Letters: Like Magic, patience with Lakers disappears

Let’s see. Magic admonishes Luke Walton for his coaching. Let’s hope Magic did not convey any strategy he used in his 1993-94 Lakers season when he abruptly quit as coach after going 5-11.

Earl Roth

Oak Park

::

Was Magic really mad at Luke Walton or was he mad at himself and Lakers management for dropping the ball on Lonzo?

Jim Amormino

Rancho Palos Verdes

::

Magic may be Luke’s boss but Jeanie Buss is Magic’s boss. Last year, Luke had nothing to work with, remember? How many people do you know that will thrive and deliver great results while being yelled at in a front-office environment for all to hear? Not a smart move.

Georgette Rieck

Santa Monica

::

I disagree with Plaschke’s position that Magic was wrong to scold Walton.

He did exactly what the situation called for. All the talent in the world is in this team, and if they’re not winning, it’s a product of poor coaching. It looks like they’re playing street ball. Phil Jackson always had a set offense every time down the floor. Personally, I hope Magic is already in the process of interviewing new candidates.

Lou Shapiro

Los Angeles

::

As a young sportswriter I covered the Lakers in Magic Johnson’s first year. I vividly remember a humble, respectful, wide-eyed rookie in the gym at College of the Desert that first day. Fast forward nearly 40 years and I’m no longer a young sportswriter and it seems Earvin Johnson has evolved into a known volatile leader. It saddens me that any organization will put up with this style of leadership, and by inference, that Jeanie Buss tolerates it. So much more is owed to the legacy of Dr. Jerry Buss, Bob Steiner, Jerry West and the many other professional executives who made the Lakers the storied franchise it is today.

Ron Yukelson

San Luis Obispo

::

If Magic wants to rip someone he should settle on the person who gave Lou Williams away. There’s no question that Lou could have made a difference in a few of the games the Lakers have lost.

David Lawler

Santa Maria

::

Magic, it is only human to get angry and I don’t blame you at all for being angry when D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle are scoring 20-some points regularly.

Dan McAdam

Rancho Palos Verdes

Batter up?

Is Bill Plaschke preparing to retire? It seems that Dylan Hernandez is being groomed to replace him as the sportswriter designated to make ridiculous roster suggestions to the Dodgers. After Los Angeles was subjected to three months of Manny Machado’s lackadaisical efforts, it would be horrifying to be locked into more of the same with a long-term contract for Bryce Harper. Would one of the senior Dodgers end up strangling Harper as happened a few years ago with the Nationals?

Kirk Norenberg

Redondo Beach

::

Just finished reading 18 letters Saturday all lambasting the Dodgers’ season. Not one mention of the fact that the owner and previous front office graciously took a quarter-billion in bad salary off the Red Sox books a few years back. Also no mention of Ryu, Kershaw, Turner missing months of the season and Seager all of it. Just being in the 2018 World Series was miraculous.

Douglas Whithorne

Santa Monica

::

Dear Dodgers front office:

Don’t blow this winter’s shopping spree. We need that home run-hitting infielder who will make the difference. But here’s a news flash: It isn’t Manny Machado. We need Machado and his no-hustle, kick-the-first-baseman attitude about as much as a fish needs a bicycle. Please spend spend your money wisely . . . on Brian Dozier.

Jon Tisdale

Monrovia

::

So Farhan Zaidi is leaving the Dodgers for San Francisco? Guess the Giants figured they weren’t striking out enough.

Mer Valdez

Long Beach

::

A letter writer last week called critics of Dodgers analytics, “armchair managerial Einsteins.” When the front office was asked for a comment, Andrew Friedman inquired, “Are those armchairs lefties or righties?”

Mario Valvo

Ventura

::

After reading the letters to the editor all season from supposed Dodgers fans, I find it hard to agree when I read that the Dodgers fans deserve a World Series victory. If the editorial choice in letters is any sign, the Dodgers have the most “fair-weather” fans in baseball. It is disheartening to have a whole season trashed because the better team won.

Suzanne Hudson

Pomona

::

It is ironic that the Dodgers’ full-page ad thanking the “greatest fans ever” should feature the photo of a Dodgers player with his back to the camera. For going on six seasons now, the Dodgers have turned their backs on fans who ask nothing more than to be able to come home from work and catch a game on television. An ad is nice, but the “greatest fans ever” deserve better.

George Pisano

Rancho Palos Verdes

::

I would love somebody to give me $93 million “for a chance to prove a lot of people wrong.”

Paul Brown

Newport Beach

At a loss

After the Rams’ loss to the Saints, it was reported that “The Rams’ locker room was devoid of long faces.” and that “The crucible of trying to complete a perfect season was over.”

By that faulty logic, perhaps the Rams should lose on purpose this week so they won’t have to deal with the stress of trying to complete a near-perfect season.

Jerry Rubin

Santa Monica

::

The Chargers won in Seattle, despite another worrisome kicking failure. Boston’s century-long curse reportedly resulted from trading Babe Ruth. Flash forward, the Spanoses might just have earned their own misfortune leaving San Diego. No other NFL owner ever moved their team into a soccer stadium. And now the Chargers are incapable of finding a player to reliably score points kicking the ball.

Konrad Moore

San Diego

Fire on ice

The Kings’ recent firing of coach John Stevens is nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. It’s not Stevens’ fault the team is the deadly trio of overpaid, old and slow. It’s not Stevens’ fault the team has no cap space this season, a tad more next season and will be in Cap Hell until at least the 2021-22 season.

Erik Schuman

Fountain Valley

Et tu, Bruins?

Rome wasn’t built in a day. On the other hand, it didn’t start 2 and 7.

Wes Wellman

Santa Monica

::

The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used.

Mail: Sports Viewpoint

Los Angeles Times

2300 E. Imperial Hwy.

El Segundo, CA 90245

Email:

sports@latimes.com