The 2014-15 Lakers are something of a mystery to me. Not because I do not know what they are or what they are trying to do, but because when you strip them down to their individual pieces it is somewhat difficult to see a coherent plan. This is a team trying to walk a very narrow line. A line that is nearly impossible to navigate in today’s NBA; a line that offers such confined parameters to define success that most organizations would not even venture down this path.
On the one hand, there is a clear thought process being disseminated by the front office and newly installed head coach Byron Scott. This team is competing for something. If not a championship, then for a playoff berth. For relevancy. The message and logic is fairly easy to see and simple when stripped down: take Kobe Bryant, pair him with Steve Nash (though that has already not worked out) and Carlos Boozer, flank them with veterans like Jeremy Lin, Nick Young, Jordan Hill, Ronnie Price and Wes Johnson and give them a head coach like Byron Scott. This group will focus on defense and use an opportunistic but mostly methodical offensive approach and try to grind out wins.
On the other hand, however, this team has another vision entirely. A disastrous season last year led to lottery pick Julius Randle being snatched up. Jordan Clarkson was nabbed in the 2nd round to offer another promising talent who has the potential to be a nice contributor in time. Last year’s rookie Ryan Kelly was brought back after showing flashes of a well rounded offensive game and skill level not often present in a player his height. Free agency brought in Ed Davis — a former lottery pick in his own right who has always been a strong per-minute stat stuffer but has suffered for minutes on teams with more talent in front of him. This group of players are ones who need minutes and long leashes to develop through their mistakes.
Objectively speaking, these two groups of players really do not belong together. They are a hodge-podge of disparate talent with skills that do not entirely mesh nor fit together. In an ideal world, this team would travel in one of the aforementioned directions and sell out towards an achievable goal within that framework. If they wanted a veteran team, they could have built fully around Kobe, used their draft pick as leverage to try and acquire a more proven player, and pawned off any of their other younger assets to add more serviceable veteran pieces. If they wanted to skew younger, they could have let their own veteran free agents walk, chased some of the restricted and unrestricted free agents who have not yet reached their prime, and used those players to flank Kobe until his contract comes of the books.
Instead this front office tried to take a little from both sides and is likely to suffer from it. They are neither old nor young, neither experienced nor naive to the rigors of an NBA season. Finding success in this approach will be difficult considering the talent at their disposal and the coach leading the way. This isn’t about optimism or pessimism, these are the realities of the situation.
—
In a season like this, though, there is always the hope of salvation even if it will not come in the form of check marks in the victory column and a deep playoff run. Enter the two players at the opposite ends of the Lakers’ careers, Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle.
Kobe’s return to the court will be met with equal parts celebration and skepticism. After playing in only six games last season after tearing his achilles tendon the year before, the doubt that Kobe can be even a good NBA player is real. He will be asked to carry a heavy load this year and in doing so many expect him to fail. The argument is a simple one: a high usage Kobe on a low talent team will mean fewer opportunities to maximize what strengths he does have left. The injuries will change his game and, in turn, will lessen his effectiveness when he has no one else to shift the burden to.
I’d be lying if I didn’t believe some of this myself. Many point to how Kobe played before his ruptured achilles as evidence of just how good he was and how underestimating him is a mistake. Forget for a moment the injuries, though, and simply look back to that roster and understand that there is no Pau Gasol or Dwight Howard (even a limited one) or Steve Nash (ditto) to occupy defenders and balance the floor. Even if Kobe were to come back as Kobe, he’d still be surrounded by less talent than at any point in the last 10 years of his career. Defenses will swarm him and make him prove he is still able to perform at a high level. And if he can’t do it, the vultures will stop circling above and descend upon him.
In saying that, however, he is still Kobe Bryant. During the preseason he has flashed some of his trademark shot making to go along with savvy and a fantastic level of skill. If nothing else, Kobe will provide us with moments to lean on to support us in what will be a difficult season. Which is more than I can say about last year.
And then there is Randle. While he will begin the season as a reserve, he has already shown a more well rounded game than given credit for when he came out of Kentucky. His handle, court vision, and passing ability are all well beyond what I’d thought he possessed. When those traits are joined with the combination of quickness and power I did know about, my curiosity is piqued and I am all-in on Randle as a prospect. Time will tell if the other facets of his game evolve enough for these other skills to be optimized, but to have him on this team with a chance to learn, grow and show he can be an every day contributor is a reason to tune in every night.
Yes, there will be frustration. And I wonder if Scott will buy into Randle in a meaningful enough way to let the young man make the needed mistakes on the floor that are required to fully develop. You would think his talent stands out enough to lessen these concerns, but Scott has already used the preseason as a way to talk down his prized rookie. For me, though, Boozer may play in front of him and Hill/Davis may steal some of his minutes over the course of the long season, but Randle has enough to offer that he alone will salvage some nights from the unwatchable. He just needs enough time on the floor (something that, even with my concerns about a crowded front court, I think he will get).
—
There are other stories too, for sure. From Ed Davis to Nick Young to Jeremy Lin there are no shortage of guys who I will watch intently and with a keen eye on whether they can be part of the solution in coming seasons. On the flip side, there’s the question of whether Boozer’s sharp decline will plateau or continue, whether Byron Scott will really continue to troll the analytics movement with his approach to offense, and if Wes Johnson will show any growth in a game that has always been too reliant on athleticism and not enough on an understanding of how to play NBA level basketball successfully.
Make no mistake, though, none of this will make for a particularly good basketball team. Intriguing? Sure. Watchable? On most nights. A squad worth rooting for? Definitely. But the frustration will flow over on many evenings and, much like last season, I have a feeling the last part of the year will be more about figuring out the lottery odds and how good of a chance the team has at keeping their top five protected draft pick as any other storyline. In other words, get ready for a long season.
Warren Wee Lim says
As a long-time Laker fan and a GM in sim leagues, I can tell you what the Lakers are doing right now, but its less-than-ideal for most members here. As some would rather be hot than cold, or cold than hot, the 2014-15 Lakers, as currently constructed, is lukewarm. In other words, we are rebuilding and retooling while getting the most out of our star.
Where do we begin? As of right now the Lakers breathe Kobe. We will go as far as our aging superstar takes us. It remains to be seen how disciplined he will be in terms of minutes, but if he intends to play beyond 82 games, some playoff games and 82 more, then he would have to adhere to some concepts that he despises – rest. So far he has said the right words, carried the right attitude in camp, but it will be how the team ultimately looks that will decide what kind of player he will be. You know better than anyone that he could still score 30 a night even at an advanced age. The question for me, is how he will do it. If its being a volumetric-iso-triple-fade moves, then I’d sit him. If its within the system, off screens and getting to the rim, then move along.
Kobe is old, but the very thing that makes him great (attitude, basketball IQ, jumpshot) doesn’t grow old with you. The lift will be gone, the explosiveness will be less, the agility will be lost… but all these relate to Kobe on the defensive end more than his offense. So I would take a statline of 8/19 fgm/a 6/7 ftm/a for average of 23ppg over the course of the season over anything else.
Jeremy Lin is the Lakers star. I’m sure alot of you would argue this, saying he’s a backup and etc, but in 5 pre-season games I’ve seen him play I have been impressed with his footwork, shooting and relative control. His turnovers is still something that needs work, and it probably won’t go away, but I love the heart that he is showing. Contract year, fighting for a starting role and being in his “hometown” I can guarantee you Lin will be the next Laker star.
As for his stats, I see something like 19/7 with most of his point coming from the FT line.
Julius Randle and Jordan Hill should start. Oh well, Boozer will. I have liked what I saw in Booze over the few pre-season games, he has been aggressive and not settling for 18-footers and he has come out with something to prove. Remember this is also one guy that plays well during contract years, and he is not tradeable so we would have to live with or suffer him for an entire season.
Jordan Hill is an efficient guy in limited minutes. Once you play him close to 30mpg, his high motor dies down. I contend he should split time with the surprise, and potential-filled Ed Davis. Note that these 2 are natural power forwards but they have aspects to their game that fit with Lin’s PNR game. There has been quite a few stockton-to-malones for Lin and Davis over pre-season, we need to work on that as a recipe for success.
Julius Randle is our future, whether a player that would take over our team or someone we could showcase well enough for a trade. As of right now, Scott’s tough love on him isn’t really doing well for his confidence, although if he has Kobe’s attitude that should motivate him more. I just want him to have some freedom out there to do his Lamar Odom iteration. Like Darius said, allow him to make the necessary mistakes he needs to commit to grow.
I will continue to enjoy every moment of Swaggy P and I can’t wait for him to be back.
Steve Nash, sad news as it is, can be traded as a salary filler along with the pick we got from the Lin deal. This makes an interesting asset for us, if only we were willing to split his contract into two mid-level deals and trade for some wings that could really help us.
macster says
They will do well, they have exactly what you need for a team to “compete and build” for the future at the same time. If even two of those guys beside Kobe pan out, things could go very well. Not a championship, but a team that’s worth spending time to watch. Remember it’s not about the individual ingredients so much, but the results.
M~
Rudy says
Wow, that is as truthful and straight forward of an article as you’re going to get about the Lakers. I’m a Laker for life, but my fear is really of the future. I don’t see Durant, Westbrook, Anthony Davis or any big name free agent coming here in the future. So then based on our roster, how do we get back on top? As bad as we’re going to be we aren’t going to be bad enough to where the odds of a top 3 pick would be in our favor.
The journey is always talked about on this blog, but can you really enjoy a journey without an optimistic future?
Again, I will watch and root for them because of my diehard nature, but I fear that we have no reasonable future plan.
nimble says
Darius you are a word master,thanks.
BM says
Appreciate it Word-Master-Darius.
Loving watching Randle’s game. Against SAC, the first couple of his possessions he aggressively drove past his man to get an attempt at the rim. He made a few, he missed a few. But he set his defender up, and as the game progressed and people gave him a little space, he starts to hit the J in their face.
Taking what the defence is giving him – Mature basketball.
BigCitySid says
It looks like many, if not most, true Laker fans have come to realize our beloved franchise is going thru a very challenging time on the court. Attempting to retool around an aging superstar is always a high risk/ high reward scenario…and thus far it’s just not working out…for whatever reasons.
Being a fan since ’65, I’ve enjoyed 11 championships, and many, many years of competitive basketball. I’ve also witnessed a number of rebuilding/retooling efforts. And I’ve always felt very confident in those efforts because I felt the front office KNEW what they were doing. Personally I don’t feel that way at the presence moment.
The highlight of the upcoming season appears to be Kobe overtaking Jordan on the all-time scoring list. Most will celebrate this incredible accomplishment, but no doubt it will be nitpicked.
I’m prepared for this season, I’m a Laker fan who has chosen to live in the moment.
Here’s hoping Kobe & former Rocket Jeremy Lin lead the Lakers to an upset win over Houston in their season opener Tuesday.
Laker for Life.
Agree says
Therein lies the rub, many of the wins I foresee for the Lakers–especially early on in the season I would consider “upsets”. I think they basically need Lin/Davis to go off as they did many times in the pre-season and add to that Kobe playing well and the rest of the guys basically rebounding and playing some D and taking as many open/easy shots as they are given. I think they can take 5 out of their first 10, but they could just as easily go 1-9. I wouldn’t say that any of the teams they face they are clearly better than, if anything the other teams all have the experience/cohesive edge if not outright talent edge.
If we Knew X.Henry was going to be playing that would make me feel better, but at this point given he hasn’t even done training camp–I’m guessing he is a DNP for awhile. No new info seems available on him, has anyone read anything beyond the knee treatment stuff? It’s like he’s the invisible man or something. I think Henry is a good player when he’s on the court and he would help big time right now since he can play the 2/or the 3, or even a bit of point guard if needed.
Maybe I’m not being realistic but I’m real high on Lin as a player and his ability to not only be disruptive himself when given the chance, but also make a lot of roleplayers better (ex. Davis). If anyone is going to be able to find ways to still be dominant with the physical gifts drying up, it would be Kobe. So I think Kobe can still drop 20 a game and occasionally go off for more. My only concern is if he tries to take on to much and play like 30yr old version–but with his new limitations end up shooting 30 shots and score 20pts–that won’t be helpful.
I certainly am not watching the Lakers merely to see Kobe beat Jordan’s points mark. I want to see this team develop a few of these higher upside guys and present a vision that 2015-2016 will be better without them having to try and dump the entire roster or by some miracle get every star player to sign just b/c L.A. is so amazing. I think that is irrational hubris and the Knick/Lakers draw for superstars isn’t much better if any than many of the mid-market teams. Sure they have more enticement than the Timberwolves, but at least they got 1st Round Canadians that might not mind living in ME longterm.
Hindi says
I don’t have high hopes from the season. I think I will try to enjoy the Lakers games possession-wise, rather than outcome-wise. There are countless variables which will need to be aligned everyday for the lakers to be even competitive. At its maximum efficiency, the current roster should be competing for the last playoff berth. That is when we talk about the ideal conditions, with no injury, no chemistry issue, no adjustment issues etc.
I got my eyes on Randle, Davis, Clarkson and Lin. Specially on Julius Randle. He seems really intriguing. It’s just the preseason but I see him improving every game. He is gifted with strength and quick feet. He seems to be adding to his game everyday. I really hope he is practicing with the veterans every day and trying to absorb as much as possible from them. Kobe can teach him about the intricacies of the game. I fantasize Randle receiving the torch from Kobe and be the face of the Lakers for the future. Just a wish. I hope the coach and management give the young guns an optimum environment to grow to their potential. I understand the concept of tough-love, but I hope the coach is flexible enough to change his approach if its not working. Out of the two faces of the teams i.e. the veterans and the youngsters, we have better youngsters than vets. And the only lasting contribution that the vets can make in this situation is by nurturing the rookies.
I wish we had locked Ed Davis to a longer contract, and I wish we had added another year to Clarkson’s contract.
David M says
As a big Laker fan but a bigger Bball fan, this season gonna be another rough season to watch. No playoffs BUT need to get development out of Lin, Davis, Clarkson, & Randle. Those guys need to get tons of mins to see what we got moving fwd. I love hill but he need to be packaged in a deal to get a expiring contract. Hopefully Mitch can pull a trade b4 deadline. Try to put in a deal to get Monroe, Rondo, Harrison Barnes!
Bryan says
I predict… Pain.
KenOak says
I’m going to enjoy this season. Why?
– There’s zero pressure on this team and it hopefully will show on the court with guys just playing to have fun and to get better.
– Julius Randle. This guy has me excited for our future because the kid has skills. Give someone who has talent, athletic ability, and hunger, the opportunity to play with one of the greatest players to ever lace em up? I think we’re going to see something special from Randle. I just hope he gets the minutes so that he can grow as a player. He really reminds me of James Worthy and that is bleeping awesome!
– Jeremy Lin. I claim that he’s underrated right now. With the right opportunities he could really shine. He’s an exciting player and I hope he pans out for us.
– Nick Young. Can’t wait for him to get back and start playing again. I love his attitude and the fact that he really loves being a Laker.
– Jordan Clarkson. I’m very hopeful that the Lakers really got a steal with this kid, so I’m excited to see him grow as a player. And, he just so happens to have Kobe to learn from…
– And last, but surely not least Kobe. I can’t wait to see how much he has left in the tank. He’s going to pass Jordan this year for All time scoring and he has a chip on his shoulder from all the extra hate he’s been receiving from the usual sources. This is going to be a fun year to watch Kobe Bryant.
I believe that this team can compete for a playoff spot if everything breaks right for them…We’ll probably see something like 30-40 wins if it’s just okay and 20ish wins if things go poorly. Whichever way it breaks, I’m just going to take a page from Darius’ book and just enjoy the process because who knows…we may just be watching the beginning of something special with this group of players and it will be pretty cool to watch it grow right before our eyes!
@Darius Great article man!
TempleOfJamesWorthy says
Fans are going to have to accept that the Lakers are in a transitional period.
We went through this in 1992-1996 during the Del Harris-Nick Van Exel-Eddie Jones-Cedric Ceballos years. We went through this in 2004-2008 with the pre-Pau-Gasol teams. The Lakers will gradually accumulate talent, shape the team so that it can be competitive, and look to add the superstar pieces which will but it back in contention.
It will be a little strange because having Kobe in the mix means the team will be unusually strong on some nights based on the strength of Kobe’s game, but that’s just an illusion.
And while maybe some fans wish Kobe and Nash were off the roster/salary cap to speed up the process, history suggests it doesn’t work that way (unless the Lakers are willing to go into 76ers-level tanking mode). The 1993-1994 Lakers has veterans like James Worthy, Kurt Rambis, James Edwards, and Sam Bowie on it (James Worthy coming off the bench, shooting .402 from the field, and taking 111 three-point shots). The 2004-2005 Lakers had a way-overpaid Briant Grant and a “dead” contract in Vlade Divac.
A team always needs bodies, and a team needs veterans to show the younger players how to be NBA professionals.
If they stay healthy, the Lakers are probably a 33-38 win team.
If they stay healthy and absolutely everything goes right, they win 40-45 games and ***maybe*** snag the 8th seed as Western Conference fratricide drops the require number a bit (remember, the Suns won 48 games and DIDN’T make the playoffs last year).
If they have a normal amount of bad luck, they’re probably a 25-30 win team.
The main things Laker fans should look for are player development (esp. Julius Randle), players playing the right way, players playing hard every night, and the team having a sense of cohesion. If they can build that over the next two seasons, then impact free agents may be willing to join the Lakers and put the team back in contention. If the effort and cohesion aren’t there, then the Lakers will be in rebuilding mode until it comes together.
Baxter says
The Lakers are finally on the right comeback path. They now have a young core group consisting of Hill, Davis, X, Lin, Young, Clarkson, Johnson, Randle & Kelly. They should keep this group together to have some continuity. The starting five two years from now could be Randle, X, Davis ( or Hill ) , Lin & Clarkson with Young, Kelly, Johnson coming off the bench. Sacre could also be retained as the 3rd center for insurance.
rr says
Well-done piece.
I am feeling more positive about Randle, as an offensive player at least, after seeing him a couple of times, as well.
Aaron says
Randle is the only player on this team that will be a contributor in a few years when the team will ptobably be competing for championships again. Lin is a back up PG. Davis is a back up big man. Clarkson might develop into a bad starting NBA PG. He does have that potential. If that’s the case there are two people on this team that are real “pieces” moving forward. As far as attracting free agents as cheap good young players or tradable assets.
PurpleBlood says
fine preview Darius,
& thumbs up to KenOak´s post! (this tidbit I especially enjoyed: “This is going to be a fun year to watch Kobe Bryant.´´ for the reasons Ken mentioned previously!)
Here´s hoping we start off with a win against Houston on Tuesday –
Go Lakers!
Mid-Wilshire says
Excellent summary, Darius.
I’m thinking that this could end up being the tale of two seasons: the first half in which the Lakers struggle to learn their system as well as how to jell with one another and a 2nd half in which the younger players, namely Randle and Clarkson (but also Xavier Henry), learn the nuances of the game and begin to contribute at a higher level. The Julius Randle that we will see in game 52 could be a very different player from the one that we see in game one.
I also suspect that Jordan Clarkson, especially in the first month or two with key players recuperating from injuries, could get some valuable minutes. (Bear in mind that Clarkson plays two positions, thus improving his chances for playing time.)
The key to whatever success the Lakers experience this season could reside in the development of these young players. For that reason it could be very interesting to watch them develop. There could, and will, be growing pains. But they could also begin to round into form around January or February.
This is a transitional year. And the growth of our younger players will be a key element to that transition. It should be interesting to see if they rise to the occasion.
J C says
Excited about:
Byron Scott. Were his seasons in NJ based on J Kidd? Or can he coach?
I reallylike the demeanor of the team so far.
I hope my original misgivings about his hire were wrong.
Kobe. He’ll pass MJ. Cool.
Will he pass the rock? Haha
Lin. I’m impressed with his ability to get to the rack.
Ed Davis. Great find by the FO. Maybe a real bright spot this year.
Jordan Hill. Please stay healthy and show the doubters you’re the double-double machine I think you are.
Sad about:
Steve Nash.
Great career. Aborted a bit too soon.
Who injures himself lifting luggage and is out for the year?
The story actually probably went like this – he went to management and said wow, I’m still kinda messed up.
They said – we’ve seen enough. If we call it quits now we’ll probably qualify for the disabled player exception. So Steve, keep the money and we’ll try to grab a player who can help us and maybe has a future.
Best of luck to a real pro.
KO says
JC almost right.
Talking to you know who at cigar store today.
He said team went to Steve and suggest he consider. Between insurance and injury relief of $4.6 mill it will cost them zero leaving option to add a player after releases from other team. The bag thing never happened.
By the way JJ Berera got bought out by Dallas. Look for that as option.
Great piece Darius. If BScott gives Davis, Randle, Clarkson the minutes I see a .500 team by mid-season. If he stays with Boozer, Price, Sacre and Johnson then no.
I feel Lin will be the best PG in many years and Davis will have a good year. BScott will figure things out and I am sticking with a much better team. Let’s not get down the first 10 very tough games. 4-6 would be huge.
Excited about basketball again and not have to hear mumbles the excuss machine after games.
Agree says
Rockets game is one of their best chances to pull out a victory in week one. Harden will score, but hopefully Kobe will basically cancel him out–especially since Harden’s defense is suspect to say the least. If Wes plays decent he’s capable of cancelling out Ariza. Dwight has been out with a laceration on his arm, so he might be more rusty than normal. I highly doubt Scott will just let guys hack Dwight, heck we don’t have enough healthy players to even consider that boring/annoying strategy.
Houston is pretty blah at power forward and nearly anyone we play at PF is better or as good as what they throw at us. Lin’s offense will outshine Beverly’s overated defense (he’s a tenacious hard working hacker).
I think the difference maker will be 3 pointers this first game. Houston green lights 3 pointers and works to get open corner 3’s. The Laker’s need to have their guards shoot a high percentage from 3, even if they don’t shoot as many. But IF the Laker’s have one of those less than 10 -3pt attempt games, I think they are in trouble. Either way I think if Lin/Kobe play well it will at least be a close game. I hope Randle get’s some PT as well, he can eat up Houston’s PF’s taking them to the hole.
J C says
Ko
Sounds about right. Luggage was a weak cover story. Although Nash did pull himself out of the game the other night after the first quarter.
So he must still be hurting.
Anti-climactic finale for the career of a great showman.
Would he have really hurt them this year? I don’t think so.
He would have sold some tickets too – like the ones I have for opening night.
Kenny T says
KO…
Barea is with the T’wolves. They are supposedly buying him out and he is rumored to be going back to Dallas afterwards.
BigCitySid says
Let’s not minimize Houston’s motivation to absolutely CRUSH the Lakers in the season opener on national TV. D12 & Arriza are former Lakers, who each for their own reasons, want to stick it to the Lakers.
Looking forward to tomorrow.
Chearn says
I believe I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Though, just barely.
Can’t wait to discover which of the unknown variables steps-up to be a fan favorite this season. Will it be one of the rookies Randle or Clarkson, or one of the journeymen Johnson, Davis, Lin, Boozer, or Hill. Will Kobe find a way to score efficiently to win games and learn to rely on his team? Will the Lakers multiple big men play adequately to form one satisfactory center? Will Scott inch the Lakers back to prominence in the league?
Excited about the season, let’s go Lakers!
Vasheed says
To describe the Lakers as developing players is a bit of a stretch. To develop guys they have to be younger guys who haven’t fully hit their stride and who are under contract for seasons beyond this year. This would mean the guys the Lakers are developing are Randle, Clarkson, and Kelly. For the most part the Lakers have become a show case for players looking for their next contract somewhere in the league. It is a trend I would like to see end soon.
G says
“Instead this front office tried to take a little from both sides and is likely to suffer from it. They are neither old nor young, neither experienced nor naive to the rigors of an NBA season. Finding success in this approach will be difficult considering the talent at their disposal and the coach leading the way. This isn’t about optimism or pessimism, these are the realities of the situation.”
Well said, Darius. The Lakers will not get a high pick or make the playoffs. I just hope Kobe doesn’t kill himself trying to will the Lakers into the playoffs again.
Oldtimer says
Lakers may not be in the top ten in the league but slowly it is far better than previous seasons. I am optimistic that they could get 5-5 in the first 10 games. They would surprise teams projected better than they are, because of the grit factor which is defense. There is no D last season, today there is an improvement in the points on low post, block shots and rebounds. They were competitive against Suns and Kings which were winnable games in the preseason if Scott put back his starters. Houston is at risk losing their first game, Howard is still 50% on the FT line. Lin is hot to show what they are missing.
Aaron says
“Instead this front office tried to take a little from both sides and is likely to suffer from it. They are neither old nor young, neither experienced nor naive to the rigors of an NBA season. Finding success in this approach will be difficult considering the talent at their disposal and the coach leading the way. This isn’t about optimism or pessimism, these are the realities of the situation.”
The reason for this is because the Lakers have a goal I don’t want to keep harping on this season. So they need the bad old players to play the bulk of the minutes. But they also need up and coming good young players to be on the roster as to attract max star free agents in a couple years. This is the obvious reason for the two types of players on the roster. It’s not rocket science.
Gurndogg says
If the Lakers can’t get J.J maybe they could pick up Jordon Crawford he would be better than Price & W.E. so it could be worse not sure what kind of trade there is out there for us.
Aaron says
The plan is working perfectly so far. Give a forty percent 37 year old shooter the ball more than anyone in the NBA…
kpelton Kevin Pelton
From today’s Insider Daily, Kobe Bryant led the NBA in preseason usage at 38.2% of Lakers plays: http://t.co/w3tTTJe0qQ (In)
Craig W. says
Aaron, I have an idea — how about posting your comment at the beginning of each thread, then not coming back until the next thread is published. That way you get your say about the ‘tank job’ and the rest of us get a little breather when reading through the comments.
Robert says
Aaron: I am amazed how few people argue with you with regard to your main point. So if I understand it, your point is that the Laker roster, line up, strategy, and rotations are so ridiculous that the only way to explain it, is that the FO has an ingenious, disguised, tanking plan. The reason I say that it is amazing that few people argue with you is as follows: Optimistic fans should argue with you, because your basic premise is that we are ridiculous and we will get crushed this year. More skeptical fans would agree with your outlook, but would certainly disagree that the FO would be capable of anything resembling genius. Finally – true basketball fans should also disagree with you, because the type of tanking you describe goes beyond managerial strategy, and borders on throwing games (you are implying Scott is part of it). In any case, can you guarantee me that Kobe takes more shots than anyone in the NBA this year? Will many of those be double teamed, turnaround, fadeaways? If so, you may win me over.
lil pau says
‘The reason for this is because the Lakers have a goal I don’t want to keep harping on this season.’
—-
11:53 to 12:40. You made it 47 minutes..
Cheetah says
I agree with most of what Darius had to say. I don’t think this team makes the playoffs. Unfortunately with our draft pick gone (unless they really tank and get a top 5 choice) we might not get much help in the future. One thing I hate is when ESPN jokers like Kellerman want to trade Lin, but can come up with nothing tangible about what he can command on the market. Saw this article bashing him and the clown Kamenetzky:
http://thedailysports herald. blo spot. c om/2014/10/nash-out-for-year-what-it-means-and.h tml
Aaron says
And Robert… Kobe will not draw any double teams this year. He will be a 40 percent shooter. Lower probably if he is allowed to shoot threes. Also coaches have long been known to throw games by changing player rotations. Happens at the end of every year multiple times. Nobody denies this. That’s why the FO and fans alike were so pissed at MDA last year.
KO says
JC call me. Lost your number. Extra ticket Lakers/ Clips Friday
rr says
Also coaches have long been known to throw games by changing player rotations. Happens at the end of every year multiple times.
—
Perhaps. But you are saying that the Lakers are going to do this right out of the gate, and you are saying that in order to do so, that the Lakers are going to deliberately sit two rookies, both of whom you see as guys who can help to win games–immediately, and give said rookies fewer reps and less floor time, in order to play useless veterans so that they can deliberately lose games–immediately.
So, this won’t be Milwaukee seeing if, say, Nate Wolters can be a long-term rotation guy rather than paying/playing a guy like, say, Ramon Sessions, who has long since hit his ceiling but who might be a bit better than Wolters this year. The Lakers, according to you, will be sitting 19-year-old Julius Randle so that they can lose games with 33-year-old Carlos Boozer.
And, the Lakers will be doing this with the full participation of the coaching staff, and with the (at least) unspoken approval of a first-ballot HOFer who is known to fans worldwide as one of the game’s most legendary competitors. And they will be doing it as one of the highest-profile brands in all of sports, and in one of the largest markets.
Is there a chance that you’re right? Sure. It is hard to disprove a conspiracy theory and it is even harder to prove a negative. But it seems a lot more likely to me that Buss, Kupchak and Scott are simply trying to have a likable (Lin, Young) team, while still looking ahead (Randle, Clarkson, Davis) and giving long-term and casual fans a reason to watch (Kobe) than it is that they are engaged in a massive shell game of find-the-tank. I think the FO picked up Boozer simply because they think that Kobe will like having him around and because they think that he can help Randle transition to the NBA. I don’t think that was a good idea, but I don’t see it as a part of a conspiracy.
Aaron says
It doesn’t take a “genius” of a front office to realize you want to keep your lottery pick and you want to get the best draft pick. The Lakers are doing exactly what every front office would do in their spot. Trying to keep their top pick by doing everything they can to lose and still have draft picks on their roster.
Most teams just admit they are “rebuilding” or basically admit to tanking for the future. But the Lakers aren’t the Sixers. They bring in the most money from the fans wallets and the TV companies check books. You can’t flat out admit you want to lose the most games as possible. You paid Kobe all that money mainly so you can keep your ratings as high as possible. You want people watching.
And the Lakers have basically said their goal isn’t for wins this year. Watch what a person does don’t listen to what they say. The team could have brought in good players on one or two year deals, maintaining their cap flexibility for 2016. But they didn’t offer the Stephenson’s of the world contracts. Those kinds of guys lose your draft pick. As I have said. This isn’t a covert tank. The Lakers have been doing obvious things to “tell” the fans they are tanking. I mean ten million a year for Jordan Hill? If they wanted to win they spend it on Lance Stephenson or Isiah Thomas.
I understand spending it on Hill of course. The team isnt stupid. If a superstar player becomes available in a trade you need players to match salleries. If next year the team doesn’t think they have a good chance of keeping their top 3 pick (thank you Steve Nash) and there is a top player available Mitch can pull off a trade.
But I don’t think the Lakers fans even care if the team is competitive. The Lakers will get good ratings because of Kobe (superstar), Randle (prized rookie), and Lin (Asian). You have Kobe. That’s really all that matters. Those Kobe fans don’t care about believing the team can make the playoffs. They will watch pointless lottery games at the end of the season just to see Kobe play. The normal Lakers fans will watch for only one reason. And it won’t be Kobe. They want to see Randle and Clarkson become assets. That’s the only reason to watch the Lakers this year. And of course Lin has a giant fanbase with the chineese and chineese americans. The Lakers are going to reach all their goals this season. Amazing ratings for the second worst team in the NBA and a top pick.
The reason I want to be the whistle blower with this is because nobody is blowing it. The NBA doesn’t like to admit any problems. What big billion dollar corporation does? The lottery system is so broken its literary a joke. Something to be laughed at. It hurts the product on the floor and isn’t fair to the fans. It just bad for business. It’s bad for the business of the NBA. Football (soccer) is the best product world wide for many reasons. They don’t hand the bad tiny clubs the best young players. One reason is because of the promotion/relegation system. It’s simple capatilism. Reward winning and penalize losing. It creates more important and watchable games at the end of the year. How many games don’t matter for 1/3 of the teams for most of the year?
In European Football the biggest cities have the best teams because “hello!!! There are more fans in those cities!!!!” We don’t want the best players and teams in the smallest markets. That’s not good for business and it’s not good for the fans. Let’s say there are 100 fans of the NBA. And 30 of those fans like the Lakers. 10 like the Knicks, Bulls, and Celtics respectively. And the rest are split evenly amongst the remaining teams. You want all your good teams to be in those big markets because it will make the most fans happy.
If Randle becomes a great player it will make 30 fans happy. If Wiggins becomes a great player it will make 1 fan happy.
The lottery system needs to be changed. We can’t keep rewarding bad teams and placing all the great young players in New Orleans. Watching a player become a superstar should be shared with the most people possible. European football is exactly the right way to run a sports league. No draft. It rewards a clubs abilities from the start. Signing and scouting a 13 year old “athlete”. Developing that prospect in their own youth system. European Football became this way due to an American principal. Capatilism. There were more than one top Football league in the world. There was competition.
I have really went down the rabbit hole here. But basketball is becoming a worlds sport. It is already a world sport. And It’s only growing. Eventually that’s what the NBA will come to when another sports league competes with it.
Wow what happened there? That was awkward. Where were we? I mean where should we be? Oh…. The Lakers overtly tanking. Why am I the only whistle blower here? Everyone knows they put together a roster, a strategic game plan offensively, and player rotation that would keep them their top pick. But nobody is saying it publically. And it’s really frustrating. Sure guys like Zack Lowe have made jokes about it. But then he covers his rear and adds he was just joking. People are afraid of the NBA. And probably due to good reason.
Aaron says
“rr”,
I would love for my original post to be allowed to go through. That would answer many of your questions I am sure.
Thinking the Lakers want to win enough games to lose the best way to add a player just to finish in the 10th seed is crazy. That’s the conspiracy theory.
Aaron says
rr,
Yes the coach and the FO is in. Full cooperation. Yes both aren’t stupid. They know the best way to win games is with Randle and not Boozer. Yes they know the bet way to win games is with Lin and not Nash. With Randle and Lin and not Ronnie Price. Yes they know three point shots are worth more than two point shots. Am I really answering these questions?
Aaron says
rr,
Kobe likes it this way. If he can’t win a championship he gets to set records. Be the man on the team. He is being well paid. He knows what is going on. He drives away Howard… He would obviously would rather be the man on the worst team in the league then be the third best player on an 8th seed. Thats not a controversial statement.
Aaron says
rr,
Kobe would have been screaming and hollering for Chandler Parsons, Isiah Thomas, and Lance Stephenson this summer if he wasn’t okay taking all the shots on the worst team in the league.
Archon says
Aaron,
Lakers need three things to happen to make the playoffs.
-Kobe needs to play 70 games
-Lin has to play closer to the guy in New York then the guy in Houston
-Davis has to be the guys metrics love at 30 minutes a game instead of 15.
Those 3 things happen Lakers will make the playoffs, chances all three happen? I’d say around 20 percent.
Aaron says
I would love to have a conversation where there was a one percent chance of the Lakers making the pkayoffs. That’s not true. I would rather have the pick. I should say would would have this conversation if the Lakers had a chance to make the 8th seed. We don’t. Not a one perfent chance. Maybe a .001 percent chance. And that’s tbe chance Randle will ever be good enough to lead a team without another good player to the playoffs. That’s something Kobe would never be able to do. He needed Lamar Odom to get the 8th seed. The chance Randle is better than Kobe is the chance the Lakers make the playoffs.
Darius Soriano says
Aaron,
Please refer to the commenting guidelines. Five comments in a row & six out of seven is not how things work here.
Aaron says
I want to thank Darius for submitting my original rediculously unessessaarily long post I wrote. He probably made a mistake. But I thank him anyways. You guys can file your legitimate complaints with him.
Just read the guidelines. I won’t do that again. I am sorry. But seriously I have gone mad. I really am sorry.
R says
Aaron, Would you please clarify? I don’t get what you are driving at regarding the Lakers’ management intentions. As always, you’re just way too subtle.
Maybe if you post on the topic another 175,000 times or so I’ll get it. Please try!
sufian says
We are not tanking. Starting randle over boozer at the beginning of the season would be tanking. Aaron just needs to put his conspiracy 420 pipe down and wait for 1 game to be played before quitting on his team.
bryan S. says
Okay, sorry if I am encouraging Aaron. But I have enjoyed his posts today. Unless the team way outperforms expectations (playoffs), I, like Aaron and many other fans want that top five pick ahead of some wins for a team going nowhere. The beauty of the situation is that the goal will be achieved without machinations on the part of the front office because of the brutally tough Western Conference. We will get to see Randle develop (going to be a star) and Clarkson become a rotation keeper–while still sucking badly enough to get our pick back. All things considered, not bad.
Chris J says
Totally off topic but TIme Warner Cable is airing the season opener from November 1996 — Shaq and Fish in their first regular season game as Lakers; Byron as a Laker reserve, A.C. Green as a Suns starter, and Horry still playing for Phoenix. Nash got garbage time minutes as a rookie, too.
The weirdest part was in the hits quarter the Lakers had 40 percent on their lineup composed of players who’d later serve hard-core prison time: Rumeal Robinson and Corie Blount.
R says
I’m told the Lakers give up “that” first rounder eventually no matter what, no matter how many games are thrown. If not this draft, then the next; if not the next, then the following draft for sure. Top five protected, then top three protected, then unprotected.
rr says
We will get to see Randle develop (going to be a star) and Clarkson become a rotation keeper–while still sucking badly enough to get our pick back.
—
So you were just kidding when you predicted the 8th seed and first-round upset of the Spurs in preseason,then,I take it. This is being said without any intent of snark.
rr says
R,
Yes, the pick is owed to PHX. Here are the facts:
2015 first round draft pick to Phoenix
L.A. Lakers’ 1st round pick to Phoenix protected for selections 1-5 in 2015, 1-3 in 2016 and 1-3 in 2017 and unprotected in 2018 [L.A. Lakers-Phoenix, 7/11/2012]
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed
R says
Thanks for clarifying , rr.
So, yup, “we” have to give it up eventually, anyway.
Which in my mind somewhat dilutes the supposed advantage of deliberately sucking for years …
bryan S. says
rr: I was trying to be a foil to the doom and gloom with that prediction. It seems the “enjoy the journey” fans have reached a critical mass so no need for bluster . . .
Renato Afonso says
Who’s to say next year’s talent pool is better than 2016? We are going to surrender that pick either this year or next year, so I’d rather give it up sooner, rather than later. I’m sorry but I really can’t take anymore of Aaron’s talk about tanking. It’s in every single post. Multiple times. It’s annoying and disrupts the flow of the conversation about the chosen topic. The Darius post was very good. That’s all I can say before the following 23 posts about the Lakers tanking. Seems that Mitch is a tanking ninja after all…
BigCitySid says
Laker history in the making: “Gotta go back to 1974-75 and ’75-76 for the previous back-to-back seasons that the Lakers missed the playoffs. But the consensus, after a club-record 55 losses in 2013-14, is that they’re about to do it again, thanks mostly to L.A.’s utter lack of competent defenders — even if Kobe’s comeback exceeds all expectations.”
Brian says
BREAKING: ESPN32 reports Lakers sign third string Point-Guard, “Aaron,” in transparent attempt to tank season. Vic the Brick with exclusive interview to be aired on Lifetime! cable network.
Agree says
That Dirk quote you posted on Twitter was HILARIOUS, how very true. Dirk took like 10 mill or something? Parson’s is a good all around player, although I thought he started to slack of on defense last season quite a bit. Almost no one tried on defense for Houston beyond Lin/Beverly/Howard and of course Asik.
Asik going to the Pelican’s actually scares me a bit–that’s a ferocious duo under the hoop for New Orleans. They can seriously dominate the paint this year. I’m not high on their guards though who are over-rated. I would like Anderson to become a Laker though, maybe Byron would allow him to shoot 3’s even.
Vasheed says
The assertion that the Lakers are tanking is absurd. Last year they got the 7th pick only by an act of god by the sheer number of injuries they had. It is very hard to be a top 5 team in the league and it is nearly as difficult to be that bad. Short of Tanya Harding coming out and whacking Kobe in the knee cap with a steel pipe there is no credible conspiracy to tank.
Hale says
At this moment, I am fired up that there will be Lakers basketball at Staples Center tonight. I’m not looking for this team to do anything but play spoilers this year. May they feel free to prove me wrong at every opportunity.
Aaron says
Brian,
I will be at the Staples Center tonight. You’re right. And I’ll be at mid court. But not on the court at PG. I’ll let everyone know how good Randle and Clarkson look athletically in person.
R,
We need to suck this year and the next. Then we sign star pkayers and give the Suns a bad late first rounder. That’s the plan. Always the plan.
Gurndogg says
Aaron is crazy to think that cause if thats true how come they didn’t last year I mean MDA got those guys to wins games we shouldn’t have won & they were playing pretty good an winning games late in the year. The Lakers could of just put in some of the other guys off the bench to get more playing time & could of lost more late in the year games easy an tanked but did not so why now.
Plus if I read your post correctly you said that the Lakers could have gotten Lance S. instead of using the same contract on Hill there is no way Lance would taken that same contract he wanted more years, now I was not happy with the off season work the F.O did but to go so far as to say they are trying to tank to just plain wrong its just not true. Philly makes those type of
moves its just not the same. Yes the Lakers can do better moves.
Agree says
So OUT OF THE BLUE, Xavier Henry is available to play tonight?! Suppose that’s great news, but I swear they haven’t barely mentioned him in the media. Henry is another good player, much like Hill, better than many give credit, but both just need to play more games and stay off that dreaded DNP injury list.
Predicitons,Kobe and Lin both drop 20+ Pts tonight, Hill/Davis combine for much better stats than Howard individually does. Boozer plays better than most of us suspect and Xavier Henry gets some time off the bench and throws down a sweet dunk. Johnson plays “blah” and the rooks get minimal time off the bench this first game.
Peter Haslund says
Who cares? Kobe’s ego deflated this balloon long ago. Only championships count, eh? Three as main man. Period. Now disabilitating my favourite team. Watching him will only be agony. If building around a former MVP, that should make economic sense (see Spurs).
Lin and Davis could have been the focus, playing B. Sadly, though, the season will be about Kobe. Count me out guys.