I’m here to eat some crow. Yes, one of the Lakers’ toughest critics is here to admit it that I might have been too hard on the organization. This isn’t to say they never made mistakes, but for the most part, the Lakers’ offseason thus far is off to quite literally the best possible start.
The lesson: While it’s easy to see each mistake and show immediate concern in the moment, the bigger picture must remain in focus.
Would I have preferred the Lakers canned Byron immediately after Kobe’s glorious final game? Yeah, that would have been the ideal icing to that cake. Hell, I would’ve preferred they not retained his services after his first year, but hey, he played a vital role in getting to where we currently stand.
Might waiting as long as they did eventually fire him prevent them from at least speaking to other potential candidates? I’m on an island in that concern regardless, but yeah, that would have been nice. Even still, the Lakers head into the draft with a shiny new coach and an even glossier number two pick.
The journey here has been arguably the most painful stretch the Lakers have ever put their fans through, but if this team makes the right couple moves and the kids develop, all might be forgotten, and at least somewhat quickly — depending on those aforementioned moves.
The offseason serves to offer us a larger point: There will undoubtedly be frustrations along the way moving forward. No matter which of the duo atop this NBA draft “falls” to the Lakers at two, they’ll still enter next year a rookie. While it will be great to have someone not named Byron Scott at the helm, Walton steps into his shoes a rookie, himself. The rest of the Lakers’ core will be undoubtedly thrilled to play for Walton, but the longest-tenured guy on the roster right now is Robert Sacre.
Barring some kind of personnel-related miracle, the Lakers won’t vie for the playoffs next year. The over/under, much like it was heading into last season, will probably be somewhere in the 30s. There will be losses, a lot of them, with quite a few mistakes made that have everything to do with youth across the roster. Thing is: who cares?
This is what Byron completely missed out on, he completely ignored the bigger picture in the hopes of winning in the short term. He admitted to this even after doing so cost him his job.
Next season (hell, even this offseason), things might not turn out completely according to plan. Does this mean we should pass on criticizing those moves or in-game mistakes if we deem them poorly? Not remotely so, but we should also do so while keeping the larger picture in mind. At the very least, as we have no idea what that larger picture might be, we should remember that one exists.
Managing expectations has kind of become my “thing”. D’Angelo Russell was named to the All-NBA second team and not the first in large part due to initial expectations. Yet with all that said, some of my criticisms this year crossed the line into being unfair as I failed to manage my own. But here we are, on the verge of the latest most “important offseason in Lakers history” and I can only hope I learn my own lesson.
Clay Bertrand says
Nice write up Anthony.
We all forget where we are on the growth curve from time to time and we can get a little antsy. But honestly, I am very less that way since we look to be onto a new chapter.
Macro not Micro……..Chess not Checkers.
P.S. I ran into Elden Campbell in Orange County this afternoon. No one recognized him at all. I asked him how hes doing and he said he was “working on his house” (we were at a cabinet place). Quiet type of guy but a nice dude. I remember when Jerry West drafted him outta Clemson with that flat top. He turned into a decent NBA big man and had a nice career……..anyway, cool to see the dude.
benlemons says
Me personally i was hurt that Kobe left without a 6th ring and how they failed to put the elite talent around him made me cringe inside. But now i am like move on its a new day and i love growth, now i am looking to see the team rebuild AND for some reason i keep getting this feeling that Philadelphia will wind up taking Brandon Ingram and we will end up taking Ben Simmons. With Kobe gone the Lakers desperately need a superstar and Simmons is the only player in the draft with superstar appeal. People say Simmons and Randle won’t fit but Draymond Green 3pt shot skyrocketed under Luke Walton and his game elevated, i think Luke will get the best out of Julius and the system that Luke wants to run Ben would be perfect for that system, fast motion every player on our team can grab the ball and go if added Simmons. I am pretty sure Draymond Green did what Kobe did to perfect his shot and thats shoot 1k shots a day, my gut is telling me the Lakers will get Simmons and but i don’t know we will see.
Craig W. says
benlemons,
The question is — will Philly take fit over flash? Most teams can’t, but Philly at least has enough big men, a shortage at the 3, and a new GM. Can they change their spots and bypass the better player for the better fit? Especially when the coach knows all about Simmons.
I think not, but we will see.
Warren Wee Lim says
Honestly, I couldn’t care less who is left to us. If Simmons, he is a great fit under Walton. If Ingram, he is a great fit either way. I prefer Ingram due to his modern-NBA fit but Simmons is simply not bad. Not bad at all.
AS for our contention, we are not contending for atleast 2 more seasons. We have to build up, accumulate talent and not get caught up with high-level talent who would be too old to run with us when our time comes.
Kermit duell says
We all should be patient n let the kids develop. Who knows. We might luck up and bring a prized free agent to LA. And a couple of second tier outstanding players this year. Just wait and see how the balls roll again. I’m very confident that we will get a super star.
Anonymous says
I’m not sold on Simmons. Against college players he had great stats but his team didn’t even make it to the postseason. It remains to be seen how this will translate to the NBA. That he has no reliable jump shot at all is definitely a red flag considering that everybody knows you need one in the modern NBA. Why hasn’t he worked on it harder?
I’m sure he considers himself superstar material, but is he ready to put in the hard work that’s necessary to actually become a superstar? He hasn’t proven that yet. And I’m not sure if L.A. is the best place to develop a work ethic if you already believe you’re a superstar. If I compare Simmons and Ingram the desire to win and get better is easier to recognize in Ingram. Even though he is more than a year younger. Of course it’s too early to make reliable predictions about their careers, but that goes both ways.
Ben P says
The points about PHI are very valid, but I have to wonder if more is at play for them than just the #1 pick. Some rumors have them talking to the Celtics regarding an Okafor/#3 swap. Although this wouldn’t solve all of their spacing issues since they would retain Saric, Noel, and Embiid, it would certainly make them more able to draft Simmons. Although it was still Hinkie drafting the last couple years and not Colangelo, I believe PHI is still far too desperate to not go with the flashy player. And they have certainly proven that they are willing to ignore fit before.
One player that has me intrigued this year is Dragan Bender. Last year, I thought the Lakers should have given Porzingis the nod. I even tweeted at Darius that I thought Porzingis was worth a big look. While I certainly understand them passing on KP, I can’t help but think that the KP story should make LA want to give Bender a strong look at #2 or possibly look at trading down a spot or two for assets.
All this being said, I do think LA needs to stick the course on its slow rebuild. At the end of the day, the NBA draft has as much to do with luck as anything else. People seem to forget that it wasn’t 5 years ago when people had Curry labeled a bust. Draymond Green was buried on his bench 3 years ago. Nobody ever predicted they would become who they are today when they were drafted. As much as Laker fans may hate it, the kids simply need time to develop. There are certainty trade options to try to improve quickly, but are those trades really worth it if you completely GUT your young roster to acquire an established star? Seems counterintuitive to me.
I’m hoping for the best for the Lakers in the next 4-5 years. Watching the young guys develop into more well rounded players should be fun.
PurpleBlood says
Nice piece Anthony – a sort of `mea culpa´ mixed with healthy optimism & just a dash of relistic incertitude;
“…as we have no idea what that larger picture might be, we should remember that one exists.´´
___
That pretty much sums up what life´s all about anyway, at least that´s the way I try to see it.
___
“I ran into Elden Campbell in Orange County this afternoon.´´
Clay, how cool is that! Glad you had a chat with him; all of us who truly love our Lakers know Elden gave it his all for us back in the day – (I recall having high expectations, & his not having fully reached them. However, most times when he stepped onto the court the feeling that he´d be `about to break it wide open´ never really abandoned me.) Thanks Elden!!
Robert says
Patience is relative to expectations, ability, and of course – time. In other words patience itself needs “context”. Players who are young deserve patience. However if they are drafted extremely high (DAR) and/or if they paid extremely well (most likely Clarkson) – then they get less patience. I did not say – no patience – but less. Luke is taking over a team that has missed the playoffs 3 straight years so the evaluation of his results deserve a large amount of patience. Others who have been here for much longer and are partially responsible for the last several years results – get less patience (none from me). So patience must be balanced with accountability otherwise you end up with years going by and no accomplishment for the most decorated franchise in history.
AttilasDaughter says
I’m excited to hear Simmons wants to force his way to the Lakers.
To me Ingram is playoffs and Simmons is championship.
He fits quite well because he’s a point and Russell is more of a SG.
So Randle and Simmons have to learn to shoot.
That can be done.
A Horse with no name says
Robert: This is a ground up rebuild–in case you missed it. These take awhile, whether you or I like it or not. Your comments on DAR and Clarkson are uninformed. Advanced metrics and the eye test show the very young DAR to be a high level prospect; patience will be needed here as he develops (see Ben P’s comments on the development of Curry and Green). As for Clarkson, he will be on a new deal that favors the lakers because of the Arenas provision. We are lucky to have both as cost controlled assets going forward. Embrace the journey.
Craig W. says
Simmons will go with whoever drafts him – most likely the 76ers.
Thanks Anthony! Patience isn’t really relative, as any person spening a number of years in a marriage can tell you. IMO, Anthony’s point was that things have been happening behind the scenes in Lakerland, but we only hear what the ‘talking heads’ put out, because the Lakers are notoriously closed-mouthed about their plans – Jeannie slips here and there, but mostly they keep quiet. There is really no upside to talking to anyone. First, the fans will be upset no matter what is said, because we are not competitive now. Second, there are plans behind plans and it is counterproductive to let your ‘opponents’ know anything but what you want them to know. This results in a real malaise on the fan’s side, but other GMs know they can talk to the Lakers and what they say won’t leak out and hurt them or their team.
It is simply not easy to rebuild a club – even Cleveland and Boston had to take several years to accumulate assets before they could act. Both Miami and Cleveland were able to recruit Lebron – that is not something other clubs should ever expect.
This doesn’t mean I am happy or satisfied with all that has gone on, but the club does – after all – belong to the Buss family, and this is not going to change.
Clay Bertrand says
Simmons is very talented and very enigmatic particularly when it comes to his jump shot situation. He possesses an almost awkwardly elite ambidexterity that to me makes him look a lot like Jason Kidd in the open court to me.
He passes with either hand perfectly, he has great two handed passes, point guard vision and just awesome passing fundamentals. Yet while he CAN dribble with both hands, he tends to really overuse his left hand on the dribble (a la Lamar Odom) most of the time. If you watch him, you will see him often dribble with his left all the way to the rim only to finish with his right hand exclusively. Its as if he can’t finish with his left. When he shoots his floater though, he also only does so with his right hand.
However, when he shoots free throws (and he does so rather effectively), he shoots Lefty!!!!!!! Say WHATTTTTTTT!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?
Summarized Breakdown:
Ambidextrous Passer and Dribbling ability
Left Hand Dribble Dominant
Left Handed Shooting Free Throws
Right Handed Shooting Floaters
Right Handed Rim Finishing
He has so much talent its just overflowing to the point it needs to be sorted out and properly guided assuming he ISN’T a primadonna and that he CAN BE coached. From a development perspective, it has to be sorted out how this kid is going to shoot jumpers. I would assume he would be shooting them with his left hand as he does his free throws.
Note: His 33% shooting from 3 pt range is egregiously misleading as he apparently shot THREE—thats 3 shots from that range all year and apparently made ONE.
I’ve read that scouts seem to think Simmons looked “bored” toward the end of his season at LSU. I don’t know if “bored” is the right word totally, but I can see exactly what they mean. He seems to operate as an entity that is almost detached from the team….an entity unto himself. Sometimes, his finishes on breaks look like he’s sorta holding something back (kinda like in a game when a guy is going to the basket, and they blow a whistle and the player still goes and dunks it anyway with the play dead but he dunks it with less—-real intent and less zeal as he would had the whistle not blown). Its weird to see. I wonder if anyone else sees this??
When the game slows down, to me, Simmons disappears. A non open court game is Kryptonite for him. Its almost shocking how ineffective he is when the offense bogs down and becomes a slow half court offensive set.
Further on Simmons, I’m curious to see his true measurements. He has an real NBA body vs. Ingram who has a real WNBA body (no offense meant here….if you watch the McDonald’s All American game with Ingram, you’ll be SHOCKED at how much skinnier he was just a year ago–he LOOKS like he’s play for the Sparks!!!). A skinnier guy can tend to look like a taller and longer player like Lamar Odom did and like Ingram does. They list Simmons at 6’10” 225-240. He just doesn’t look that tall to me. He also doesn’t look to be that long. I wonder what his wingspan is?? Ingram has a HUGE 7’3″-7’4″ wingspan and he is still growing conceivably. I’m wondering if Simmons being so filled out just makes him look shorter and less long???
Overall though, I think comparisons between Lebron and Simmons are almost totally without merit. Maybe they compare because of their advanced, NBA READY bodies coming into the league and because both guys can handle the ball at an elite level for their size, but thereafter is where the comparison runs very dry IMO.
To me, Simmons is a Power Forward version of Jason Kidd. I think the parallels are that both guys have transcendent passing ability, court vision, basketball IQ, elite ambidexterity and a pass first mentality. Likewise, both guys enter(ed) the league very lacking in their outside shooting/jumpshot. Kidd was never gonna be Steph Curry but he DID eventually develop a jumper and toward the end of his career, he was fairly effective as a streaky 3 pt shooter for Dallas although I’d never say he became very proficient in his outside shooting overall. He was decent though. I think Simmons needs to be better than Kidd was because of the emphasis on spacing and the 3pt shot these days.
I like us adding talent of all kinds whether raw, redundant, or immature. So clearly, we can’t go wrong with Simmons or Ingram.
PS: I LOVE that Douchey Ainge wants to have his coaching staff and front office guys study Simmons and Ingram and may even try to schedule workouts with each guy IN THE HOPES THAT ONE OF THEM MAY FALL TO #3. How cute!!!
Nik Kannan says
Clay Bertrand –
Regarding the acknowledgment of FA getting overpaid – what do you think we should do.
I think we need to stay patient and offer max deal to those truly deserving them. The only problem is that a true max player may not want to be apart of a team unless they have a legitimate shot to win the title, which may take signing some players to inflated deals… The whole thing seems counterintuitive – sign players get stuck with contacts never cross over the hump – don’t sign players and never get good enough to attract true max players…
Also trading into contracts seems reasonable … Except for the one very real fact that players getting traded … Are leaving another team and those teams usually come out ahead…KG & Pierce – now Brooklyn is screwed … Dwight and we got put out on the street… Can’t remember a trade resulting in a team having continued dominance … If it is boogie or butler we need to have a really good plan… Not just let the dominos fall…
So to sum it up… It seems like building through the draft ( we need to get another1st round pick and a guy like Denzel Valentine and thon maker & sign or trade only value assets til we can get the large fish like Anthony Davis.
What else can we do ?? I just really don’t want to sign players to be stuck with them – best thing that could have happened given our trades for Nash and Dwight and the Kobe Injury – was Dwight not signing … We’d still have to be dealing with that bozo… I don’t want to put us at risk of that again!!
A Horse With No Name says
My response to Robert stuck in mod for hours–don’t worry Robert!
A Horse With No Name says
http://thelab.bleacherreport.com/the-next-porzingis/
Why I’ve that Bender would go third all along, and why I think Mitch says there are 3 stars in the this draft. Damn Celtics . . . .
Robert says
Horse (brian): My comments were not directed at you and if you direct comments at me do not call me “uninformed” or say arrogant things like “in case you missed it”. Ok brian? Also for the record if you read my post I did not say anything negative about DAR or Clarkson. I said I would have less patience with them than guys who were selected lower or paid less. You can respond or not but do not insult my opinions. Embrace the rules of the board.
Tra says
Looks as if B. Shaw will be signing on afterall to be the Lead Assistant for Luke’s staff ..
http://www.lakersnation.com/lakers-news-l-a-nearing-deal-with-brian-shaw-for-lead-assistant-job/2016/05/21/
Clay Bertrand says
B Shaw B BACK! ; ) see what I did there????
Now lets get some developmental guys too and a DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR!!! David Nurse is available from Brooklyn………I think we should be able to pry away Darren Erman from Memphis being that their coaching is in flux. I know he was a Celtic for awhile but his focus on DEFENSE would be a welcome addition for us!
A Horse with no name says
Robert: I did not violate any rules: “thou shall not call someone’s opinion uninformed.” I honestly think your comment is without merit and small minded, and reflects an unyielding and unreasonable animus that distorts reason.
LKK says
ESPN is reporting Shaw’s hiring as well. I’ve always liked Brian Shaw. As a player, he was clutch and unafraid. I’ll always remember his huge game 7 in the WCF in 2000 vs. Portland. The Lakers don’t win that night without him. I’m glad that the organization has hired him. Especially in light of the perception that there was a rift between the FO and him due to his being passed over as a head coaching candidate. It’s good that he’s back in the fold. I’m sure he will be very helpful with working out potential draftees as well as easing Luke’s return to the Lakers.
Jim Dickinson says
I also like the idea of the drawn out rebuilding process. The Lakers picked up Kareem and McAdoo to win those championshios, but everyone else was a draftee. Same when they had Shaq.
Anonymous says
If the Lakers were to land two high-end free agents like DeRozan and Horford, for example, they will make the playoffs next season. Book it!
rfen52 says
Fans can be patient or not. Makes no difference. As long as enough show up for games and watch them on tv. I plan to be watching as the Lakers try to work their way up from near the bottom, after several years of, IMHO, bad luck and bad judgment. Nobody knows how long it will take to become a real contender again. It’s even possible they no longer are run with the kind of great vision that wins championships. Rant and rave if it helps. Only time will tell.