Steve Nash really is the forgotten man. Mostly because fans simply want to forget him.
The bounty the Lakers surrendered to acquire Nash was scrutinized at the time, but was mostly justified considering the level of play he had exhibited the season before and the prospect of teaming him with Dwight Howard. But after missing the better parts of his two seasons in Los Angeles and limping through many of the games he did appear in, Nash has become a symbol of what has gone wrong with the team. The picks surrendered and his high salary now hang like an iron noose around the franchise’s neck, hurting their ability to rebuild via the draft (if the Lakers’ 2015 pick falls outside the top 5, it goes to the Suns) while also soaking up some of that precious salary cap space needed to chase free agents.
Heading into his last season, then, Nash’s name is met with reactions ranging from apathy to disdain. There used to be a time fans would be counting the minutes to when they would get the chance to see Nash lace up his sneakers for this team. Now, though, many feel that same anticipation for when his contract will be off the books. It’s hard to blame them, of course, but the turn towards negativity for the future hall of famer is still a bit jarring to me. Yes, Nash was always an enemy of sorts, but he was still Steve Nash the #pointgod. If you didn’t enjoy watching Nash play basketball, you probably don’t really like basketball too much. I mean, I can still barely even fathom this:
https://twitter.com/Cosmis/status/495758096975675392
But, that was then and this is now. Relying on Nash to be anything more than a mentor for the younger players on the team and a guy who can, hopefully, impart some of his knowledge of the game onto Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson seems like a stretch. That said, wouldn’t it be nice to see him contribute on the floor too?
While that may be too much to ask, he certainly is going to try. And while no one should get their hopes up, Nash is, seemingly, working his way back into a physical condition good enough where it no longer seems so far fetched that he could actually see the floor this year. Mike Trudell of Lakers.com sat down with Gary Vitti and the long time team trainer had this to say about the embattled point guard:
“All my conversations with (Nash) are that he has absolutely no neural issue at this point,” said Lakers head athletic trainer Gary Vitti. “He’s playing full-tilt, unrestricted soccer. He’s doing all the corrective injury and performance exercises he’s supposed to be doing, and right now he’s 100 percent healthy.”
As Vitti went on to explain, nerve issues typically either “get better really quickly, or they take a long, long period of time.” Since Nash’s nerve issues developed out of the leg fracture on Oct. 31, 2012, and it’s nearly two years later, we can certainly categorize them as the “long” type.
Basically, things look much better for Nash today than they did last summer.
The nerve issues were prevalent in August of 2013, but they’re gone now. Still, there’s a big difference between his feeling good today and his body being able to handle the NBA training camp and subsequent regular season grind.
“Does (no nerve pain) translate into putting on an NBA uniform and getting out there with these guys in a point guard dominated league on hardwood, not a grass soccer field,” asked Vitti. “I don’t think anybody knows, and nobody wants to know more than Steve. He really wants to play, and he’s committed himself to do whatever it is to play. If he can’t, we’ll have to address that when the time comes.”
If you followed Nash’s situation at all last year, you would know that “no neural issue” and being able to go “full-tilt” at anything is major progress. Enough to get me excited? No. Too much has gone wrong over the past two seasons to get excited about Steve Nash’s health prospects. And as Vitti explains, playing soccer on a grass field during the summer does not equate to playing NBA level basketball on a hardwood during the season. But this news is somewhat encouraging.
The Lakers enter this season with expectations as low as I can ever remember. They are a team in transition with question marks at every turn. Internally, however, they hope to surprise people with a roster that they feel can compete. It would be nice if, unlikely as it is, in what is almost certainly his final season, that the surprises start with Steve Nash and that the man most fans want to forget gives them one last season to remember.
David villasenor says
Great article
Radius says
A lot of Lakers fans on twitter and the radio (Steve Mason) have a great ability to block out relevant facts of the time we traded for Steve Nash and forget he was an All – Star the year before we drafted him, shot 50/40/90, and was 2nd in Assists that year. I was salivating at the prospect of him and Dwight being able to pick and roll everyone to death while kobe and pau would rest on the bench. Then Dwight wasn’t 100% back from his back… Mike Brown decided that we should use the Princeton offense… and Dame Lillard bumped knees with Steve Nash and destroyed the rest of the year.
If the Lakers were to go back in time, I’m sure they would have done it again, but probably add the Suns Trainer team and Physical therapy team to the deal as well.
I hope Steve has a decent season this year, even if he can’t play more than 15 minutes, I hope he can go out with his dignity and not have to keep going back to the bench or injured list. I hope he teaches Jeremy Lin his patented “turn the corner, slow down, draw the foul, then hit the leaner.” move he has perfected over the years.
KO says
Radius
Well thought out post.
mud says
i’m going to think that he’s finally healthy and that he’ll be his usual self. i’ve got nothing to lose from this position. if he’s not ok, it will be evident. there’s no reason he can’t remain effective for a while longer, if the nerve issue is over. he’s not a high fly guy or anything.
so many people are afraid of having hope, it’s amazing. if you’re disappointed is it really the end of the world? oh, i forgot, i’m old. i remember sayings like “it’s better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all”. nowadays moods must be stabilized. let’s just give up before the games are even played. that way, no one has to be sad or depressed.
i’m not scared.
mud says
Steve Mason is a Laker fan?
i thought he was a tv and radio personality.
i thought he made a living saying inflammatory things to get the listeners excited.
i thought he was a professional troll.
perhaps he also like the Lakers, but that hardly changes his job description.
KO says
Mason is who ever hires him. Used to be with Ireland in SD, was Charger fan. Does pre-game for USC now USC fan. Does some work for Sports net Dodgers and pretends to be Dodger fan. Only time he is slightly honest is when he fills in on fox 11 Sports.
Oh and he is from Cleveland where his mother lives so no doubt he will turn up a big Cavs fan.
If I paid him enough he would be a huge Ken fan. John Ireland his co-host on 710, on the other hands has been a Lakers fan for 40 years and a UCLA grad and fan.
Radio guys are like politicians, easily purchased.
Renato Afonso says
My problem with Steve Nash remains the same: can he guard anyone? Even if he comes back and we get 90% of his former self, the defensive hole will still be there and probably bigger than it ever was. For that, we surrendered too much of our future.
Yes, it is a joy to see Steve Nash running the point but it’s a greater joy to see the Lakers win and, right now, I don’t think those two things can be paired. And while I said that a coach can always improve team defense, the limits that our defense can achieve are not set by the coach’s ideas or practices but rather by the individual defensive ability of the guys on the floor. There’s no way to mask our defense if Nash, Kobe, Young and Boozer are sharing the floor and they’re not young enough to simply outscore the opponent. This is a mess and while people complain about Kobe’s contract (I also complain about it even though I agree that players should not take home discounts), the real killer this season is spending 19M of our cap on two point guards that are not reliable on the defensive end and can’t share the floor.
Maybe Nash can play center since we decided not to have one this season…
JohnnyP says
Since Julius Randle can contribute with interior scoring, but has no outside game, having a high perimeter fg % shooter like Nash could be very valuable. He could leave the penetrating to Randle and Linn and just post up lots. That would spread the hole and make holes for Kobe in mid-range.
Renato,
Good point on Nash’s D liability though.
Very excited about this season!!
GOOOOoooOOOOOO LAKERS !
Fern says
Even with his defensive shortcomings Nash almost took a garbage Suns to the playoffs by himself the season before, nobody and i mean nobody could had predicted that leg fracture and the consequences from it. When the Lakers made that trade Nash was still a hot comodity and any team looking to contend would had made that trade in a heartbeat. About the age factor? Everybody, myself included felt that having such potent offensive weapons like Kobe, Pau and Bynum (at the time of the trade) would lessen dramatically the burden he had to carry in Phoenix and put him in a role of facilitator w/o the pressure to have to score which he was perfectly capable to do the previous season i was expecting him to score about 12ppg and 10-11 dimes more or less what he did the season prior. If i could go back in time? I would support the trade again and i would not let him anywhere near the Rose Garden on that second game lol.
Fern says
“the real killer this season is spending 19M of our cap on two point guards that are not reliable on the defensive end and can’t share the floor.”. You do realize those are expiring contracts right?
Warren Wee Lim says
Steve Nash is a great example of someone who’s been beaten black and blue by father time. Between the Princeton and the Lillard bump, its a sad way to see a former great (Yes, great) go down this way.
BigCitySid says
Timely piece on TrueHoop by Justin Verrier on our beloved Lakers:
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/70049/welcome-to-the-lake-freak-show
rubenowski says
I didnt even bother reading the true hoop piece. It looks like it was written simply because it could be written. Thats what happens when people cant think of anything good to write.
J C says
If Nash is healthy he’ll contribute.
I for one would love to see that.
He’s one of the best all-time passers in the game. His value as a positive locker-room presence shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s gonna be a challenging season any way you look at it and I don’t think Mr. Nash will be solely responsible for any losses.
Well-written article here makes me feel a little more comfortable with the Byron hire:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/great-reads/la-sp-c1-byron-scott-20140806-story.html#page=2
rubenowski says
I gave in and read most of it. It was just what i had expected. Lazy writing. Its too easy to pick on the Lakers right now.
Todd says
rubenowski – I gave in and read most of it. It was just what i had expected. Lazy writing. Its too easy to pick on the Lakers right now.
___
I thought the article was accurate. We all knew there would be ramifications to the Kobe deal. Treading water until his contract rolls off is the main result. For Laker fans this is not new information. However, for the casual fan who is wondering why the perennial contending Lakers are predicted to finish out of the money (again) this would be insightful.
J C says
The Kobe contract will be ok as long as they raise the cap to 100 mil 🙂
mud says
if Kobe and Nash are both healthy, then the Lakers have a dark horse’s chance THIS year.
it’s a pretty stinkin’ BIG if, but it’s still reality at this time. c’mon guys, training camp hasn’t even started. no one knows yet.
before i hear “you said something like this last year”, yes i did. in fact, what happened last year was off the radar for almost everyone. nobody could have predicted that by the middle of the season, the Lakers would only have 6 or 7 players that were healthy enough to run, let alone play basketball. before the line to the trainer’s room extended around the corner, the Lakers were very competitive. this year’s team is already in better shape than last year’s.
rr says
so many people are afraid of having hope, it’s amazing.
—
No one is scared or afraid. People just think that the team is going to be bad, and are saying so.
—
last year was off the radar for almost everyone
No. The injuries were extreme, but one of the reasons the Lakers projected where they did was concerns about health, especially WRT Kobe and Nash. Also, you are assuming that the first 19 games is how they would have played all year. But there is good evidence to the contrary.
rr says
However, for the casual fan who is wondering why the perennial contending Lakers are predicted to finish out of the money (again) this would be insightful.
—
That is true, but the ESPN-TH guys also like trolling Lakers fans, and it mostly works. The comments section to the Verrier piece was full of stuff bashing Howard, etc, so then the same guys can Tweet about all the “dumb, crazy Lakers fans.” It’s an old story at ESPN.
mud says
rr-what evidence to the contrary is there that the Lakers wouldn’t have continued to play like they did the first 19 games, if everyone had remained healthy? there is absolutely no way to know. actually, since the team never quit, even when down to 6(!) players in a game, a case could easily be made that they wouldn’t have folded. argue all you want, there’s no proving that assertion either way.
as i said, i’m not a coward. i am capable of hoping and rooting for the team “until the wheels fall off”. to further that metaphor, i’m not a rat that is looking for a way to jump off of the sinking ship, since even if it does sink, there’s nothing lost.
a team with a healthy Nash and Kobe, even at this point in their careers is at least an outside dark horse contender. of course, if those two can’t play, which is very possible, “competitive” is the best that can be hoped for.
Ryan says
I hated Steve Nash when he played for the suns and in a bizarre way I’m glad the team wrecked has hard as it did when and Danonti arrived. He won’t play in 20 games this year and most of the NBA fans will have forgotten all about his time in Phoenix. Sure suns fans will remember but by rotting away on the Lakers for his last three seasons the largest NBA fan base will despise him for his time with the suns and his waste of resources here and the rest of the NBA fanbase will just remember him as another good player but nothing special. I’d rather have won a title but taking some major shine off Nash’s legacy feels pretty good too.
Renato Afonso says
Fern,
Note that I said THIS season…
Baylor Fan says
NBA defenses have evolved over the last few years (except Cleveland’s under Scott) to take away the first and second options from opposing offenses. This was on display in games 1 and 2 of the finals this year when both teams had to make multiple passes to create scoring opportunities. Nash, with his “soccer vision”, may do much of his damage with hockey passes that lead to the pass that leads to the basket.
J C says
Hey Ryan,
Why so bitter?
When we got Nash, Laker fans were pretty excited.
Teaming w Howard looked on paper like a winner.
(Howard is as much to blame for that failure as anyone.)
Nash didn’t injure himself on purpose, and it’s been pointed out here repeatedly
that he was an all-star the year before we got him, and was second in the league in assists.
I feel like “despising” Nash is weird and ill-placed.
Nash will do his very best to earn the paycheck the Lakers give him.
The way he plays the game is a testament to teamwork, sportsmanship and unselfishness.
Kinda like the Spurs were this year.
You probably despise them too.
rubenowski says
Todd,
There eventually comes a time when things get old. The things said in that article have been said and written many times already. The writer is just repeating what most people already know. That’s why I believe it’s lazy writing. That Byron Scott piece, on the other hand, was very refreshing. I’m not thrilled with Byron, but it’s not like we were gonna contend anyway.
BigCitySid says
To Chris Y, remember your recent response to my following comment posted under “Report: Lakers To Hire Byron Scott as Head Coach” (7/26/14):
My comment: “As far as Scott’s history with the Lakers, I was disappointed in 1983 when the Lakers traded one of my favorite Lakers, Norm Nixon, for him. I held that against him until the Lakers released him 10 years (& three titles) later in 1993. Point being, I understood what the franchise was doing, even though I didn’t like it”.
Your response: “@bigcitysid you were disappointed that they got Scott and then won 3 rings? haha That’s like me saying…..shoot I was really disappointed when we got rid of Nick Van exil and Eddie Jones to make room for Kobe in the back court haha. Even tho we got 5 rings and 7 finals trips out of it.”
Well, today I was listening to Rick Fox who co-hosts a show on NBA Radio interviewing Laker trainer Gary Vitti who spoke about how his close relationship with Byron Scott started. He stated that Scott was basically given the “cold shoulder” by Magic, Kareem, and most of the Lakers because he replaced Nixon, a well liked teammate who was very instrumental in helping the Lakers win their 1st two titles of the Showtime Era (Vitti also joined the Lakers between their 2nd & 3rd titles in the ’80’s). I knew you would be interested in this bit of info, which I am sure will be repeat on more than one occasion during the upcoming season. Nice to know I was in good company. 🙂
rr says
>>>rr-what evidence to the contrary is there that the Lakers wouldn’t have continued to play like they did the first 19 games, if everyone had remained healthy?
—
The overall track records of the players on the team, and the advanced ages of the team’s stars.
>>>i’m not a coward
>>> i’m not a rat
You’re just a fan, like me and everybody else here. You seem at times to lose sight of that.
PurpleBlood says
if Kobe and Nash are both healthy, then the Lakers have a dark horse’s chance THIS year.
—-
Man, i love this notion! & i for one am optimistic that it will come to pass – naysayers be damned
Fern says
@Renato, it is what it is, we all know all about the Nash trade and that fateful night on the Rose Garden. About Lin, despite his shortcomings he is an upgrade over anything we had at the pg last year, that include Farmar and obviously Kendall Marshall, a depth chart of Lin, Nash if he can stay healthy somehow and Clarkson (and here closing my fingers he can contribute) is an upgrade. Im going to say it again, if this team stay healthy, this team will surprise people. I read some other comment about even if last year team was healthy we dont know how many games they would had won, well i know this, we would not had lost 55 games, thats for sure. That team healthy was a 500 team.
Robert says
BigCity: Norm Nixon was one of the coolest guys ever to play in the NBA. I was a little young at the time, but the guy was one of my favs as well. Did not like the trade initially, but I grew to like it : )
J C: “Spurs …… You probably despise them too.” Well he is a Laker fan – of course he despises the Spurs : )
Nash: I have no bitterness towards him, and he will go down as an all time great of course. That said. He should NOT have 2 MVP’s. Kobe should. Shaq should. How does Nash have two? Sorry – this is a misprint in NBA History.
mud: If you want to keep Laker fans loyal and call them out for not supporting the team, this is not where I would start. Everyone here is a die hard fan. We are talking about the Lakers in the middle of August. You should be talking to the people who show up for parades and don’t even know who is on the team now other than Kobe. These people are easy to find, because I am talking about more than 1/2 of LA. Being loyal to a team does not mean having delusions of how they are going to perform. Now – as I have said before – I think how you act at games is different. Meaning – Laker fans should cheer the team vocally (which they don’t – especially in the 100 section). However on a board – you need to state your actual thoughts and that is what rr and others are doing. So in summary – if you catch me at a game – I will probably have a beverage in hand, and I will be screaming – Kobe Rules ! That in no way relates to the fact that I get on line and say – Jim sucks (which I do not say at games – although I might be tempted to if he ever showed up).
Fern says
Nash got those 2 MVPs because Kobe’s image was tarnished by the Denver incident. At that time he was the best player of the planet and it wasn’t even close. The NBA didn’t want to look like it was rewarding bad behavior. That being said Steve Nash was a beast those years.
mud says
Robert, where did i say that people shouldn’t have their opinions?
supporting the team is more than cheering at games. it’s all the days between games that energy builds momentum. a fan’s job is to ALWAYS cheer the team on. anything else is not a fan, by definition. a fan can certainly complain and criticize while cheering. please stop trying to make what i say fit the narrow niche you wish to understand it in…
also, i don’t want or need to keep the fans loyal. that’s their own business. of course, when they cease to be loyal, they cease to be fans.
fan=fanatic.
the definition of fanatic is “a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal”. ’nuff said.
there are many who pretend to be Laker fans, because it’s a glamorous team and people want to be associated with winners, so that they will look like winners. these people are very unhappy so far and after last season. the fans are excited that another season is around the corner, even though this may be a rough one.
what i said, was that i’m hoping for the best and that i’ll keep hoping even though i will probably be disappointed, until the worst happens. that’s me. you can do as you wish. i may comment, in the same way that you may comment, between now and then..
Robert says
mud: As I said: “Everyone here is a die hard fan” And I am talking about the frequent posters. And this includes you. So simply let me know if you agree with the statement overall. And then let me know if I am a die hard fan or not. PS: I am hoping you say I am not a die hard fan, because I have about 10-15 people I will send the post to including a couple of ex-girlfriends who all think I am abnormally obsessed with the team.
Snoopy2006 says
Robert – if you have time for girlfriends, then you’re clearly not “fanatical” enough to be a true Lakers fan.
mud says
a diehard fan of WHAT, exactly?
the Lakers? your personal pride? i’m not sure what i’m supposed to be testing for.
it’s not for me to judge who’s a fanatic.
i just said that it’s a fan’s job to cheer all the time, even when complaining, because it’s up to the fans to get the good vibes flowing. good things can’t happen if everyone is disheartened. that doesn’t mean being a Pollyanna. it just means having a good attitude and enjoying the ride, good or bad. i said that there’s no harm in having hope at this point in the season that hasn’t even started.
that’s all i said.
KO says
Yea Robert you should talk to my wife. And she’s related to Vlade and still thinks I am mental.
Think how much more time we would have for drinking and gambling. Thank you Lakers!
Robert says
Snoop: Agreed. Please note I said ex-girlfriends : )
Mid-Wilshire says
I really believe that Steve Nash’s primary value this year will come during practice sessions in which he mentors Jeremy Lin and Jordan Clarkson. If the Lakers are in a transitional year (and they are), then refining the skills of potentially key players for the future is a worthwhile goal.
First, let’s consider Jordan Clarkson who, I think, has some very interesting skills, especially the ability to get to the basket and draw fouls. His shooting might, I think, develop in time. But he is still in need of some Point Guard 101 tutelage. And what better teacher can you find than Steve Nash? Someone like Nash could actually help develop Jordan Clarkson.
Jeremy Lin is a different matter. Clarkson is a 22-year old rookie. He’s still very early in his learning curve. But Lin is going to turn 26 on August 23rd. This could be a crucial year for Jeremy Lin. At this point, it’s actually fairly difficult to tell what kind of player Jeremy will be next year (and for the next 2-3 years). He’s almost certainly not the player who dropped 38 on the Lakers 2 years ago and initiated “Linsanity.” Nor is he the stark liability that Kevin McHale seemed to think he was. (I think Lin just wasn’t McHale’s type of player.) He’s probably somewhere in between. Has he finished developing? Absolutely not. In fact, Lin, at this point, is something of a moving target. That’s what makes him so interesting. And Nash can help Lin, too, I think.
But Lin is at a different level than Clarkson because, of course, he’s older and more experienced. If Clarkson is in need of a Point Guard 101 course, then Jeremy Lin must go for his MBA. And Steve Nash could help with that, too.
So…if all that Steve Nash does this year is to mentor two young, intriguing, potentially promising young point guards (at least on the offensive side of the ball), then he will have contributed to the Lakers in some important ways — not perhaps in the ways we first imagined — but he will have contributed.
And, at this point, I’ll be satisfied with that.
bryan S. says
Mud: You got game man.
rr says
>>>a diehard fan of WHAT, exactly?
>>>the Lakers?
—
Yes.
>>>i just said that it’s a fan’s job to cheer all the time, even when complaining, because it’s up to the fans to get the good vibes flowing. good things can’t happen if everyone is disheartened.
Fandom is a subjective and personal thing and an emotional state; it’s not a job with duties and requirements. The only people whose job it is to “cheer all the time” are the Laker Girls, and my understanding is that KO is taking care of hiring them after Robert buys the team.
Warren Wee Lim says
Mid-Wilshire on Nash, great writing.
Nash is a positive however way you look at it. He doesn’t cause trouble nor create drama. His body has failed him game but his mind and intelligence remains elite.
I hope he can serve us by helping Lin and Clarkson.
Shaun says
The main guys left in FA
– Marion … likely going to Cleveland
– Beasley …. Indiana should be calling him
– Andrey Blatche …. I would say was the nets best big man last year and is somehow unsigned, I’m pretty surprised by this.
– Ramon Sessions – surprised he is not signed, never should have declined his option with us.
– Okafor …. Neck injury still keeping him out … possibly retiring
– Gustavo Ayon
– Greg Oden
– Ekpe Udoh
– Earl Clark
– Toney Douglas
and a bunch of guys like Sam young who are now pretty much out of the league. Even with the guys above …. there are only so many roster spots
If all these guys get equal votes in the NBAPA as Lebron or Kobe something is kind of wrong.
Aaron says
I’m repeating myself however… It was somewhat obvious Steve Nash was no longer Steve Nash the year before he played for the Lakers. He wasn’t moving the same. As everyone knows I’m a big Aaron eye test guy. Not an eye test guy. I’m an Aaron eye test guy. He wasn’t the same player. Before his broken leg he looked slow, old and broken down the eight pre season games he played for the Lakers. He looked washed up the first game against the Mavs at the Staples Center (yes he looked better the year before… But when you’re 37 you’re going to get worse the next season. This was pretty obvious. It wasn’t a lucky guess I said the day after the trade the Lakers would be better off with Sessions. This isn’t “the Lakers were unlucky with Steve Nash.” This was “the Lakers traded for an old PG who wasn’t good anymore and then he predictably got hurt.” And the way he got hurt? Haha. It was a normal basketball play where a younger faster player slightly rubbed up against an old player. And his leg broke? That’s why old people have to take calcium supplements.
Rusty Shackleford says
The Lakers had no way of knowing his body would completely break down like this but it shouldn’t have come as a total surprise either. At the time they signed him he was an aging start that even had health issues during his prime. $27 million is a lot to invest in any 39 year-old. (Yes, I know they are living with Kobe’s contract too but I’d say his situation is substantially different than bringing in someone that age who hadn’t been part of the franchise for 16 years at the time.)
It’s all just piling on now but I’d prefer the Lakers really thought twice about investing that much money in an again player with health issues again. Dead money kills any team in this league.
J C says
I recall Mitch joking with Steve at his introductory press conference about the third year of this contract. Something about, I hope you don’t make me regret including the 3rd year, or something to that effect.
At the time, all parties were confident that a lineup of Kobe, Pau, Dwight and Nash was a sure-fire contender and that a 3rd year represented a thank you in advance for two expected years of success.
Optimistic? Sure.
Obviously things didn’t pan out the way they’d hoped.
But it said something classy about the franchise. “We know you’ll give us two good years. The third year is a gift.”
I’m a Nash fan but I think the rash of short-term contracts you’re seeing now from the team is in part a reflex to their disappointment.
PurpleBlood says
The only people whose job it is to “cheer all the time” are the Laker Girls, and my understanding is that KO is taking care of hiring them after Robert buys the team.
___
& if that happens, he may revert to a solid regimen of drinking and gambling! (see KO´s post on August 6, 2014 at 7:48 pm)
___
`And the way he got hurt? Haha. It was a normal basketball play where a younger faster player slightly rubbed up against an old player. And his leg broke? That’s why old people have to take calcium supplements.´
___
`Haha´, really?
rubenowski says
“…Im a big Aaron eye test guy. Not an eye test guy. Im an Aaron eye test guy.”
Gotta love Aaron.
mud says
*The only people whose job it is to “cheer all the time” are the Laker Girls*
this is patently untrue. the Laker Girls’ job is to cheer when they are paid. their purpose is to excite the fans into cheering. by DEFINITION a fan is one who blindly supports a team. otherwise, he’s NOT a fanatic. that’s all fine. no one has to be a fan. it’s thankless sometimes. there is NO way to be rational AND a fan.
some are just fans of their own opinions(am i one?). some are fans of their coolness. some just want to be right. some are just lying to themselves and/or others(Steve Hartman?). the fact remains, if you are a fan of a team, it’s a bad experience when things go wrong. the ONLY thing in a fan’s control to improve the experience of rooting for a team, is the fan’s attitude.
i’m not against analysis. i’m not against complaining. i’m against bad attitudes. a bad vibe will make everything go downhill extra-fast. the season hasn’t even started yet.
BigCitySid says
@ Shaun, “The main guys left in FA”: I’ve asked about Andrey Blatche a few times on NBA XM Radio, each host says basically the same thing, “offensively very talented, but a head case”. Blatche is an UFA, only 28 & 6’11, so maybe there’s some truth to it. As far as Sessions, I think the Pacers may take a look at him. George Hill is not their answer at the point.
J C says
rubenowski August 7, 2014 at 10:29 am
“…Im a big Aaron eye test guy. Not an eye test guy. Im an Aaron eye test guy.”
Gotta love Aaron.
____
I don’t think we gotta love Aaron.
Aaron already loves Aaron!
KO says
JC
Confucius Wanted to say:
Those that flaunt the most usually have the least to flaunt.
Got big PG in Pasadena Sat. Might be open seat? interest??
Busboys4me says
It wasn’t as if Sessions wanted to leave. Kobe and Pau complained that he didn’t run the half court offense. He ran down the court and scored one on five if he saw that the defense didn’t honor him. They complained and successfully got him to slow down (which is not his game). They then got mad in the playoffs that he disappeared under the pressure of something that he was not accustom to. Another Kobe victim. Howard and Sessions would have been much more entertaining and successful than Steve Nash because he would have forced Kobe to sit his behind down when we employed the speed team. He would have rest just to catch his breath. The same could have been said for Pau. Kobe and Pau could have been used more together and D12 and Sessions together. All would start, but when Pau or D12 went out for air or fouls, they could employ the appropriate match-up. I have always been a Steve Nash fan (I have his jersey) but I never liked the trade because of all we gave up.
I’m a little peeved that we haven’t signed Beasley. His risk versus reward is so high that we can’t ignore it. No he won’t be LO but he can be productive. He may a weed head that just can’t get right (as evidenced by his car being repossessed while he was here on tryout, but his game will give us what we lack). Beasley can score and his defense is on par with the team we already have. If we can just get everyone to play team defense and switch, we will be fine as long as we help the helper. Instead of signing him, we have the nerve to be trying out another point guard. Why??? Don’t we have three already?!?! I really like Clarkson and having another point may inhibit his progress even if Steve can’t play. In a pinch, Kobe can be a point small forward, Xavier has already proven that he can do the same. We need a small forward and Beasley fits the bill. Especially since we let Brandon Rush go back to Golden State without even trying him out. That kid can shoot.
rr says
the ONLY thing in a fan’s control to improve the experience of rooting for a team, is the fan’s attitude.
—
I have yet to meet a sports fan who wants advice from other fans on how to be a better fan, and who wants someone else to tell him/her what kind of fan they should be. You have your casual fans, your Kobe fans, your old-school fans, your die-hard fans, your stat geek fantasy basketball fans, your analytics-influenced fans, your Level 100 get-tix-from-the-company-fans, mixes of all those types, and on and on. No one type is better than another.
I also find it strange that you seem to think there is some kind of connection between the “attitudes” of a few fans and the team’s performance. One of the most common activities of fandom is discussing questions like:
How do you think the team will do?
What do you think of the coach and the FO?
How do the team’s best players look?
If the answers are “badly” and “not much” and “they make too much money and have health issues”, then, well, that is a drag, but it is what it is and the team needs to get ready to play no matter what. And, that is really all that is happening here.
J C says
Yes
That’s kinda my point.
But I for one always appreciate your keen sense of the obvious!
Confucious wasn’t really all that confused for a guy named Confucious.
Oldtimer says
The most I expect Nash to do is to help Scott with his job. Being a future HOF, he could be a good influence to the young PG Clarkson and teach Lin some of his tricks. That alone would make his contract fruitful for this season. If he can resurrect 75% of what he used to be, then Lakers would be in contention in the West. Kobe and Nash are the most important key players that will open all doors of opportunities and erase doubts. On the other hand, if it will be another injury laden season, Lakers are a toast, bordering to anonymity fighting for the 8th, 9th & 10th seed in the West.
Lastly, there are 12 players in the roster at this time without Clarkson. Lakers has a remaining 2.8M before getting into repeater luxury tax team. Lakers have invited Appling, Roscoe Smith and most probably, Beasley to play in preseason. Lakers still don’t have a tall, decent starter Center, what they currently have are band-aide 6’10” guys like Hill and Davis plus Boozer. Will three PF players enough to cover the job of a true Center? Would you consider Sacre as a starter Center?
KO says
Am I the only one who is sick of James doing these behind the curtains deals to create teams of top players. If the guy was a real man he would let the cards deal without cheating.
And this is what the owners struck and forced down the NBA throut to save their own greed.
Instead of King James , he should change his name to “The Puppet Master “.
Hope the get their butt kicked again in the finals.
J C says
Old timer-
Yes I would definitely consider Sacre as a starting center.
For a high school team.
At an all-girls school.
Shaun says
Why hasnt clarkson been signed? Any news on that?
Darius Soriano says
Shaun,
I’ve heard nothing on this front. Considering the Lakers paid $1.8 million for the pick they used to select him, I’d imagine a deal happens at some point, though.
J C says
Ko
As I posted a week or two ago I find the power James currently wields to be unprecedented and fascinating.
And ironic considering some fans decry the “raw deal” the players got with the current CBA.
Baylor Fan says
Compared to baseball, the basketball players did get a raw deal. Lebron looks like he wields great power since outstanding players have more influence over the game in basketball than in other sports. Other players that come to mind for forcing moves to their favorite team are Kareem and Kobe. Even as a free agent, James really did not have that many choices of where to play. Miami was not going to win any more championships with their core players and the cap space rules made it too difficult for teams to have space and a competitive core. Cleveland will be interesting with Love and Kyrie but James is going to get really tired covering for them on defense.
I am not sold on the idea of coach Nash. His value will be on the court making whatever offense the Lakers run work. He is being paid to play and not coach.
BigCitySid says
Absolutely no problem w/ the way LeBron James “influences” personnel choices for his team. Guy works 24/7 to help improve his team. Actually rather refreshing.