2014-15 Official Lakers Season Thread, Vol: We Love Each Other

[CP1708]

relax dude.

Yes, Smart can defend. Can he defend 1-4? Is it better to have a 6-4 defender, or a 6-9 defender that can jump thru a gym? Who covers more space?

And again, what does Smart do for you in terms of grooming a scorer?


I'm not asking you to agree with me, you gave your views, that countered your own wishes. I asked questions back at you. Just asking things maybe you hadn't thought of yet, etc. Not sayin you wrong for wanting Smart or he sucks, or nothing remotely close to that.

 

[essential1]

relax dude.

Yes, Smart can defend. Can he defend 1-4? Is it better to have a 6-4 defender, or a 6-9 defender that can jump thru a gym? Who covers more space?

And again, what does Smart do for you in terms of grooming a scorer?


I'm not asking you to agree with me, you gave your views, that countered your own wishes. I asked questions back at you. Just asking things maybe you hadn't thought of yet, etc. Not sayin you wrong for wanting Smart or he sucks, or nothing remotely close to that.

I don't think he was picking smart either CP.

 

[CP1708]

Oooh, good point. If that's the case, that's my bad then.

 

[grandtheftbike]

You guys are aiming too low

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

View media item 970432

 

[essential1]

Assuming we go after Love 2015.

Love would be Kobe's #1 scorer replacement.

Similar shots taken & percentages and PPG.


Then 2016 if you have Lance, Love & 1-3 or 6-8. Make a run at Lebron or Durant who will then move into #1 scorer.

 

[pmatic]

Picking one of Gordon, Smart and Vonleh will be difficult. They each present different skill sets and personalities. Then you have to mesh the draft pick with Kobe and head coach, plus possibly a significant free agent signing if they go that route.

Like Smart-Stephenson-Kobe sounds like a disaster. But Farmar-Kobe-Vonleh makes more sense, but might have a lower ceiling?

 

[licensed to ball]

It's cool man.
I really don't want either.
It's a tough choice if I'm forced to take one of those 2.

I just meant overall I want someone that Kobe can help groom over his last 2 years. If were paying Kobe and his broken leg 50 million we need to get more out of him than just a 35-47 season next year. We need him to really help our rookie out with fundamentals and footwork. I don't see how he'd be able to do much for Gordon.

I do want better defenders. But let's be real here, Warriors drafted Michael Pietrus strictly because he was a lockdown defender (somehow he was called the MJ of France...only God knows why )... That didn't really pan out right? (I know you'll probably counter with 5 other examples but that's a quick one that came to my mind).

Point being, we can't draft someone strictly because they defend, especially if Kobe's retiring and we need someone who can help be the face of this franchise in 3 years. IMHO, we need someone who has scoring talent. We probably won't get wiggins or Parker who already have the ability to score when they want, so we at least should pick someone who could POTENTIALLY be as good at scoring as someone like Parker with some hard work and good coaching (aka Coach Kobe).

That's just me. Now maybe Gordon can improve his shooting and scoring, any of these kids can improve with good coaching they're all young and talented. But to me, Kobe can't help him much.

Id just personally love someone like Exum who has floor vision and scoring abilities, who Kobe could teach a lot too in the back court. But if he's taken, and were left with either Smart or Gordon... I guess if I'm FORCED to choose one id have to go smart, but id still prefer neither.

I just think of it as whose easier for us to help build around at a faster rate. Who can give us a return on our investment quicker? And to me, it wouldn't be Gordon.

I'm not saying he's horrible or I wouldn't want him as a Laker. Id love to have a large defending big on our squad, god knows we need one.

But next year... To me at least, realistically we won't have a draft pick... Not if Kobe is healthy all 82 games. We won't.

So we really only have one top 6 pick to capitalize on. And it needs to be more than just strictly defense, to me.

I wasn't Tryna say I wouldn't want Gordon. I'm sure he'd be very good. I just don't think we'll have another top 6 pick in this deep of a field for a long time.

We need more than just one defender out of this opportunity. Again, IMHO

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

Picking one of Gordon, Smart and Vonleh will be difficult. They each present different skill sets and personalities. Then you have to mesh the draft pick with Kobe and head coach, plus possibly a significant free agent signing if they go that route.

Like Smart-Stephenson-Kobe sounds like a disaster. But Farmar-Kobe-Vonleh makes more sense, but might have a lower ceiling?

If we feel that Smart and Stephenson can coexist then we need to take them and wait out Kobe's last two years. I don't think it makes too much sense to plan our decisions around him because of how much he's being paid. And if we don't believe we're going to compete for a title in the next two years what's the need to make Kobe happy?

 

[CP1708]

Thing is LTB, Gordon isn't just Bruce Bowen, he's a defender, that can also score. He could get 15-17 a night depending on how he develops. If he really gets near his ceiling, he can approach 20 a night. And be a plus defender.

Think Kawhi Leonard. Make no mistake, the Spurs sucked for years when they had Richard Jefferson at the 3. Once Kawhi came in, they got good again. Their big 3 are all older, it's not them that improved, it was the change from RJ to a defensive wiz who can also score when needed.

Gordon could be the taller version of that.



In the end, I just want assets. Young, cheap as possible, versatile, true assets. Not Kendall Marshall "he's a lottery pick so he's the same as a top draft pick" assets, REAL assets.

 

[licensed to ball]

Gotcha. If Gordon really turns out to be a 15-17 a night plus elite defense player, I would not complain. That would be great.

I didn't see him as the kinda guy to put up those numbers offensively, but if he truly has the potential to reach 20 a night with good coaching then I'm open to seeing what the kids got.

 

[denni5themenace]

haven't watched much of gordon this year, but by the way you guys describe him as.. is he kind of like a batum? granted, he can't shoot. but batum is a decent defender, ball handler, and can score around the bucket..

and i would rather have bledsoe over stephenson

 

[sohi 23]

Gordon will put up 6-10 points a game just off dunks and layups, can't shoot to save his life tho.

But he'll come in right away and be the best athlete on our team, probably be the best defender & he can rebound.
I'm down to take him.

 

[pmatic]

More AK-47 than anyone else.

 

[sea manup]

blake griffin couldnt shoot either but he seems to be figuring it out. our organization has always done a solid job of developing players

whoever our next coach is will be key though

 

[darthska]

Weren't you clamoring for defense all year? When it was "Mike's fault"?

Why do we now need a scorer, over an elite defender? (Potentially, of course)

And how does Marcus Smart count as a scorer to groom?

So you're saying Smart can't defend?
Just making sure I'm hearing you right.

Would it make you happy if I just agreed with you and said yes take Gordon?

Yes, yes it would have. 

I mean, I couldn't even post my opinion without being confronted about old d'antoni ********.

Correct. Everything you or I say that would weaken our defense or strengthen our offense will be met w/ "Oh, but you wanted MDA out, tho."

Annnnddd... we both do the same thing to people.

Hell, y'all dudes spin that FGA:assist thing on me all the time, and that was like 2 years ago. 

How many times you seen me joke about _______ (insert premier SG) could have had one HELL of a career if he had Shaq & Phil and then Pau & Phil?

How many times you see CP give me crap about Kidd for Bynum?

You and I are stuck w/ anti-MDA labels for awhile, bruh. 

 

 

[denni5themenace]

does nba free agency begin before or after the draft? i imagine our FA targets revolve around who we draft.

 

[licensed to ball]

well if you're embracing it I have no choice but to as well.

Make room on that anti-MDA bus Ska, I'm hopping on for life.

I suppose

 

[sea manup]

really hope dantoni signs with goldenstate so we can see how it plays out 

 

[pmatic]

I'm personally rooting for that to happen.

 

[CP1708]

Really loving how great Doc Rivers looked last night too, crying his ******* eyes out.

"Our guy fouled him, but it shoulda been our ball anyways, cuz, reviews"


****** ***** *** mark. He's great tho, really has that Clipper team loaded with talent lookin solid. All praise should be heaped upon thee.

 

[pmatic]

Doc Rivers was running the Thunder playbook at the end of the game. But that's neither here nor there.

 

[licensed to ball]

I couldn't be happier with how last nights game turned out

 

[sea manup]

everything that could have gone wrong went wrong for doc and rather than getting the team to focus on the games he spent all the time yelling at the refs

 

[WAKKO!]

I like Marcus smart as a mini Dwayne wade

 

[licensed to ball]

I literally was doing this...

During those last 47 seconds.

Beautiful.