Back in the summer 2002, Kobe wasn’t necessarily at the peak of his powers, but he was definitely at the top of the NBA world. The Lakers had just won their 3rd consecutive title and Kobe had cemented himself as one of the best players in the league. Kobe was also one of the league’s darling players — this was before the major public feuding with Shaq, before his legal issues, before trade demands. Every player has their detractors, but for the most part, Kobe was teflon.
So, you can only imagine the reaction when Kobe showed up at the famed Rucker Park in New York to play some pick up ball. You can also imagine the show he put on. Only, you know, you don’t have to imagine. You can actually watch it:
That’s some classic Kobe, there. Rocking the #8. The crazy athleticism mixed with ridiculous body control. The nifty finishes around the rim. The burgeoning post game. And the flair. All that flair.
Of course, that Kobe is gone. The Kobe we will see this upcoming season is a mystery. Maybe he can provide fans some of the types of moments he did in the clip above, though.
Lifer@Kobe says
Awesome stuff.. Mamba is never afraid.. Waiting for Kobe to get back this season.. GoLakersGo
BigCitySid says
“The Kobe we will see this upcoming season is a mystery”. via Darius. So very true…this is the 400 lb gorilla in the room. Many are hoping Kobe is “80% of what he was pre-injury”. Others wonder if he’ll be able to compete for 30 mins a game. Kobe himself has stated “he’d rather retire than be “only a 20 point scorer”. At other times he’s stated “I eat first”. Regardless of any and all the moves made by the FO this upcoming season will be determined by what Kobe will be able to do on the floor.
Would be interesting to know what folks on this site are REALISTICALLY expecting of #24 this season. Will he be a top 10 scorer? (Last season that 22.7 ppg). Will he be able to play 30 mpg? Can we expect or hope for .440 fg%?
Should we have any expectations?
Ryan says
@bigcitysid I have no idea if his body will hold up or not but if it does he’ll probably average 27 points a game or higher. In fact before the season starts I’d love to find a place where I could bet on what shooting guard will make the all NBA first team. I bet you could get really high odds on Kobe and that would be a good value bet. I mean James Harden made it last season lol
PurpleBlood says
Ahhhh, pure bliss…
___
Big City,
in response to your questions about Mamba:
Regardless of whatever limitations affect his game, I´ve no doubt Kobe´ll give his all on and off the floor, thus, hopefully, prodding the squad to as many victories as it can muster this upcoming season.
I can live with that.
Shaun says
Kobe definitely starts the all star game …. harden might have to have a monster year for them to be competitive circa kobe in 2006
P. Ami says
I’m thinking Kobe is going to start off by testing the new guys. He’s going to want to see if the rooks have the toughness, what Davis can bring and what he can count on from the guys he never really played with before. Lin is a guy who needs the ball and could possibly create for Kobe in ways he could not for Harden as Harden attacks off the dribble while Kobe should spend more time in the post. The real test will be seeing if he can consistently elevate enough to get his shot off when working the post. If Kobe can be a 22/4/6 guy I’ll be happy. One hopes his shooting percentages will be good, if for no other reason than the hope that he forces less shots & focuses on improving his rooks.
gene says
If Kobe is healthy (which I believe)with Randle,Lin,Hill and others the Lakers can be very competitive… Scoring will not be the problem…If their defense can be in the top half of the league they will surprise some teams….
Gary M says
Damn it’s good to see him wear number 8 again. He’s looking fit to me. Can’t wait for the season to start now!! We need a coach!!
T. Rogers says
Wow, Kobe looked young! I can’t believe that was 12 years ago.
Sid,
I think Kobe’s minutes need to be monitored heavily. He needs to be on the Spurs plan of no more than 30 minutes a night. That’s easier said than done. I’ve noted before that I can’t see Kobe sitting down at the end of a winnable game. I can’t even see him spending extended time on the bench when the other team is making a run. That’s yet another reason why the coach matters. Not only does he have to limit Kobe’s minutes he needs to find a balance that allows Kobe to be effective without killing himself. That negotiation between Kobe and coach will be the foundation of Kobe’s effectiveness (or lack thereof).
Gary M,
I miss him wearing number 8. I wish he would bring it back. Maybe in his final season. That would be great.
Craig W. says
Kobe has always evolved over his career – that is the constant. Therefore, trying to gauge how he will play, after more than a year away, essentially, doesn’t seem to be wise. We don’t know how he will play the game, but we do know his main focus is to win. With that in mind, I think we have a better team this year for him to help mold a lot of young players. That being the case, IMO, I suggest he will be a number of different things for the first 6 weeks of the season – if only to find out what works with this group of players. Then he will determine his roll and demand others fall in line to flesh that out.
Craig W. says
For the life of me I can’t figure out what I write that hangs up the automatic censor.
mud says
Kobe will probably be fine. we’ll see….
J C says
It sounds funny coming from me,
but my biggest hope for Kobe this year is that he stays healthy
I have no doubt that he will perform admirably
no matter what his limitations are
as long as he’s on the court.
Nick Van Exile says
Kobe should be playing about 30 mpg, 7.5 min per quarter (I don’t think anyone on the team should be playing more than 30 mpg since there is good depth at all the positions). I would think he could average about 17-20 ppg in that time. Some things that give me hope:
1) After putting so much wear and tear on his body, Kobe only played 6 NBA games in the past year. I’m sure the rest of his body will benefit.
2) He had already made the transition away from scoring based on speed/athleticism to scoring based mostly on skills, footwork, etc. so even if his athleticism is hindered by the Achilles injury, it shouldn’t affect him as much.
3) Having a guy like Jeremy Lin that can create shots for himself and others can relive a lot of the burden Kobe had under MDA 2 years ago.
4) Kobe has a lot to prove (coming off of 2 serious injuries, getting the extension, the team coming off their worst season ever). I wouldn’t bet against him.
BigCitySid says
@ Chris Y, “if he avgs 47% 8-17 shots”. Just for the record, 47% fg shooting would be a career high for Kobe, a .454% fg career shooter. Three times he’s been right there, .469% in ’01-’02, .468% in ’99-’00, & .467% in ’08-’09. And each of those three times he was teamed with an HOF/All-Star low post player (Shaq twice & Gasol once). Something he won’t have this season.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bryanko01.html
If Kobe shoots 47% from the field, it will easily be his best season ever.
BigCitySid says
As far as his #8, I’m predicting Kobe will be the 1st NBA player in history to have TWO numbers retired by the same team. 8/24 will be in the rafters under “Bryant”.
BigCitySid says
“If Kobe shoots 47% from the field, it will easily be his best season ever”. Correction, meant to type “best shooting season ever”.
Chearn says
Kobe is facing his basketball mortality, so it is doubtful that he’ll push to play heavy minutes even if the game is in the balance. If the Lakers can play the young players to win games, particularly, early in the season then the players will gain confidence, and the Mamba can strike to kill in the playoffs. That is the ideal situation for this team.
Warren Wee Lim says
I’d also venture that Kobe will increase his percentages this year. Lin creates and attacks the basket, as does Young so this will help Kobe get better shots.
Jeremy Lin will wear #17.
J C says
Uh oh.
Lin wants to wear #17?
Didn’t we retire Bynum’s #?
Quin says
About the video … that’s just awesome. It’s just a testament of Kobe’s mentality: “there’s no risk wherever I play, because I’m Kobe.” It seems like other players are scared of embarrassment or something. Kobe just wants to demonstrate his prowess at all times.
Chris J says
Kobe is going to lose to Father Time; everyone does. His best means of extending the fight will be to evolve his game in a manner that suits his abilities. He’s one of the smartest players in history and will figure out what he can do to contribute as he ages.
I can envision him becoming an Horry- or Sam Perkins-style spot up killer, and doing that for two or three more years so long as he can still get up and down the floor. The drives and old-school dunks will be less common — and will get the “old school” oohs and ahhs when they do come, like when he threw down at Barclays.
My hope is he can play 25-30 minutes, average around 20 ppg. With Nick Young there will be plenty of scoring at the two, so we should also plan to see Kobe play some SF when the matchups allow it. The biggest fear is can he add anything on defense; that could be the chink in his armor that ultimately limits his overall effectiveness more so than what he can do on offense.
J C says
Kobe will never accept a Robert Horry-esque role.
He’ll still be a primary factor in Laker wins and losses til the day he hangs ’em up.
rr says
Should we have any expectations?
—
No. It is possible that his self-assessment will lag behind what his body can still do and he will put up a lot of 5/22s trying to prove people wrong. It is possible that he will play pretty well for about 25 games then go down again. It is possible that he will decline more or less equally in all areas and be a 15-16 PER type guy. And it is possible that he will come back to 80-90% of what he was, and shut everybody up who doubted him and bagged on the contract, which is more or less everyone who follows the NBA except a subset of the Lakers’ fanbase.
I hope it’s the last one, but I would bet on the first one.
I will add that Jim Buss badly needs a win on this decision. If Kobe plays poorly and/or goes down again, it will make the FO look bad, even if it helps the Lakers keep the pick. Jerry Buss was gone by the time the FO pulled the trigger on the deal, and it went against the grain in any number of ways. You can go against the grain if you’re winning. It is a tougher sell at 27-55.
Chris J says
J C — by Horry-like, I was referring more to where he sets up on the floor than suggesting that Kobe would become a sixth-man kind of guy. As he ages, my point was I can envision Kobe working more and more from the outside corner and on the box, where his footwork is a plus, rather than being the slash and drive guy he was before.
Horry was a high-fly act when he first came in, too. Over time that went away, but he still found ways to be effective.
BigCitySid says
@ Warren Wee Lim, “I’d also venture that Kobe will increase his percentages this year. Lin creates and attacks the basket, as does Young so this will help Kobe get better shots.”
I understand what you’re saying, but I have to disagree with you if you feel playing w/ Lin & Young will get Kobe better shots than playing w/ Shaq or Pau & Bynum, as the fg%’s I quoted above show.
It will also be interesting to see how often Kobe draws double teams.
Brian says
Decided to watch Summer League Highlights during lunch today. Gosh, do I wish we could have been in position to draft Exum. He looks like a player that will make his teammates better.
I was also wondering if we missed on Zach LaVine. He looks like a junior Kobe out there. Could be the best offensive player in the draft. I know the Lakers were looking for a sure thing with Randle but I’m worried he has less upside especially if we play him at the Four.
What do you guys think? Should we have rolled the dice on LaVine and possibly picked up another asset as well?
Snoopy2006 says
Not high on Lavine. I thought the Westbrook comparisons before the draft were awful, and more a by-product of the school he came from. Reminds me more of Gerald Green. He could settle anywhere between Green’s 2 extremes (the young Green whose lack of mental fortitude led to an early exit from the league, or the more mature player who emerged in Phoenix as a viable athletic role player). Just my 2 cents.
I’m definitely more cynical than most on the team’s outlook. I can’t see any possible way this team competes for a playoff spot in the West, as some have suggested.
Robert says
rr: “come back to 80-90% of what he was, and shut everybody up ” Well – as you have pointed out in the past – I do no fit into any of these categories. My loyalty to Kobe can’t be questioned. Further, I am actually expecting Kobe to come back at 90% of 2013 levels. I think he will be in the 23-25 PPG range. I think he will earn a 2nd or 3rd team All NBA spot (not just All Star but All NBA). Even after he does all that. I will still say: The contract was a mistake.
chibi says
I feel good about this team. I think this is going to be a gutsy team.
I’m optimistic about Nash. Robert Horry, who had the same injury as Nash, said it took about 2yrs to really heal. It is time Nash bounces back.
We have a balanced roster: Drivers and shooters, rebounders, athletes, young legs, vets. We could use a goon, though. Do it, Mitch.
mud says
yeah, a good goon is all that’s missing….
KO says
Chris Y
I can get a shot off.
Making it is another thing.
J C says
@Brian
Agree on those two prospects.
I was in Vegas the first weekend of the summer league and I specifically stuck around to catch Exum and Lavine.
Exum definitely showed flashes of that electricity that Kobe has.
That’s the guy we didn’t get cuz Dantoni decided to win those last few games.
I was stoked to see Lavine because of the highlights I had seen of his workouts. He looked great.
Unfortunately when I saw Lavine play it may have been his first game and he appeared a bit tentative and didn’t do much.
So I’ll look for those highlights.
Robert says
The 3 pictures are reason enough to click on this link. Pics 1 + 2 are just iconic, but my personal fav is #3,
I post this because I think it addresses the whole “luck” thing.
http://lasportshub.com/2014/07/16/lakers-loss-without-dr-buss/
KO says
So now Paul said he won’t play. no coach, No star. Hey Lakers might be best team in LA again.
Nice
J C says
Chris J
Yes I see Kobe posting up more than ever.
But that wasn’t really Horry’s game either.
Horry was a spot up shooter and utility guy.
Great Laker. Big shot Rob.
I still envision Kobe as more central to the offense, needing the ball in his hands to be effective either by taking it himself of getting others involved. Even in his twilight, more than Horry ever was.
When I think of Kobe in his final days, I think of the Wizards version of Jordan.
Still able to do his thing, his way, just a little below the rim.
I think we all hope those days are still a few years away for #24.
But time flies.
KO says
In reference to the great post from Slappy in prior days subject.
Slappy
Post of the year. You fully understand the issues and how it relates to the current pending litigation. Simply Donald can fight to his death. Doc and Paul can quit, not get paid and not coach or play until their contracts are over.
Bad bluff on their part and indeed they could be sued for breach of contract. No way Stern lets this go that far. Silver screwed up while other less educated as to the laws are patting him on the head.
If I was a betting man I double down on Donald. Go back and read the Baylor law suit. Donald just waited him out and beat him badly. Elgin had a far better case then the NBA has.
Warren Wee Lim says
Why won’t Kobe benefit from Young and Lin? These two create their own shots and make them… moreso with a team that has Kobe. Kobe with the reduced athleticism will operate on the mid to low post and catching baskets off curls. I don’t see why they won’t be a juggernaut on offense.
Defensively is where we could catch a break. Perhaps a trade for a good perimeter defender or a reason to start Wesley over Swaggy P.
Quin says
If Paul decides not to play, he won’t be sued. Players are allowed to retire, take some time off, and return. Even if they’re under contract, they can retire, take some time away from the NBA, play in Europe or whatever, and return.
BigCitySid says
Clipper losses can turn into Laker gains. DeAndre Jordan will be an unrestricted free agent in less than a year and this 7 year vet has only called Staple’s home. Lakers should have the inside track on this guy if the Sterling issue continues and coaches & players start jumping ship.
Aaron says
Darius,
Kobe was actually at the “peak of his powers” back then. His win shares in the 2002-2003 season was 14.9, second best of his career by far (his best was 15.3) and he had over a 26 PER. As he was in his athletic prime that was one of his best defensive seasons of all time. That year is what I call vintage young prime Kobe it was the season before his first knee surgery.
KO says
Quin
You are right. My guess is Donald will just sue anyway claiming damages to his franchise. Won ‘t win but anyone can sue for anything. I had an employee sue for emotional distress because I asked her why her sales were so bad.
We live in the United States of Lawsuits .
Parrothead Phil says
@chris y
I think you are conflating Slappy’s analysis of the legal case and anyone who complimented Slappy’s analysis into being supportive of Sterling. I don’t read anything that Slappy or KO posted as being supportive of Sterling. Just because Sterling is a racist, contract law does not become null and void. Lest anyone confuse this post as being “pro – Sterling”, for the record I believe he is a disgusting racist pig.
J C says
Slappy sounds pretty smart for a guy named Slappy.
I agree great post by Slappy and super interesting.
Is it possible the NBA didn’t even know the restrictions of their own bylaws?
This is already a mess, but if Donald can string this out past next training camp,
a few people may have to eat some crow to get a paycheck.
BigCitySid says
Just rec’d a text from ESPN stating Lakers have finally & officially offered Scott the head coaching job. Contract in hands of Scott’s agent.
Chris J says
If Paul decides not to play, he won’t be sued. Players are allowed to retire, take some time off, and return. Even if they’re under contract, they can retire, take some time away from the NBA, play in Europe or whatever, and return.
————-
That statement is extremely misleading.
If Paul were to retire, he’d still be under contract with the Clippers for the duration of the 5-year deal he signed last summer. So if he temporarily took some time off from basketball, as Quin suggests, the Clippers would still maintain his rights for four more seasons; it’s not like Paul can “retire” and then sign a new NBA deal elsewhere — at least not until July 2018.
Likewise, he can’t go play outside the United States unless it’s for a non-FIBA organization. If a player under NBA contract agrees to a deal in a FIBA-affiliated league, he first must be cleared to go elsewhere by the NBA. Unless Silver really wanted to flip over the apple cart and devalue every NBA player contract by enabling the players to hold their teams hostage with the threat that, “I’ll go play in China or Russia if you don’t meet my terms” — which will never happen — Paul won’t get the OK to sign elsewhere.
Paul made his bed with the Clippers last summer, and he’ll have to sleep in it unless he’s willing to hold out and forfeit his salary.
Bobby says
It’ll be extremely tough for the Lakers to make the playoffs. I’m leaning towards close but, no. Here’s how I see the West shaking out:
1. Spurs
2. Thunder
3. Clippers
4. Mavericks
5. Blazers
6. Warriors
7. Rockets
8. Grizzlies
Who are the Lakers going to replace from that group of 8? Plus Phoenix will be a full year better with possibly the deepest bench outside of the Spurs. There will be other challengers for the 8th spot as both Utah and Denver will be greatly improved. I think its safe to say we will finish ahead of Sacramento (although they have better young talent than we do) and Minnesota (but only if they go for young talent in exchange for Love).
I think we win between 30 (if Kobe goes down) and 45 games (if everything breaks right). This is not a great team and aside from a few instances will be facing teams with far better talent on their rosters.
Robert says
Byron: 3 months later – here it is. I am sure Darius will form a thread on this. But for now:
“The Lakers made Scott a verbal offer on Thursday after Scott spoke with owner Jim Buss. Scott and his representatives are reviewing the Lakers’ offer.”
So I guess when it came time to speak to Phil at midnight, that job was left to Mitch but the Byron call was made by Jim. Well – I guess that is one reason to have to have co-GM’s.
Todd says
The recent comments regarding Doc and CP3 are just posturing by the NBA to force the Judge to rule in favor or the sale and dismiss the legal efforts by DSterling to reverse or slow the process.
Why Would any of the Clippers want to damage their product on the court. They have a wonderful team and are poised to make a deep run in the playoffs next year. Heck, they could win the whole thing.
The sale will go through although it may take a little longer than they want. From all indications Steve Balmer will be a great owner. Why would Doc and CP3 hurt the franchise that will ultimatley be owned by someone they will be thrilled to work for?
P. Ami says
Man, I’m sure there will be a post on it… But that Scott hire is so disappointing, I can’t even express how stupid it is. Three bad hires in a row. Going back from memory- Dunleavy, Pfund, Harris, Jackson, Tomjanovich, Jackson, Brown, D’Antoni, Scott… That is 6 bad hires out of 8.
I want to try and head off any arguments about my views being ringzzz based, ie. Jackson won rings and that is why it was a good hire. No, that is not my position. Dunleavy got us to the finals and was beat by a better team and better coach. Still think he is a bad coach. Go listen to Baron Davis’ interview on Grantland’s The Moment. It is an excellent listen and provides some good insight into Dunleavy and Sterling. I think Dunleavy’s teams in Milwaukee were garbage, his Blazers self destructed, he made horrible moves with his playoff rotation when with the Clippers. Pfund was in over his head and has never been seen from since. Harris provided no structure from a team that was so good it was a fringe championship contender in spite of how undefined the roles were, how poor his strategy was, and how outcoached he was by guys like Popovic, Tomjanovich, Karl and Sloan. Obviously Jackson was a smart hire… Obvious but smart. I mean, people had been talking about that hire for a year before it happened. That is obvious, right? I can see the Rudy hire. He was a winner in Houston and his teams played well with a unique system. I think they were the first team to successfully run the 1 inside and 4 out with shooters at three or four positions. So, it wasn’t a bad hire until the alcohol issues come out. Then Jackson again, no argument. After this we have three hire comparable to the Harris, Dunleavy, Pfud triumvirate.
I hope I am wrong about Scott, but as of now, I think this is a bad, bad hire that makes no basketball sense.
Robert says
P Ami: I am supporter of Byron however I have questioned the hiring process all along. I also agree with your appraisal of the first 7 hires on your list. So – I am just curious Does this decision surprise you? What were you expecting to happen? They have done no other interviews and most of the other candidates have taken other jobs.
BlizzardOfOz says
>> I want to try and head off any arguments about my views being ringzzz based, ie. Jackson won rings and that is why it was a good hire.
You do realize that the reason ESPN drones make fun of the idea that winning championships is the sign of a great player/coach is that 1) the idea is completely logical, and 2) it tends to make their analysis, and their preferred players, look bad.
Rubenowski says
P. Ami,
6 out of 8 comes out to 1 good hire for every 3 bad ones. At least we know that the one after Scott will be a good one.
KO says
P.ami
Kind of surprised. You are usually spot on. Scott is the first coach who bleeds Laker colors. kobe likes him. He had shown to be tough on defense. Also good at coaching up PG. I find him much better then the guys you brought up. He just spent the year as a Lsker analyst and was very outspoken on rotations and lack of defense.
Bryon is an upgrade and I feel is respected by players unlike Brown and MDA who have no history as NBA players. I for one am pleased.
Finally!
Todd says
Let’s face it the next two years for the Lakers will be contain more downs than ups. We are dealing with a convergence of realities. One: The Lakers stars got old. Two: The Laker FO with Jeannie and Jim have made critical errors. Three: Bad luck — deals that normally would work out in our favor have gone south in a major way.
Once we are beyond Kobe’s contract we should be able to attract a young alpha star to build around. The pieces should fall into place rather quickly (a year or two after that). If not and the club continues to struggle Jim has provided us an out – he said he’ll step down. Presumably Jeannie would then bring in a stud executive to get us back on track.
So the bad news is that we may be ugly to watch for at least two more years. If Jim figures this out we’ll start to look good three or four years from now. If Jim implodes this franchise and is forced out you may have to add a few years for the new exec to unwind his bad decisions. In that case we’ll look good in about five or six years.
So we’re looking at either a three year or six year plan. Kind of like the time range it takes a kid to get through college.
Shaun says
@Bobby – Houston doesn’t make the playoffs and the Lakers will be battling with Phoenix, Denver, and New Orleans for 8th spot – Denver is going to be much much better next year – adding 3 starters who were all injured last year, almost 4 since Wilson Chandler missed a good chunk of last year….. the entire west is going to be ridiculous and a few injuries could swing the whole conference …. its gonna be really fun to watch.
As for Scott , at least I was close in that they were giving a serious look at George Karl which I thought would have been a more fun to watch up-tempo team.
I don’t think the Scott hire is necessarily bad, I mean, who else were they going to hire? outside of Karl I don’t see another candidate that would have been worth it besides Hollins but he got hired. Very likely that it was Scott all along and I would be fine if we could be a bit more of an inventive version of Scotts Hornets teams.
Overall I’m really happy about the roster and think this year will be like 2008 where we could actually root for the team and some young guys mixed in with vets trying to prove the haters wrong …. super fun.
Robert says
Todd: I like the train of thought with the college reference. So if we have a child prodigy, he can graduate in 3 years. On the other hand if we have a kid who has no degree, likes to hang at the racetrack, and won’t cut his hair, we are looking at 5-6. Do I have this correct? : )
kehntangibles says
Somewhat off-topic but this needs to be shared with the world at large:
the Lakers Last Supper:
http://i.imgur.com/kpzpsBz.jpg
Chearn says
– Robert, congrats on calling the Scott hire months ago. Now, work on Kobe and Nash’s health for the next two years. Meaning, emphatically state that both will play the entire season only resting in strategic spurts.
– kehntangibles, that picture is awesome. Is that Scott peaking his head into the picture?
Warren Wee Lim says
The Scott hire doesn’t thrill me, but the team does. I’m not thrilled at 45 wins max but I’m excited at the fact that we can be a fun team that plays hard every night.
The Scott hire – why it didn’t happen 7 weeks ago has something to do with draft lottery, actual draft, draft-day trades, free agency process and you’re probably omitting the most important factor of all: the money.
I’m venturing a guess that the Lakers offer is 12M over 3 years, with only 2M guaranteed on year 3. It could also be something like 9 million for 2 years fully guaranteed.
When in doubt, follow the money. Its usually what people do.
Fern says
This was coming for a loong time, im glad it’s finally over, it is the right hire at this conjucture, i take Byron Scott over MDA and Mike Brown combined ANY DAY, his record dont say it all, those Cavalier years were horrendous because the Cavs FO is horrendous and could not improve that team “luckiest” team in all sports. He is a solid coach, of course people still going to complain not surprised at all. I bet some of the people that dont like him would rather have old never won anything fossils like Sloan or Karl. Me? im glad we have a coach that bleed Purple & Gold. I think all this process was as long as it was because the FO was really waiting for Doc Rivers and they were found out. They signed Byron right away to cover their tracks. I dont understand why would they do that, is there is an overrated coach in the NBA is Doc Rivers, and the thought of him on the Lakers sidelines makes me want to puke.
P. Ami says
KO, I’ve made my arguments before, which is why I didn’t repeat them but a quick overview…
Nets… He road an in-prime Hall of Fame PG and good (not great) pieces through a broken east. His team, the year he played us in the finals, had played the weakest schedule in the league. The east was so bad that Chicago was the only team whose strength of schedule was better than a western team and they all still had bad records. The east was so bad, they couldn’t beat up on each other properly. The next year was more of the same until Kidd and the rest of the team mutinied. Now, Kidd’s rep isn’t good when it comes to coaches, although Carlisle seemed to do fine with the guy. I still think a mutiny should count against the coach.
New Orleans, he had a Hall of Fame PG, David West at the height of his powers, and prime Tyson Chandler with some good pieces. Never got them out of the second round. If you read the press releases the team was not happy with the development of the team.
Cleveland… Granted they had just lost LeBron and Varejao was injured. He wound up with Kyrie and some pieces and lets just say, Kyrie was not playing defense nor did I see a team with a direction. His winning percentage there was south of 30%. Once again, his employers released him with much appreciation but comments on a lack of team development.
Byron’s winning percentage as a coach is 44%. His only success was leading a good team through a glorified NCAA tourney only to get rolled in the Finals with a 20% winning percentage in 10 games. Lest we forget, Jason Kidd was the best PG at the time and top-5 overall. I would say he was better than Kobe at the time. He controlled the game. His defense, both man to man and in the team scheme, was some of the most dominant I’ve seen from a player. Kidd still wasn’t much of a shooter at the time but he didn’t need to be. He got to the rim at will and created for everybody on the team. In a barren east, prime Jason Kidd is enough.
List of coaches I would have preferred… Blatt, Messina, Fisher, JVG, SVG (don’t think he would come seeing as he wanted control over personnel) and those are just names I know about. I’m sure the college ranks have coaches who can grow with the team and establish a culture. Frankly, I could care less about the coach being a former Laker. Only Riles has won chips with us as a coach and was a former player. Sharmen, Westhead and Phil were never Lakers and both Sharmen and Phil actually won rings against us (Phil as player and as a coach).
I think the Lakers made a mistake with the hire but I’ll be ecstatic to be proven wrong.
@Fern… Doc had nothing to do with it. His statements came out in the last few days. No reason to think Doc is leaving that situation at all. He is that team right now. I don’t know what they were waiting for but I don’t think we’ll ever find out.
J C says
Doc rivers is a solid coach.
The basketball gods were never going to arrange that.
If that’s what we were waiting for, it’s sad.
I think Byron can be solid too.
I do worry about the horrendous years he had in Cleveland.
But at least he’s a Laker.
He cares about the brand and the culture.
And if he emphasizes defense – then we have a fighting chance to do the thing Kobe loves-
Compete.
BigCitySid says
Playoffs? @ Shaun & others who seriously believe (not just hope) Lakers will make the post season check out the following recent (July 21st) NBA power ranking: http://www.nba.com/powerrankings/
Our Lakers are currently ranked 25th out of 30. Part of the Laker summary: “Key question: Just how bad can they be defensively?
Very, very bad. They were awful last season, the only plus defender on the roster (Ed Davis) is competing for minutes with Carlos Boozer and Julius Randle, and the last time Byron Scott (the only candidate, it seems) coached was the last time a team ranked in the bottom five in defensive efficiency three straight seasons.”
Anonymous says
P. Ami you just crushed me like a bug. Big City’s post didn’t help.
So by the way I am hoping the Lakers hire some really good assistant coach’s to help with the deficiencies that Mr.Scott may have.(Worthy,Dave Miller etc)
Guess I must be like a guy married to a 300 pound , angry women for the past 4 years and finale left her to date a 190 pound slightly less angry women.(don’t go there JC my wife is tall and thin) (ok a bit angry).
Anything seems like a big upgrade.
Fern says
If it wasnt for Sterling big racist mouth im sure the Lakers would had hired Scott or whoever a long time ago. In my opinion this has ” lets steal Doc Rivers from across the hall” coup written all over. It’s ludicrous abd asinine but i would not be surprised if thats what they were thinking. Funny that the next day that the “Lakers waiting on Doc Rivers” rumor surfaced, they hired Byron right away, they waited 3 months, why now? I don’t think thats a coincidence. Btw i expressed already how much i despise Doc Rivers so i would absolutely hate him having anything to do with the Lakers,.
PurpleBlood says
kehntangibles,
Lol, nice find
___
anyway you slice it, Byron´s our H.C. now, so as far as i´m concerned, all the power to ya Byron!
Kenny T says
There was never a day in his life that Jason Kidd was a better player than Kobe Bryant. Never! Kidd basically threw Scott under the bus after the Nets lost that second Finals, but as you acknowledged, Kidd has been known as a coach killer since his college days. Kidd is a self promoting front runner of the highest order. Scott’s rep suffered quite a bit because of his association with Kidd.
Shaun says
@bigcitysid – those same power ranking have houston ranked 9th after losing half their essential rotation and having no backup C or Pf unless you count Jeff Adrian – which I dont
They also have minnesota ranked ahead of us before taking Into account love will be gone before the season starts.
Both teams will be behind us in the standings at the end of next year
Lets look at how terrible last year was vs what we have going for us this year
– MDA proved to be the worst coach possible – dumb ass rotations, guys playing out of position, no defense or adjustments coached, crappy in game coaching etc…
– over 300 man games lost to injury
– no kobe all season – I believe he will come back to an all star level
– kendall marshall started
– hill getting limited minutes all year vs starting this year – he showed at the end of the year he could have great numbers when given the opportunity
– lin gives us a starting quality guard and both randle and clarkson are great young guys that should contribute right away
– the guys that were starters last year will go back to the bemch roles they are suited for
– scott -for as much as guys want to rag on him will be much better than mda – I was nervous back when we got pushed to 6-7 games in the 1st round by them a few years ago and for however weak the west was they still got to the finals
Excited for the team and next year
J C says
My previous comment in permanent mod.
re Byron –
at least he’s a Laker.
He cares about the brand and the culture.
And if he emphasizes defense – then we have a fighting chance to do the thing Kobe loves-
Compete.
I do worry about his stint in Cleveland.
It’s doubtful we ever really had a shot at landing Doc or that he’d even want to coach this group.
J C says
Here’s an interesting question:
Lakers have ‘offered’ coaching job to Byron.
What if they can’t agree to terms?
Highly unlikely, yes.
But what if they say two years, max, and he insists on four?
Just as an example.
Then what?
I’ll coach.
Ko is my 6th man.
Sorry Ko I need you to spark that second unit.
KO says
Thanks. You get to sit in the Phil High Chair while I am suffering from bad back, bad knees and ankles.
You already have Steve Nash for that.
Director of BB operations or nothing for me. Clearly a job where experience is not required.
P. Ami says
Kenny T… It’s alright for us to disagree but I think Kidd was a more impactful player than Kobe for a number of seasons. I prefer prime Kobe to prime Kidd and I would want Kobe over his career, as opposed to Kidd, but I do think Kidd was more impactful than Kobe was in 2002. Actually, 2002 is the first season I would think of Kobe as arguably as impactful. Anyhow, different strokes…
Sorry for depressing you Anon… I’m hoping I’m wrong.
Robert says
You already have a job Ko remember? You are in charge of beverages and the cheerleaders (and you are qualified). rr is the GM and J C will coach. Aaron will be the trainer. chearn of course will announce and Purple will be in charge of the music playing over the PA system. I will be in my owners box NOT meddling with anyone’s job except for the following:
Purple: You must follow the NFL kickoff tradition of playing Enter Sandman before tipoff.
Ko: Keep my box well stocked with beverages.
Aaron: All potential payers must go through Aaron’s on line physical. If he says no – they are out.
chearn: Say whatever you want on the air but please reference the legends and 31 trips to the Finals and the 16 titles at least once each night.
J C: You work for rr – however if anyone ever says the team is “fun” or “scrappy” – you are fired.
rr: The team is yours. Except I get two owner’s mandates per year. Previous examples of where this would have been used: Hire Brian Shaw, Hire Phil, Get DH, Don’t lose DH, Hire Byron. That is pretty much it. Other than that the other stuff is all you unless you get too many guys named Kapono or Murphy – then we need to talk.
If I violate the above guidelines, I will resign. Not in 3-4 years – but immediately.
KO says
Classic Robert
Chearn says
Happy Anniversary, Darius!
Chearn says
Robert, sure thing, lol.
Kenny T. says
P.Ami…..
Definitely respect your opinion despite the fact that I disagree with it vehemently concerning Kidd. IMO, Kidd was in the right place at the right time with regards to his NJ career. Prior to his arrival in NJ in a trade with Phx. for Stephon Marbury, those Nets were devastated by injury for the better part of two years. Marbury’s reputation as a selfish gunner is largely as a result of his tenure in NJ during those injury plagued seasons, where he was forced to carry the load offensively. Kidd’s arrival coincided with the Nets return to health and the arrival of R. Jefferson as a rookie. RJ fit right in as a running, finishing wing in that system, which was Byron Scott’s by the way. Kidd, however, received the lion’s share of the credit by the New York/NewJersey media for the Nets’ improvement. Said media contrasted his pass first style of playing the point with Matbury’s less traditional scoring point guard persona, and Kidd was anointed as a savior. A premise that I never embraced. I believe that if Kobe and Kidd traded places back then, the Nets would have had a much better chance of beating the Lakers. I also think that at that time, the Nets would have been just as successful with Marbury playing the point for them. As I said, media perception adds or detracts a lot to a player’s reputation.
Pound for pound, in their primes, I’d take Kobe over Kidd every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Kobe could do everything Kidd could do. Kidd was never in Kobe’s class as a scorer. Hence my disagreement. But like you say, different strokes.
J C says
Robert
I respectfully accept the position of virtual coach.
I assume you had a typo
the team may be referred to as: scrappy,
But when it’s referred to as:
crappy,
that’s when I hit the road.
Chris J says
scott -for as much as guys want to rag on him will be much better than mda – I was nervous back when we got pushed to 6-7 games in the 1st round by them a few years ago and for however weak the west was they still got to the finals
——–
Trying to figure this out… Scott wasn’t the coach of the Hornets team that took the Lakers to six games in the first round of 2011; Byron was fired the year before and that playoff run was headed by Monty Williams, not Byron.
And who got to the Finals in a weak west? It wasn’t a team Byron led — his only Finals appearances were in the east, when the Nets were the best of an awful conference a dozen years ago.
Nova Bahamut says
This just in.
Byron Scott just got hired.