For those of you who managed to escape from the forest fire that became of Tuesday’s post, today’s links (hopefully) serve as a shelter of reassurance as we focus on the Lakers’ future.
To put it bluntly, this summer’s free agency was something of a slap in the face for both Lakers fans and the front office. However, the team has since dusted off their wounds and, as Bleacher Report’s Josh Martin writes, the Lakers’ current construct could lead to a significant turnaround in the near future:
One of these days, a top-tier free agent is going to buy what the Lakers are selling and not just as a product of sheer persistence on the part of the NBA‘s marquee franchise. At this point, the Purple and Gold are counting on the precocious but unproven trio of D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson to improve and eventually make their pitch to players in search of a new home.
With any luck, those three will eventually have the chops to pull it off.
The key word is “eventually.” If there’s anything the Lakers learned from their sojourn to NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, it’s that their most promising prospects all appear to be a long way from actualizing their tantalizing potential, both individually and as a collective.
**
By now it has been well-documented that not only is coach Scott aiming to start Kobe at the small forward spot this season, but he also expects him to spend some time at the four. Beyond the question of how this transition could play out on the court, Scott’s apparent open-mindedness led Andy Kamenetzky of LakersNation to ponder whether he has finally “evolved” as a head coach:
But again, I’m not looking to analyze Kobe at the four. What’s noteworthy to me is that Scott would even float the idea, on his own time, without provocation. This is a coach who, to put it mildly, appears entrenched in “old school.” Three-pointers have been dismissed as a championship non-factor, despite staggering evidence to the contrary. Analytics have been pooh-poohed. Iso-ball ran rampant in a league where ball movement is king.
Byron appeared way more concerned last season with toughening his players — and proving beyond any shadow of a doubt that he’s not Mike D’Antoni — than actually making them better at basketball, much less challenging himself to become a better and more imaginative coach. It wasn’t the 61 losses that left me largely unimpressed. Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich couldn’t have co-coached that team to a .500 record. Instead, the rigidity of Scott’s approach and mindset prompted my constant skepticism.
But lately, there have been signs of mindfulness towards a bigger picture, and tailoring his approach to the game being played in 2015. In that same interview, Byron mentioned a premium placed this offseason on versatility, which feels in concert with today’s increasingly positionless basketball. That he’s slated Kobe as the starting three should mean by definition D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson will man the backcourt, which by further definition signals an openness towards rookie mistakes, bumps in the road, and losses that may be necessary to fulfill a process. In other words, beyond the well-deserved focus placed on Kobe’s probable ride into the sunset, he may accept that next season is more about 2018 than 2016.
**
Another presiding question over the Lakers current roster is how the bench players will cohere — particularly, Lou Williams and Nick Young. Last week, we shared an article in which Williams expressed no qualms about being able to mesh with the stylistically-similar Young, and Young recently shared a similar sentiment with Mark Medina of the LA Daily News while expressing optimism about his role on the roster going forward:
“(Kupchak) says, I’m talented, but just work with coach,” Young said. “Work off of coach and make sure everybody is on the same page.”
Young sounded deferential on playing with Williams, the NBA’s defending sixth man of the year.
“I don’t want us fighting for every shot,” Young said. “Lou is my guy. It should be all right. No one can really guard anybody when we’re out there. You can’t leave me open. You can’t leave him open.”
Young also reiterated he has spent this offseason following Scott’s instructions to improve his ballhandling, spot-up shooting and his off-ball defense.
“This year should be better,” Young said of his relationship with Scott. “Last year we had a lot going on with the team. So there was a lot of frustration. It’s a fresh start now.”
(MORE LIKE SWAGGY P-OSITIVITY AM I RIGHT?!)
**
Keeping with the feel good theme, former Laker Ronny Turiaf recently penned a first-person piece for the Players’ Tribune, detailing his struggle with — and eventual recovery from — a life-threatening heart condition. One of the many highlights of the piece was Turiaf expressing great appreciation towards Lakers management for their gratuitous contributions towards his open-heart surgery in 2005:
“Gratitude” is also my word for the Lakers. Once I failed my physical, they had zero obligation to pay for my surgery. Zero. I had never even met Dr. Buss at that point. But they did, and they were added to the list of people I needed to honor by getting back on the court.
I don’t think many people know this, but after every home game I played with the Lakers, I would see Dr. Buss in the Chairman’s Lounge. Just to make sure I acknowledged him. We had that unspoken language. He knew why I was coming to see him, and looked at me like, “I got you, son. You’re part of the family.”
I told Mitch Kupchak to bring a jersey to the hospital. I had a Sunday white right in front of my bed. He came to see me, and I had tubes in my neck — tubes everywhere. But I told him, “I’m gonna rock that No. 21. I guarantee you.” He didn’t believe me. I know he didn’t. He had to be like, There’s no way that kid comes back and plays.
It can be said that for someone who was near-death, Ronny Turiaf was more alive than anybody to ever settle upon the Lakers bench. Despite not offering much in the way of numbers or minutes, Ronny consistently delivered unwavering energy and enthusiasm, forever embedding him within the memories of those mid-to-late 00’s Laker squads (see here, here and here.) Former Laker or not, the fact that Turiaf is now able to approach everyday life with that same level of exuberance, no longer deterred by a potential heart failure, is equally inspiring and wonderful news.
All the best, Ronny.
**
Extra, Extra:
(Below are a few extra articles that didn’t make into the above piece, but are no less worth a look. An honorable mentions of links posts, if you will. Enjoy!)
- Report: Knicks, Lakers, Wizards still interested in Kevin Seraphin by Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk
- In the quiet period of the NBA offseason, one question still hovers over the Lakers: what to do with that remaining roster spot? Seraphin is a name that had been tossed around Laker circles early in free agency and being that the team could use another big off the bench, the interest makes sense. Where the hesitation may lie is weighing the ability of Seraphin to potentially contribute now against the potential of Robert Upshaw — originally expected to nab that lone spot — to develop down the line.
- Jordan Clarkson is Hopeful the Lakers can Make the Playoffs by Matt Moore of CBS Sports
- This headline doesn’t fall too far off the optimism tree of today’s post and the piece as a whole offers insight as to where Clarkson proved successful last season and exactly where he should look to improve going forward.
- Kobe Bryant: The Things We Know But Do Not Say by David Murphy of Searching for Slava
- Murphy is friend of and contributor to FB&G and it is always of good interest to follow his work. Recently, at his wonderfully named site “Searching for Slava” Murphy focused on Kobe Bryant, the enigma, by depicting a caricatural image of the various ventures, tall tales and all-around wonderment that continues to surround the 37-year old superstar. This is currently one of the most well-written pieces on the web and is undoubtedly worth your time.
dxmanners says
Let’s face it, the Lakers were one of the worst teams last year, when you’re that bad, take the sure thing. Should have taken Okafor.
rr says
Young: I have been very critical of the contract that the FO gave him and am not a fan of Young as a player. But I do like the fact that he loves being a Laker and I think the quotes reflect that.
Hope/young guys: The only thing certain for me at this point is that Randle and Russell will have some growing pains and will look bad sometimes, and fans/posters/media will blame whomever they dislike the most. As we are seeing already, a lot of people will blame Byron’s offense and his personality, a lot of people will blame Kobe (and Young and Williams) saying that they are shooting too much, and a lot of people will blame the FO and say they blew the draft picks, especially if Okafor and Mudiay play better than Russell does out of the gate.
With so much of the fanbase’s collective hopes tied up in Russell and Randle, I think it will be tough getting through the signal/noise.
LKK says
Hope they find a way to take a good long look at Upshaw. He has game changer potential.
Anonymous says
I hope they make the playoffs before the end of the decade.
George says
From Kevin Pelton’s recent NBA Chat:
Question: Looking ahead to next offseason and the chase for Kevin Durant… who are the legitimate contenders for him based on talent composition and cap space? I see OKC, Wiz, PHX as probably the most appealing teams in that order. Who am I missing and where would they rank?
Kevin Pelton: The other one probably worth mentioning is Houston, which could get in the mix by waiving or trading Ty Lawson and trading a few other reasonable contracts (Trevor Ariza, etc.). I don’t know how interested Durant and Harden would be in sharing the basketball now that they’re at equal billing, but they are certainly in position to add him without gutting the team.
rr says
George,
I expect that Durant may not even meet with the Lakers, since literally half the teams in the league will want a sit-down with him.
rr says
Harry (Utah) [via mobile]
Better situation going forward Lakers or Knicks?
Kevin Pelton (3:11 PM)
I think the Lakers have a better shot at landing a top free agent given they will have the space to land a pair of them if Kobe Bryant indeed retires after the season
Robert says
dxmanners: “when you’re that bad, take the sure thing” Said the same thing before the draft.
rr: You are correct about the blame. And this will make no sense. Let’s say the consensus is for the Lakers to win 30 games. So if we start off 3-5, why would this change anything? 6-10? 12-20? However, you are correct – it will change in people’s minds. Byron will be an idiot, Kobe will be selfish. You can count on me though. With those results, my views will be consistent with what they have been for 2 years. It would be 4 years, but I had a momentary lapse of reason between the signings of DH and MD.
George says
@rr – I saw that other Q/A from the Pelton chat. While I agree we will have space for two free agents the challenge is to find players interested in what we have to offer. We (hopefully) will show progress this season but our veterans are average and our kids are very young. We won’t be a team on the cusp of competing and that is what all free agents want.
I think we’ll pursue Durant to the point that we’ll get a meeting if only for appearances sake. I know he’s not coming but I can see Jim twisting some arms to get an audience. There are no other un-restricted free agents that make sense to pair with KD. I know folks are mentioning Al Horford but he’ll be 30 and has been injured two of the last four years (playing 29 games in 13/14 and 11 games in 11/12).
My fear is that we’ll spend time on chasing KD and we’ll miss out on players that we should be targeting. Joel wrote post a few days ago which focused on under the radar 2016 free agents. I think it highlighted Harrison Barnes, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Meyers Leonard and Jonas Valanciunas as players that could be available with aggressive restricted free agent offers.
I can’t help to think where the Lakers would be if they had made a big offer to Greg Monroe when he was a restricted free agent in the summer of 2014. Instead we went after Lebron and Melo…
Myles Duve says
The issue with the “You’re that bad take the sure thing” logic is that it lends itself to the short-sighted mindset that many suggest is what currently has the Lakers handicapped. You’re taking the guy with the higher floor, maybe, but also with a significantly lower ceiling.
Secondly — and I know you’ve heard this before, but it’s true — there is no such “sure thing” . Every player has flaws and often those can serve as a big detriment down the line if not improved upon. In the case of Okafor, yeah he can probably average 16 & 8 right now but he struggles against size and tougher schemes and gives little effort on the defensive end — in a nutshell. So a “sure thing” in what context? Maybe in his ability to contribute good numbers immediately but outside of that we really don’t know whether he’ll be able to improve upon his deficiencies or even struggle with injuries down the line (this applies to all prospects).
So no I’m not anti-Okafor, he’s talented . But I’m not claiming any player is a sure thing and in regards to him vs. Russell I personally think Russell has the greater upside and — struggling team or not — taking the player you believe can be the best down the line is always the smart choice.
Robert says
Myles: Questioning the logic and disagreeing is fine. There is not basis for calling my (and others) view short sighted. I want a title at some point – and I realize that is not real soon.. I am guessing you do too. I think Okafor was the best move for that. I do not care how many wins we have this year, because we are not coming close to winning the WCF. So – how am I short sighted? You may know I play poker, so I understand odds and your ceiling and floor comment. I also understand “no sure thing”. Sorry I agreed with dx, but my view is that he was a safer bet (not a sure thing – nothing is as you said). Your statement: “You’re taking the guy with the higher floor, maybe, but also with a significantly lower ceiling.” can easily be changed as follows: “I am taking the guy with the significantly higher floor, however “maybe” a lower ceiling.” Does this make me less short sighted? : ) It is all opinion. However the “consensus” #2 was Okafor and it was also generally understood was a more known quantity. We also went against the consensus with our next pick. Hopefully, Russell and Nance will pan out, but the “safer” play (not the short sighted play) was Okafor + Looney (or Christmas). However I acknowledge that this has a long way to go and Russell and Nance could easily turn out to be the correct moves. Hopefully they will.
Todd says
I think not pursuing Monroe this past summer was a bad move if the Lakers had any expectation of attracting any free agent this off-season — let alone, KD. The Lakers simply needed another talented young player whose game is ascending to complement the core of Randle, Russell and Clarkson.
I can’t see KD coming. There will be too many teams better than the Lakers with enough cap space to sign him. KD will have his pick of great landing spots.
I don’t want to start another FO thread but you would think that someone in our organization would be thinking about this and say, ‘you know Lebron went to the Cavs because of the young talent. Maybe we should acquire as much young talent as possible. Then an elite free agent may actually want to play for us.’ Lebron liked the fact that the Cavs had talented players that were younger than he was.
I know that some will say that Monroe wouldn’t have come. Well, he had to know he was our third choice. Maybe he went to the Bucks because they made it know from the outset that he was their guy.
TheNumberOfFlopsIsTooDamnHigh says
Hope is a great thing, no doubt about it.
But it is a very misleading word in conjunction with all those fans who expect to see this team win more than 30 games.
I hope that our young prospects will develop quickly into great players too.
But that doesn’t mean I am illusionary, thinking we will win 50+ games and make the playoffs this season.
That is just pure nonsense, and has nothing to do with hope.
You see, there is a whole stacked conference between us and that goal.
And most teams in the WC happen to have what we do not:
Proven elite talent, and continuity.
In all the recent discussions people seem to forget the fact that never before have a few rookies moved the needle from 20 something wins right into the playoffs.
Regardless how much talent and super star potential they might have, or how high they were drafted.
And I’ve said it before, I’ve watched the Summer-league games live, Russell and Randle are miles away from magically transforming us into a contender.
As if only these two will improve during their first season, and the many other rookies who looked way better out there will not, what are you thinking, people?
More importantly, not even two guys in our projected starting line-up have ever played any meaningful minutes together on the floor before, compounding the fact that they
are not elite (yet, or hardly anymore respectively) individually to begin with.
So please people, lets stay realistic and keep our expectations in check.
We will not make the playoffs, and it will take at least a whole (injury free) season for this newly thrown together squad to even begin to look like a gelling NBA team that has chemistry and potential to compete for a playoff spot, once we -mind you- add two more star players to this squad.
So, here is to hoping we don’t have crazy expectations other than watching Russell, Clarkson and Randle slowly growing into a high performing long term core we can build on…
Here is to hoping Hibbert returning to all star defense form and Upshaw turning the corner and making the team…
Here is to hoping for more LARRY LARRY chants while he is getting the most blocks and 50 50 balls of any lakers rookie before, and Kelly never ever again playing the 3. (or, actually, any position for that matter.)
Here is to hoping Kobe doesn’t loose any more limbs and can contribute meaningful minutes without stifling the development of the next generation…
And here is to hoping someone will get Scott a modern playbook as a gift,
with actual offensive sets inside instead of base line sprints.
Hope is a great thing, no doubt about it.
Myles Duve says
Hey Robert,
Appreciate you sharing. When saying short-sighted I wasn’t placong that label on you or our other readers at FB&G who abide by the same premise. I was entirely referring to the mindset of simply taking the “sure thing” because your team has been struggling from a management perspective. Being that you play poker I am sure you are aware that stoicism is key even with a great hand. From a basketball view this can simply be called “staying the course” and allowing your young talent to show itself down the line. This simply is what I was referring to and I could have made it more clear but many prefer the “sure thing” at the expense of the better yet more developmental project.
In regards to going against the consensus, really based on my own pre-draft evaluations Okafor wasn’t #2 on my board and if I recall there was a bit more uncertainty about that spot in draft circles as the draft neared. (Don’t get me wrong, Okafor was probably in the majority but it was nowhere near out of the question to take Russell, Porzingis or even Mudiay at #2)
I don’t attack my readers though, man. I have a soft spot for every one of you haha. I was simply contextualizing the logic you raised and sharing my thoughts on it. Think you make some excellent points and in reality time will tell who’s right in regards to Okafor v. Russell. Appreciate you all for reading and sharing!
Mid-Wilshire says
I actually like this topic: hope. It is not synonymous with delusion. Nor is it the same thing as certainty. It’s actually some where in between — high expectations tempered with uncertainty and maybe a certain amount of caution. There is nothing wrong with having hope. Not to get overly theological, but in some religions it’s actually considered a virtue. Some branches of medicine believe that hope and a positive outlook can prolong life. So, having hope, as long as that hope is not wildly delusional, can actually be a good thing.
Below are some of my reasons for hope for this Lakers team. Again, these are neither predictions nor expectations. They are simply reasons for looking forward to the future (and I do believe that the Lakers have some very good reasons to look to the future):
JORDAN CLARKSON
I shall begin with Jordan Clarkson because I really like what I see. Only 2 years ago, readers on this site were decrying the Lakers’ lack of athleticism. Well, those days are over, at least as regards Mr. Clarkson. He his extremely fast (a track star in high school), jumps out of the building, has fabulous body control, and is driven I think by an inner demon to prove all his nay sayers wrong. My hope: 2015-16 will be a break out year for Jordan. He will prove that he belongs. No more of that 6th man talk. He’s a starter and will stay that way for many years. He will be a force to reckon with and our opponents will actually have to worry about him a little bit (at least, I hope so).
D’ANGELO RUSSELL AND JULIUS RANDLE
They are often considered together since they are both, in effect, rookies and are the two youngest players on the team. I was rather startled by the selection of Russell in the draft, I admit. And with every turnover in the recent Summer League games, he made me more than a little nervous. But I also saw enough from him that leads me to believe that he could, possibly, be a superb point guard in the NBA…someday. His vision is extraordinary. And his 3-point shooting could be a real weapon. He’s very young. But I think he’s someone to watch. Randle is similar. His play this summer was extremely erratic. But when he did something good, it was often breathtaking. I think he could develop into a real force with some Lamar Odom-ish skills lurking somewhere in his arsenal. My hope: that Russell and Randle are solid this year, that they learn a lot (as Clarkson did last year), and that they come on strong after the ASG (again, as Clarkson did). Realistically, they may be 2-3 years away from truly breaking out. But there is hope…most definitely.
TARIK BLACK AND JABARI BROWN
Now, accuse me of over-reaching if you want, but I like these two players. The Lakers found both of them on the scrap heap last year and they both showed signs of becoming, potentially, true contributors, I think. My hope: Black becomes a strong backup 4/5 who averages 8 pts. and 8 rebounds per game in 21 minutes and becomes a solid position defender. Brown, meanwhile, becomes a dead-eye shooter (at least, by Lakers’ standards) from 3-pt. range and a solid, willing wing-defender to boot. I think it’s worth monitoring both.
ROY HIBBERT AND BRANDON BASS
I believe that together both Roy Hibbert and Brandon Bass could possibly give the Lakers a solid backline defense that the team has not seen in a very long time. Neither is invisible on offense. But the Lakers don’t need them for their offense. They need them for their defensive stoutness. Hibbert, in particular, should be a major factor in protecting the rim…something the Lakers have needed desperately for many years. My hope: that, because of the defensive presence of Bass and, especially, Roy Hibbert, the Lakers’ defense will improve from an abysmal 29th in the league to a 20-16 ranking — a significant improvement overall. We shall see what happens.
WINS
I’ve already gone on record as stating that the Lakers will win no more than 32 games this next season. Actually, that itself would be an 11-win improvement…nothing to sneeze at. (If you think of it, if the Lakers improve by 11 wins each year for the next 3 years, they’ll be a 54-win team and in the hunt for a conference title. But a great deal must happen before then.) My hope: that I’ve sold them terribly short and the Lakers actually win 40 games this year. Golden State improved from 23-43 in 2011-12 to 47-35 in 2012-13. So it can be done. If this were to happen, I’d be delighted to say that I was dead wrong. As I said above, we shall see.
All we can do is hope.
Baylor Fan says
From the glass is half empty perspective: Madsen ran the legs off the rookies prior to the start of Summer League games so that it was not really possible to assess where they were ability wise, Mitch has stated that he would like to add a point guard and a center, the Lakers were rumored to be in the mix for Lawson, and Helin has them interested in Seraphin. In a forward looking nod to the future: Seraphin wants more time on the floor, does not pass, fouls on defense, has bad hands on defense (very few steals), and the Wizards were 7.2 points per 100 possessions worse on offense when he was on the floor. The good news is that at 25 he is relatively young. Why is he preferred over Upshaw? Even Kobe’s move to SF could be viewed as a way to keep Young off the floor as much as a chance to develop the young players.
rubenowski says
Flops,
The western conference is not as stacked as last year. With the Mavs losing Chandler and Ellis and the Blazers losing Aldridge, next year might be the first year since the lockout in the 90’s that a .500 team makes the 8th seed in the west; and, if any star gets injured the 7th seed might be up for grabs as well.
Having said that, I don’t see the Lakers winning 42 games next season, but hey, perhaps a below .500 team sneaks in, in which case the Lakers might have a slight chance if all goes well for us, though I highly doubt that since that would mean Russel and Randle play like vets, Kobe shoots above 40%, and the team learns to play decent D.
Perhaps this is what Mitch and Clarkson base their optimism on when they say we got a shot at the playoffs. I like that the team will try hard next season. I predict 35 wins.
J C says
Hope: great topic.
I hope Russell develops just quickly enough that he isn’t criticized heavily by fans or media in favor of Okafor. Russell will need time to develop.
Coincidentally…
By the time Russell hits his stride in two years, Jim Buss’s timeline will be up. So perhaps their fates are joined.
Vasheed says
The Lakers for their all their faults are a fairly good organization. They aren’t cheap skates like Sterling was for most of his time owning the Clips. They haven’t been subjecting their fans to a never ending tank like the Sixers. So will Okafor ruin the tank this year? And after the bad luck the Lakers had with the Veto, Dwight and Nash they seem to finally getting past it. The Mavericks seem to have had the worst luck lately with winning Rondo’s services last year and this year the whole Jordan fiasco. Consider how bad that team is likely to be even with Dirk giving up lots of salary.
bleedpurplegold says
In an ideal world, i would hope for russell to show some promise of being a floor leader. I would like clarkson to begin the year at the level he closed the last season (which would be a great thing cause opponents will focus on him more). Randle would get his touch back and be what i thought he was coming in last season (which is being the best player of last years draft!) and we find 2-3 young guys we could keep long term. As much as i love him, in this world kobe will not play more than ~20min per game and coach scott would be more innovative (i really want him to succeed here!!).
But even in this world mentioned above, we wont win more than ~30 games (b
ut we would finish draft lottery with a top3 pick again 🙂
tankyou says
If Kobe’s shoulder is better, I can see him shooting low 40%’s again. The problem is that his limited lift, speed, and the greatly reduced ability to be a threat to drive to the rim is going to produce harder shots for him on a regular basis. We saw that last year, he still has an array of moves to get off the shots, but fadeway 2 pointers with a hand in your face is not what we want our #1 offensive option to be. So I really hope he plays only 25-30mpg tops, unless he is having one of those “on fire” type games. The additional benefit being more ball dominant time for the guys who really need it Russel/Randle/Clarkson.
I also hope we get rid of Swaggy, or trade Williams for some picks maybe, to free up shots and usage time for our three young guys. For me and many here, its all about those 3 guys, the rest is just window dressing. IF we win 5 less games b/c the rooks growing pains, who cares, that’s great. IF we win a handful of games more just to watch Swaggy/Williams jack up shots all day, and Kobe try and shoot every time down the court the final 8 minutes of the game, I’m going to be beyond frustrated.
People keep saying the West got worse, but not much. The top 6 teams are heads above the rest in a major way, many of the teams should be even better this year. I think you will see that the Suns play better this year, Utah will be better, and the Kings likely will still be tough for us to beat–just b/c they have a lot of proven talent. Josh Smith certainly doesn’t hurt them, the kings could be a dark horse team if they just keep the entire team in psychotherapy after practice is over. I still believe the Timberwolves will surprise people this year and likely be as good as us, a 30 win team. This should be a really interesting year, overall the middle of the pack teams seem to have more parity and the East isn’t quite the joke it was before.
Oldtimer says
I hope Chemistry works and in addition to what Mid Wilshire said, Lakers would go forward with defensive stoppers from Hibbert/Bass/Black while offense will click in unison with Kobe surge on his last season together with Lou Williams who is unknown in Laker nation. Among the rookies, I have confidence on Clarkson/Jabari Brown duo who knew each way back college hoops. Randle/Russell and the other three rookies will be learning a lot on their first season and would eventually help this franchise. Success is in the hands of Byron Scott, the rotation, the adjustments and some wisdom acquired from Showtime and new analytics that spring new camaraderie of the newly assembled group.
Even if they don’t make the playoffs, I hope there is forward thrust than retrogression. There is a development on the new found camaraderie attached to Lakers plight. There is a connection between the past and the future rather than mismanaging playing time that results to injuries, disrupt confidence build-up among players and keep on revamping the team every season that affects growth and development. It is like planting a small tree, if you cultivate it with healthy fertilizers and just enough water and sun exposure, you would notice its growth of branches with plenty of leaves and flowers that will attract bees and bear fruits. If you treat a tree like a tomato plant, then it is only alive in spring and dies in winter. There should be continuity and progress in the Lakers team, that is true analytic combined with logical moves in tweaking the roster that will surmount any challenges in the future.
PurpleBlood says
this has been a heck of a good thread everyone –
I´m with those who see this upcoming season as one which will happily surprise us all.
Mid,
great post man.
(& Myles, thanks for the link to Dave Murphy´s blog; truth is i hadn´t read anything from his blog in a while and had been wondering how he´s been doin´. Seems like a fine fella…+ he´s a rock&roll fan!)