The Lakers Reality Show
- Thread starter wade boggs chicken dinner
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JT's Dad admitted that he would probably trade his son for AD, and then in follow-up interview, JT said that he would trade himself for AD.
So no, I don't think it's affecting JT.
As for JB, I think he's soaking it all in.
Besides, there's a difference between teams exploring trades and having the best player of your team try to jettison you for someone else. Antonio Daniels (who apparently does NO games) made this point on the radio yesterday. It kind of sucks when your teammate says that you're not good enough to win with.
Agreed.
In addition, specifics on a potential Celtics deal aren't splashed all over the media like the Lakers ones are. "Probably includes Tatum+" or "Could be Brown, Rozier s&t, plus more" is a far cry from "sources say that Magic offered Ball, Kuzma, Ingram, Hart, plus but was hung up on."
Being possibly a key trade piece for one of the best players on earth is not the same as being one of five guys that weren't appealing enough to consider. Of course I'm oversimplifying, but one could imagine a guy in his early 20s feeling that he's not as valuable as he thought he was, not just around the league but to his own people.
Lol, LaVar definitely went after the free throw thing because he knows it will get people talking on social media. Lonzo is shooting 41 percent from the line this year.
Watching this LA thing just explode in LeBron's face this year is so, so enjoyable.
Watching this LA thing just explode in LeBron's face this year is so, so enjoyable.
Hopefully, 75 years from now, CHB's grandson is writing a book called, "The Curse of Lavar".
Outside of the monumental feat that was landing Lebron the Lakers haven't been any better under Magic and Pelinka than they were with Buss and Kupchak. Think about their last 18 months for a moment. In the 2018 offseason alone they failed in their pursuit of a second star, mismanaged their funds in free agency, and chose the wrong veteran free agents. They bungled their trade pursuits of Paul George, Kawhi and AD. They chose Ball and Ingram over Russell and Randle. Has anything gone right? They are basically down to this offseason to right the ship and I'm skeptical.
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Yeah I’m not sure how much credit the front office gets for “LeBron said he was going to sign with you and you didn’t say no.”
Good drafting of Hart and Kumza, other than that not much. If you ask Laker fans Kuzma is better than Tatum right now (no seriously, they actually think that)
The silliness of this statement is the reason Rondo's shot went in tonight.
Cross posting from the game thread:
They are going to be a playoff team this year and will make some noise if they play like they did when they were healthy earlier this season. This summer they have room for a max contract in a year when there are are several legit max contract players available. They'll be fine.
As for the LeVar show, they did much better after he started running his mouth about getting Luke fired last year, perhaps that will happen again. It is a shame what that idiot is doing to his kid. Perhaps he thinks he is taking attention off of the fact that Lonzo can't seem to stay on the court.
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That's true. But before Lebron got hurt, the Lakers had a better record than the Celtics. The point is, with Lebron, they are a high quality playoff team. Without him, they are garbage.(see Cleveland, 2018 versus 2019)
I think it's fair to say Lebron did not rush back from this recent injury. The Lakers will make the playoffs and I think Lebron getting over a month off is probably best for him not only in 2019 but for the future, too. So he'll be raring to go for the rest of the year.
The Lakers didn't land a humongous talent this past week and I hope they don't this summer. But they have Lebron and that's something.
Yeah, they're pretty close to being quite good, despite all the trashing in this thread from people who clearly never watch them. Can see glimpses this year of how -- with LeBron -- they are a playoff team and maybe even a good playoff team albeit no real threat until/unless they get another big piece. Ball was playing quite well before his injury and Kuzma, too, before the hip thing he's playing through. And Ingram has showed progress playing without LeBron. Of course, bursts and glimpses isn't the same as consistency -- we know that's what separates the studs from the wannabes. Still, they're already at a level that if they had got Paul George (who would have been a perfect fit) they'd be scary. If Kawhi or someone else who can mesh well is added for next year, and there is continued progress from the 21 year olds, they'll certainly be in the top 25% of NBA teams and a difficult playoff match for anyone. In more short-term, be interesting to see if LeBron can flog them into the 8th playoff spot -- can't quite remember when Ball is supposed to be back, but if he and Kuzma are healthy by then they'll be an interesting team to watch.
I'm not sure that Magic is really up for the job, though. He's been played by NO and by Jerry West across town. It's a mystery to me why Buss didn't give the GM job to West.
I'm not sure that Magic is really up for the job, though. He's been played by NO and by Jerry West across town. It's a mystery to me why Buss didn't give the GM job to West.
I still think that people are discounting the 4 year contract that Lebron signed. It seemed a given that it would be that standard 1+1, since Lebron can sign whatever he wants. Magic must have talked him into that. It adds an air of credibility to their enterprise, and may help this summer with their top guy pursuits.
I'm still glad that they have kind of an F Troop vibe going there, and I'm ecstatic that they didn't land AD. But they will be a thing over the next few years almost certainly.
I'm still glad that they have kind of an F Troop vibe going there, and I'm ecstatic that they didn't land AD. But they will be a thing over the next few years almost certainly.
I really, really like Zubac, but you can’t say the Clips fleeced them until this summer. He’s an RFA who will draw a nice offer early in Free Agency. If the Lakers sign any one of Kawahi, KD, Klay or noted Brandon Ingram admirer Kyrie Irving they would not be able to match any offer on Zubac anyway.
If the Lakers miss on FAs this summer, West fleeced them. If they hit on one this summer, they only gave up 25 games of Zubac for a guy who actually can shoot from outside + whatever buyout guy they pick up (Markeef Morris? Carmelo?) along with getting Beasley’s brand of crazy out of the locker room.
West saw a nice opportunity to get a guy who fits well with their plan, but the Lakers plan meant they couldn’t Keep Zubac past the end of this year.
I don’t think Zubac, with his foultacular defense and limited rebounding would get many of Javale or Chandler’s minutes in the playoffs. I almost wonder if the whole point of giving Zubac the minutes they did in December and January was to make him an enticing piece in the AD trade they thought was coming.
This is well put. He moves there for non basketball reasons as much as anything else. He is making all these shows now etc.
I trust LeBron or the front office, and I wouldn't if I was a Lakers fan, with much. The players they signed, whoever made the decision, were dumb.
They overplayed their hands on PG and for now AD. And I'm not convinced LeBron is going to wait for another full season.
They dumped Russell for nothing. Let Randell walk for nothing and then every other young talent was made available!
Then they traded zubac for Muscala????
Wot?
Walton is a bad coach too. Their front office has no actual experience.
They did get out of that horrid Mozgov contract and also got the Kuzma pick, so it was at least something. But they certainly sold low on Russell, who is looking more like what was envision when he was drafted.
Otherwise in agreement with your post.
I don't know how you can draw any conclusions when everything they have been doing is geared for this summers FA and trade market. They are exactly where they expected to be with a bunch of young players and a bunch of one-year veterans to bridge the gap until they can utilize their cap space this summer. The only attempt that was made was one that had no chance of occurring in closing an AD deal prior to the Celtics being involved but it didn't cost them anything to try.
I can't see the Lakers tenure ending any different that his previous stops. Forcing the team to make bad deals to help him out RIGHT NOW and then walking away leaving a mess.
You mean by winning a Championship? That is the Lakers only goal over the next 4-5 years. How are deals that accomplish that goal, like the ones made in Miami and Cleveland, ever considered a bad deal?
Oh pulleeze:
GM Rob Pelinka hopes Los Angeles Lakers rally like New England Patriots
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25954130/gm-rob-pelinka-hopes-los-angeles-lakers-rally-new-england-patriots
GM Rob Pelinka hopes Los Angeles Lakers rally like New England Patriots
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25954130/gm-rob-pelinka-hopes-los-angeles-lakers-rally-new-england-patriots
This is more or less true. I think Magic/Pelinka are dubious...but not the shitshow of Kupchak/Buss -- that was a disaster. You're right that in essence with maybe a mis-step or two (Zubac, I agree..maybe that's debatable -- couldn't they have waited until after they have signed a 2nd star and then have the right to overpay him? Or, if they don't get that star, sign him?) they've basically done what they had to do. Clean house; clear salary; get one (huge) star; have the path to a 2nd star; and a decent supporting cast around them; they've also drafted well with late picks in Kuzma and Hart. And they made a good signing in Rondo and even the bad signings (Lance, primarily) were just one-year deals, so they're on course. But the Lance and Beasley signings; not signing shooters; not just trading Russell but trashing him on the way out; and drafting Lonzo when Fox and Tatum were available (I'll even fixate more on Fox than Tatum -- Magic was a point guard -- shouldn't he of all people have known better? and I say that as someone who likes Lonzo better than most). Again -- none of that is devastating -- Ball and Ingram and Kuzma keep progressing; they sign a star; and they're in the thick of it after having been dead during the Kupchak/Buss era. But when Jerry West kills every single deal right across town and Magic seems to have more than a bit of that old school "give me real hard ass players, not these fancy modern 3 point shooters", I think there's reason to doubt.
That said -- he nails a free agent and those small things will be....small.
I suspect the Lakers would be very happy if his tenure ends as it did elsewhere -- is this serious?
I mean, Lebron is worth 50 wins almost all by his lonesome.
However it happened, getting Lebron is an A+ move for any franchise.
So assuming AD is traded somewhere else, Durant resigns or goes to NY, Kryie stays in Boston...are we looking at a Kemba/LeBron/Cousins trio as the foundation of the next LA run?
Were there really people who expected LeBron to keep these kids around? We discussed this last summer and it would be the polar opposite of what LeBron has done at every stop. With or without Davis this Lakers team will almost surely be overhauled by draft night, no?
How does Magic have time for the Lakers, Dodgers and his business interests? Does he have a lot of assistants or something?
The Dodgers I think is more of a passive investment, they have a huge front office.
He does shit for the Dodgers beyond being a figure head that helped them win the bid and draws fans. His movie theaters I’m sure he’s not daily hands on.
i hear Kemba wants to re-sign with the Hornets, but to me he'd be an ideal LeBron side-kick -- very complementary skill sets.
any Klay murmurs? dad, family LA-based
Kemba and Klay would be excellent complimentary players to Bron. At least that's what I'm hoping for, have the Lakers use up all their cap space for 4 years and then redirect Rich Paul's attention to signing AD with the Celtics.
Sounds like the Family Ball want to go to Phoenix. Maybe the Lakers can build something around Zo++ for TJ Warren?
Should've just used the word. Took me a couple seconds.You guys have no sense of humor
Has Magic ever shown he can evaluate talent? Plus in terms of a GM, even if he loved Lonzo, his biggest failing was telegraphing it so much.
Magic took Lonzo because he reminded him of, well, him (straight down to the broken jump shot that Magic had when he was that age).
Funny moment during the ABC Lakers/Sixerz pre-game. The host and Billups and Jalen were very emphatic that Magic had to re-assure and encourage the remaining Lakers players from the aborted AD rumors that they were wanted. Pierce busted in and was like 'hey, you bring in LeBron, this is what you get' and that the players were supposed to be pros and didn't need hand holding because it's a business. The rest of the panel was not having the Truth's take. Pierce doubled down, this is the business and this is the Lakers, deal with it.
Pierce was right. Magic admitted that is what he told his players. Be professionals.
I thought Zach Lowe made a really interesting point in his piece last week about LeBron and the Lakers offense. His point was that LeBron is clearly strategically conserving energy during games, both on not trying on defense and also taking offensive plays off. This is a problem for the Lakers offense, because when LeBron is differing to other players; such as let Ingram get the ball at the top of the key and go ISO, LeBron often just stands in the corner. For most NBA players, when they don't have the ball they are setting screens, cutting to the basket, prowling around the perimeter, etc. LeBron doesn't do a lot of that, he just stands there, conserving energy.
This is particularly a problem because it prevents LA from getting into a rhythm or flow offensively. Either the Lakers' best player is dominating the ball and creating for others; or he is standing around just spacing the floor. It's difficult for the Lakers to get their offense in gear when one guy isn't working hard off the ball. This may not have been a problem when he was playing with a creator like Kyrie, but for a guy like Ingram or Lance Stephenson, they need the aid of LeBron's gravitational pull to be efficient on offense.
This is particularly a problem because it prevents LA from getting into a rhythm or flow offensively. Either the Lakers' best player is dominating the ball and creating for others; or he is standing around just spacing the floor. It's difficult for the Lakers to get their offense in gear when one guy isn't working hard off the ball. This may not have been a problem when he was playing with a creator like Kyrie, but for a guy like Ingram or Lance Stephenson, they need the aid of LeBron's gravitational pull to be efficient on offense.
Well Lonzo can't shoot and doesn't really get to the rim in the half-court so he isn't really creating for everyone. That being said, even if you have a guy like Harden running the show, they still often need everyone on the court to be engaged in the offensive set in order to achieve maximum efficiency.
Sorry, Im dumb.
I didn't mean Lonzo. I meant Rondo. Wasn't Rondo supposed to take the ball handling duties off of Lebron so he could do exactly that - sit in the corner and space - while Rondo created the halfcourt offense?
Perhaps, but since he is shooting 32.9% from three point range, I am not sure this is the most efficient use of him.
from the right corner he is shooting 0% and from the left corner he shots 33.3%. league averages are 41.8% and 38.1% respectively.
https://www.statmuse.com/questions/2fa61cf1-7afd-4445-b767-69193e01eea0