If, at the start of the night, I were to tell you the Lakers would win by 11 points and do so pretty comfortably, I think we all would have exchanged high fives and gone about the rest of our Friday night. Well, guess what? The Lakers won by 11 (111-100) and did so fairly comfortably. So, high five, right?
Kind of.
Because while the Lakers won this game, it was the flow of the contest that many will likely have a hard time letting go of. Early in the game, the Lakers came out bombing away from long range, defending on the other end, and built up a big lead in the process. It really was as simple as the Lakers not missing shots.
After the 1st quarter, the Lakers were up 37-24. Six minutes later, the Lakers were up 61 to 32. If there was a shot to be taken, the odds were that the Lakers weren’t only finding a way to take it, but were going to make it. Three pointers fell from all over the floor and from any Laker that was taking it at the time. This really isn’t an exaggeration. Of the 8 players who had seen game time for the team, 7 had made a three pointer, including Pau Gasol. The only blemish was Jamison’s 0-1, but the team as a whole was 10-13 so we’ll excuse him.
That said, even though the Lakers were rolling, you could see things weren’t necessarily going to stay that way. The Timberwolves, though down big, were actually playing well on offense and you had to figure if they kept playing that way and the Lakers stopped making every shot taken, the game would start to turn. And, well, that’s exactly what started to happen.
With the Wolves unable to slow the Lakers in man to man situations, Rick Adelman made the coaching decision of the game by switching to a zone D. Instantly, the Lakers started to look like a different team. The shots they were taking in rhythm started to bounce off the rim. The Wolves, able to rebound rather than take the ball out of the bottom of the net, were then able to push the ball up court and attack the Lakers in the open court. Of course, with this being the Lakers’ weakness, the Wolves started to make a push. By the time halftime came, the Wolves had cut the lead down to 19 and had grabbed some momentum for the second half.
In those final two periods, the Wolves stayed in the zone and the Lakers just couldn’t find a way to break it consistently. Sure, they’d get some baskets here and there, but for the most part the Lakers settled for jumpers and, unlike the first part of the game, those shots didn’t fall. The misses allowed the Wolves to duplicate their success from the latter part of the 2nd period and continue to shave points off their deficit.
The Wolves got as close as 4 points before the Lakers finally just decided they were no longer going to settle for long jumpers and were going to get shots closer to the rim. They moved the ball inside to Gasol or grabbed an O-rebound or simply drove hard to the paint. And while that wasn’t an every play occurrence, the attacking style did set up the types of outside jumpers that the team made in the first half rather than the off-the-dribble variety that they missed in the middle part of the contest. When those shots started to fall again, the Lakers opened back up their lead and seized control back.
In the end, this wasn’t the most fun game if you sat through the entire thing. Watching the Lakers struggle with the zone and lose the majority of what was close to a 30 point lead was certainly frustrating. However, the win is what matters most and the Lakers were able to get it done. Plus, there are some real positive takeaways too. Pau Gasol filled in well for Dwight, playing well offensively and doing a reasonable job defending Pekovic. The team controlled the backboards, allowing only 8 offensive rebounds while still being able to win the battle of the glass by 17. Despite having issues with the zone, the Lakers were good at taking care of the ball with only 12 turnovers on the night.
So, overall, while there were things to be upset about, the result is not one of them. The Lakers really do need every win they can get and, despite the up and down nature of the game, this contest counts just the same. So, just remember it this way: the Lakers won a road game by 11 points and did so fairly comfortably. Sunday they get another chance to do it again.
KOOO says
Watching the rerun. Meeks and Metta still stink. Hard to believe Eubanks could possible be worse then Jody Brick. What does Mike see in this guy? 3 for 18 for small forward spot.
Odd.
Pinch says
If we manage to get into the play-off picture, we better start doing something about the zone D teams will play after that showing.
Game should never of been that close, similar cases against the previous 2 opposition.
Good win nonetheless playing without D12, a lot of teams would love to have the luxury of having 2 all-star C’s. Pau was good!
pio2u says
Good effort tonight. No disrespect to the T-Wolves but half of their team is out with injuries. This game should have been a blowout. We’ve got to learn how to put teams away.
Warren Wee Lim says
From just trying to play hard and win the game, we have gone to expecting to blow the Wolves out of the water on their homecourt.
Should really just make up your minds.
Also, the game chat commenting feels like a High School message board. I hope Darius does something about it.
Spartacus says
How lucky to have an All Star Center as your back up big when your starting Center gets injured. Only the Lakers have that kind of luxury and we (me included) still demand for a Pau Gasol trade.
This brings abck memories of the old FB&G article about D.Fisher cherish the moments while it last.
Pinch says
Here’s hoping they don’t bring D12 back too soon, the same thing has happened a couple of times now. Hit on the shoulder and out of the game, now out indefinitely.
We have Pau to fall back on anyway, what I don’t want is for D12 to come back early and teams willingly hit him on the shoulder knowing they can get him out of the game.
Warren Wee Lim says
I love what Pau did in this game. Thats the kind of guy we want to see night in and night out. I believe the emergence of Bynum over the last 2 seasons has us forgetting what he brought to us 5 years ago. I believe he still has the goods esp under MDA’s coaching. However that would also mean Dwight needs to go.
Pick your center, Mitch/Jim/Jerry. I believe Earl Clark fits seamlessly on both guys and we need just one… if you feel that Dwight is a risk and might leave, deal him. IF you believe he will stay, deal Pau.
If the main characters like Steve, Kobe and Pau (along with Clark, Jamison, Blake and Metta) can only do their job well, then its clear what we need in the lineup.
PurpleBlood says
i agree with KOOO, what´s the deal with not playing Ebanks?
is he a liability on the defensive end?
seems like a long, young forward would be a benefit to the team, at least give him a shot
mindcrime says
I guess I join Purple and KOOO on this also—does anyone have any intel, good or otherwise on the Ebanks situation? I know he got busted for drinking and driving. I had heard (again–random rumors) that Ebanks had compounded his problems by “copping a ‘tude” during practices and games, etc…..and that he had himself in Brown’s and Bickerstaff’s doghouse before MDA got there, and wasted no time doing the same when that coaching change occurred.
Is there good information on why he isn’t playing? Because otherwise, he seems to have a similar profile to Clark (young, athletic, hasn’t had an opportunity to play consistent minutes and prove his worth, etc……) If his attitude stinks—ok I get it—but if not, then what gives? You’re 21-26 and seeking consistency at the 3 and the backup 2…..the time for patience is probably passed.
Darius Soriano says
mindcrime,
I’ve heard that Ebanks has issues related to role acceptance. That he focuses too much on offense when he should be more of a defensive player. There’s also been questions about his work ethic. The fact that he’s not played under any of LA’s coaches should say more about Ebanks than it does about D’Antoni. But, you know, people don’t like D’Antoni so it’s an indictment on him that Ebanks doesn’t play. I can guarantee you that if Ebanks did play and he messed up, Ken (and others) would be shouting in the comments that D’Antoni is an idiot, that Ebanks shouldn’t be in the game, and that asking “what is he looking at?” all the while. How do I know that? Because Ken says those things about Nash and Pau.
Warren Wee Lim says
Darius, I really hope you find a way for us to be on forum format (username, password) and at the same time allow us to have filters in terms of commenters here that aren’t necessarily doing illegal things per se but aren’t contributing either.
I dream of the day FB&G is rid of bandwidth-wasting comments. Atleast from my POV, I would much rather hear a healthy debate over some angry high-schoolish rant.
Rusty Shackleford says
Just get W’s. Yes this was against an injury-depleted bottom feeder but the “You are what your record is” adage applies to the Lakers here. Get W’s and work toward building some momentum. If they can improve on playing on the road and not blowing leads they can catch Houston.
Tom Daniels says
The Lakers are still trying to find an identity. These last 5 games they have been playing a new and far better style of game. With this kind of talent, if the ball moves and bodies move, it’s hard to defend. But none of this is ingrained habits yet, so they really struggle to stay with it for 48 minutes.
The lead was built with amazing ball movement, good shot selection and a bit of an unrealistic hot streak from the 3 point line. Then, like a Vegas gambler who doesn’t when to quit, they kept taking 3s. No longer off three good passes. No longer in rhythm. No longer making them.
And against the zone they stopped penetrating and working for good shots – they just played around the perimeter. Finally in the last couple of minutes they remembered you are allowed to dribble TOWARDS the basket, you can pass to your seven footer inside and you can cut to the rim without the ball. And, voila, by being the same team in the last three minutes they were in the first quarter they got a win.
LBc says
What Earl Clark is doing at the PF position this season is incredible, he can Easily win the most improved player of the year award.
Clark>Blake Griffin
Funky Chicken says
I’m not sure why anyone should be surprised that Pau played a solid game. He played center exclusively, and against a team with little interior D. Pau is still a top level NBA center, but that has been the problem for the last couple of years. He is perhaps the 3rd best player in the league at that position, but for two years running he has played next to the two guys better than him.
Pau’s salary is too high, but it can be justified for the next 2 years if he is a starting center. If he’s a backup center or a starting PF, his salary is outrageous and unaffordable.
Separately, how on earth can a team with poor outside shooting and two 7 footers NOT know how to attack a zone? Is it not entirely predictable that teams will utilize this defense against them? Last night it appeared as if the Lakers had never practiced how to attack a zone, and that was pathetic.
aka says
funky chicken
to my untrained eyes, i think the nba in general is not good at reacting to a zone defense. The euro players seem to be better at reacting to it, and adjusting their games. this isn’t just a lakers problem, see how other teams like miami struggle against the zone. in fact, i think it’s one of the reasons that dallas was able to win the championship despite having relatively subpar defenders at multiple positions.
this leads to my next thought, which i’ve been wondering about all season: why don’t we ever try the zone? I’m not saying that should be our only defense, but when it looks like we are getting killed defensively, why not try the zone? at least practice it, and dare the opposition to beat us with outside jumpers (which they probably will, given the shooting percentages we give up, but maybe it’s worth a shot)
but yes, it isn’t acceptable that we don’t understand how to attack a zone defense. (we weren’t any better at that or at pick and roll defense under phil either)
KOOO says
That was tough Darius. True but tough. On Pau I feel he is being used incorrectly. As a center he has way more talent then Dwight,
Nash is still good but have been surprised by his turnovers dribbling into traps and organizing the offense. Most of that came from the “wait till Steve gets back” promises from MD that raised my expectations unrealistically.
I don’t know about Devon other then he went from a starter under Brown to a cob web under Mike D, Based on the Clark discovery I just wonder if a few minutes out there when Metta and Meeks are going 4
for 18 might be worth the gamble.
If my criticism was on a 30 and 15 team, it deserves your point. But
based on this team going from a favorite in the West to a 10th place and 5 under even team should not all things be criticized?
I wait all summer for Laker season to start. So far this has been my biggest disappointment in over 40 years. To harsh at times, maybe? But do you really feel not warranted based on media hype and
expectations?
radius says
warren: echo your sentiments on the message board.
funky: i wouldnt necessarily say that Bynum and Dwight are “better” than Pau at center. Pau has the “curse” of being a better all around player, ie jump shots and passing, that coaches feel they can move his role out of post in order to take advantage of having 2 7 footers in the game and be effective. Still feel that Pau should be in the post more than Dwight, but I am a lowly fan with no say. If this were dwight or bynum being asked to move away from the basket, im sure they would be upset also.
ken, we get annoyed because you instantly react to EVERY bad play and treat it as the end of the world. WE ALL criticize this team, but we’d appreciate a lil more perspective. I have read good stuff from you, but in game message boards have become you saying how crappy someone is immediately after one bad play. and to be honest, your comments and rants are the main reason i stop going into the comments section.
Please remember that WE ALL waited all summer for this team, and we all see the inconsistency and are just as frustrated as you are. But this place used to be about thoughtful analysis.
Listening to the game last night in the car, when MIN made it close, i did say,”man, again??” I truly do not get why a team with Kobe, Nash AND Pau have a hard time finishing games and going for the juggular. Extremely frustrating.
Now, I figure Kobe will be guarding Calderon if he plays for Det right? now that he is the Magic Mamba, id assume he has more energy on the defensive end. which means the key is teammates making shots agains Detroit. Have a good superbowl weekend everyone.
KOOO says
By the by:
My company is one of the hosts( featuring our adult beverages) at a big Oscars After Party at the Andaz Hotel on Feb. 24th. For Darius, Robert, Lil Pau, Funky, Mind etc. I have a few extra passes if there is interest. Several former NBA Legends will be on hand. Let me know.
P. Ami says
KOOO,
The point you are making is the following.
A) I love the Lakers for x years
B) The media hyped the team
C) Due to the hype, I had high expectations
Ergo, the fact that the team is a huge disappointment means I will go onto a Lakers blog that values rational analysis and instead rant over unverifiable conjecture and ignore my obvious confirmation biases (which again, are a result of media hype). Basically, you are angry about the state of the Lakers and we all need to hear about it.
Do like I do. Beat the wife and kids after a bad loss. Kick the dog when we just don’t win by a big enough margin(on the road, against an excellent home team). Go shoot up an elementary school when the Lakers get eliminated. Just don’t come on here and do the blog comment version of the same.
Joe M says
Warren, I don’t mean to be offensive, but it seems to me that you are not living in the real world. It doesn’t matter where you are when watching the game. Whether you sit at home on your couch with a bunch of friends, sitting in a bar with a room full of people, listening to the game on the radio with your family, or chatting on the Internet with a bunch of your Laker pals in a forum. Facts are, people get angry with their team when they under perform, especially a team picked to win the championship by many at the start of the year. People say stupid stuff just out of emotion and normally don’t even mean it. That is a part of sports and what makes it fun for many people. I understand you and some others here never feel the need to say anything negative about the team without saying something constructive to back it up, and I admire that, but there are not many people like that. You don’t hear people in the bar during the game go, “man the Lakers aren’t attacking this zone, we need more people cutting to the basket, and they should be moving the ball more.” That is just not what most people do DURING a game. After the game and before the game yes. And normally almost all comments before and after games are very constructive here and not just hateful bad comments about the team. There has been nothing on this thread here that has been bad hateful bashing about the team. It is your right to complain about what you don’t like about fans like Ken, but I just don’t think your being very realistic and understanding of the real world of sport fans. In my opinion, this forum would be less fun if we did not have guys like Ken.
harvey M says
Bottom line with Pau, he is a way better offensive player than Dwight, on a team where defence is the much bigger issue and where aside from his rebounding, he is a defensive liability, and Dwight is the defensive anchor/solution. In addition, I still feel that a real pro, would understand that you can still have a huge impact on a team as a 6th man playing 26-30 mins a game (can anyone say Manu Ginobli????????), especially on a team where there are 4 superstars and two other occasional all stars, and where PT is obviously an issue.
Dantoni’s decision to not use him against NO, despite him having a real good game up to the 4th quarter, was very clear and understandable. Dantoni had hoped to keep the starters out. When the game started to fall apart, it was understandable to go smaller given that NO was essentially running 3 pg’s, making Pau really susceptable to a mismatch. From one of the blogs out there, I get that there was a big spanish star in the house that night that may have explained his frustration.
Having said that, and while I am generally pretty supportive of Dantoni, I think he might have done a bit better job in a) structuring the rotation so that, as Darius suggested, Nash and Kobe are not on the floor all the time together, so that Nash is playing more time with Dwight, and Pau is more often with Kobe and b) I continue to think that a twin towers line up without Nash or Kobe (and designed to have some of the better defenders along side those 2, so that you have the potential for a really strong defensive unit) could be developed and be really useful for 10-15 mins a game, depending on match ups.
KOOO says
Thanks Joe.
I think?
Don Ford says
As for this eminent site, no one wants to get school-marmish, but it’s hard to disagree with Warren. But Radius I think really says it right, and echo his sentiments (positive and negative) about the Koo Koo.
PurpleBlood says
@Warren – your post at 8:00am seems somewhat exclusive; to wit:
IMO your posts on the FO & the finances of the NBA are well thought out and accurate, as are your thoughts on the Xs & Os of what the Lakers are doing,
BUT being a die-hard fan means more than focusing on the `cold facts´ & future business transactions and/or results.
Thus I submit that even though one may let one´s emotions get the best of him/her at times (especially during games) it is I believe for the most of us a bigger question of a LOVE for the Lakers:
as a team of gifted athletes, an organisation, an emblem of a city and a legendary franchise more than well-known GLOBALLY even to those who have no interest in the NBA.
It is our collective HEART, a Laker Blue & Gold heart, that brings us to this wonderful blog.
Personally, I´ve been a fan since the 1980 playoffs when Magic captured my imagination but if anyone has cared to read my posts it is readily apparent that i am no b.ball genius nor can I stand toe to toe with most on this site when it comes to commenting on the intricacies of this great game.
Yours truly is simply a loyal Lakers follower, one who appreciates this cyber space where a Purple and Gold COMMUNITY gets together to hash things out – and to celebrate as one.
I wish you the best of days ahead WWL,
and for ALL of us, TITLE NUMBER 17!!
LT mitchell says
For the past three games the Lakers have given up big leads after the opposing coaches made adjustments. New Orleans adjusted by going small…Phoenix started trapping Kobe in the post and packing the paint…..Minnesota started playing zone. The Thunder, on the other hand, did not make any significant adjustments, and it’s no coincidence the Lakers played four solid quarters against them.
The Lakers simply failed to respond to these adjustments. D’Antoni’s idea of an adjustment is putting different lineups on the floor, instead of changing the strategy, which is worrisome going forward. It took until the last few minutes in Minnesota for someone to realize that the team needs to stop shooting threes early in the shot clock and start attacking the paint. It’s hard to fault the players for taking so many threes because D’Antoni’s philosophy is to “shoot if you are open”. He does not seem to value the idea of using up the clock and slowing down the pace, especially when the team has a big lead.
The recent adjustments the players made to play through the post, slow down the pace and work through Kobe in the post is the right strategy for this team…..but when opposing coaches take this option away with a simple adjustment….the players have looked lost and confused. The players took it on their own to make the adjustments on offense……is it too much to ask D’Antoni to come up with some in game adjustments of his own?
Brera says
Let’s see Pau vs Monroe and Drummond tomorrow! Hope he does well. We really need this win. Before the road trip began, I believed anything less than 5-2 would be pretty bad for our playoffs hopes. Losing to the Suns was bad enough, but with Heat and Brooklyn games coming up we better not mess up @ Detroit.
The Dane says
Loosing a 29 point lead is frustrating, but I think we are missing out on something, if we let that be the main narrative taken away from this game.
To me last night was a rare sighting of a Lakers team, that won one with what they could do with their nails, when the flick of the wrist trick didn’t work.
That big lead was build on unsustainably hot shooting, but the game was won by out rebounding the opponent, without the teams two best rebounders (Dwight and Hill). It was done by winning the TO-battle, racking up the most assists and the best FT-percentages.
If the shots don’t fall… and for the night the Lakers shot worse than the Wolves from the floor and from three… then you have to get to the line (25 vs 18), knock down the free throws (84%) and limit the opponents second chance opportunities (rebs: 57 vs 40; wolves only had 8 off rebs).
If we forget the dissapointment of the Lakers not being able to keep the rate of 10 of 13 from three-point-range, as they started the game with, then we just witnessed a Lakers team win a game where they didn’t play too well, and their opponents had one of their better days. And they did it by hustling, grinding and working their butts off.
I like those qualities in my team… especially when we know we already have talent on the roster.
mindcrime says
@ Darius (and others)—
Thanks for the info—I kind of wondered if the rumors I had heard about Ebanks were true. Deparate times or no, if his attitude stinks, his attitude stinks, and he probably belongs parked on the bench.
Gary says
I believe the Lakers are winning in spite of D’antoni and not because he made adjustments or changes to his system. The players just took it upon themselves to change how they play like for example kobe deciding to facilitate and shoot less. The Lakers are playing right now with little to no coaching so I’m not surprised we faltered down the stretch against the Suns. Coaching may not be the biggest reason Lakers have a below .500 record but it is a huge problem.
Robert says
Purple/Joe M: Your thoughts are on target.
WWL: I actually like the idea of permanent user names. It would eliminate the impersonation problem among other things. However I disagree with the criticism of others’ posts. For example, I know many were annoyed by my constant urging to the FO last year to get DH. However is this any more annoying than someone constantly urging the same FO to trade Pau? One man’s intelligent post is another man’s rant : ) And yes some of the comments in the game threads can be annoying, but if I were playing for the Laker’s, I would rather have a bunch of Kens in the 100 section, and a few less celebrities and their golf claps : )
Aaron says
It’s somewhat understandable what Pau is going through. He am isn’t being asked to go to the bench in his prime where his confidence is at its highest. He has fallen from a top tier talent to league average PF in two seasons. That isn’t easy for a proud athlete. It’s really just adding insult to injury.
Craig W. says
A rant isn’t, in and of itself, a bad thing. Where we all begin to tire of it is when the same person says the same thing over and over. How about the ‘ranter’ assuming that the rest of the bloggers heard them the first time and, if they have to repeat something similar, make it somewhat similar and not the exact same rant over again, i.e. there is no reason to constantly say how poor a coach Mike D. is. One time from each blogger is enough.
Spartacus says
“Pau coming from the bench dilemma”
As I have said in previous threads, this matter can be easily solved by MDA. Let Pau start at PF and then give him an early rest at the 8 minute mark. Then let him play the whole of the 2nd quarter as the Center for the bench. In that scenario Pau will be a starter playing starters minutes and at the same time anchoring the second unit.
This is the difference between a Phil Jackson and a Mike D Antoni. The former knows how to feed the ego of his players and at the same time utilize their strengths according to his system.
PurpleBlood says
I would rather have a bunch of Kens in the 100 section, and a few less celebrities and their golf claps : )
__________________________
lol! thanks Robert
Tra says
What makes FB&G the best Lakers Blog are the various individuals whose comments take on different perspectives due to there passion and emotional attachments to the team. Just to name a few, I, for one, enjoy:
Robert, for his ‘Kobe Alerts’ before each game. Each ‘Alert’ is a constant reminder that what I’m bearing witness to is history taking place right before my very eyes.
Aaron, even though he doesn’t post as much as he use to, for his ‘Know It All’ comments and Sarcasm.
Rr, for his, what I would call, ‘Cautious Optimism’ about the finality of the team. Also, for his ‘Statistical Approach’ towards the game (even though I’m more of an Eye Test kat).
Warren, for his outlook of the Lakers through the Money aspect of it. FB&G’s ‘Financial Guru’, so to speak.
BigCitySid, for his belief in Lakers Basketball being played through an overall team approach and not just ‘The Kobe System.’
Craig W., for his ‘Historian’ approach and painting a picture for me of when Wilt and The Logo ran the floor of the ‘Fabulous Forum.’
And also, Ken/Ko/KOOO, for his ‘Insider Info’ and much needed, IMO, ‘Emotional Rants.’ These in game rants not only shows his passion for the team, but they’re also given in a comedic light, which, when the team is not performing up to our level of excellence, is like Tylenol that eases the pain.
All in all, these viewpoints and different opinions are required for the continued success of FB&G. Lets not try to ostracize one individual because the way that they display their love for the team might be a lil bit more complex than the way in which you display yours. We all have 1 thing in common, and that’s for a successful Lakers team.
Lakers .. 4 Life
Formalhault says
AWhat about that Formalhault guy jaja?
rr says
I made Tra’s list of people whose posts he likes (thanks, Tra) but not KOOO’s pre-Oscar party with NBA Legends list.
I guess KOOO has picked up on the fact that I am not a snazzy dresser.
Joe M says
I acknowledge it was probably a little low for me to compare this forum with that of a bar. I do understand this is not suppose to be a site for people to just rant all the time and actually have more thoughtful comments than that of a bar scene. But I do feel there should be some leeway during the games with regards to the ranting. There are no basketball fans in the association that can be more frustrated than we are.
Tra, very good point. And that is in my opinion what makes this forum so fun and worth coming too, is the many different perspectives and personalities that different people have. Craig, I can see your point of how a constant repetitive rant can become annoying after awhile. But you also need to understand that as mentioned, Ken does a lot of this with sarcasm and humor. Why not just read his posts and think, “there’s Ken being Ken,” and just laugh about it? You can always expect to hear at some point, “Get Metta out of there, wake up Mike!” lol. But idk, if it is really a problem for a lot of people, then I would not be opposed to having some kind of chat filter thing I guess, or just have an option to ignore certain users.
jerry ross says
tra – nicely said. i like the variety of comments. i don’t mind the rants and actually find them entertaining. just coming from die hard fans – so what if they complain and it’s about the same thing.
i used to go to the kbros blog – was pretty diverse until they forced a username logon. then it turned into the same 3 people just commenting to each other. talk about BORING!!! those 3 people should have just gone offline and chatted with each other.
I love this website and find the diverse comments great.
Warren Wee Lim says
I don’t mean to get personal or specific, I just comment as I see fit. I will try to do this in the best manner I can.
Robert, I have short-term memory loss so I couldn’t remember a single comment about getting Dwight. I did not favor the Dwight deal myself, I preferred it if we had traded for Deron Williams instead of Dwight, and that was prior to acquiring Nash. I of course operate on the premise of possibilities only and not on actual inside track as some here claim to have.
Joe, its not very surprising that you and Ken echo the same sentiments. I am even beginning to believe you are one and the same person. Its almost one comments after the other and says the exact same things on the same tone. So forgive me, it could be a mixup. But “great and beautiful minds” think alike, so…
As far as the entire blog goes, this is a blog of passion, emotion and enthusiasm… but its also a blog of intellect and reason. So while we all are entitled to our emotions and rants, some of us merely want to be spared of such in the best way possible, thus having an option to “ignore” some posters would be very helpful. I never suggested people to stop being who they are or belittle a fanhood that spans 40 billion years or such or the gazillions that has been spent for Lakers merchandise or so.
I am content being a member of the blog, caring enough to suggest some options and changes to hopefully make the experience even better. I do not intend to make other people stop at what they’re doing no matter how irresponsible some of them have become.
I am thankful to Kurt then, and Darius now that he welcomes me on his blog to share my ideas, passion and sentiments. I am blessed. I am proud.
Warren Wee Lim says
Thanks Tra, I believe calling me a financial guru is taking it way too far, but I see it as a compliment nonetheless.
I look at the Lakers from a different view. I look at it as a fan and as an owner who wants to win the next championship ever so worse than any other paying fan. I offer a different view, as a fan that thinks likthatmy outlook. I see things from a slightly different light than most.
I look at the Lakers as the greatest pro-sports team as well as an income-generating entity. I value how much the owners make as if it were mine to earn because it helps you assess things from a realistic perspective. Its also the same reason why I do not fault Cuban of the stance he took not re-signing Tyson Chandler last season despite the results that show today. I could offer some things he could have done better, but then again, my heart belongs to LA.
From the Lakers standpoint, the new CBA affected the many ways to build a team. Most specifically, it cripples teams like LA and Dallas (aggressive and passionate owners that are willing to spend) because the new tax system being employed was prejudicial almost specifically to the 2 teams like the Lakers and Mavericks. So as Cuban has so eloquently put it, he has to change the way to play this game simply because the rules have also changed. We need to go with the flow and play the game at the highest level of understanding and aggression.
Moreover, me suggesting that the Lakers “correct” the payroll has already been done. As a matter of fact, independent to my consult, the Lakers have indirectly came up with the 2014 plan. Had it not been for the new CBA, the 2014 plan would not have been necessary. Had it not been for the new CBA, the Odom + Gasol for CP3 deal would not have been consummated, and thus, the Odom for TPE would also not have been done.
Indulge me for a little bit longer.
The Lakers need to structure payroll is an advocacy that will lead to options as opposed to restrictions. The inflow of cash/income allows and affords the Lakers to spend big on another time and place. You cannot win it all year every year, you have to pick your spots and put yourself at the best position to succeed. Using a poker reference, you don’t go all in on every hand. Even though all-in works all the time except once.
No prejudice to Pau Gasol, but things from the financial standpoint was not planned to hurt this much. The CBA was very unfair to LA. We did things that we are taxable for way before, its like your wife nagging you for an ex-girflfriend before you even met.
So in all, my thrust to trade Pau is a mere effect of my advocacy. No prejudice. I love Pau Gasol, drrayeye and Darius should be able to confirm this. But to this day and age, trading Pau Gasol is not only the best option, its our only option.
chris h says
I am a long time FB&G’er going back to (I think it was ) summer of 2004.
I remember there was about 15 of us regular commentators and we had one who always picked a fight, John R. Those were the good ol’ days. But I think it’s also a commentary on society in general. 2004 was pre-great recession, things in general were (as things always are before a recession) “looking bright”. Times changed with this recession, it’s a generation thing, and will leave a lasting impression on many people. I’m saying all that because it’s just not our blog that’s gone through “changes”… I don’t recall, in my 57 years, seeing such a dysfunctional country, politics, guns, you name it – the divide is deep. it seems calmer minds have receded into a corner for a while, let the extremists play their hands, in time, calmer minds will prevail.
I agree with Warren, back “in the day”, the comments seemed more like a constructive thread, (except for John R, trying to get a fight going, but we all just had a laugh with him), but Warren, I think the old days are gone forever, not just here on the blog, but life in general, I don’t see anyway darius can re-create what we had back when Kurt first got it going. I remember the excitement when we got out first “100” comments during a game that year!
For me, I like coming to the post game review, there at least there are comments about the game, team, etc… rather than during the game where it’s just “play by play” which doesn’t make any sense to me. cheers all! happy super bowl.
Joe M says
“I dream of the day FB&G is rid of bandwidth-wasting comments. Atleast from my POV, I would much rather hear a healthy debate over some angry high-schoolish rant.”
Warren, you claim you don’t have an intention to belittle the fan-hood. But this comment does just that. You are calling our comments wasteful and something teenagers do. This is where you are not getting it. This is what fans do around the world. Fans express emotion during games and it provides a release of frustration during the games. As you have already seen, there are a number of fans here that take a liking to the rants of Ken. You obviously hate it and that’s ok, but it is you in my opinion that is being a bit immature and hateful with the way you word things about fans you don’t like. I will not request an apology, but I do request that you stop degrading and making fun of fans you don’t like or agree with.
Darius Soriano says
Can we simply stop complaining about the comments? I’m tired of this (expletive). The comments are what they are. It’s not going to change. Believe me, I’ve tried. I’ve expressed countless times what I like and don’t like and, surprise!, no one cares.
So, just understand, that if people aren’t going to respect my wishes on the subject, they sure as hell aren’t going to respect yours. So, just stop complaining, comment the way that you want and leave it at that.
dindo says
can we get rid of MWP for somebody younger..
he makes me cringe every time he shoot a step back shot.. its almost automatic brick.. and he makes himself available for three all the time …low low percentage..
only good during the 1st quarter, then gone the rest of the way specially when LA is giving up the lead which is almost expected nowadays
Kenny T says
@Warren Wee Lim…
What I find interesting about the new CBA thus far is that small market teams are being forced to run for cover first. Memphis dealing a player like Gay due to finances. Ditto OKC vis a vis Harden. The premise of the CBA, according to Der Kommisar Stern’s spin , was to rein in the spending advantage of big market teams. I will give it some time, but I believe that punitive luxury taxes will have an extremely negative effect on the league. The NBA has always been star driven. We’d have to go way back to the seventies to find teams such the Sonics and the Warriors that won the C’ship without marquee type stars. But, with the exception of fans in those cities, no one remembers those teams.
Folks still talk about the Lakers and Celtics of the 80’s, Michael’s Bulls, the Kobe/Shaq teams. Great teams and great players drive the league. In his attempt to level the playing field, I believe Stern and his minions have gone too far.
Darius Soriano says
The game preview is up.
http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2013/02/03/preview-and-chat-the-detroit-pistons-4/
Kenny T says
Dindo…
What I don’t understand is why Metta always settles for the three. A little variety would help. He can also cut to the basket or step inside the arc for a midrange shot. He’s purposely left open a lot and needs to find a way to be more effective on a consistent basis.
KOOO says
Sorry IT no slight meant I made a quick list and you are one of my favorite posters.
Sorry Darius, never wanted to be the subject matter of this blog only as some have said to, express my feelings as a Laker “fan-actic.
Robert you of course were a big advocate for Dwight this summer.
Joe sorry for the profound and startling discovery that you are me, my wife and son may find that refreshing.
And Warren I will take a break from expressing my thought with my Laker friends so as to spend time reviewing my old law books in hopes of finding some “intellect and reason”.
Happy Super Bowl and Piston Bowl and I hope everyone agrees with each other today and that everyone complements each others
spelling and writing style. You all wouldn’t want one of the regulars to go rouge and start their own site. Again!
By the way if a tree writes a blog in the forest with no one there, does it make a sound?
Thanks