Hey Skandery!
That was some good stuff you posted there...it caused me to reflect on how influential the head administrative personnel can be on the success/failure of a team. Since the days of GM Bill Sharman (West's mentor), the LAL have had great master planners and architects at the helm. While the floundering of the current team is reminiscent of two other interregnums in the dominancer of the LAL (in the mid-'70s, post-Wilt but pre-Magic era, and the mid-90s, post-Magic/pre-Shaq/Kobe period). While the jury is still out on the Kupchak Administration's record, one must at least credit him for keeping the LAL from falling as far as they might have.
As far as the choice West had to make between Wilkins, Worthy and Cummings, the mind reels at the different permutations and combinations that could have occurred, and not just for the LAL! Terry Cummings was a great player as well - he would definitely have fit right in to Showtime!
-RB
Shaq #1