After hanging tough with Grizzlies last night, it’s safe to say that the Lakers are playing much better than they were in the preseason and in their first couple of games to start this campaign. They are moving the ball better, getting comfortable with their defensive assignments, and seem to be gaining the needed familiarity to better compete after incorporating several new rotation players playing key minutes. The wins, however, are not coming. If moral victories counted, the Lakers might be 3 and 4 on the season rather than the 1 and 6 they are in reality. Then again, as the old saying goes, if every “if was a fifth”….
The Lakers are back in action tonight, however, and with that comes another tough test. Besides the road back to back aspect of this contest, the Pelicans offer a nice roster and look to be building a nice foundation for competing long term. And at the center of it all is former #1 overall pick Anthony Davis.
Davis’ ascension has been rapid, but he is now deservedly mentioned as one of the very best players in the league. His offensive game continues to develop with a silky mid-range jumper added to an arsenal of fantastic finishing ability in the paint. He is a major threat in the open court as well, always a candidate to catch a lob or clean up a teammate’s miss on the offensive glass. Defensively his combination of length, quickness, athleticism, and instincts have him as one of the most impactful players in the game on that side. He alters and blocks and insane amount of shots per game and his presence alone acts as a deterrent in the paint to would be attackers hoping to get an easy shot inside. I could go on and on with the superlatives, but you get the point.
Flanking Davis is a nice group of players who deserve respect in their own right. A trade for former Rocket Omer Asik has given Davis more back line muscle to help protect the rim and gobble up defensive rebounds. Jrue Holiday is a fine point guard who can do damage inside and out. Ryan Anderson is, besides Kevin Love and Dirk, the best pure shooting big forward in the league. Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans offer good size and scoring ability on the wing. All in all, this team has a very good first six players and, if coached well and healthy, could find enough lineup consistency to make a push to earn a low playoff seed.
In trying to manage all of these threats, the Lakers will surely have their issues. Defensively, the team will need to adhere to a strict game plan that relies heavily on smart reactions to the scouting report. Tyreke Evans must be kept out of the lane and forced to make jumpers. Anderson must be treated in an opposite manner, not to be given an inch of breathing room behind the arc. As for Holiday and Gordon, they must be forced to their off hands and to take contested jumpers. As for Davis, well, you just have to pray (he really is that good). If the Lakers can manage some of these things, they can, potentially, bottle up their offense well enough to be in striking distance.
At least if their own offense cooperates. The Lakers are clearly making strides on this end of the floor and did well to score fairly efficiently against a strong Grizzlies team yesterday. They must continue to keep that going, however, and a lot of that will depend on their guard play. Kobe and Lin are finally starting to find that needed chemistry where both can be attack players while sharing the floor. Lin must push the ball at every chance and hunt opportunities to get his own shot in early offense or create a good look for one of his big men. Kobe, meanwhile, must find ways to get cleaner looks at the hoop, using the P&R more frequently and relying less on simply trying to beat his man in isolation. Evans and Gordon aren’t the strongest defenders, but both offer good size and strength so Kobe can’t expect to bully them in the post to set up easy looks. Plus, with Davis lurking, he will need to be smart about how deep he tries to get lest he want his shot altered or blocked by the ensuing help.
Overall, this looks like another game where the Lakers would be lucky to win. The circumstances and Davis’ presence make it so their are simply too many variables against them. That said, there is a reason you play the games. The Lakers really do seem to be finding their stride and with that they will surely grab a win or two that they really should not when looking at things on paper. I’m not saying tonight is one of those cases, but I’ll be watching just in case.
Where you can watch: 5:00pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen at ESPN Radio 710AM.
Tarek says
I believe we are all familiar with the concept of PER, a player efficiency rating developed by John Hollinger. A PER of 15 is the league average. Above that line you are a positive factor on the floor, below the line you are a negative. I cut and pasted the minutes per game and the corresponding PERs for each Laker, below. On the current roster only three players have a solid track record of delivering PERs above average for the past three+ seasons. They are Kobe, Jordan Hill and Ed Davis.
My take on this is that of the 240 minutes per game the Lakers are employing players with above average PERs for approximately 109 of those minutes. This averages out to 45%, so we have above average players on the court less than half of each game. To look at it another way, we employ players that are below average 55% of each game.
This percentage gets worse when you consider that Ellington’s career PER hovers around 10 so his above average mark this season is likely an aberration. (Plus the team may be without him for a while due to the tragedy with his dad.) When you subtract his minutes from the positive column you end up with 89 above average PER minutes per game, or 38%. This leaves an alarming 62% of the minutes per game going to below average players.
For those waiting for Nick Young to return – yes, he had a PER of 16.11 last year. Unfortunately, that was an all-time high for him (at age 29) and a review of the balance of his career reveals a well below average PER. Additionally, Carlos Boozer’s PER has decreased steadily for the past 5 years. And, aside from Jeremy Lin’s miracle season in NY he has a career PER of under 15.
While I acknowledge a very small sample size (7 games) for my analysis, I think the logical conclusion is that our record is an accurate reflection of our talent.
PLAYER MIN PER
Kobe Bryant, SG 34.9 19.8
Wesley Johnson, SF 31.9 8.4
Jordan Hill, C 30.6 22.4
Jeremy Lin, PG 30.3 13.9
Carlos Boozer, PF 27.3 14.8
Ed Davis, PF 23.3 22.4
Ronnie Price, PG 21.7 10.9
Wayne Ellington, SG 20.6 16.8
Julius Randle, PF 14 -7.5
Xavier Henry, SF 9.4 -0.2
Robert Sacre, C 9.3 12.6
Jordan Clarkson, PG 9.2 8.2
Ryan Kelly, PF 7 4.3
(I hope the columns stay in place)
BigCitySid says
Completely agree D, Anthony Davis looks like the real deal. I know many are already saying he’s the 3rd best in the league (behind LeBron & KD) as well as a viable MVP candidate this season. NBA is rich in high quality 4’s, considering Blake, Aldridge, Love, Davis, Duncan, Dirk, & Zeebo (somebody is getting an All-Star snub). Davis does look like that rare combination of talent, size, b ball I Q, speed, & desire that says “the sky is the limit”. Here’s hoping he has an incredible year & career…just not tonight :-).
As for the game, obviously glad to have that first win under the belt, avoiding an 0-7 or worse start. But Lakers are not out of the woods yet. That ’57-’58 team won it’s 8th & 9th games, posting a 2-7 record thru their first nine games. Two more losses and this year’s team record will be 1-8.
Lakers are playing better, hoping for an upset tonight. Go Lakers.
p453833 says
Any thing besides NBA’s raw data is junk, it’s totally up to the people who define such thing, PER is no different, it’s purely piece of garbage.
Brian says
p453833 – Any thing besides NBA’s raw data is junk, it’s totally up to the people who define such thing, PER is no different, it’s purely piece of garbage.
___
I’m skeptical of most formulas, however I think PER passes the smell test. Most of the criticism seems to come regarding players who don’t play a lot – their PERs tend to be inaccurate measures of their effectiveness until they have played a larger number of minutes.
About the Lakers, PER doesn’t provide anything different that what a good eye test wouldn’t. The board has identified Kobe, Hill and Davis as our best players and PER supports that. There has been frustration with Johnson, Boozer and to a lesser degree Lin. And it turns out that their PERs are average or worse. Nothing too revolutionary there.
Talent = High PERs = Wins
Less Talent = Low PERs = Losses
BigCitySid says
Yearly PER is also affected by chemistry/teammates. Job description changes. Example: Chris Bosh PER playing w/ LeBron: 18.9 – 20.0, w/o LeBron 22.1 – 26.8 (except rookie & 2nd year in Toronto).
Expecting drop in Love’s numbers also.
Robert says
Per: So – since the three guys with positive PERs are already playing significant minutes, I guess we can conclude that rotation changes and line up changes would not do too much for the Lakers. Byron would simply be removing one negative PER player and replacing him with another. Then again – if people do not point the finger at Byron, they will probably just turn more to Kobe as the cause of all the defeats. Me – I will abbreviate Brian’s profound line above: Less Talent = Losses.
Ted says
I think the criticism of a tool such as PER is that it is not an end all calculation. For instance a team comprised entirely of Ed Davis’s would have a high PER but would be so lacking in other skill sets that the team would under perform.
Regarding the Lakers’ PERs – I did not know their individual scores until Tarek shared them. The only real surprise to me was Wes Johnson’s PER of 8.4. That’s like half of what an average player provides. To me with the team struggling there has to be a change made at his position. Its almost like with him on the floor the Lakers are playing 4 on 5. Nick Young’s average PER would be a welcomed lift – representing a 100% PER improvement at the SF position.
Stuart says
Looks like We Johnson wants to improve his PER tonight! 5 points in the opening minutes!
Ko says
Well Boozer clearly came to play. Checkers! Get is butt out of there now!
Chearn says
Kobe is on fire!!!!! But its his fault the team doesn’t play defense. Kobe will not get any calls from the refs because the league wants him to disappear. They in the process of promoting the ‘next’ Davis, et. al and the ‘now’ James, Durant, Paul.
Can’t stop a 28 foot 3pter, lol.
lakafan says
As soon as boozer goes out, defense picks up and Lakers take the lead.
Ko says
Hey ESPN
Please list the other 39 better players?
lakafan says
Damn kb hit the open man, quit gunning!!
Chearn says
I second that request, Ko.
Man, I like Anthony Davis’ game. Would love to see him in a Lakers uniform.
Ko says
Send Boozer and his midget hands to the hotel bar.
kevin_ says
Kobe a black hole, gunning for stats wins are secondary.
Tra says
Haven’t seen any growth in Austin Rivers game since he entered the ..A. Probably would’ve been more beneficial for him, at the time, if he would have remained in College and learned how to play the PG position. Which, due to his stature, would seem to be the position that he’s best suited for. Time will certainly tell.
Ko says
Another -23. With 3 assists game from Lin. Every point guard in the league beats this guy off the dribble.
Is Smush Parker still available?
lakafan says
I’m fairly certain I could play the right guys, manage guys minutes, and make better substitutions than the last 3 laker coaches. Hey byron, take Kobe out. This game is over!!!
Tim says
Some potential good news. Nick Young might be back for the three game road trip next week.
Tra says
Doubt if the team is going to make any type of run down the stretch in this game. Especially after last night’s late comeback effort against the Grizzlies. Therefore, it would be best for Scott to remove Kobe and give the young pup Clarkson some more burn.
karen says
So tarek says the lakers record is a reflection of the talent they have. That is so true and yet scott wants them to defend like he has premiere players. Come on these are 1 yr contract players maybe only a tiny bit better than the summer league guys.
Mid-Wilshire says
New Orleans had 60 (!) points in the paint tonight. Byron Scott said that tonight was the Lakers’ worst defensive effort so far…and that includes preseason games. This is not encouraging. I can easily see the Lakers going 1-9 to start the season. There was entirely too much dribble penetration by the Pelicans. It almost seems as if they knew they could drive to the hoop without fear.
The Lakers’ defense must improve, especially in terms of slowing down the dribble drive. What can be done?
Chris J says
It almost seems as if they knew they could drive to the hoop without fear.
———–
They did know it. The whole NBA knows it, as well as anyone who’s taken a look at the Lakers roster and/or game video. And that glaring doughnut hole in the middle is what will damn this season, more than any other shortcoming.
karen says
Hill and boozer are to small to protect the paint. I never understood the $18 mil they gave to hill but i don’t think his second yr is guaranteed
Oldtimer says
New Orleans have three reliable 7 footers while Lakers have three 5’10” PF used as Centers. Pelicans have Ryan Anderson, a reliable 3 pt. shooter while Lakers have Kobe who has been proving ESPN that they are wrong in ranking him at 40th. As evidence, he is chucking too many shots at the detriment of the Lakers. Is somebody telling him that he is no longer the young Kobe? Is Byron in control of the Lakers at this juncture? Let’s play to win not to set records or prove somebody is wrong. On the other hand, how can you win when Kobe is the only reliable superstar while his teammates are all mostly average and below average. Lakers roster is like the Disney fairy tale composed of Snow White and the 7 PER dwarfs.
arliepro says
And that glaring doughnut hole in the middle is what will damn this season, more than any other shortcoming.
________________
A lot of big men will be available in the coming NBA draft. Pays to get near the head of the line. Just sayin’.
Ko says
Old timer
You are assuming this team was created to win. You don’t go out and fill your team filled with other teams castoffs like Boozer, Lin, Johnson etched and make them starters. This year it’s not about winning. It’s about business and Kobe is the only thing keeping fans and TW rating bringing in eyeballs. This is a bottem 5 team with the top 5 pick, Randle and perhaps Love the future. Who would watch this mess without Kobe? This is our reality and 2nd guessing won’t change it.
Berdj Rassam says
The Lakers are going to have a very long 2014-15 season with very little success to speak of.
J C says
Anthony Davis is the future.
A huge talent.
Reminds me of a young Tim Duncan.
I’m not smart enough to debate the PER issue. But by my eye test, most of the time, Wes Johnson is glaringly inadequate. And the PER ratings support that.
I can’t hate on Lin because he seems like such a nice guy, and my son and I watched Linsanity on Netflix last night and it was actually pretty good. You can’t help but root for the guy.
rr says
I’m not smart enough to debate the PER issue
—
Yeah, you are. PER is a useful tool, that has some contextual limitations, like any basketball stat. What it does is give you a reference point for looking (mostly) at a guy’s cumulative O/rebounding contributions with a little bit of D. As one example, JHill is a bit overrated by PER because it doesn’t do a good job of accounting for what a player does/doesn’t do for the team D.
For the most part, when a guy is around 8-11 in PER, like Wesley Johnson or Ronnie Price, that means he is performing at around replacement level.
The Dane says
A part of the PER debate is also that like most stats, it does not reflect if you play defense of not.
Renato Afonso says
Guys, here comes the long post…
Wesley Johnson
I don’t get what is the beef with the guy. He likes to score in transition but our defense is so bad that he seldom has the chance to. His three point shooting form has progressed recently, even if he’ll never be a good shooter. And, most of all, he doesn’t get paid like a NBA starter. He’s not a bum. He seems to try hard and to improve his game even if his basketball IQ is somewhat low. I would have no problem if Wesley Johnson was our backup small forward playing 10-15 minutes per game. One of the problems with Sacre last season was that he was getting minutes ahead of Kaman and Hill, which was simply stupid. We currently don’t have anyone better than Wesley to play the 3 and Henry isn’t looking as good as last season.
Kobe Bryant
He’s ball-hogging but the team is also very good at Kobe watching. It’s an old problem that is looking worse because Kobe isn’t getting open looks at the basket and is missing shots at a high clip.
Ed Davis
Yes, he should be playing more than Boozer but the guy is not a superstar in the making. Very low basketball IQ if you ask me. I do like him as the roll man after setting a pick and that fact alone should get him more minutes.
Jeremy Lin
He’s not a starter. He shouldn’t be starting but we don’t have anyone else to start…
Defense
It’s just terrible. We can’t defend a pick and roll action. We can’t stay in front of anyone. It’s as bad as it gets. Every game just feels like an endless parade of layups because the perimeter guys (and I’m looking at you Kobe) can’t stay in front of their man. We obviously need a couple of rim protectors because this isn’t going anywhere regardless of schemes deployed by whomever is coaching. In one particular possession, the Lakers actually tried a 2-3 zone that was working quite well until Jordan Hill (the middle man) decided to play man defense and follow (I think it was Asik) until the baseline outside the key. The result? Two easy points in the key and the zone defense was nowhere to be seen again… This specific action is on the coach. If you don’t have anyone able to guard the perimeter and now shot blocking presence, the best you can do is try a zone defense. If it fails once or twice is the coach’s job to call for a timeout and correct the wrong positioning. But there’s something even worse than our half court defense: the defensive transition. How is it possible that at NBA level the corner guys (or closest to the corner) don’t sprint back immediatly after a shot is attempted? Our guys are getting beat off the ball while running back. This is beyond bad positioning on offense (which is also a problem). This is a lack of will to do so and Kobe should be leading by example not throwing his hands up because he missed a 5ft bank shot. To be honest, we’re on the bottom of the league on defense because we deserve to be there.
Offense
Where can I start? Maybe with the good stuff… We actually have some good sets initially with the high post feed and the strong side wingman attempting a cut to the basket for an easy layup (it may work twice a game, but you get everything you can). The spacing on the strong side is also interesting and one of the options from the high post is having a wingman go for a big “loop” after the cut and show up again at the top of the key. This is great if you have a fast player because if the ball keeps moving on the strong side the defender following that man will either have to lose track of the ball to follow his man or keep his eyes on the ball and risk losing his guy. It’s a very simple move that’s not working because our wingman (mostly Kobe) isn’t fast enough and the ball stops at the high post. But it’s easy to fix so I hope to see this movement improved. What is actually wrong within the context of this offense is the total lack of movement on the weakside of the ball. I really cannot understand why we don’t make a pick or two off the ball to free someone (anyone) for an open catch and shoot jumper. It’s that little thing after the pass and cut that everyone learns in basketball. We don’t have those. Another problem with our offense that comes from that high post feed is the ball in hand delivery to Kobe. What is the point of that play? Create a Kobe iso? If that’s the case, then the spacing is wrong. If that’s not the case, then this is the worst pick and roll action ever designed: the wingman catches the ball from the middle to the sideline leaving no room for immediate penetration against the opposing big; if he tries to stop and shoot he will be doing it while falling out of bounds and two guys on him; if he comes from the sideline he should be turning the corner immediatly after receiving to either go for the layup or feed the open three point shot. Also, this offense would look better with an actual back to the basket center with legit size. The open jumper with the pass coming from the inside would solve all our “spacing” and “10 to 15 three point attempts per game” issues. But, because we lost the best free agent big man available (Gasol), we don’t have anyone to fill that role and Scott seems to understand that. Obviously, we should counter that with more off the ball picks even in midrange for open jumpers and drives to the basket (you know, get free throws) but apparently that is being neglected so far. Also, Ed Davis and Jordan Hill are simply a bad combo on offense as they clog the lane, usually don’t know which one should go to each side and look rather lost. It really kills me to say this but the offense looks better with Boozer and Hill or Boozer and Davis than without him (even if I say that Boozer should be playing less). Also, our point guards don’t seem to understand how to run this offense or any offense at all, fact that is easily spotted by the unusual amount of times any of them dribbles until tehre’s no room and they’re surrounded by the opposition (especially you Jeremy Lin).
There are more ways to get wins than the most mentioned in current times (shoot more threes and drive more to the basket to get layups or fouls) and with our current roster I would agree that those are not our strengths. However, without good half court defense and defensive transition we won’t be able to generate enough fast breaks to compensate the less three point attempts. Also, the offense seems incomplete and the number of contested shots backs up the theory. I just hope that Byron Scott realizes that sooner and adjusts accordingly. And more Jordan Clarkson at point guard please. Let him learn the position properly because he has the physical tools for it.
BigCitySid says
@ Oldtimer, Pelicans are focused on the future, building a team around a young budding superstar. Our Lakers are honoring a link to their glorious past, surrounding a very good but past his prime superstar w/ players who will allow him to do what he does best…shoot.
Agree says
Thus far “what Kobe does best” is ATTEMPT shots. He is consistently shooting in the mid/upper 30% range this season. It’s hard to have a ‘team offense’ when one guy shoots 1/3rd of the teams shots most games. The one game he toned it down a bit, they won. Kobe fanboys should want their guy to not become Monte’ Ellis (the previous 38% volume shooting version) in his final seasons. Instead of cementing his legend as one of the best players, if he doesn’t get more efficient (take better shots) then he will be book-ending his career as a ball hog.
You can’t just say the rest of the team sucks so Kobe needs to shoot a million shots anyway–when almost the entire team is shooting at a better percentage then him. This isn’t golf, this is still a team game. Thus far only price is shooting worse than Kobe out of the people who actually play any minutes.
On another note, IF Byron really likes defense he has to put Boozer in the 2nd unit. Davis needs to start period. Hill’s defense is pretty blah as well. At least Kobe and Lin seem to be trying hard as hell and running all over the place on defense–even when they are burnt. Whereas sometimes the bigs aren’t even hedging out at all and are just standing around or shoving people (boozer). This team definitely is horrible but they need not be this bad, they could rise to the level of mediocrity. I have not faith in the Laker’s organization at this point, Scott needs to be canned after this season. IF they wait until Kobe leaves to actually start rebuilding the team, the brand is going to be pretty tainted. The amazing players mostly want to WIN, most aren’t Melo who want the bright lights as they lose year in and year out. I think I’ll watch more spurs games this year, they at least seem to pass the ball and use team concepts. They don’t just let one guy try to win the game every night. And Pop will sit his ‘stars” if they miss 7 shots in a row!
BigCitySid says
For all those who say Coach Scott is too stubborn:
LAKER’S CONSIDERING CHANGE
Lakers coach Byron Scott said he’s going to give his team about four more games to prove it can run his defensive system before he changes his approach.
“Most of the time, the things we want to do, they haven’t done,” Scott said. “I don’t know (yet) if it’s because they aren’t capable of doing it or not.”
Add that to the return on Swaggy P…Lakers should look and perform differently than thru their 1st 10 or so games.
karen says
I read pretty soon lakers will have enough losses to put them out of any playoff picture. At that time scott will revise the lineup. Mission accomplished. P.s. scott has taken all the pressure off himself by attacking his players there defense was horrible. . Then his fan club broadcasters discuss how its the players fault.
Agree says
Karen, I agree with your statement. It’s as if Byron has no responsibility for the bigs defense stinking. He could WAIT to change the starting line-up, yet ADJUST by sitting Boozer most of the 2nd half (basically like the Bulls did) and play Ed Davis at the 4 for the majority of the minutes. If this is a meritocracy, Davis should be getting the 32mins a game, not Boozer. The laker’s really don’t need Boozer to jack up more shots, they have Kobe shooting a ton, if anything they don’t have enough shots to go around. Until recently Johnson barely shot, Lin has spent a bunch of games barely shooting.
Scott self proclaims himself to be a ‘straight shooter’ but this often comes out as blaming the players. They certainly have some blame, but Boozer isn’t magically going to change into a defensive player. He’s basically just a less efficient scorer that fouls ALOT.
In terms of the playoffs, I think given the injuries and how things look thus far, it won’t be like last year. Likely 45 wins gets you in the playoffs this year in the west. OK Thunder may have to go on a 4 month win streak to make the 7th/8th seed this year given their injuries.
Robert says
Agree/Karen: Byron deserves some criticism, and don’t worry – as I have said before, he is not going to last more than 2 years max. That said – let’s look at your posts. You are guessing 45 games to make the playoffs, yet the implication is that if Byron just coached right and Kobe quit being a ball hog, we could do it. We are currently on pace to win 10-11 games. I think that will improve, but by how much? It will not get anywhere near 45. This is due to our roster. Rotations, strategy, and shot selection changes might add up to 5 more wins. It is not the difference between a 20 win team and a 45 win team. Whether Byron gets favorable treatment from announcers is not going to help him keep his job longer. There are things he can try (and he will), but it all needs to be done with the players on his roster. We were predicted to be bad and we are. That is a roster issue – and Byron is not responsible for that – another guy is.
lakafan says
If Byron thinks this D will improve with Boozer out there, he’s delusional. The guy is a sieve on defense and shouldn’t be starting. He can come off the bench and play against other teams 2nd stringers. My new name for CB is “net negative”… he might score 15, but will give up 30!
I’m all for tanking but please Byron don’t act like you’re pissed when your lineup choices and sub patterns are not helping the situation. Just stay quiet and let the Tank run its course so we can end up with Jahlil Okafor along with Houston’s 1st rounder.
Ted says
I noticed Darius’ Tweet last night regarding the FO’s overly optimistic approach to the season and how clearly out of step it is with the reality of the team’s performance. If fans using simple tools like PER or even the basic ‘eye test’ can determine that the team would perform poorly based on the fact that we don’t have enough talent – then how can Laker management be off in their evaluations by several orders of magnitude?
Darius’ point was accountability, will the FO acknowledge what we all can see so clearly? Of course they will hide behind the fact that injuries to Young and Randle have made all the difference and as a result will use them as cover for what appears to be another very dismal season.
At some point the media finger has to be pointed at Jim. Jeanie’s recent PR tour put a pretty face on the Laker mess but her responses only magnified the dysfunction that resides behind the scenes. Someone mentioned this in a previous thread, yes the Veto hurt (and was wrong) but every decision since then has been a disaster. Jim has continually doubled down on losing hands and each move seems to have sent the franchise further back.
T. Rogers says
Regarding defense and Bryon Scott:
Take a good look at this roster. Then take a casual look at the rosters up and down the Western Conference. After doing that we all should be able to concede that the Lakers will NOT excel defensively this season. They can run a strong side zone. They can runs lots of traps on the perimeter. They can funnel ball handlers to bigs in the paint. They can even go Kevin McHale and start clothes lining players in the paint. None of it will matter. The roster is fatally flawed.
Many of us harped on that over the summer. Its one reason I was nearly pulling my hair out watching the Lakers wait on Carmelo. Other talented players were being taken off the market one by one while the Lakers were whistling dixie. Its another reason many of harped on losing Howard, Gasol, and Kaman for nothing. What we see on the floor now is not a coaching problem. Its a talent problem. This team just doesn’t have enough of it.
Vasheed says
I strongly agree with Ted about PER. I believe the Lakers did go out after the recruit Anthony failure, and get some pretty good talent but without a true center and without meeting a threshold of defensive ability the Laker line ups are all but destined to under perform.
I find BigCitySid’s quote from Scott to be somewhat heartening. I liked what Scott put forth as a strategy to overcome the intrinsic weaknesses in the line up to play defense without a true center. I did raise questions that the Lakers players had enough mobility to implement the system he envisioned. It looks like he is seeing this but allowing time to see if the team can work it out. I at this point don’t think so but at least he is offering up some perspective as to why there hasn’t been a change in strategy. I’m curious what plan B might look like. In the end though I think the F.O. needs to start focusing on building a team with a system in mind and getting players who can fit given roles.
Renato Afonso says
Big post stuck in mod.
Calvin Chang says
The Lakers’ main problem this season is:
a.) Bad coaching
b.) Kobe’s sense of entitlement and lack of patience
Byron Scott is clearly not making the right decisions in terms of coaching defense. All a team needs to do is run a high pick and roll against the Lakers, and it’s a layup drill. The team has very poor rotational / help defense. A high pick and roll is designed to get the ball-handler some separation. It does not matter how good your guard defender is. A good pick will get the ball-handler separation = that’s what a good pick does. Once this happens, it’s all about help defense / switch / rotation.
So once the opponent runs up a bunch of points, Kobe loses patience, gets tunnel-vision and tries to take over the game. Kobe being Kobe, he will make just enough difficult shots to dazzle the viewer. (20ft fade-away over 3 defenders, fall-away 3pter) But he misses more than he makes – which plays right into the opponents’ plan. When Kobe misses, he’ll get pissed off and complain to the refs, and lose focus on defense. So the opponents get more easy looks, score more points. The rest of the teammates start deferring to Kobe because Kobe aggressively asks for the ball and gets pissed off if he doesn’t get the ball. They stop moving. And the result is “Kobe scores 30pts in a loss”.
Kobe gets a free pass because he’s got 5 rings and a “F the world” attitude. Analysts will marvel over the replays of the difficult shots he made. They’ll say “it’s all Kobe, and nothing else”
What they don’t show are the misses, and how it stagnates the offense and demoralizes the teammates.
—
It’s no surprise that after winning against the Lakers, when opponents are interviewed, they’ll always say: “Kobe will be Kobe. He will make incredible shots and you can’t do anything about it. But that was our plan – make Kobe score all the points and limit the rest of the team”.
There’s a reason why that is the opponent’s’ game plan. Kobe going into a “me against the world mode” is losing basketball. Especially at his age.
Stuart says
Ted: At some point the media finger has to be pointed at Jim. Jeanie’s recent PR tour put a pretty face on the Laker mess but her responses only magnified the dysfunction that resides behind the scenes. Someone mentioned this in a previous thread, yes the Veto hurt (and was wrong) but every decision since then has been a disaster. Jim has continually doubled down on losing hands and each move seems to have sent the franchise further back.
__________
Agreed. There’s no need to focus on Jim’s ‘ne’er-do-well’ past any longer. His tenure at the helm is sufficient enough to pass judgement on his capabilities as the VP of Basketball Operations. I think it was rr who offered up the question, “If the Lakers had hired an outsider three years ago and we were to judge him on the results, wouldn’t he be fired?” Of course, Jim won’t be – nepotism is a wonderful thing if your the one that can hide behind its blanket.
Calvin Chang says
What Kobe has to do is be a positive leader on the floor and encourage his teammates. He has to remain calm and patient – focus on defense, get his shot within the offense, get his teammates involved and keep the score close. If the game is close in the last 3 minutes, then he can go into Kobe Closer mode.
He has to realize that when he’s going in Kobe Iso Closer mode in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, he’s playing right into the opponents’ hands.
Oldtimer says
Ko & Big Sid – It is just a wishful thinking that when they say “rebuild”, I imagine from bottom’s up meaning improving by retaining player that fits to the new coaching philosophy. Unfortunately, it was the cart before the horse, they delayed in choosing the coach while getting players from nowhere based on their $$$ budget constraints yet they were going for the Mega players. It was a rebuilt from the extremes. It’s from top to bottom move, they got Kobe & Nash so surround them with role players…but…. but they are coming from injuries? Nevermind, they will improve next time through draft pick next season just aim for lowest 5 as Aaron knew it beforehand or mega deal merry go round again – that’s Jimboism!
If you want Kobe the official gunner, then set up all offense through Kobe, he is your quarterback, running back, receiver and kicker too. Put two seven footers similar to Gasol and Kaman who would do the follow ups on all Kobe misses. Well, we have a PG dribbling around scavenging for any openings, falls down and hoping he gets fouled; we have a power forward who throws the rock like a shot put, hoping it doesn’t hit the rim, swish!; we have a moody SF who shoots lights out for one quarter only. Well, we are the contented fans who embrace rebuild through incompetence. You listen to Trudell optimistic summary in between quarters, Stu preaching to deaf ears and a game review from McGee always baiting for TWC ratings with Showtime broadcasters analyzing the game misfits.
As an oldtimer, I miss the big gambler from Dr. Buss who would not sit on an unused trade exception or forgive Robin Hood enjoying his golfing mulligans while his Lakers are bleeding from any pick and roll pleadings. I miss the big mouth of Chicky Baby who would tell it like it is than go for ratings baits by fooling the fools. He would always the teacher telling the uneducated Laker fans his point of views rather than directing the criticism to the management. What else can we do, we can’t bring their corpses back, got to move on and wait for five freakin’ years to be competitive. Is that a guarantee from a dysfunctional family or another wishful thinking “rebuild the rebuild”?
Robert says
“Many of us harped on that over the summer.” Indeed. We not only heard optimism from the FO, but also much of the fan base. With regard to the fan base, I understand it is difficult and seems defeatist to some, to acknowledge that we just don’t have the roster. That is also why people are picking on Byron, Kobe, and others, because it provides hope. If these guys would just coach and play correctly – we would be fine. That sounds better than – our upside is about 30 wins even if everything breaks wildly correct (and yes I know 30 would be a dream right now). However, while I understand the fan base, I do not understand our FO. They have had poor execution and then compounded it with bad public relations.
Leo says
Stuart: There’s no need to focus on Jim’s ‘ne’er-do-well’ past any longer. His tenure at the helm is sufficient enough to pass judgement on his capabilities as the VP of Basketball Operations. I think it was rr who offered up the question, “If the Lakers had hired an outsider three years ago and we were to judge him on the results, wouldn’t he be fired?” Of course, Jim won’t be – nepotism is a wonderful thing if your the one that can hide behind its blanket.
_____
That last line is classic!
mud says
so much crying. so little resolve…
Mac says
The heart of the matter is whether the FO is just in constant spin mode when talking about the team and their expectations or whether they are clueless regarding the true talent level on the team. I’m not sure Jeanie and Jim can be honest so the question will never really be answered.
Because of the various contractual commitments that the Lakers are engaged in they likely couldn’t be honest and admit that they have constructed a team that is designed to keep the fifth pick in this year’s draft. Even if it is true that would cause severe damage to the revenues tied to ratings for TV and radio.
Jeanie’s PR tour is an example. She can spin better than her brother so she was a logical choice to speak to the media. I agree with those above who noted that her comments did not put anyone who was really listening at ease. In fact they pointed to a very strange dynamic between Jim and herself. I found it interesting that no one really confronted her about being in charge but not being involved with Jim’s decisions. However, with very few exceptions she handled herself and delivered the Laker message extremely well.
The reality is that Jeanie is giving Jim 3 more years to turn this around. What Jeannie should be doing is figuring out how to elevate Jim’s standing in the minds of Laker fans. Many fans understand that team’s will have down cycles and the Lakers are no exception. What causes concern for most of us is that we have little to no confidence in Jim’s ability to make the right moves needed to get the Lakers back on top.
Craig W. says
Anyone who thinks it is the FO’s job to come out and admit our team stinks simply hasn’t ever run a business. That is not going to happen and all our harping on it will not make it so. We can lambaste the team as much as we want, but the FO cannot do this and continue to field a team – now or in the future.
We are less than 10% of the way through the season, with a very flawed team, and people expect drastic changes? Really? There is such a thing as a salary cap and there is such a thing as roster limitations, and there is such a thing as other teams out there competing with us. The CBA does put parameters around what a club can do.
Lix says
Kobe is kobe. Lin is playing well enough. But we aren’t gonna win any games with only 2 guys hustling.
Get some big guys that can dominate and then this team can compete. Otherwise it will be another lost season.
rr says
I think it was rr who offered up the question, “If the Lakers had hired an outsider three years ago and we were to judge him on the results, wouldn’t he be fired?”
—
Thanks for the name-check; I actually said that this hypothetical guy would be taking a lot of heat–as Jim is. The point I was making is that when a team is really bad, people are going to criticize the guy in charge. So the fact that people bag on Jim a lot is pretty much to be expected and really not a big deal. And, I would suggest that it is even less important in his case than it would be in the case of another Head Honcho guy, since both Jeanie and Jim have made it clear what they see as Jim’s timeline and his objectives.
But it is going to get more intense for a few reasons. Here is a link to a Darius post from March, after Phil bailed:
http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2014/03/17/with-phil-jackson-gone-now-is-jim-buss-time/
The title was “With Phil Jackson Gone, Now is Jim Buss’ Time.”
One thing to realize is that every player under contract, as well as Byron Scott, signed his current deal after the passing of Dr. Buss. The team taking the floor at the moment, which is likely to be the worst team in the history of the franchise in terms of W/L, is a Jim Buss team. And, unlike most of the other really bad teams, the Lakers don’t have many concrete reasons for hope or obvious assets. As I have said before, we are basically down to wishing on Julius Randle, next year’s lottery pick if they keep it, cap space, and the market/brand. Not one of those is a solid bet as of today.
R says
Heh, heh — Lix, please note Craig w’s comment just above yours ….
bryan S. says
Forget about winning. We simply lack the talent to do much. Retaining the top five pick is key. What would mollify me and likely many fans is for the team to play the right way. Move the ball not once but two or three passes for the best percentage look. Hold all players accountable on defense. If that means Kobe plays 25-30 minutes so that he can have enough gas left to move his feet and rotate defensively so be it. Gunner ball kills team chemistry. Too many times last night Jeremy gave the ball to Kobe and popped back to the 3 point line hoping to get it back for the wide open shot off Kobe’s penetration but Kobe would wade into double teams instead and force the issue. Terrible basketball. Lin can do more than he has shown if the ball moves.
As Renato points out, giving minutes to Jordan Clarkson to learn the point guard position should be a priority. Is Ronnie Price going to improve beyond journeyman status? Please. The Lakers paid a lot for the pick that brought Clarkson; let’s see how much he can grow now. Whatever Boozer gives offensively is negated by his lamp post defense and penchant for stupid fouls. A healthy Kelly and more minutes for Ed should move Booze to the bench.
Robert says
Oldtimer: “Put two seven footers similar to Gasol and Kaman who would do the follow ups on all Kobe misses. ” Well there was a very easy way we could have done this.
Lix: “Get some big guys that can dominate and then this team can compete.” Some of us screamed when we let DH, Pau, and Kaman all walk. rr explained it all very logically. Bottom line – as you imply. No big men – very few wins.
Mac: “The heart of the matter is whether the FO is just in constant spin mode ” They seem to be but they do not succeed in spinning very much. Darius’ tweet is perfect: “No one is ever going to be happy losing. But probably could have managed the expectations game better through off-season/preseason rhetoric.”
Chris J says
(Byron) is not going to last more than 2 years max…
———–
Nor will Fish in New York, so hopefully by this time in 2016, maybe 2017, the Lakers will have more talent in the cupboard, and a more-seasoned (but still young) head coach in Derek Fisher to begin the rebuilding process in earnest.
bleedpurplegold says
Remember andrew goudelock?!? He just set a record with 10 threes(!!!!!!!!) in one game at the eurocup for istanbul….way to go andrew!!
Ko says
Guys guys guys
I very knowledgable person inside the Lakers organization set me streight last night.
Ken, it’s a business. Lakers made $120 million last year.? Penalties on lost eyeballs in TW deal would cost millions. Hence we get to watch Kobe shoot, lead league in scoring and they lose 60 games.
He added “how many watch these games without Kobe” His own family wouldn’t watch”
That is bottem line fellow Laker fans. This truth trumps anything else we can say!
Oldtimer says
The heart of the matter you are in the business of basketball, if your fans are dissatisfied with your team eventually it will affect your revenues while expenses remain the same. Once it hits your profitability, it would be translated to stock watered down. McCort sold the Dodgers when his image has been dragged to the drain. Sponsors would force a sale if the Lakers continue to stink and misery invites a company.FO has nothing to do with chains of L’s but they have something to do with the formation of the team. If Cavs, Celts, GSW can acquire talents under the same CBA rules, what makes the Lakers handicapped by existing contracts?
Criticisms should be viewed into two categories: one is putting down the team in every post whose objective is to mock and to destroy. Another type of criticism is pointing out the pitfalls of the team in order to challenge their egos and get motivated to improve. This is better than commenting on nothing, happy to be a perennial loser, complacent, brown nosing and fanatic to no avail. We are the Lakers, proud of the brand not contented with blind loyalty nor promises of the inept. If we don’t sense any passion to win, no pride to contend, just waiting for the season to end to be in the lowest five, watch Kobe or Nash break some individual records until they are gone – is that a worthy goal setting?
bluehill says
The way Philly is playing tonight they are a lock for the worst record. Count your blessings at least the Lakers are trying.
TeamN says
The biggest problem I see with this entire approach, whether the tanking is on purpose or not, is the long term affects on the organizational culture, the young guys, and the fan base. Two years of this, even with Randle and a top five pick next year? What will things be like by then? How will Kobe act? How will players respond to 25-30 shots per night for him this year and next? Add in the hype of his retirement or uncertainty of another contract…
I think other choices could have ben made, but now it’s too late for that. Have to hope Byron and Kobe can walk the fine line and keep saying the right things publicly.
KenOak says
Wow. At least the Lakers haven’t lost by 50 this year yet. Philly has to win a few games at some point right!? How can you be this bad 3 years in a row?
BigCitySid says
@ KenOak, Philly will be in position to be a much better team than the Lakers next season. Three seasons of high draft choices (Noel, Embiid & 2015 draft choice), Tony Wooten, Michael Carter-Williams (all between 20 – 23 years of age), and only $13 million against the salary cap. Add in the facts they play in the East as opposed to the West, their front office’s plan is much clearer than the Lakers, and they appear to be positioned to be a major player in the upcoming free agent market.
So as bad as Philly is this year, they are only one game behind the Lakers with 10% of the season in the books. As far as being bad three years in a row…that’s what people will be saying about the Lakers next season :-(.
PurpleBlood says
quite a few good osts, of variying degrees, on the subject of the team´s current (geez, it seems like it´s been in it forever for Pete´s sake) situation. From bleak to realist to hopeful to insider-info knowledge to shaking heads to advocating the tank (ugh) to…you name it! – All are valid enough, heck why wouldn´t they be at this point, yet I cant help thinkin´ two things:
1) the cold hard fact is that we lack talent; as has been adroitly pointed out here many times, & bottom line, there´s no consistent winning without it.
2) nonetheless, i humbly suggest that everyone, that means all of us now, collectively vibrate positive thoughts to the squad. too much negativity holds one down, firmly, so imgaine what the whole organization, top to bottom, has been having to contend with, however subtle and, ultimately, subconscious, since it seems like ages ago (though not really).
Most will guffaw, there´s really no better term, at the aforementioned notion. & loudly no doubt, but basically, positive is much, much better than negative, so why not make the effort? it can´t hurt… maybe we´ll steal a w or two along the way –
Go Lakers!! Keep it coming Laker die-hards!
agree says
Honestly, even with our defensive shortcomings–IF Kobe goes off and shoots 45-50% for the night we are going to have a chance of winning. IF Lin scores around 20pts with a good shooting % in combination we definitely can out offense some teams on a given night. I really think it all starts with them. Trying to get Wes Johnson “going” etc. is an utter waste of time and shots. Same with Boozer. Just put Davis out there for some dunks and layoffs at 67% field goal shooting instead.
Hill needs to go back to just being a rebounding guy who gets easy looks and put-back shots. His early success with his SET SHOT is not a go to weapon. Anyone playing any defense on him at all will likely make that shot disappear. He isn’t shooting set shots over other big guys. Him being our #2 option offensively and him taking the 2nd most FGA’s per game is troubling to me. Boozer being #3 for FGA’s is also very troubling. Seriously, start making this team better right away once they can pursue trades on some of these new contract guys–they need to start making trades. Can’t see Hill/Boozer as longterm pieces. They need to get a decent cast of guys they potentially can sign to 3 year contracts. Blowing up the roster every year hoping to land some un-named superstar that isn’t going to be coming here anytime soon–is just going to turn this team into a joke.
Ko says
Nice word usage Purple. You should be my attorney. Yes your words are true. I for one am so vested in the team that I watch or attend win or lose. Only difference is I yell less these days because I except their fate. It’s also kind of like finding out there is no Santa Claus to realize it’s all about the money and getting it out of our pocket.
Sounds silly but for many years I actually thought they liked us and wanted to win more then us. Guess that left with Jerry West who also could not stand(actually sit) to watch a loss. Next your going to tell us our government only cares about the money and doctors and big pharma and and and my dog! Scratch that I don’t have a dog.
Anyway I will always be a Laker fan and support my team. Just to prove it
LAKERS BY 2 TONIGHT! Positive????
Mac says
KenOak: Wow. At least the Lakers haven’t lost by 50 this year yet. Philly has to win a few games at some point right!? How can you be this bad 3 years in a row?
____
You’ll be asking the same question next year about the Lakers, as that will be our third consecutive year of being awful. At least Philly has a plan and some hope for the future – they are accumulating young cheap talent and draft picks. The Lakers …not so much.
Oldtimer says
Eventually, they will find each other and jell. Very soon, Young and Price will be added to the roster. Injuries on Kelly and Henry will finally be healed. Kobe will get tired of losing and sneak a W through his teammates. Byron will elevate Davis to starter while Lin and Young will discover each other as 1 & 2 punch in the 2nd unit. This could happen by mid December as their gift to their fans. Mitch will get back his creativity and make miracles on the trade exception. All we want on Christmas is a consistent W’s from the Lakers.
George Best says
If you want to know how bad it is for the Lakers, just ask yourself if there is another team in the league whose roster and draft pick future is one you wouldnt trade the Lakers roster and draft pick future for. Maybe the Knicks and that is it which is kind of ironic.
BigCitySid says
Placing hope in Kobe hits 50% is just unrealistic. He’s has never done that consistently in his entire career, even playing next to future HOF’ers Shaq & Gasol. If he couldn’t do it then, how is he going to do it now.
Kobe has always loved the “turn around fade away while being double teamed circus shot”…and he’s never been held accountable for the misses, because every now and then he’d hit one or two.
Hope for an improving season must be based on something else.
Personally I’m wondering how long the honeymoon period between Kobe & Swaggy P will last. Swag has more than a little of Dwight Howard’s personality in him. S/b interesting.
Vasheed says
Well news reports Lakers intend to workout Quincy Miller & Ater Majok. I had a ways back posted wondering what had happened to some old stashed picks but I’m still surprised to read Majok is getting a work out.
I think the biggest problem this year is the length of time the Lakers spent choosing a coach and then selecting players. Last year the Lakers spent on a shoe string budget but at least they tried to go out and get guys who fit MDA’s system. This year there wasn’t any real frame work of a plan to fit. The Lakers really need to dedicate themselves to a coach and a system so the F.O. can start making sensible moves. I’m kinda happy with how Scott has communicated what he is trying to do but I’m rather unhappy with how slow he is reacting to making changes. I don’t totally blame Scott as he was put into a position where he has to try and shoehorn a scheme around his players that he has. Really the only coach I’ve seen do that with much success is George Karl hence why he was my favorite last year. I’m not sure at this point what a Scott team if I were to start from scratch would look like.
Craig W. says
It is still less than 10 games into the new season. My previous prediction was that Byron Scott wouldn’t make any notable changes until at least 10 games in. Now we hear he will give the team a couple of more games, but he is disappointed with the defense. Hummmmmm!
I doubt any of us think this will ever be a stellar defensive club, but the players are getting to know each other and their tendencies & strengths. We will improve. I also think a couple of key changes to the starting lineup are in order and will happen before the end of November. Maybe I am wrong, but Scott has been a coach who gives his players enough rope to hang themselves, before he shortens the chain. Once the changes are made, I suspect the players replacing them will feel more comfortable because of the way everything was done.
No, I don’t think we are likely to make the playoffs in the Western Conference.
rr says
2) nonetheless, i humbly suggest that everyone, that means all of us now, collectively vibrate positive thoughts to the squad. too much negativity holds one down
—
mud has floated variations this idea a few times, albeit in a much more confrontational way. I agree to a point with this in terms of people who are actually going to Staples to watch the team. I can get behind the idea of backing the team when you’re in the building, as long as they are hustling.
But in terms of internet chatter…the Lakers are a bad team in a weak long-term roster situation, arguably, as I have noted and as noted above, the worst situation in the NBA. So I don’t think it is realistic to expect people to be positive, and pretty much everybody posting at this point is a hard-core Lakers fan.
rr says
As to Miller and Majok, I commented in preseason (as did others ) that I thought it would have been better to pick up a guy out of the free talent pile who might be able to play a little D than to sign Boozer.
Jack says
The bottom line is that the Lakers are in the same boat as the 76ers, except for the following:
1) We can’t admit to tanking because of our need to maximize revenues from our TV and radio ratings.
2) We have Kobe Bryant. Out of respect for him we will always position the team as having a chance. Plus Kobe plays a big role in Point 1, above.
So, while I enjoy reading all of our posts about what the FO should do or admit to doing, the bottom line is that we are in Year 2 of a 4 Year process. The FO should do absolutely nothing. Any actions by the FO to make the team better in the short run only has the potential to lengthen the rebuild.
We can talk at length about how the Lakers got in this situation but the reality is they are here. There is nothing they can do except put as much of a positive spin on the situation as possible. Kobe provides a nice distraction – he is obviously healthy and he can pursue his personal scoring goals thereby making the Lakers newsworthy if not relevant.
Again, the worst thing the FO can do is pursue incremental wins at the cost of ruining the only asset we have – cap space. I think Mitch understands this. Do I know how this plays out – no, I don’t. Does this course of action guarantee success – no it doesn’t. But I will say the odds of success are greater by pursuing this path than anything else available to the team right now.
The Lakers have always played for the home run: the key trade or the elite FA signing. These potentials are still available to them if they take care of business and lose this year and next. Next summer we’ll have a healthy Randle (fingers crossed) a top 5 pick and possibly a good/great FA signing. Then in the summer of 2016, when Kobe rolls off the books, we sign another good/great along with an elite FA and the future will look a lot brighter.
The FO has to know that the good FAs will sign just for the money. The elite FAs sign for money and the chance to win. The FO has to build a foundation of young talent to attract the elite FAs in the summer of 2016 and beyond. This is what the next two years is about.
Craig W. says
Boozer has more trade value as an expiring contract and Mitch has proven he can use this. It doesn’t mean anything can happen, but the possibility is there.
KenOak says
I’d rather go the Lakers route than Philly’s. Philly, it seems, is just straight up tanking for the last 3 years. It’s really easy to say that a team like Philly is positioning itself well in regards to young talent etc…but tanking doesn’t always work guys. That’s why there are teams who are perennial cellar-dwellers. If your #1 player is a bust, then you haven’t positioned yourself very well. It worked for the Cavs because Lebron took the easy way out and went back home, but there was no guarantee that it would work out that way.
The Lakers don’t have a plan? How do any of you know that they don’t have a plan? Perhaps the plan is to keep ratings as high as possible until Kobe retires and then to retool for the future with an empty roster, loads of cap space, and a couple of young players. How is that not a plan? Just because some people don’t like it, or don’t like the fact that the team didn’t dump the face of the franchise doesn’t mean it isn’t a plan…
Lakafan says
Before a recent game, Byron Scott said he told his players “doubt kills dreams.” The Los Angeles Lakers coach was just getting warmed up.
“I told them that I have no doubt that we will win a championship in my tenure here as head coach,” Scott told ESPN.com this week, “because I know this organization. But I do know it’s going to take some patience. It’s a process.”
Wait. A championship?
“I agree,” Lakers star Kobe Bryant told ESPN.com when asked about Scott’s remark.
Why?
“Faith,” Bryant continued. “The Lakers’ track record. This organization is really good about turning around, period. We don’t have many dry years.”
Vasheed says
Craig w., Boozer cannot be traded. Its part of the terms from partially picking up his salary.
rr says
The Lakers don’t have a plan? How do any of you know that they don’t have a plan?
—
I think they have a plan, but the problem is that it seems to involve the idea that cap space and the brand will save them, and looking at the NBA landscape and the FAs hitting the market, that is highly speculative.
Also, part of what people mean when they suggest that the team doesn’t have a plan is that the FO seems to be in a Twilight Zone between saving their ammo and trying to compete now. The deals that they gave Kobe, Young, and Boozer, would seem to indicate that they are trying for a low seed, but at the same time, they didn’t make bids on Monroe, Bledsoe, Hayward, or Stephenson.
Is that a plan? Sure, but I have not seen much evidence that it’s a good one.
rr says
Echoing Vasheed: many people, including me, would have been less opposed to the Boozer deal if Amnesty claims could be traded.
Chearn says
Part One-
Scott is giving the lineup approximately ten games to show some continuity. Of course, that will not make a difference on defense. Defense more than anything requires a bit of athleticism and mobility along with a defensive IQ (see Ron Artest; MWP had lost a step or two but was still effective). This team is lacking in both of those areas and Kobe is not capable of playing defense at his age. Barring injuries I felt the team needed at least ten games to gain timing, and thought the Lakers would go 0-10, so it’s pleasant the team is 1-7.
Lin has never played one entire season in the starting lineup, so what many are now witnessing is his glaring holes as a player. Will his body even allow him to play 82 games as a starter in the NBA?
Hill is another player that has never adjusted to the rigors of one entire season in the NBA as one of the first five players on the floor.
Johnson has yet to post a season in the starting lineup. Are you starting to get the picture? That’s 60% of your starting lineup that never played an entire season in the starting lineup. Then when one looks at the bench the statistics are staggering (I’m not math savant so I’ll let others do that) no player on the bench was even a rotation player for an entire season. Of course, this does not include Nick Young, who is a proverbial journey man.
Boozer is past his prime. There’s nothing wrong with that; he’s a kid that made it to Duke and the NBA out of Alaska. The Lakers have Boozer in the starting lineup because he’s a globally recognizable NBA player. From the season’s ticket holders perspective the Lakers have three names on the roster that are known, the aforementioned, Lin, and Kobe. There is not one other name on the roster with an NBA pedigree that is marketable…maybe Nick Young aka Swaggy P but that’s because he’s dating Iggy Azalea more than for his NBA name recognition. Attempting to make Boozer a defensive player will net similar results that Jamison had with the Lakers. It is impossible for a player to become defensive minded at the end of their career when they were never asked to do so prior. At least he knows how to play 82 games in the starting lineup, albeit, he did so two seasons ago.
PurpleBlood says
KO,
LOL! wish i could be your attorney, i´d probably get a kick out of listening to you gripe about my fees! 😀
& man, how much do we miss Jerry West? i´ll never quite get over that one..doubt you won´t either – I´ll take a two-pointer at the buzzer for the w!
rr,
as always (thankfully) your posts are friggin´ great (& you mentioned mud´s posts as well, I dig them too) – my point, however, was more along the lines of a quiet belief that we´ll get past this thing eventually, & that what we as fans `do´ now matters as much in the now as it does for the (bright) future…..ah geez, i´m reaching, i know it brother – so:
C´mon Lakers, just get another w soon! hahahaha
Robert says
Purple/rr: Good discussion with regard to the negativity. I think that in person, we should all be supportive. When I am at games I always cheer. I hate people who boo, but I also dislike the people who just sit there (like most of the 100 section). So for this – I agree with both of you. However on the internet, it is different. We should speak the truth (albeit our own versions of that). I do not mind when others paint a rosy picture (there were many predicting playoffs or at least contending for such this summer). However everyone should just state their own opinion and not say – well this is how I feel and anyone who does not feel this way should go root for the Clippers : )
Jack: Very nice post. What the Lakers have to do right now is mindless. It is the correct thing to do, but basically we do not want to do anything. Don’t sign any stupid contracts, don’t trade away picks, and lose to get into the lottery. Then get lucky. Well you and I could do that for a lot less money then they pay Jim, Mitch and Byron. In fact I could do this better than Jim, because he is obviously unlucky, and I get accused of being lucky at the card table frequently. Your statement “the reality is they are here” is also correct, but we did things to get here and now the same guys are going to try to get us away from here. Step 1 – do almost nothing for 2 years and wait. Like I said – it is the correct thing to do – but it hardly fills me with encouragement.