Lakers fans need a bit more optimism, going forward.....

tlifeset · Post #21 » by **tlifeset** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 1:44 pm

I love that every thread now quickly devolves into the Lakers FA/salary dump roster moves.

I think there is a lot to be excited about, and Im not all that disappointed about whiffing on these pseudo stars.

However...

I, like any fan of a team i put so much time into, have deep concerns about out front office (including Mitch)...

There seems to be an overall lack of vision about the direction of our team... Everything seems poorly planned, reactive, panic-driven, undo loyalty, nepotism, you name it.

It is starting to feel A LOT like the yankees current situation. There are so many painful similarities. Swing for big names then react when you miss. Give incompotence time to stop being incompotent.

I know we're all used to winning, but it can all go away for a long time. I watched the celtics become irrelevent for 20 years. It sucks.

Pointgod · Post #22 » by **Pointgod** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 1:53 pm

sonic the laker wrote:Granted the last few seasons have been a disappointment, beginning with the negated Chris Paul trade, and the fall out that culminated because of it( Odom, Pau, Nash, Dwight, etc. ). It's been brutal for an organization, and a fan base, used to having things fall in our favor. Not to mention, all this happens while the F.O. is in flux, after Dr. Busses death.

That being said, even as the Lakers have had a dismal time in free agency, I'm finding optimism in looking, and listening, to our new draft picks, Russell, Nance Jr., and Brown. All of these kids sound intelligent, hard working, and like they're proud to be a part of the Laker franchise. Granted, they're rookies and have no choice on who they play for, but they seem genuine. Add a healthy Randle, and Clarkson, and I'm smiling about the young talent on this team.

Spend too much time reading/listening to various media outlets clown the Lakers, and it's no wonder some fans have gone off the deep end with their negativity. Instead of focusing on what we don't have, or didn't get, I prefer to focus on what the Lakers DO have. A bunch of promising young talent, to take us into the future, if all goes well. I'm looking forward to seeing how these guys grow, and to fun times ahead. I see something special coming.

FA's don't want us? Cool, baby. I don't want you, either. I'm a fan, but I ride or die Purple and Gold. You ain't about this life? Then keep stepping, and begone. We gone be alright.

My 2 pennies. LAKERS.

ZOOM!!!!!!

I've seen this line of thinking before. It's the calling card of every mediocre NBA team that pins its future on youth, but gets stuck in an endless cycle of suck. Minnesota, Sacramento, Orlando, Phoenix, hell Cleveland before Lebron took pity on them. Teams that constantly depend on improvements from their young guys run the risk of slipping into a perennial loser franchise, then you ultimately panic and make a mistake like signing JR smith to a 20 million dollar a year 4 year contract. There's not so much negativity as realism versus the blind homerism that many of the posters that assume everything will be okay because "we're the Lakers". Realistically we could be a lottery team for the next 5-10 years. What has this management done in the past 2 off seasons that gives you any confidence that they could sign even b level free agents. Everyone should be unsettled that the people who run basketball operations can't even make a pitch to free agents that isn't primarily focused on basketball. Lakers management deserves all the negativity they get because for all the talk about knowing how to win and being the greatest franchise in the NBA they are coming off very amateurish during this free agent season. The whole front office needs to change before I'd have any faith in this team being anything other than perennial lottery fodder.

magicbesteva · Post #23 » by **magicbesteva** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 2:09 pm

I still can't believe D'Angelo Russell is a Laker. Maybe it won't hit me until he actually steps on the court. Summer league can't come fast enough. I hope our young guys take the league by storm n exceed all our expectations

The Skyhook · Post #24 » by **The Skyhook** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 2:50 pm

The name of this thread should be changed to Lakers fans need a bit more patience. It's a rebuild. Sit back and watch these young guys develop. I for one am excited for this upcoming season and it has a lot to do with these first and second year players.

ratedrdb · Post #25 » by **ratedrdb** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 2:57 pm

Go back to page 1 and please read my post at the bottom, thanks

Jody Smokz · Post #26 » by **Jody Smokz** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 3:09 pm

Warriors can't trade next years 1st and I believe Utah already owns it. Which means the earliest pick they can trade is like 2018 I believe. Aren't you the guy that said they could basically get Love, Cousins and Rondo which would magically make the cap disappear by doing so?

ratedrdb wrote:J.Brown-----M.Harkess
Kelly n young-----koufos
nance jr------McDaniels
cap space ------lee and next years 1st

cashflo · Post #27 » by **cashflo** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 3:13 pm

Lee and next years first for Swaggy and Kelly I would do in a heartbeat.

Everyone likes to kick us when we are down.. And that's cool as we've been so dominant for a long time and a thorn on every NBA teams side.

What we need to do is keep our cool and keep building out foundation. The youth movement is the way to go and keep in mind the players we have with the exception of Russel are young and a bit more experienced. But they need playing time !

So I don't get trying to bring in Aldridge unless he can play center...?

Get Lee , ship out Kelly and Swaggy... Get more younger pieces..

Upshaw would b a game changer if he gets his head straight..

Lee-Upshaw-Sacre
Randle-Nance-Black
Wes-Brown-Kobe
Kobe-Clarkson-Brown
Russel-Clarkson-Price

We would have 15mil still to play with after getting Lee so all these teams looking to get Aldride we may steal someone like Ariza, Bosh or Bledsoe...would these teams do that to get Aldridge? All depends on how the rest of the teams fill up there cap space and we are there to reap the benefits of patiently waiting..

Lakers_Forever · Post #28 » by **Lakers_Forever** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 4:19 pm

The Lakers have no super stars or al stars without Kobe who clearly is at the end of is journey and the best they will have is a bunch of rookies that haven't played in the NBA, but I do agree that it's good to be optimistic about the future, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. Every one should have realized this is not the Lakers big signing free agency. Next season with Kobe gone and group of NBA players young, talented and more experienced might be, but I think we are two years away from playoff days

Lakernut4ever · Post #29 » by **Lakernut4ever** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 4:35 pm

Haha..even if we tank it again next year, we do not have our pick :banghead:

Mirjalovic · Post #30 » by **Mirjalovic** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 4:38 pm

Lakernut4ever wrote:Haha..even if we tank it again next year, we do not have our pick

Top 3 protected

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ratedrdb · Post #31 » by **ratedrdb** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 5:13 pm

harkless is at the top of my list. He is a must have . a 6'9. Defended that will be better than wes

DadoTheRabbet · Post #32 » by **DadoTheRabbet** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 5:44 pm

The Skyhook wrote:The name of this thread should be changed to Lakers fans need a bit more patience. It's a rebuild. Sit back and watch these young guys develop. I for one am excited for this upcoming season and it has a lot to do with these first and second year players.

^^^^Yes! This!

Look I am a total realist. It's going to take YEARS to develop this. But then I knew that 2 years ago. I, too, am excited about the coming summer league, pre-season and season.

But, as I said, I'm a realist. I don't do "optimism." Optimism merely sets you up for a fall. Let's take a look at some reality.

Our primary point guard has never set foot on an NBA floor.
Last years point guard seemed really good. But then, that was one one of the worst teams in history.
Kobe - our ancient legend. Once we hoped for a great year from him. Now we just hope for a decent few months at small forward so the "Russelsons" can see minutes on the floor together.
Our primary power forward has seen 14 minutes of one NBA game. He then went on to fracture his leg simply by landing wrong. If that ain't scarry, I don't know what is.
Our primary center (I'm guessing here but...) is almost certainly now, as we've struck out in free agency, going to be a guy who has not only never played a minute in the NBA but was tossed out of two different university programs.

Our backup point guard (aside from Clarkson, who'll probably be doing stints at both pg and sg) doesn't yet exist. We don't have one officially yet.
Our backup shooting guard has more experience than three of our starters.
Our backup small forward is a clown who can ALMOST spell the word defense and takes his coaches instructions "with a grain of salt." If we don't trade him, he will be an elder statesman, spreading his attitude to the new kids.
Our third small forward has a lot of work to do in the weight room and has also never set foot on an NBA floor.
Our backup power forward tries really hard. Too bad his only actual skill besides tying his shoelaces is making the very occasional 3-pointer.
Our third power forward has never set foot on an NBA floor.
Our backup center is another one who seemed pretty good but was on a team that really sucked. And our third center is a 7 foot perennial cheerleader that tries really hard and has exactly zero skills.

Now, THAT is neither optimistic nor pessimistic. It is merely reality.

Is there hope? Surely.

The "Russellsons" are going to be badass... in a few years.
Kobe retires at the end of the years and the team can actually move forward. Love him but he's become an albatross.
I so can't wait to see what Randle and Upshaw do to this league. They're going to surprise the hell out of a bunch of teams.
If we get rid of Swaggy, that should have a very positive effect.
Fill in the rest with cheap scrubs and watch the kids grow over the next few years.

Of course, don't plan of seeing them in the playoffs for a few years either.

Finally, after initially being disappointed with the Lakers free agency woes. I find that I'm rather pleased they didn't acquire a big or a serious small forward. It means Upshaw has a greater chance of making it and that Kobe needs to move to small forward, meaning "Russellson" gets more floor time together. How much of that is rationalizing? Oh, tons, I imagine. I am, after all, merely human and a Lakers fan. But I will say that both of those were concerns of mine going into free agency. Now, I think I can relax about it. Things are falling into place nicely for about a 5 to 6 year rebuild - which I'm sure will freak some people right out, but which I've been expecting and don't have a problem with.

Optimism and pessimism be damned! This is going to be a fun few years watching these kids grow into the next Lakers powerhouse.

flooreez · Post #33 » by **flooreez** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 6:15 pm

we gave the college try at FAs to appease kobe but now i think it's time to shut him down for "rehab" through the season and let the youngsters develop

don't feel like settling on 2nd and 3rd tier FAs whom we'll have to watch for the next several years. lakers could lose on their next 1st rounder if they don't tank, but i'm ok with that. we're stuck in between a rock and a hard place, and we're just going to have to grind out the next few years.

dan-fantastic · Post #34 » by **dan-fantastic** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 6:51 pm

I think the Lakers have some real issues. I just dont think this team will get it together while the Buss kids own / run things. Too much time/effort is spent looking back. Resigning Kobe was a giant mistake, at that price, and it's slapping them across the face. But instead of learning from it...Jeanie goes out and calls FA's losers. She goes on radio and (yes she honestly said this) that the Kobe deal wasnt so bad because if you look at Nash, he's making $9 a year, and isnt playing at all!

I think it was a big mistake to sign B-Scott as coach, because as much as I like him, it was such a "circle the wagons" go get a showtime throwback decision. Scott doesnt think guys should be shooting the 3. He's a great guy, great coach, and a Laker great, but his time has come and gone in the NBA.

Bringing in top notch FA's each year, and striking out isnt what this team needs to be doing right now....but it's ALL THEY KNOW. That right there is our problem. Bringing in Aldridge and selling the glitz of LA life, is just the same, tired, Power Point from 8 years ago. This team needs to have been focusing on younger pieces, but continues to run into the wall over and over again. Because they don't know any other way. Honestly.....the best thing Jim has done so far, has been to fail at getting Carmello. What a giant, colossal failure that would have been. Who cant see that? But bringing in stars is all they ever knew...and it's what dad did before.

Was extremely pleased with Clarkson. Great signing. Credit there. Randle is a question......as he did break his leg like 15 minutes into his career. I know, I know...just wave that off, right? What's a leg for anyways? I think Russell should be quite good....but I'm not gonna just EXPECT that we have the top 2-3rd best PG in the league here. Let's develop these guys, and see what we got. But we dont have a #1 pick next year...and a #2 the following....and a #1 following that. So this "rebuild from the draft" is far from in full effect. You want guys to not be over negative....well how about right in the middle...which is the truth. We arent gonna be able to really draft much for about the next 3 years.....We're really, REALLY struggling to sign ANYONE. And I mean ANYONE. Nobody's waiting to talk with us. We expressed interest in Harris...and he just agreed to a deal with the Magic. I mean......do you not see that the car is driving the wrong way here?

Im really excited about the guys we got. Looking forward to this season. But Im also gonna call it like it is. This team is being driven in the wrong direction. We need someone in charge who get's the new NBA. Our front office is old-school. And sadly victims of too much success. It's gonna be near impossible for them to see that changes need to be made.

Laker for life...and this will eventually get sorted out. But it doesnt have to be this bad, or take this long. I see too many mistakes, and I also see these guys not learning. Ala bad-coach hire after bad-coach hire. Not consulting with Kobe on the Mike Brown hire, then not consulting with Dwight on D'antoni. HE was the future star, right??? Not Nash. Wasting the entire FA window trying to woo Carmello (and thankfully failing) and missing out on everyone else....only to miss on everyone this year trying for Aldridge who so very clearly wants to be a Spur. The SECOND the Spurs were able to trade Splitter, it was done. The Lakers should have called Love, Harris, and Draymond Green immediately, and got conversations going.....but they stuck stubbornly to the old script.

Speaking of Green....why didnt we offer him the max, so if nothing else, the warriors woulda matched. We let them off the hook, sighing him for several mil less than the max. Just bad, bad, bad all over the place.

New owners....stop trying to land super-stars. It's a new era......get with it, or hire someone who will. And then get out of the way.

Gus McCrae · Post #35 » by **Gus McCrae** » Sat Jul 4, 2015 9:15 pm

dan-fantastic wrote:I think the Lakers have some real issues. I just dont think this team will get it together while the Buss kids own / run things. Too much time/effort is spent looking back. Resigning Kobe was a giant mistake, at that price, and it's slapping them across the face. But instead of learning from it...Jeanie goes out and calls FA's losers. She goes on radio and (yes she honestly said this) that the Kobe deal wasnt so bad because if you look at Nash, he's making $9 a year, and isnt playing at all!

I think it was a big mistake to sign B-Scott as coach, because as much as I like him, it was such a "circle the wagons" go get a showtime throwback decision. Scott doesnt think guys should be shooting the 3. He's a great guy, great coach, and a Laker great, but his time has come and gone in the NBA.

Bringing in top notch FA's each year, and striking out isnt what this team needs to be doing right now....but it's ALL THEY KNOW. That right there is our problem. Bringing in Aldridge and selling the glitz of LA life, is just the same, tired, Power Point from 8 years ago. This team needs to have been focusing on younger pieces, but continues to run into the wall over and over again. Because they don't know any other way. Honestly.....the best thing Jim has done so far, has been to fail at getting Carmello. What a giant, colossal failure that would have been. Who cant see that? But bringing in stars is all they ever knew...and it's what dad did before.

Was extremely pleased with Clarkson. Great signing. Credit there. Randle is a question......as he did break his leg like 15 minutes into his career. I know, I know...just wave that off, right? What's a leg for anyways? I think Russell should be quite good....but I'm not gonna just EXPECT that we have the top 2-3rd best PG in the league here. Let's develop these guys, and see what we got. But we dont have a #1 pick next year...and a #2 the following....and a #1 following that. So this "rebuild from the draft" is far from in full effect. You want guys to not be over negative....well how about right in the middle...which is the truth. We arent gonna be able to really draft much for about the next 3 years.....We're really, REALLY struggling to sign ANYONE. And I mean ANYONE. Nobody's waiting to talk with us. We expressed interest in Harris...and he just agreed to a deal with the Magic. I mean......do you not see that the car is driving the wrong way here?

Im really excited about the guys we got. Looking forward to this season. But Im also gonna call it like it is. This team is being driven in the wrong direction. We need someone in charge who get's the new NBA. Our front office is old-school. And sadly victims of too much success. It's gonna be near impossible for them to see that changes need to be made.

Laker for life...and this will eventually get sorted out. But it doesnt have to be this bad, or take this long. I see too many mistakes, and I also see these guys not learning. Ala bad-coach hire after bad-coach hire. Not consulting with Kobe on the Mike Brown hire, then not consulting with Dwight on D'antoni. HE was the future star, right??? Not Nash. Wasting the entire FA window trying to woo Carmello (and thankfully failing) and missing out on everyone else....only to miss on everyone this year trying for Aldridge who so very clearly wants to be a Spur. The SECOND the Spurs were able to trade Splitter, it was done. The Lakers should have called Love, Harris, and Draymond Green immediately, and got conversations going.....but they stuck stubbornly to the old script.

Speaking of Green....why didnt we offer him the max, so if nothing else, the warriors woulda matched. We let them off the hook, sighing him for several mil less than the max. Just bad, bad, bad all over the place.

New owners....stop trying to land super-stars. It's a new era......get with it, or hire someone who will. And then get out of the way.

Great post! And how funny the A's and Packers are my football and baseball teams. AND1

Lakers_Forever · Post #36 » by **Lakers_Forever** » Sun Jul 5, 2015 2:51 pm

Next year the Lakers will improve. It takes time when a team blows up the entire team and has to rebuild from scratch.