**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins

[geno90221]

That $5 mill goin straight to Iggy butt shots

 

[cedric ceballos]

WCF = White Conservatives Fracas?

Bring him on as well and we have the new big 3. Smash mouth basketball at its finest. The Libs don’t want no smoke on the quest for 18.

 

[SORIANOTRON]

Season’s been a wash…y’all been hearing me say it. The road trip was the nail in the coffin.

Shut LJ down after ASG.

Regroup for next year.

I’d rather throw the towel now, rest LJ up and start thinking about next years personnel.

The only thing to make this season WORSE is having LJ or AD suffer a legit INJURY.

Thats it, I’m out. Catch y’all next season.

Welp. Since it’s *technically* over, I’m back.

Man it’s been tough but therapeutic not posting in here.

Some of y’all lost your damn minds during these trials & tribulations.

I been knowing C CP1708 in this thread for over 10 years so I’m not surprised. He will die on whatever hill he deems fit.

I will say this about coaching that nobody has mentioned….

The real value in an NBA coach isn’t X’s and O’s, rotations or in game management. At the NBA level, guys don’t really need to be coached much.

A good NBA coach, PREPARES his team with film, notes & creates morale through team building exercises and activities to BRING THE TEAM TOGETHER.

Frank & Rob did a good job in the bubble with the GENIUS TALKS (guest speakers) & off court team activities.

I didn’t get a sense of that this year for whatever reason. Never felt that “brotherhood” we had years past.

Now the on court stuff:

Russell Westbrook was the biggest detriment to this team. Injuries played a part, age also was a factor.

But Russell’s effort & style of play was constantly contradicting what we wanted to do as far as effort and identity and as one if the leaders of the team it just trickled down to guys like monk and melo.

Also russells attitude ended up becoming the teams attitude, the whiny, pouty, I don’t care vibes he gives on the court, affects your brothers, especially when your one of the team’s leaders. it was a clash of attitudes between LeBron & Russ. Obviously this is LeBron’s team and he is a upbeat, loose guy most of the time…but when the criticism & outside noise started to come russell basically threw his hands up and said he didn’t care “it was bigger than basketball”.

When your teammates hear that, it’s definitely going to make you feel some type of way. “Is he all in, did he come just for endorsements, did he just want to come home?” Not a good example to set as the highest payed player on the team.

When he started attacking reporters and the press you knew the pressure had gotten to his head and he was feeling the weight of playing in HOLLYWOOD. You can tell he was uncomfortable under the bright lights. Not everyone is built to handle that pressure. Kobe touched on that.

And thats just off court with russell, we don’t need to talk about his shortcomings on the court. He underperformed and did not live up to his contract. But it’s the way he did it, sulking, being defensive, attacking media memebers.

Just toxic for the team and organization.


Whatever he can potentially bring on court, just isn’t worth the toxicity & vibes he brings to an organization & locker room IMO.

Wish him well, but never want to see him in a laker jersey ever again.

Bringing him back for 1 more season would cause more disarray & distrust amongst the fanbase. I’ve never seen laker fans hate one of their own this much. The damage has been done and russell can only blame himself.

Another subtle example of LeBron and how he holds himself accountable. During our bad losses and loosing streaks LeBron always makes it a point to point out “laker faithful” and how we are used to and expect better, winning basketball. He knows, he gets how we feel and sympathizes for us.

HELL HIM EVEN WEARING THE LAKESHOW SHIRT ON THE SEASON ELIMINATOR SHOWS HE STILL ALL IN AND HERE WIN OR LOOSE.

As lakers, thats all we want. WEAR THAT PURPLE AND GOLD WITH SOME DAMN PRIDE.

Just want guys who want to be here and play with some damn pride. I could care less if we loose.

It’s about how we play win or loose.

 

[darthska]

SORIANOTRON got me wanting to play for him!



-foe

 

[CP1708]

Russ, the highest paid player I've ever seen.
Bron, about 55ish games played, will be 38
AD, about 40 games played, nearing 30
A guy that missed the entire season with a bruise
A guy off the street
A 2nd year guy, might have been our 4th or 5th best player this year
And THT

Worst case, Bron/AD do that thing again where they play once a month. Russ gets even worse. Nunn only has one leg and we never found out.

Best case, Bron/AD can make it to 70 games, Russ either fits in better or gets dealt for 2-3 pieces, THT/Nunn/Reaves become something of a youngish core, maybe Monk stays and joins them. We'd still need 2-3 defensive hustlers at all levels, guard, wing, big.

Couple small trade exceptions, not a lot to work with, and the mid level.

Kinda hope Jeanie tries to buy another 2nd rounder, and we find a polished college kid in the Clarkson/Kuzma/Hart/Nance type that could be added to some of the other young guys. Bottom line, we can't have 14 35 year olds anymore. We need a ton of youth, and then pray the "Big 3" stay healthy enough to lead them.

So, all we need is an old guy with a billion miles to stay healthy, a glass guy to stay healthy, the richest player in the sport to keep the turnovers under a dozen, Jeanie to spend some extra money (after missing the playoffs/revenue and a pandemic), and a bunch of young guys to take vet min deals to save us.......I feel less than sexy about that.

 

[had pants]

 

[pmatic]

 

[lovehateself]

 

[DLF]

Most interesting part is when he says “league sources say Rob has one more year to get things right”

That means we are definitely trading Russ with the 2027 and 2029 first round picks since Rob is now working for his job. Recall, Jim buss had one more chance too- and made the moves to bring in Nash and Howard

 

[akajae]

100% agree with what SORIANOTRON mentioned about Russ. His play was bad but his attitude was even worse.

I think it was the first game he got benched when I was over him on this team. Dude was sulking at the end of the bench and wasn't joining the huddles.

Made that snarky comment about not really being the Lakers PG in the post game interview.

Then he missed the following game and dude was laughing and joking on the bench when the Lakers were down big. Almost as a "ha! see it wasn't my fault!"

Wish him well but get him off my team lol Dude shows flashes but just a low iq player with a bad attitude.

 

[pmatic]

Most interesting part is when he says “league sources say Rob has one more year to get things right”

That means we are definitely trading Russ with the 2027 and 2029 first round picks since Rob is now working for his job. Recall, Jim buss had one more chance too- and made the moves to bring in Nash and Howard

Jim trying to trade for Boogie*

 

[pmatic]

Brad Turner was the reporter that had the back and forth with Westbrick last week.

 

[drewsone]

FO is crazy shifting the blame to lebron on wax lol
he he was responisible but not 100% lol

jeanie and the rambii valued business over winning basketball man and thats where a lot of this stems
unwillingness to include picks, pay caruso, offer DDR proper contract, etc.

AD gotta figure something out tho. never seen someone this injury-cursed with that level of talent lol

 

[aepps20]

WCF = White Conservatives Fracas?

That's what I wanted to see.

 

[darthska]

AD gotta figure something out tho. never seen someone this injury-cursed with that level of talent lol

I'm guessing Grant Hill and Griffey were before your time?

-foe

 

[pmatic]

Oh no.

 

[akajae]

Isn't Chris Paul injured every post season?

Isn't Kyrie Irving injured every season?

 

[drewsone]

I'm guessing Grant Hill and Griffey were before your time?

-foe

grant is fair. AD pretty unicorn-ish tho

i think Bron kinda cast a shadow Grant and Penny injuries tho. i was born in the 90s so ya the first real basketball i really got into was the 3 peat lakers when i was in elementary lmao

 

[pmatic]

 

[tupac003]

So question for the cap and pick experts.

If this year's 1st rounder goes to the Pels' what does that mean for the rest of our first rounders?

 

[pmatic]

So question for the cap and pick experts.

If this year's 1st rounder goes to the Pels' what does that mean for the rest of our first rounders?

Pelicans can have one of 2024 or 2025, up to them. Otherwise, the Lakers own 2023, one of 2024/2025 plus 2026 and beyond.

So it's not totally bleak. Just messed up giving up a pick for Schroder/Westbrick, lotto pick this year and possibly dealing 2027/2029 to get off Westbrick.

 

[tupac003]

Pelicans can have one of 2024 or 2025, up to them. Otherwise, the Lakers own 2023, one of 2024/2025 plus 2026 and beyond.

So it's not totally bleak. Just messed up giving up a pick for Schroder/Westbrick, lotto pick this year and possibly dealing 2027/2029 to get off Westbrick.

Now there are some pick swaps right?

 

[Lizakers]

Momo lookin sexy

 

[pmatic]

Now there are some pick swaps right?

Only the 2024 or 2025 pick as of now...Which is why the AD deal wasn't some catastrophe some are making it out to be.

It's the ensuing trades for Schroder and Westbrick that were. They got two years to have their own picks (which they're good at) and traded them away. Schroder was a defensible deal though.

 

[Lizakers]

Does any have Westbricks stats last 10 games? It really seems like starting with the Toronto road game he turned the corner