Assistant coach Mark Madsen is coaching the Lakers Summer League team. We caught up with him after their thrilling win last night against the Warriors.
FORUM BLUE & GOLD: There’s no head coach yet. Thre’s really no system in place. What do you tell the guys out there?
MM: Well, we’re trying to run a lot of generic NBA sets more than anything. We’re trying to help guys learn the basics of the NBA. So right now a lot of stuff we put in, if the new head coach wants to use it, he can because it’s generic sets out of the NBA.
FB&G: Who’s impressed you the most thus far?
MM: A lot of guys impress me. Kendall Marshall, with the stabilizing influence. Julius Randle played a great game. He was aggressive, he attacked… he gave multiple efforts. DeAndre Kane had a big-time effort off the bench. Quinton Ross, who hadn’t played for a couple of camps, went out there and did a great job.
FB&G: The Lakers went through their worst season in forever. What have you, as an assistant coach, learned from this?
MM: You learn that you always keep working and you always keep trying. No matter how bad it looks, you have to continue onward, knowing that things can always change later.
FB&G: So why not you as head coach?
MM: *laughs* I don’t have the experience. Hopefully in five years, that’ll be a conversation we can have.
FB&G: That’s a long wait, man.
MM: Look, man. You gotta be patient.
We’d like to thank the always-awesome Mark Madsen for stopping by.
Nick Van Exile says
Seems strange that he didn’t mention Jordan Clarkson when talking about who impressed him the most.
Jesse says
Would love to see Mark stay on as an assistant, especially if they decide on Byron Scott to coach. Keep it in the family!
David Durazo says
Clarkson is going to be 1st., second rounder since Derek Fisher to make a impact on the Lakers roster.
Vincent Williams says
To: Mitch K. and Jim B.
From: A loyal and extremely optimistic Lakers fan/Part-time Scout…….
There is still a chance for our team to be competitive and actually make the playoffs/make some noise…..here’s the lineup and explanation how:
PG – Jeremy Lin/Kendall Marshall/DeAndre Kane
SG – Kobe Bryant/Jordan Clarkson
SF – LANCE STEPHENSON/Nick Young/Xavier Henry
PF – Jordan Hill/Julius Randle/MICHAEL BEASLEY
C – Robert Sacre/GREG MONROE/Trey Thompkins
Wildcard Signings: Evan Turner (SG/SF)/Andrew Bynum (C)
J C says
Vincent
I don’t think we can add both Monroe and Lance S under the cap rules.
See Darius’ previous post about salary cap
gymnastics for details.
Todd says
From Grantland’s, Zach Lowe: Free Agency Winners and Losers
Losers
The Los Angeles Lakers: The Lin trade was a nice predatory move, but it’s unclear why they decided to toss so much money at Hill and Young instead of going hard for a young talent like Thomas, Stephenson, Lowry, or any number of restricted free agents. The Lakers are just filling the roster with short-term contracts until they land a star, and they couldn’t get any big names to bite this time around. If they don’t land Love next summer, who is the next realistic target?
The bright side: They have a shot at being bad enough to keep next year’s first-round draft pick, which they owe to Phoenix if it falls outside the top five.
J C says
Darius,
Have you heard any rumblings or updates about Lakers pursuing Lance?
Seems like if they were gonna make this move it would have to be soon.
Nick Van Exile says
Vincent Williams: If the Lakers stretch-waive Nash: 1) they have a shot at Stephenson at around $10 million/year, 2) almost no shot at Monroe as it is likely Detroit matches any offer below the max (they can figure out a trade for him later and get assets in return), 3) absolutely no shot at both. Beasley could probably be had for the minimum but the dude is more interested in smoking bowls instead of defenders.
Chris J says
@David Durazo
——-
Fisher was actually a late first-round pick.
With apologies to Luke Walton and Ronny Turiaf, as far as second-rounders go, the best of the lot in the past two decades was clearly Nick Van Exel, so if Clarkson has half the career he did, the Lakers will do alright. (I won’t include Marc Gasol here, since he never played for the Lakers.)
T. Rogers says
The Lakers don’t have much money left to spend. Going by Daruis’ previous post they have about $7.5 million assuming they do what’s needed to clear the space. Lance has turned down offers that pay more than that per year. The only way they could possibly get him would be to offer him more years. But for some reason the Lakers are on this “no contract longer than two years” thing. Well, they are unless you are the great Swaggy P.
Maybe the Lakers could offer Lance a four year deal that pays him a progressively higher salary in the last two years. Who knows. But if they really want to make a splash in free agency when guys like Durant and Westbrook are available then they will need an actual team. Durant is not leaving Westbrook, Ibaka, Adams, etc. to come here to a blank slate. So if the Lakers strategy is really to go after the next crop of big fish then getting a Lance Stephenson this summer and another high quality guy next summer is imperative.
Other than that they could just be terrible next year and try to accumulate more draft picks. That could be the deal with Jordan Hill’s contract. It will basically be a $9 million expiring contract at the next trade deadline. He could net a first round pick in a trade. Maybe. I’m not advocating for a tank. Their current roster will do that for them automatically.
barry_g says
Anybody know what time on Wed the Lakers summer league game is?
Leo says
As Darius pointed out, the Lakers are essentially out of cap space and barring some logistical maneuvers this is the roster we will go into the season with. If that is the case, on paper, this team has less talent than last years’. It’s not a stretch to see the Lakers finishing at the bottom of the conference again.
What is the FO’s strategy? They only went hard after the max FAs, where they struck out. They did not pursue any of the young building block FAs like Stephenson and Monroe. Their Plan B seems to be assembling a team with middling talent.
I heard a comment on ESPN LA this morning. Mark Willard said that the FO is now targeting 2016 as a reload year. He said that two years ago the FO targeted this off season as the one to reload. His point was that the definition of crazy is trying the same strategy again and hoping for a different result.
My frustration is that the FO does not appear to understand how the new CBA has changed the NBA. Cap flexibility, draft picks and young less expensive talent are gold. Additionally, and maybe this is more glaring, they don’t understand what motivates top talent these days. It isn’t just about the money. It’s about joining a team that is competing or is on the verge of competing for a championship. Stars don’t want to be a building block they want to be the final piece.
So, the new goal is 2016 and presumably KD. If we suspect that KD is only going to move to a team that is looking for a final piece, why isn’t the FO trying to acquire building blocks to lay as the foundation for the summer of 2016? Why are we spinning our wheels with Nick Young and Jordan Hill? Their 2014 salaries would have brought in Stephenson. Why are we spending $14 million (8 million cap) on Lin when they would likely net us Monroe? Wouldn’t KD find a Lakers team with a core of Stephenson, Monroe, Randle and additional assets (from the next two years) more appealing than just Randle and cap space?
Look, I get the fact that talent is cyclical and that down turns are natural. When that happens you hope that you have a solid FO which has assets such as: cap flexibility, draft picks or young talent to use to get better. Am I alone in thinking that the Lakers have none of these going for them? It can be fairly said that the Lakers FO has created more than their fair share of the problems that face the team.
Also, I would love to hear what other’s think of Chris Webber’s comment that it is not cool for FAs to sign with the Lakers. This makes me think that the FO is not creating an environment that FA’s feel is advantageous to their careers. Added to this are Pau’s comments in a recent article where he mentioned his instincts told him it was time to leave the Lakers.
Aaron says
Is it not obvious to everyone the Lakers didn’t want to sign anyone of quality after LeBron spurned them (causing Melo to immediately say the lakers are out of the running all of the sudden). The Lakers didn’t go after Stephenson/Thomas etc to even short term deals because they don’t want to lose their draft pick next year. So I wouldn’t except any moves that add quality to the team anytime soon.
Robert says
Rey: Nice first question. Exactly what I would have asked. Nice interview overall as well.
T Rogers: “Well, they are unless you are the great Swaggy P. ” Wow the sarcasm meter is pegged. In other words – nice post !
Leo: “Chris Webber’s comment that it is not cool for FAs to sign with the Lakers. ” Well what is cool about us? We have no coach, a guy who wears a baseball cap and faded jeans as an owner (Jim could be the epitome of not cool), and we have a bad roster. Now we do have the Pacific Ocean, good nightlife, and celebrities. So we will never fall to the bottom of the cool ladder no matter how badly we falter.
Shaun says
Lets look at 2016
Most likely our team will still have
– young – 5 mil
– randle – 3 mil
– clarkson – 1 mil?
– nexts year 2 1st rounders – (we are keeping our pick) 4 mil combined
Total 13 mil committed to 4 guys and the salary cap is expected to possibly go up by as much as 30% in 2016 moving the cap to around 85mil leaving us with about 72 mil in space
– Almost all the big fas are also lining up their contracts to end around this time as well to cash in on what is expexted to be larger maxs
– if the cap is 85 the lux tax might start at 100 – so possibly even more space
– lebron, durant, wade, nowitski will all choose not to play for the lakers since they are the guys that will be asking for 30mil+ per year from the teams they are on and both okc and cle will look much better once their young guys start getting a bit older but since our space is so wide open we can go out and sign like 5-6 guys like stephenson and monroe to build s detroitish team of good quality guys
And right now looking at this it makes a lot more sense for us to be going after stephenson this summer if he will accept around 10 a year – it would eventuslly lock him Into a below value contract in the new cba + we would have another piece to look like a houston or cle type team did this offseason – almost there vs rebuilding
Only problem as aaron pointed out if we sign stephenson do we lose our pick amd shot at okafor or whomever else jumps out this year
R says
Forgive me, but the Lakers remind me of a krone who thinks she’s still hot.
Gloria Swanson, in her 70’s, slathered in make up …
bryan S. says
Gloria Swanson in her 70’s, slathered in make up …
Yikes! That triggers the ol’ flight response.
Craig W. says
Everyone is a pig, until they are a contender, then they did everything right.
mud says
a lot can still happen in the next year. let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
T. Rogers says
Also, its good to see an interview from Madsen. I have fond memories of his hustle on the floor. His dancing at the championship parades was the stuff of legend. Heck, at this rate I’d take him as the head coach. I’ve actually been trying to temper my pessimism lately. I know it doesn’t show from my posts here. But I’m trying.
With that said, wouldn’t it make sense to have guys like Randle and Clarkson getting acclimated to the system they will be running next season? Part of assessing performance is assessing how well a player runs *your* sets. Not having a coach in place at this stage in the game is, just, I don’t know. I really can’t understand the logic behind it. Isn’t Scott a Princeton guy? I guess it will all shake out soon enough.
BigCitySid says
@ Darius. I would like to suggest a topic for discussion entitled “What do you (Laker fans) expect of Kobe Bryant in the upcoming season?”
I think it’s a question that will get responses from “just be healthy and able to compete” to “the old pre-injured Kobe”. Let’s face it D, this is the question that is the elephant in the room. Thanks for the consideration.
BigCitySid says
For all those now stating various reasons free agents with options have not or are not signing with the Lakers, I’m confused…I’m under the understanding that free agents would be incredibly impressed that the Laker front office “takes care of their own” (as mentioned by soooo many on this site) by signing Kobe to his current contract. I guess on the list of free agent priorities that particular item doesn’t score as high as some thought it would.
Back to the drawing board. 🙁
J C says
What’s blowing my mind is that I think R is right.
The Lakers still think they’re hot – hot enough to attract stars.
Sure they almost got Carmelo.
But this isn’t horseshoes.
So close don’t count.
Then they lost their OWN FA – Pau.
Are they SO out of touch they they can’t see they need to start building a team? As in adding one quality guy?
Like a Stephenson, Bledsoe, or Thomas – now?
As stated above by most of us, FAs aren’t coming here to a blank slate.
They want to be part of a team that’s already competitive.
Pau is a perfect example.
Is our FO this out of touch???
rr says
Stein Tweets:
Marc Stein @ESPNSteinLine · 4h
Story going online now detailing how Rockets AND Lakers called w/max offers for Nowitzki, but he rebuffed all outside interest to stay w/DAL
Anticipated deal for Dirk was a structure like Tim Duncan’s deal w/Spurs, but he took $5 mil less to help facilitate Chandler Parsons move
ESPN sources say Dirk Nowitzki has taken bigger pay cut than previously thought. Deal finalized today at three years, $25 mil for Mavs lifer
—
And no, this is not an attack or Kobe or for that matter, Melo. Just an example of where things are in the league and with the Lakers.
J C says
Here’s a thought.
Maybe Lakers are gonna trade Hill, Lin, and the draft pick they just got for K Love. Now.
Is that realistic?
Something tells me that’s not gonna appeal to Minn.
Call it ‘instinct.’
Starting to really doubt the FO.
rr says
Chicago amnestied Boozer today.
J C says
Barry g
Summer league sched:
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/releases/summer-league-schedule-140612
Kenny T says
To me, the Lakers missed out on an opportunity to get younger and cheaper this year. By looking for the home run, as in Melo or LBJ, they have stood idly by while good players such as Farmar, Meeks and Bazemore have moved on. I know those players were part of an historically bad Lakers team last year, but all showed upside when healthy. IMO, the FO should have filled out the back end of the roster first and then tried to add a big piece. No prime free agent is coming to a team with Robt. Sacre as it’s starting center, unless said team is loaded elsewhere. I would have overpaid Monroe and Stephenson, let Pau go, stretched Nash and tried to hold on to Meeks, Farmar, Henry and Basemore. Waived Marshall and set up our new rooks for good playing time. And I would have tried my level best to sign Young and Hill to more favorable contracts. But it is what it is
Joe Casanova says
rr, please how much has Notwitzki made for his franchise? Do you know how much MJ made the last 2 years in Chicago? $63 Million (18 years ago). Kobe Bryant took a 33% pay cut. The CBA isn’t an excuse to approach the man who is the main reason you have $3 Billion TV contract and insult him with a crap deal. Kobe is a Global Icon. He isnt Dirk or Tim Duncan. Those guys are basketball players. Kobe is a global Icon dude. Kids in Nigeria don’t watch basketball because of Dirk, they Watch because of their Idol Kobe Bryant. So please please please, enough with trying to compare Kobe’s contract to another’s. No need talking about Dirk a player who doesn’t care about the Lakers. People who complain about the Lakers front office need to realize something, there are 29 other teams in the Association. Enough of the Front Office bashing. It is pointless.
Nick Van Exile says
JC: I don’t think there’s any way Minnesota accepts that offer. If they did, Gregg Popovich would be calling for the committee to approve all trades idea again! Also, according to Eric Pincus (via Twitter), Hill cannot be traded during the upcoming season: “Jordan Hill, by virtue of a 1-year deal (2yr but team option on 2nd) – will have an implicit no-trade clause this season”
Joe Casanova says
BTW, teams like Miami, San Antonio, Dallas pay their players under the table. For example, Tim Hardaway took less money to allow for the Heat to sign Juwan Howard to that huge deal that David Stern nixed in 1996. A couple of years ago Hardaway’s house goes into for closure, Miami Heat buys the house while Hardaway still lives in it. Alonzo Mourning, has a cush executive Job. Same way Wade will be taken care off. Nowitzki turned down max offers to go back to Dallars, trust me he is making that money back under the table.
Craig W. says
Joe Casanova,
Thank you!
There are plenty of things to analyze and criticize. There is really no need to continually harp on perceived past mistakes of the front office. Some of them are perception and some of them are actual mistakes, but they have all been recycled endlessly on this blog.
Teamn says
Leo,
Great post, I share your frustration. Not clear the FO has adjusted to the new reality or has a creative way to find a different path to success. We are seeing rapid evolution of team building and, unfortunately, the Lakers appear stuck without either top tier young talent or a strong core to attract superstars. I understand trying to build with key pieces from last year, but I don’t see any of those guys as top tier or a strong core; they are all semi-marginal bench guys on a true contender.
The Lakers need both a top five pick next year and a huge free agent signing, then be competitive the year after that. If that happens, then maybe the team is in the running for the big name in 2016. And, at that point, Kobe may be interested in sticking around (perhaps on a less contentious contract).
My fear is none of this happens and it’s more likely a few more years before a return to glory. Robert’s average could definitely tick up…
Baylor Fan says
I suppose one could root for one of the 29 teams that has the confidence to have a coach during the off-season. However it is more fun to speculate why the Lakers are so reluctant to name someone. If the draft was the start of the rebuilding process, why wait to let the new coach get started? Using a different sport as an example, Carroll worked with his GM to draft the type of players he wanted. It took 2 years but he completely rebuilt the Seahawks. The Lakers just went through their most important draft in years and did not want their new coach involved.
Dirk has turned down around 60 million in salary he could have earned. Is Cuban really going to cover that lost income?
Shaun says
Per mark medina – kelly probably back, xavier is a maybe and johnson is most likely gone
rr says
Those guys are basketball players. Kobe is a global Icon dude
—
1. I have seen this argument about 20 times here already.
2. Like I said, I wasn’t bashing Kobe, and I didn’t mention the FO. I was just reporting what Nowitzki signed for, which is newsworthy in itself. He will make 7M less than Chandler Parsons will in Dallas. I mostly put it up because of Stein’s claim that the Lakers wanted to offer Nowitzki a max deal, which was a new one for me.
Darius talked about Kobe’s deal on Twitter today, and he did say that he isn’t going to complain about it, but he also said this:
Darius Soriano @forumbluegold
Otherwise, I’m not going to really complain. It is what it is. As I wrote at the time it makes team building harder. We’re seeing that now.
My main thought regarding Kobe’s contract? I wish he was *offered* less than he signed for, b/c by all accounts he wasn’t.
—
And those are the basic points–team building, and the offer itself–that many of us have been making about it. The Lakers will be spending 38M on Kobe, Jordan Hill, and Nick Young this year.
rr says
TRogers,
I am starting to think that maybe someone other than Scott is going to get the job, although I have no idea who it could be. Even though it’s the Lakers, it is not exactly an appealing gig in many ways right now. But I think something may be up.
rr says
trust me he is making that money back under the table.
—
Sorry, but I don’t trust you, and even if you’re right, the team-building factor remains in play here.
rr says
kelly probably back, xavier is a maybe and johnson is most likely gone
—
Yeah, this is how I saw it with those three as I said a few days ago.
sam says
place bid on Carlos Boozer at 4M and we will have a good chance at getting a solid front-line bruiser / former allstar…
PG: Lin / Marshall
SG: Kobe / Clarkson
SF: Young / Henry
PF: Randle / Boozer
C: Hill / Boozer
that would be a decent 9man rotation and we ll still be under the cap + with future cap flexibility…
Pat says
Every max player who signed for less than max has negotiated assurances that the management had specific plans for how the additional cap would be invested in building a winner in the short term. I’m sure Kobe and his agent tried to do the same and the management coukd not give him such assurances. Much of this is due to the constraints the team would face due to Nash’s contract. Consequently, Kobe took a max deal
Joe Casanova says
rr, you don’t have to trust me. But you can do the entire blog a favor and stop bringing up Kobe’s deal.
I will repeat this for the last time, the Lakers got Kobe at a huge discount. If Kobe wasnt signed this off season how much would the Lakers have to offer Kobe to come back to a losing situation? Lebron was never going to come here which means Melo wasn’t going to come. So please the people who keep bringing up Kobe’s deal or how someone else signed for x amount of dollars, who did u guys want the front office to sign? The Lakers are about Superstars…They swung for the fences with Lebron and then Melo. Kobe’s deal didn’t stop them…Mike Miller just went to Cleveland instead of Houston that was offering more money, so the idea that Cap space is the end all be all way to get talent is false. The last time Lakers won championships they got their missing piece via trade not free agency. Mitch and Jim are smarter at basketball than all the people bashing them here. They do it for a living. All of us here we talk basketball for hobby not for a living. If any of you bashing Jimmy were smarter at basketball than him you would be in some front office not on a blog arguing with me.
rr says
If any of you bashing Jimmy were smarter at basketball than him you would be in some front office not on a blog arguing with me.
—
When you are down to this, it is time to change topics. This is just basically a way of saying the conversation is upsetting to you and you don’t have an argument to make. And, of course, it is even funnier to use this when you are talking about a FO that is largely populated by the late owner’s children.
And, again, Kobe’s deal is ongoing, part of the team, how it is being and will be constructed. Check Darius’ Tweet again about team-building. With Nowitzki signing for a big discount in Dallas so the Mavericks can fit players in, it is relevant, and timely, to look at the choices the Lakers *FO* (not Kobe, the FO) has made about contracts, since the Lakers, like Dallas, are a few years removed from a title and built around an aging star.
Finally, the idea that the Lakers got Kobe at a discount in today’s market is ludicrous. I don’t know exactly what other teams would have offered him, but I am confident that there is no way it would be 24M a year.
who did u guys want the front office to sign?
—
People have talked about this multiple times, including on this thread.
Lakers17 says
“Nowitzki turned down max offers to go back to Dallars, trust me he is making that money back under the table.”
Yeah, I heard rumors from some reliable sources that Cuban offered Dirk a cush executive job after retirement. Unfortunately, Dirk is really bad at math and didn’t realize that it’s going to take 243 years for him to make up the extra $40M that he passed up.
rr says
I’m sure Kobe and his agent tried to do the same and the management could not give him such assurances.
—
Maybe, and this is one reason I don’t blame him for it. He would have been taking less money on spec. But really, it comes down to the offer. If they offered it, it would be totally unrealistic to expect him to say, “No, give me half that, in case we can get Chandler Parsons or Lance Stephenson.”
rr says
The problem with signing Boozer (other than the fact that it would ruin Darius’s year) is that he is redundant on a team with Hill and Randle. As noted ad nauseum, the Lakers need rim protection, not a scorer/boarder type with short arms.
mud says
these are the cards.
are you in or out?
if you’re out, go home.
if you’re in, sit down and play.
no one wants to hear you whine.
is this year looking good?
no.
but the games still need to be played and there’s no telling how things will shake out. nothing ever stays the same.
if you already know what is going to happen, then why bother? if it’s the team that matters, then it doesn’t matter if the fans are right or wrong or smart or stupid. everyone has a job. the players are supposed to play and the fans are supposed to support the team, vigorously. people play harder when their hard work is celebrated, even in a loss. it’s a hard job to be a fan. the only way to make a difference is with one’s good vibes towards the team. what else can fans do? if the fans become disillusioned and bitter, then it becomes impossible to build momentum. if the team isn’t trying, if they are purposely putting out a bad product or if the players don’t play hard, then a fan has a right to complain. cheering takes a lot of energy.
i think a lot of people in this world have things backwards. this entertainment isn’t made by slaves. this entertainment that men and women measure their coolness factor, their winner quotient with vicariously is made by fellow workers and businessmen and tradesmen and fastfood workers and janitors, even if some of them make a lot of money. it’s a service to the community. this means that both served and servers have responsibilities. the served have the responsibility to be thankful for any hard work done on their behalf, even if things don’t go as expected. after all, it is the served that stand to benefit.the server has a responsibility to do his job faithfully, with full effort and intention. the server is not required to be perfect, as no human being is.
naturally, it’s proper to criticize bad performance. it’s also important to accept reality. if the atmosphere in LA is toxic, it’s Los Angeles’ and the fans’ fault for putting their responsibility of creating a good atmosphere off on the team. yes, the team also has it’s responsibility, but i don’t see the Lakers front office acting like they are ready to quit.i saw last years team compete ro the last man standing, to the point that when our Canadian center fouled out, he had to stay in the game because there just weren’t anymore players. even though it got that bad, the Lakers weren’t the worst. this year’s team should be better. or, bad things will continue to happen… my experience is that focusing on bad things makes it much harder to take advantage of good things, when those good things come along. bad things seem to like to be together, likewise good things. better grab on to some good things when you have a chance…
these problems are temporary. the Lakers will figure this out because they actually want to, and because of the support of Lakers fans who let them realize the “dream”. be as smart and knowledgeable as you like, but please! remember that most of what goes on is completely unknown to fans. fans only read the tweets and hear the rumors, but really, fans should be intelligent enough to know that at best, this is entertainment. shouldn’t that be a heck of a lot of fun? if it isn’t, shouldn’t a person find another hobby?
T. Rogers says
The Lakers did NOT get Kobe at a discount. No NBA team was going to pay him $30 million a year. No team. And with this CBA no team (other than the Lakers) was giving $25 million a year.
The Lakers probably gave Kobe $10 million more per year than he would have gotten on the open market. It is what it is now. But lets not pretend Kobe did the Lakers any favors.
Lakers17 says
Well, I guess it’s better than Joey Buss being in charge. How could the apple fall so far from the tree?
At least Jordan’s kids played some college ball.
On another topic, can you guys believe that insane contract Kobe got???
KO says
Joe joe joe
“If all the people questioning our president were so smart they would be president”.
Jim Buss didn’t get the job because of his vast knowledge. His dad gave him that job. Come on man, they just lost the most games in franchise history! Funny it happened the year after Jimmy took control.
We are talking nepotism here , not qualifications. I like most of your thoughts but honestly I am wondering if you are Chaz or a shill for Jimmy after that comment.
Lakers17 says
“Come on man, they just lost the most games in franchise history! Funny it happened the year after Jimmy took control.”
And Jimmy couldn’t even get that right. We coulda had the next LBJ, Melo, Wade, and instead get the next David West or worse, Kaman.
J C says
I think something may be up.
—
I agree. Perhaps the gig was Byron’s to lose and he didn’t interview well, or he implied he could deliver Kyrie, which obviously didn’t happen.
As for any other candidates, I’d love to see JVG hired. He has a great sense of humor – something I think may be needed this coming season.
However, if it isn’t Scott, it’ll probably be G Karl.
KO says
JC
Heard a silly, weird, goofy rumor on coach. Came from a silly, goofy friend.
James Worthy.
He does have the same amount of experience as Fish/Kidd.
Silly huh?
rr says
On another topic, can you guys believe that insane contract Kobe got???
—
Heh.
J C says
Ko
Worthy seems more worthy than BS.
rr says
JC,
I can’t see Karl wanting this job at his age with his past health issues, unless he thinks that Love and Rondo are coming here next summer, or unless he just wants the money. The Lakers will probably go into the season seen as being likely to finish 14th or 15th in the West, there at the bottom with Sacramento, and even Sacramento has a better talent base than the Lakers do,
So, I agree with the KBros on the coaching hire: I have no real problem with Scott, but I would prefer that they take a shot on a new guy, an assistant, a college guy, an international guy, and see what he can do, see if he can grow with the team.
Jerke says
Couple thoughts – glad Pau didn’t get resigned – he would’ve been wasting his last couple yrs here in mediocrity and can’t help/left his team enough even w Kobe to make a legit playoff run here. It was time from the Lakers to move on. That being said – i could’ve understood pau getting that 20 million 3 yr deal etc.. – thats still over paying but at least there was competition for him. Lakers competed against no one and somehow have overpaid severely for Hill and Young. At least Meeks got an offer from Detroit quickly but I didn’t hear of anyone beating down the door for either of these two. Hill is overrated in a number of ways and if Kobe is healthy, I’m not sure what if any role Young really has on this team – can only have so many unconcious gunners on the court at once. Just seems to be a case of LA overvaluing their own players – unless someone in the FO has some magically “moneyball” metric that says these guys are really allstars in waiting.
Dox says
Stephenson to Charlotte according to Broussard. Something like 3yrs 27 – 30 million. It’s great that the Lakers didn’t chase him seriously during free agency. He showed how overmatched he thought he was by blowing in LeBron’s ear during the eastern conference finals. No antics necessary.
chibi says
gee whiz! lance’s 3rd yr is a team option. price was right and perfect terms for our team.
Fern says
@T Rodgers, Kobe got what the Lakers offered, i dont understand why people want players to take discounts for billionare owners, specially in a market like LA and the Lakers being the most profitable team in the league by a wide margin if it was a money losing franchise i might understand it but not when it is a money printing machine like the Lakers. Owners want to win? They need to be ready and willing to pay thru the nose. The Lakers have shown they are willing to do that.
Joe Casanova says
People wondering if Stephenson signed with Charlotte for $27 mill and Lakers didn’t… Maybe the Lakers did maybe the didn’t but know this $27 million from Charlotte is higher than $27 from Los Angeles. One thing that isn’t a secret is that Stephenson was only interested in money in free agency. He blew off the Heat because he wanted more money.
Hindi says
Apparently, Lakers were among the teams who approached Lance Stephenson. And it didn’t work out as we can see now. But he went for a very reasonable contract. Hornets got it done nicely.
Shaun says
We probably only offered him 2 years … he is a steal at that price though … amd you gotta like the new charlotte team – hoping they get boozer since all their pfs are rooks – they could be a top 4-5 team in the east now
Looks like we are bottoming out
I say geaorge karl, james michael mcadoo, kane, oden or vesley, henry, kelly and we got the lakers version of the 76ers
#kneelforjahill
minorthreatt says
Ten things left to hope for:
1. That we sign at least one more young big who can protect the rim and has upside to develop.
2. That Byron Scott signs the same kind of two-year deal everyone else is signing, with an eye toward 2016. He’s desperate enough to do it.
3. That Randle and Clarkson develop into legitimate starters.
4. That someone else from the Summer League — our own team or someone else’s — ends up on the roster and surprises.
5. That Lin and Hill play so well as starters that they gain value as trade deadline chips, whether we cash them in or not.
6. That Kelly develops into a poor man’s Ryan Anderson.
7. That Kobe returns to something close to his old form, and gives us something to cheer for.
8. That he can hold his tongue about how bad this team very well might be, and instead gives the young guys an example to emulate.
9. That the Rockets underachieve, finger-point and somehow wind up with less than 50 wins, and we get a pick in the teens.
10. That we compete valiantly (which includes actually playing defense), but keep our own pick, have some lottery luck and bring in a guy who, along with our young core, could actually make us a reasonable destination for the Loves, Gasols and Durants of the world.
Jo Houston says
Chris Y,
Stephenson was chasing dollars. If LA offers the same deal that Charlotte offered Stephenson would take the Horrnest deal instead since it will net him more dollars.
J C says
Stephenson to Hornets for 3/27 and 3rd year is a team option.
It’s official.
The Lakers have completely lost it.
Baylor Fan says
Larry Bird in his younger years from Wikipedia:
“Bird immediately transformed the Celtics into a title contender, helping them improve their win total by 32 games from the year before he was drafted and finish first in the Eastern Conference. With averages of 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game for the season, he was selected to the All-Star Team and named Rookie of the Year.”
Stephenson is not and never will be Larry Bird. Having said that, the Lakers essentially chose to trade for Lin and get possible late first and second round picks instead of signing Stephenson. If he can straighten up his act it will have been a lost opportunity for the Lakers.
Eric says
There are two ways of looking at Lance signing with Charlotte.
A.) It was a steal, LA made a mistake not pursuing him hard enough.
B.) He probably sucks and will see his career hit a wall there. I tend to think this is the case because Michael Jordan ruins everything he touches as an owner (They ruined the jump shot of my favorite Kentucky player ever – Gilchrist).
On a more positive note, I am so freaking pumped to watch Julius Randle and Nerlens Noel match up in summer league tonight. Should be a true test for Julius to see if he can handle length as Noel is going to be one of the best shot blockers this league has ever seen, and will be interesting to see how Nerlens handles his girth. Dream matchup
Craig W. says
Darius,
Time to read a new thread. This one is beginning to get the exact same comments as the last long one.
Warren Wee Lim says
Alot of noteworthy discussions but yet all I see is KOBE GREEDY JIM BUSS DUMB.
If/when we do stretch-waive Nash, I would want to take a wild venture into the unknown and offer 16M for 3 years to Evan Turner; spend the remaining ones on Byron Mullens at 6M for 2 years, player option for year 2. Then use room exception on Al-Farouq Aminu for 5.5M for 2 years.
T. Rogers says
Time to read a new thread. This one is beginning to get the exact same comments as the last long one.
—
Honestly, the next thread will sound very much like this one. The needle for the Lakers has moved very little in the last couple of months. Each discussion will reflect the frustrations of the fanbase to a large degree. When fans see quality free agent after free agent spurn the Lakers certain topics are bound to bubble up with Kobe’s contract and the FO’s superstar strategy being the main two. The coaching soap opera is a close third.
Really what are going to talk about? It is probably challenging for Darius to post content that doesn’t directly relate to those three issues above.
Dox says
chris y the only thing Stephenson and Larry Bird have in common is that they both once played basketball in the state of Indiana. In Lance’s last four playoff games against the Heat he scored 10, 9, 12, and 11 points respectively. Nobody in Laker nation likes a guy who plays better in the regular season than he does in the playoffs. Losing out on him is no big deal.
R says
Well, I assume the Lakers are saving money by delaying the hiring of a coach … if so, that goes back to the financially successful, competitive disaster model that seems to be in play.
Anonymous says
Stephenson in charlotte with a very reasonable contract, he could have been a great young talent to start the rebuild and attract free agents. Meanwhile the front office is busy interviewing scott for the third freaking time… What an incompetent bunch. Do they really think they have a chance at kd?!? With a roster featuring nick young SMH
chibi says
if stephenson doesn’t want to play 1 or 3, that explains why he didn’t come here.
Sald0gg says
Lance & Isaiah: $16M/year
Hill & Swag: $14M/year.
We lost big this summer fellas. Isaiah was DYING to play for us and Lance was always getting $9M a year. On a positive note, I got #KneelForJahlil trending on FB&G so that’s cool.
bryan S. says
minorthreatt: You nailed it.
On Lance: I really wanted Lance, because he is 23 and imo, is already one of the best guards in the league. I will concede that he is at his best with the ball in his hands, and that is also true of Kobe and Lin. That isn’t likely to work out.
Eric: Nimble is a funny word to describe a young bull like Randle, but he is just that with his quick feet and surprisingly deft moves in tight space. I had no idea he had the passing skills he possesses. He looks like he could lose a few pounds though–which surprised me as he apparently got pretty cut for his draft workouts. If he can play at around 235, rather than close to 250, (which I’m guessing he is at right now), he is going to surprise the league. I like this video of him and Smart in a dunkoff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuyD3JOwnug&feature=kp
Whatever weight he is at in this video, he is pretty damn impressive.
Shaun says
I think charlotte is just a better spot for him
– He gets to be the starting 2, not forced into a role that he doesnt want to play
– He gets to put up more shots than he would with us and play a key role in the offense compared to competing for shots with kobe, young, randle, and lin, even clarkson
– Charlotte allows him to go to the playoffs and possibly get back at indiana
– Going to the playoffs allows him to highlight his skills in line with when he becomes a FA again
Id also note, he left indiana because they forced the 5 years on him and wouldnt offer a contract with fewer years as his agent’s press release stated …. indiana closed their own window
Clarkson by the way reminds me of a young kevin martin when he was the one carrying the kings in the post webber years …. guys a steal
rr says
Good post by minorthreatt up there, although if all that happens, the Lakers will probably win enough games (like 30) that they lose the pick.
As to Stephenson, either:
a) The Lakers offered that or a little more at some point, but he decided to play in Charlotte instead.
or
b) The Lakers didn’t want him on that deal.
Both possibilities are bad. I am always a proponent of team options, but in the Lakers’ situation, I would have had no problem guaranteeing the 3rd year at 9M.
Shaun says
@saldogg
Instead of isiah we got lin who brings eyeballs to TWC and 2 picks including what should be a good 1st rounder because houston wont make the playoffs now as they are.
Lance could have been good but maybe he didnt want to be here – $ = more money in NC and see my other reasons above
Also for everyone else here is draftexpress’s mock 2015 draft
http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2015/
– top targets should be Jahil, Mudaiy, and Cauley-Stein …… lots of centers available, limited PGs
rr says
, i dont understand why people want players to take discounts for billionare owners,
—
Because they want their teams to have more money to get better players on the team, so the team can, you know, win games. Does that mean that players should take a discount? Nope–not if they don’t want to, and the offer for the money is there. Bosh took a max, Anthony took very close to a max. It isn’t complicated.
Nova Bahamut says
Beasley or (Turner) Mullins X.Henry Bynum and i’ll be fine with that.
rr says
– He gets to be the starting 2, not forced into a role that he doesnt want to play
—
Sure, but my thought all along was that Kobe should play the 3, and Stephenson the 2 if Stephenson were here.
T. Rogers says
Shaun,
Barring some major injury I think Houston still makes the playoffs next season. Harden, Howard, and Ariza are enough to get the wins needed, even in the West. It would be great if they missed the playoffs and the Lakers pick was higher. But I wouldn’t count on it.
Nick Van Exile says
minorthreatt (love that nickname if it is a reference to Sedale Threatt):
“2. That Byron Scott signs the same kind of two-year deal everyone else is signing, with an eye toward 2016. He’s desperate enough to do it.” It really doesn’t matter what length the next coach’s contract is. The Lakers make so much money from the TWC deal that they could be paying for 20 head coaches at the same time. I’m not a big fan of Byron Scott at all but at this point, if he doesn’t get the job after 3 interviews, I’d honestly feel bad for him.
“5. That Lin and Hill play so well as starters that they gain value as trade deadline chips, whether we cash them in or not.” Per Eric Pincus, Hill cannot be traded this coming season.
“10. That we compete valiantly (which includes actually playing defense), but keep our own pick, have some lottery luck and bring in a guy who, along with our young core, could actually make us a reasonable destination for the Loves, Gasols and Durants of the world.” I’m glad you did not mention tanking! FYI: Marc Stein just tweeted that the Washington Wizards (KD’s hometown), just hired his old HS coach. The Lakers may need to hire KD’s mom as coach to get KD here in 2016!
Darius Soriano says
NVE & Minorthreatt,
Hill can be traded, he just needs to give his permission.
minorthreatt says
Nick Van Exile — speaking of great handles! Sedale’s a WV guy like me, so I loved him in college. Then he throttled Danny Ainge as a Sixer and I loved him even more. To have a couple of great seasons as a Laker, under the most difficult circumstances imaginable, was the icing on the cake.
Didn’t know that about Hill but makes sense. Didn’t know that about KD and Wash., but that also makes sense. And I don’t wanna sound callous about Byron. I don’t want to see a great Laker humiliated. I’m just worried if he gets the job, that might happen anyway!
Good point by rr — too many guys coming back/developing probably does equal the dreaded, kiss-your-sister season of thirtysomething wins and no lottery pick. If we must lose, then let us set the record for most two-point losses!
Bryan S.: thanks. If I nailed it, I sure wish I hadn’t!
sufian says
There has to be some type of a plan by the front office. They cannot expect us fans to just tank this year and our current lineup is no better than 10th seed in the west. I mean, at least get a decent defensive team going around Kobe at the very least. I am not worried about our offense because Kobe can at least carry the load the draw double teams. Defensively, we are screwed, we needed athletes to help Kobe and a Big man to cover up they’re mistakes. As of right now, we are weak defensively at PG, SG, SF, PF, and Center. I am losing hope by the day.
Fern says
Sorry RR that doesnt compute. This is all about owners maximizing their profit and winning at the least posible cost which is understandable but short change players and now with the help of the media,now its becoming to be expected that players “help the team out”, this CBA was designed to do just that, take money from the players and put it on owners pockets. The NBA despite the economy are making record profits and yet we expect players to take paycuts “for the sake of the team”. For the sake (greed) of the owners is more like it. The Lakers are willing to go over the threshhold if necessary even if it is premature this season, offering a max to Dirk seriously, i defend the FO but that was just idiotic and a severe turn off for me if Dirk came here. As far as im concerned it’s commendable that players take a paycut but it shouldn’t be expected to be the norm. Kobe was offered that money and he took it, like he was going to say “gee thanks but 24? thats too much, take 10 million dollars off and you got yourself a deal. Please, and its a 2 year contract, not 20 .
Shaun says
@t-rogers
No way they make the playoffs – they are replacing asik with 2 guys that were out of the league last year and still have no bench
I have
– san antonio
– okc
– clips
– portland
– golden state
– denver
– memphis
Ahead of them and houston competing with pheonix and new orleans to get into the playoffs …. even if they get in they are 8th and a 1st round out which would still give us a pick in the teens
Hell if minnestoa doesnt trade love they might even be in that group with dieng getting more minutes and guys being healthy / better coaching
Next years draft will be great for us
rr says
Fern,
Scroll up and look at my post from 9:18 PM last night.
Nick Van Exile says
Darius: Thanks for the clarification on Hill, Apologies for the misinformation!
minorthreatt: After Magic retired following his HIV announcement, watching Sedale Threatt was one of the few bright spots. It was ironic in that the Lakers had been searching for years in vain for a competent backup for Magic and when they finally got one, Magic had to retire. Threatt’s jump shot when he went left was absolute money! Threatt and Vlade had some good chemistry running the pick and roll too. Loved that guy.
I honestly think the Lakers chances of getting a top five pick next year (without lucking into it like Cleveland did this year) are about the same as their chances of making the playoffs. Very unlikely. Lin is a huge upgrade over Marshall. His strength is running pick and roll and he should be able to do it effectively with Randle/Hill/Sacre setting the screens, Assuming Kobe is healthy, he’ll be an upgrade over Meeks. Nick Young will be just as effective as last year (I expect him to come off the bench to maximize his effectiveness). Randle looks to be a huge upgrade over Johnson/Kelly. Assuming Henry/Kelly are re-signed, they should be better with more experience. Hill should play better under a non MDA coach where his playing time will be more consistent. Clarkson looks like he’ll be able to step in nicely for Bazemore. Marshall will be able to play where he belongs, as a backup. Any minutes Nash can provide is gravy. Starters: Lin, Kobe, Henry, Randle, Hill. Bench: Marshall, Clarkson, Young, Kelly, Sacre. To me, that is a much better and more watchable team than last year (and why I don’t think they’ll end up with one of the 5 worst records). Unfortunately, many other teams also improved so I still don’t see the Lakers making the playoffs either.
Justin says
Have people seen how bad the east still is. The Lakers can’t tank for their pick. They had their worst season in history with 300+ games lost due to injury (Kobe only playing in 6) and still ended up with the 7th pick. As long as the lottery allows teams to jump to the top 3 you can’t tank unless you do like the Bucks and get the absolute worst record. For them to be worse than all those teams Randle would basically have to be a bust, Kobe would have to either be injured or a shell of himself, and the coach a disaster. In that case you are worse than you would be if Randle worked out and Kobe was back to 80% of what he used to be. And that doesn’t even take into account what next years draft class will really look like. Remember this class before the college season started was being called the greatest since 2003. So who knows how good the draft will be next year. Lakers need a better plan than tanking. They need to find a trade or develop players like Clarkson and Randle.
BigCitySid says
On Scott: Laker FO showing how well they take care of their own by dangling Byron Scott on a hook for weeks. 3rd interview for Scott.
http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2014/07/16/report-lakers-to-interview-scott-for-third-time/?ls=iref:nbahpts
On Kobe: Folks will continue to discuss his contract until we see him play…then we’ll discuss his game…and his contract.
T. Rogers says
Justin,
I don’t think the Lakers plan is to tank. I think their plan is to go for big name, top of line free agents while not making any long term commitment to lesser players. But they didn’t have much talent to begin with. Then they struck out on the big fish in free agency. Now they are looking at fielding a team of cast offs and holdovers. Like this previous season they will be bad without even trying.
And I think the West makes the Lakers road tougher. The East teams benefit from playing the majority of their games against each other. The Lakers will see the Clippers, Suns and Warriors four times each. They’ll get a rejuvenated Dallas three or four times along with Houston and San Antonio. There could be 20 losses just among those teams.
Remember defense was the Lakers problem last season. I don’t see much that is going to change that this season.
Shaun says
Most teams in the east got better outside of the magic and philly – on the west only utah and sac might be worse than us
Nick Van Exile says
The NBA is looking to change the NBA lottery weighting system:
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nba-lottery-reform-is-coming/
rr says
Nick VE,
There will be interest in the team out of the gate: people will be curious about Randle and Kobe, and Lin is kind of fun to watch and has his own huge built-in audience. So there will be an initial interest level there that last year’s team didn’t really have in terms of watchability and desire to watch.
But this year’s team being better than last year’s team is probably a stretch. Randle turns 20 in November, and although he has some positive markers, he is not an uber-prospect. He may get some nice numbers, but he will be learning the NBA game and team defense. Kobe of course is a complete wild-card. Best-case is probably that he plays about 70 games and is maybe 85% as good as he was when he left. Worst-case is that he goes down again early on and people are calling on him to retire.
I am assuming that the FO will re-sign Kelly, add another wing (Henry, Johnson, or some other guy) and a very cheap 5, and that will be it. Given that Utah’s other young guys may keep improving and that they have added Exum, the Lakers look to me likely to be projected at the bottom of the West, along with Sacto.
They might be better than that; things happen. But based on what know now, that is how it looks.
Nick Van Exile says
rr: The teams with the 7 worst records last year:
#7 Kings – Added Collison, drafted Stauskas, lost Thomas
#6 Lakers – Added Lin/Kobe*, drafted Randle/Clarkson, lost Gasol/Meeks/Farmar/Bazemore
#5 Celtics – Added Rondo*/Thornton/Zeller, drafted Smart/Young, lost Humphries
#4 Jazz – Drafted Exum/Hood
#3 Magic – Added B. Gordon/Fournier, drafted A. Gordon/Payton, lost Nelson/Afflalo
#2 Sixers – Added Noel*, drafted Embiid (back January?)/Saric (available in 2 years)
#1 Bucks – Added Sanders*, drafted Parker
*missed significant time last season due to injury
I look at those teams and I don’t see them being that much better than last year, if at all. Most of them added talent via the draft that will not likely pay immediate dividends in the standings next year. Add in possible teams above these having their seasons derailed by injury and it is no sure thing for the Lakers to end up with a bottom 5 record. If Kobe gets injured again or is a shell of himself, they probably have a pretty good chance at a bottom 5 record though.
rr says
it is no sure thing for the Lakers to end up with a bottom 5 record
—
Never said it was. I just don’t think that it is all that likely that the 2015 team will be any better than the 2014 team was. I think that a lot of people would see MIL, PHI, BOS and UTA as making better adds than the Lakers have and as being more likely to improve than the Lakers are, looking at the whole picture. YMMV.
It will pretty much depend on Randle and Kobe. They are the two guys with the widest performance ranges who will get a lot of PT.
J C says
Nice post by NVE.
I kind of look at it like this:
we lost Gasol,
(And some utility guys)
And we gain Kobe, Lin, and Randle.
(Clarkson looks good but he washes wIth the loss of Farmar/Bazemore)
So that means we should be a little better. Right?
Will we make the playoffs?
Gonna be really tough.
I predict Kobe tries to match his previous career high by hoisting 81 shots in a game.
the other Stephen says
Justin makes a good point that there are no guarantees with tanking. In this last draft, we witnessed the Cavaliers swoop ahead of every team that had purposefully tanked to get to that point, as well as saw the Lakers drop to the 7th pick because of a difference of a couple games.
I don’t see much immediate improvement for many of the lottery teams–most notably the 76ers–and would probably also throw in the Timberwolves if Kevin Love leaves. So it’s hard to say whether this year’s team is worse relative to the movements of the rest of the league.
Nick Van Exile says
I should clarify that when I said I didn’t think most of those teams would be better than last year, I was referring to their place in the standings. I expect most of these teams to be where they were last season in the standings (the Kings could move down without Thomas and the Celtics could as well, depending on what they decide to do with Rondo).
I didn’t mean to imply that you said the Lakers were going to end up with a bottom 5 record. It was more a statement to the posters here that talk about tanking to keep the top 5 pick like it’s guaranteed or will be easy to accomplish.
rr says
It was more a statement to the posters here that talk about tanking to keep the top 5 pick like it’s guaranteed or will be easy to accomplish.
—
Fair enough. Here are the details of the Lottery Reform Proposal:
“The league’s proposal gives at least the four worst teams the same chance at winning the no. 1 pick: approximately an identical 11 percent shot for each club. The odds decline slowly from there, with the team in the next spot holding a 10 percent chance. …
The goal of this initial proposal is obvious: to prevent out-and-out tanking among the league’s very worst teams for the no. 1 pick. Equalizing the odds for the five worst teams, and giving the next few clubs odds very close to that 11 percent chance, goes a long way toward removing the incentive to race toward the bottom. …
By keeping the odds for the very best lottery teams on the low side — just 2 percent — the league is working to avoid building in any incentive for a team chasing the no. 8 spot to tank out of the playoffs. …
The proposal also calls for the drawing of the first six picks via the Ping-Pong ball lottery, sources say. The current lottery system actually involves the drawing of only the top three selections.”
—
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nba-lottery-reform-is-coming/
Julien says
You guys who are talking about how much other teams would not have offered Kobe are only talking from what you would have not offered Kobe for whatever your reasons are. You have no idea what another team would have given Kobe for a contract and never will because the Lakers gave him the contract of their choosing for their reasons and they paid him with their money which is their right. As evidenced by this seasons financial report without Kobe on the floor, the Lakers and Kobe will continue to make money championship or no championship. All the whining about the contract isn’t going to change a thing. The contract is signed. The reality of the Lakers situation is they are rebuilding. Let’s just look at the recent past for teams who are rebuilding and how long it might take to get back to and win a championship. I think the record shows it took the Spurs 6 years to get back to the finals and 7 before they actually won. Lakers are in rebuilding mode, they know it, Kobe knows it and some fans know it. More than that the Lakers know its going to take time, Mitch has said as much. It may be 2 years it maybe 10 that’s the reality. Kobe puts butts in the seats, sells tons of merchandise and keeps the Lakers relevant during the rebuild. He was paid accordingly. If Kobe is close to the old Kobe it’s going to be a very fun year but not a championship year. If he can’t play anymore then let the contract bashing continue in earnest, but for now enough already.
Mid-Wilshire says
If I were the new coach of the Lakers, I would do everything I could to make the sum greater than the individual parts. In short, I would emphasize team defense and a rather vigorous, quick-hitting ball movement.
If we are to learn anything from the Spurs’ recent success, it’s that team defense and outstanding passing matter. By itself, those factors won’t transform the Lakers into a playoff team. But that would make this team very different — and potentially better — than last year’s rag-tag, free-wheeling group that could not care less about defense.
This is where the selection of a head coach matters. I hope they choose one soon. It’s time.
rr says
if it isn’t, shouldn’t a person find another hobby?
—
I actually think that you are the one who should be thinking about another hobby. I don’t mean you that should stop being a fan, but you might consider the possibility that your particular brand of fandom is not really compatible with spending significant time on an internet basketball site that is devoted to a team which is in a very deep downturn. You and a few other people here post quite a bit about your frustration with the fanbase, how tired you are of the complaints, how tired you are of the perceived ignorance, how tired you are of certain topics, how tired you are of the vitriol directed at Jim Buss, etc. But the fact is that when a sports team is losing and a sports organization seems to be a bit lost, people are going to complain and say negative things when talking about the team–since a lot of negative stuff is what is going on with the team. And this site is on the whole a very good one as team sites go.
I would also suggest that you are overstating the importance of fan behavior. The Lakers will get some momentum going again when they get better players, and the fans will just be along for the ride.
rr says
And, of course, for those who want optimism, just read what is being said about Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson by most posters here.
Darius Soriano says
RE complaining about comments: I’ve said before that I’d prefer that comments be judged on their content, not on their tone. I think it leads to a better conversation where people actually have to back up what they write with a good background and some evidence or an argument meant to build a consensus.
Now, in saying that, I think it’s also fair to say that like most things in life people tire of hearing another person complain. I think that is pretty much human nature. So, yes, reading comments by the same people making variations of the same point about how bad the team is or about Kobe’s contract or about any other thing gets old. It doesn’t mean those posts aren’t rooted in truth or that there’s not a reality about the team’s standing that needs to be acknowledged. But, I think my point above still holds true.
mud says
thank you Darius. i’m not railing against complaining. i’m just suggesting that until everyone gets a better attitude about it, things will still suck. it’s still just a game. no matter how right or intelligent one is, the things being complained about probably won’t be affected…
rr says
i’m not railing against complaining
___
No? Then I will need a little help interpreting this:
“no one wants to hear you whine.”
You are a complainer about the complainers. That’s who you are here, which is your choice to make.