I think now, it seems that there might have been…"

She pauses.

"It's not a purging, but a reset of a different generation," she continued. "And now the table has cleared, and you're going to start to see exactly what the future of Lakers basketball is going to be, because our front office – (her brother and vice president of basketball operations) Jim Buss, (general manager) Mitch Kupchak – has all the things that they need to put their vision out on the floor."

Translation: with free agency set to start at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Wednesday and the Lakers believed to be in the running for many of the top-tier names on the market, the pressure is on.

Buss made it abundantly clear long ago that there was a timeline in place, that the Lakers needed to be back among the NBA elite by the time the 2017 playoffs rolled around or heads – shared gene pool or not – would roll. The Lakers are a combined 48-116 in the past two seasons, with Kobe Bryant's brutal run of injuries playing a major part as they missed the playoffs for the fifth and sixth times since moving to Los Angeles in 1960. In that regard, these next few weeks are as significant as they come for this franchise that spent so much of these past two seasons in a freefall.

Whether it's Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan, Jimmy Butler or any of the other sought-after talents who are up for grabs, the Lakers desperately need to land someone, anyone, who can join Bryant in what is likely his last season and help put them back on track. No more airballs like they've had these last two summers -- Dwight Howard bolting for Houston and stars like Carmelo Anthony bypassing the chance to help them get back on top.

But as Jeanie discussed the state of her purple-and-gold, there was a sense of optimism that simply wasn't there before. The growing pains of their reformed group are behind them, as she sees it, and the ripple effect of that improved culture will eventually be realized.

"I think anytime you have a major shift in leadership – like with my Dad's passing – that there's going to be an adjustment period," she explained. "And when you go through that adjustment, it feels unsteady, and unsure. I think for a free agent, this is such a pivotal time in their career, in their life, and when they commit to a team they want to make sure that it's going in a direction that they're confident in. And so I think that we've gotten through that adjustment period, that reset. The outlook for us is positive, and I look forward to helping deliver that message to the free agents who are interested in wearing the purple and gold … I feel like we're on solid ground."

The most compelling part, of course, is that Jeanie will be fighting over free agents with her longtime companion, the Knicks' Phil Jackson, for the second consecutive year. And this time, she says with a smile, it's the Lakers' turn to get the best of her beau.

"When I think of the Knicks or any other team, it's just another team that's trying to take what we have," she said. "They're our competitor."

And the Lakers, of course, lost Round One of this free agency fight.

Before Anthony headed back to New York last summer, re-signing with the Knicks and passing up a chance to play for the Lakers in the process, he had a memorable moment with Jeanie that she had hoped was a sign of good things to come.

The two of them had connected on the topic of art last July 3 inside the Lakers practice facility where they pitched him on free agency. Anthony was intrigued with a piece of hers from the great Ernie Barnes, the late African-American painter whose work gained worldwide fame when it was not only featured on the cover of a Marvin Gaye album but routinely used on the sets of the 1970s show, "Good Times."

Anthony knew and respected Barnes' work, from the soulful jazz scenes he created to his many basketball pieces that included a Lakers tribute of sorts titled, "Showtime." But when it came to the picture the Lakers painted about their own future, Anthony – in the end – wasn't interested.

He wasn't alone.

The question now is how can the Lakers convince NBA stars that "Showtime, Part II," is right around the corner? For starters, they have a coach this time around, which was not the case a year ago when they had fired Mike D'Antoni and left his spot open intentionally while reshaping the roster. Byron Scott is entering his second season, and Jeanie said in no uncertain terms that he remains in good standing.

They have the kinds of young players who could ultimately form a decent foundation, last week's draft pick D'Angelo Russell joins second-year forward Julius Randle, who is returning to rave reviews after missing last season with a broken leg and guard Jordan Clarkson a first-team All-Rookie selection. They have the sunshine and eternal allure of Los Angeles, where so many NBA players who don't play for the Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers choose to live and train during the offseason.

What's more, they have plans in place for a state-of-the-art practice facility (price tag, $80 million) that's scheduled to open in spring of 2017. Last but certainly not least, they have the kind of vision for the future that Jeanie admits wasn't there before.

"I didn't really know what Laker basketball was going to be (a year ago)," she said. "I didn't really know what (the front office was) trying to build, and I think we were looking for that player that was going to help us go into a direction. We really didn't get that person. I think we put together a team that we felt was going to perform better than it did, but the injuries that we had were unprecedented. Kobe getting injured again was heartbreaking. It was a huge disappointment. So compared to last June, I think we have a much better direction."

And in turn, a much better free agency pitch.

"We have the largest stage in the NBA in terms of exposure for a player," she said. "I think we have all the pieces. It's just if that fits what (free agents) want for their career as well. I think there are players who it will be attractive to, and there are players who are looking for something different.

"I'm just optimistic, and I think there's the right player or players out there where this is attractive to them, and that's what we want, someone who's on the same page with what we're doing. It's exciting."