"I hope the Lakers lose every game"

[dockingsched]

Losing that pick isn't the end of the world, I feel like people put too much stock in that. I think it's fair to assume that next yr will probably be much like this year. Unless the lakers strike gold and land a franchise changing free agent, why would things be any different?

Accepting that next year will probably suck just as much with an older kobe, what it really comes down to is having a top 10 pick in 2015 or a top 10 pick in 2016, you're probably going to lose one or the other. Losing the 2015 pick just means you get to keep the 2016 pick. One perk of that is whoever you draft is under team control one yr longer. With the impending 2017 lockout and possible changes, that could be a nice little plus.

[crazyeights]

It's not the end of the world, but I'd sure as hell rather go into rebuilding years post-Kobe with Randle + a top 5 pick.

[dockingsched]

It's not the end of the world, but I'd sure as hell rather go into rebuilding years post-Kobe with Randle + a top 5 pick.

Should look at it as Randle + 2015 top 5 pick vs Randle + 2016 top 5 pick

[Slava]

2015 is a center heavy draft which is the biggest attraction.

[crazyeights]

It's not the end of the world, but I'd sure as hell rather go into rebuilding years post-Kobe with Randle + a top 5 pick.

Should look at it as Randle + 2015 top 5 pick vs Randle + 2016 top 5 pick

I just don't think we'll get a top 5 in 2016. I think we're going to go after more attainable talent this off-season (Dragic, Rondo, Marc Gasol) than waiting for two pipe dreams in LeBron and Melo. Even so, I expect Julius to be healthy, Kelly to hopefully be more healthy, and us to be on a somewhat upswing going into Kobe's final season.

Don't see us having a worse season yet after last year and what this one is shaping out to be.

I think it's unnecessary and by no means as much of a foregone conclusion as us being 4-8th worst this season. Thus we should do what it tanks

[Mamba Venom]

Randle + Okafor + Kobe + max contract sounds good for me.

I never want us to lose every game. Thats too extreme. I want to be Dwight's Rockets, the Spurs, the Bulls, but I don't mind as much when we lose against bad teams because there might be a top 5 draft pick.

[Vae Victus]

Well that's exactly what shoulda been said last year and i daresay Antoni did a fine job of that. He held the ship together while we were all waiting for Kobe and when Kobe went down again we just bottomed the hell out. Instead Antoni got wrongly ripped to shreds for things not in his control (ahem Magic). We kept the pick developed a coupla young guys (Hill, Young, Sacre) and went Plan B when we whiffed on the major FAs.

I truly dont understand why we didnt bother trying to extend Antoni another year if thats all he wanted (although i woulda balk if he wanted a 3 year extension). There was no clear upgrade out there and we ended up getting a coach who's not only worse (on BOTH ends of the court no less) but makes the team dreadful to watch AND cost the team 4 years 17 ml!!! Lin + Antoni's SSoL woulda been fun to watch at the very least (not to mention pump EVERYONE's value up), pace would be so high that kobe can easily still get 20 shots and prolly MUCH better shots than the **** looks he's getting now. With our outside shot happy big men i'm sure Antoni woulda come up with something (just run PNR all day long with Lin, Kobe, Young, and Clarkson as the initiators).

Well now that this narrative is in play can we just start Lin now and just let him play even when he screws up. Since it doesnt matter if we lose we keep him in to support the tank, if he plays well then it attracts asian viewers and pumps his trade value up. Win/Win either way, whereas with Price its good for the tank but it puts such a huge strain on Kobe that he's gonna go down sooner or later at this type of usage not to mention he sure as hell isnt gonna be sticking around next year (oh god i hope not).

[TonyMontana]

MDA couldn't lead a mule to the water even if he was standing five feet away from Lake Michigan!! Lets move on with MDA already!!

[ArC_man]

Last year we didn't owe our pick to anyone, so MDA didn't help us keep our pick. In fact he worsened our pick by winning a couple of meaningless games at the end of the season. MDA didn't develop Hill, Young, or Sacre. In fact, he alienated all of our bigs and contributed to driving Pau out of town. Hill is on record saying he wouldn't have re-signed with us if MDA was still the coach.

[Vae Victus]

Ah i guess we couldnt give up 2 1st rounders back to back then if the Suns didnt have any rights to it last year. Im not saying that MDA is a good coach... but he's definitely a better coach than Scott and at least coaches watchable basketball.

Scott is such a flaming hot mess its even worse to watch than last year and thats saying something since we have Kobe playing.

[ChokeFasncists]

I can imagine:

Lin went:

"People probably think I'm crazy, but I don't really care," he said. "I think we can make the playoffs. I believe in that. I think other guys in here believe that as well. It's very early. If you look at our growth chart, or whatever, we've improved a lot. We just want to give ourselves a chance." "I believe in myself," Lin said. "I believe in the guys in this locker room. I don't ever want to limit my dreams and my ambitions. I've dreamed very big dreams and I've been laughed at many times. When I look back, I realize that a lot of them came true."

http://www.nba.com/2014/news/features/d ... index.html

Magic and Scott go like:

No~!!! The pick!!! You're benched!

[ak7]

Losing that pick isn't the end of the world, I feel like people put too much stock in that. I think it's fair to assume that next yr will probably be much like this year. Unless the lakers strike gold and land a franchise changing free agent, why would things be any different?

Accepting that next year will probably suck just as much with an older kobe, what it really comes down to is having a top 10 pick in 2015 or a top 10 pick in 2016, you're probably going to lose one or the other. Losing the 2015 pick just means you get to keep the 2016 pick. One perk of that is whoever you draft is under team control one yr longer. With the impending 2017 lockout and possible changes, that could be a nice little plus.

We are in a rebuild, I'd rather keep that pick as many years as possible and give it up when we are a better team (while not making a team in our division better), rather then give it up just to get our obligation out of the way.

It's top 3 protected after this year, less chance we keep it obviously going forward. Not saying your thinking is wrong, because it isn't... I just would rather delay giving that pick up as long as I can (which is 2017 I believe).

[TonyMontana]

Im not saying that MDA is a good coach...

Actually you are. Majority of your 33 posts, you criticize Byron Scott and you praise MDA. For example two posts on this thread alone.

but he's definitely a better coach than Scott and at least coaches watchable basketball.

And you're basing your "ONE SIDED OPINION" off of 22 games played with the current roster of mediocre players an aging superstar, a new season and a new coach with a new system/staff.

And I dont know about you but for me watching my favorite team lose every night isnt "Watchable basketball" no matter who"s coaching them.

[mcscotty]

Randle + Okafor + Kobe + max contract sounds good for me.

I never want us to lose every game. Thats too extreme. I want to be Dwight's Rockets, the Spurs, the Bulls, but I don't mind as much when we lose against bad teams because there might be a top 5 draft pick.

By the time Randle and Okafor are ready to compete for championships, if ever, Kobe will have long retired. Just another lottery team, unless that free agent is Lebron.

[The Skyhook]

Anything outside of the top 5 would be a wasted season because we're not making the playoffs and we wouldn't keep our pick. If Randle wasn't hurt it wouldn't be so bad but we can't even develop the poor kid this season.

Sent from my SM-G900V using RealGM Forums mobile app

[CodyB_]

It's not the end of the world, but I'd sure as hell rather go into rebuilding years post-Kobe with Randle + a top 5 pick.

Should look at it as Randle + 2015 top 5 pick vs Randle + 2016 top 5 pick

I just don't think we'll get a top 5 in 2016. I think we're going to go after more attainable talent this off-season (Dragic, Rondo, Marc Gasol) than waiting for two pipe dreams in LeBron and Melo. Even so, I expect Julius to be healthy, Kelly to hopefully be more healthy, and us to be on a somewhat upswing going into Kobe's final season.

Don't see us having a worse season yet after last year and what this one is shaping out to be.

I think it's unnecessary and by no means as much of a foregone conclusion as us being 4-8th worst this season. Thus we should do what it tanks

Nonononono. Don't want. Past peak, not goot.

[Dr Aki]

magic just had to open his mouth

[crazyeights]

Should look at it as Randle + 2015 top 5 pick vs Randle + 2016 top 5 pick

I just don't think we'll get a top 5 in 2016. I think we're going to go after more attainable talent this off-season (Dragic, Rondo, Marc Gasol) than waiting for two pipe dreams in LeBron and Melo. Even so, I expect Julius to be healthy, Kelly to hopefully be more healthy, and us to be on a somewhat upswing going into Kobe's final season.

Don't see us having a worse season yet after last year and what this one is shaping out to be.

I think it's unnecessary and by no means as much of a foregone conclusion as us being 4-8th worst this season. Thus we should do what it tanks

Nonononono. Don't want. Past peak, not goot.

Work on your reading comprehension...and your recent Laker history.

LeBron and Melo were last year. I called them pipe dreams. As I said in the Melo thread, I don't want him--especially at this point in the season and with his albatross contract, ball-stopping style of play, and awful defense.

[aaron_gray]

You guys can stop hoping for the pick, the Suns will get it in all likelihood. I feel like Mitch could shut Kobe down at this point and Swaggy P would still carry us out of the bottom 5.