Wandering the links on a lazy Friday afternoon. It’s that funny time of the year. There’s still some incredibly good basketball being played, but as a fan of a team that’s out of the hunt, I can’t help looking at the long hot summer ahead. Maybe we can throw a cyber barbeque slash strategy session about the 60th pick in the draft. I tried various search terms, trying to find an elusive holy grail, like a kid from some community college in Alaska. I found nothing, except an article from Andrew Sweat in Yahoo about second rounders from the past. Oh well. We could always revisit Chukwudiebere. I’m pretty sure he’s available.
Dave McMenamin from ESPN reports on Jim Buss’s disappointment in the Lakers’ season.
Brian Kamenetzky at the Land O’Lakers has the report card on Pau Gasol.
Dexter Fishmore at Silver Screen and Roll has the five best moments of the Lakers’ season.
Kurt Helin at ProBasketballTalk explores the idea of Phil Jackson returning to the NBA in a front office role.
Eric Pincus at Hoopsworld looks at the challenge facing the Lakers, as the financial noose tightens.
Mark Medina at the L.A. Times writes about the Anthony Davis wanting to shut down Kobe thing. This is starting to become an annual rite of passage for the kids in the draft.
Alex Dewey at Gothic Ginobili writes about Rajon Rondo and the margin of the moment. I know, it’s the Celtics, it’s Rondo, just read it – hilarity ensues.
***
This would be the place where the other side of the wraparound goes, but I’m drawing a blank. And two hours have passed since I sat down to the computer. And I’m hungry. And I want lunch. And a soda. See, if you just keep hitting keys, you wind up with a word count you can live with. I promise something better next week. Or not.
– Dave Murphy
Chris J says
Had to have been hard to compile that list of five best moments, what with the bile still lingering in our collective mouths.
My favorite moments were in the few hours after I heard they’d traded Pau and Lamar for Chris Paul. Then I took a nap, woke up and saw the word “veto,” and suddenly the tone for the past season came into view: disappointment.
Robert says
Jimbo’s Quote: “I thought we were a better team than this, but you can look at it as this was the first year these guys have played together with this coach”
I think Jimbo is stating that the roster was not the issue and he is disappointed with player performance and how we meshed as a team (which would be coaches and players). So I guess he thinks our roster was good enough. I see this as an issue moving forward if this is the frame of mind of the owner. This could easily result in futzing, rather than significant change.
Dave M: The Pincus article is very depressing. Not that I didn’t know most of that stuff, but seeing it displayed out in a summary was especially bad.
Darius Soriano says
A new post is up.
http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2012/06/01/looking-at-the-bynum-gasol-duo/
Edwin Gueco says
Jimbo got a delayed reaction. Laker fans already knew the outcome after the preseason games where they would fall in the playoffs. Roster was unbalanced composed of highly paid players together with castaways from other teams. He tried to cut costs on coaches, scouts as penny pinching moves in imitating Don Sterling, he thinks that is the good model. He should have asked his Dad or trusted Laker lieutenants who have gone to several battles or longtimed fans, they would have volunteered their expertise. But no, he went into this “mano por mano” against his ex-future brother-in-law which really deflected him in attaining his real goal -improving the product.
I recommend for Mr. Jim Buss that he should read the book on Steve Jobs. It sums it up this manner: “If you want to become different, then focus on the quality of your product by surrounding yourself with A-people.”
In his case, he should trust the A+ Laker thinkers like Mitch, the old Laker brains in choosing the right people because Jimbo does not have enough experience in immersing himself in evaluating talents whether on players or coaches.
buy gold today says
Would have loved to see Kobe make it to the finals this year…..there doesn’t seem to be any real protagonists in this years playoffs….