Biggest Blunders

[Hank7]

Hiring Mike Brown and Byron Scott.

+1

[Landsberger]

Anything where we were trying to get Melo and it fell through is not a blunder.

JR Rider was a misstep for sure.
Spencer Haywood.
Actually letting Magic return to the team in the 90's killed the buzz on a great season for the LakeShow group.
The Nash deal has to be one of the biggest blunders I can remember and trading for Howard has to be a close second. Howard was never going to be a championship caliber player and it's been proven since. This is when the grasping at straws began.
Not getting Wade in the Shaq deal.

Too early to tell on the current draft choices IMHO. It's always a crap shoot but not many saw Porzingis being what he is BEFORE the draft. If we had made that pick the fans would have been in open revolt. In HINDSIGHT he appears to be a unique talent that it would have been nice to have but he was a huge risk before draft day.

One of the most embarrassing was the media campaign to keep Howard.

[kblo247]

Seems like the title should be "every blunder" not "biggest blunders", i mean...rodman? Payton? Talk about irrelevant.


For me one of the bigeest blunders was and probably still is how reluctant and far behind they've been in adopting analytics as part of the culture. For a time they were the only team not to have a bball person at the Sloan conference. It's put them behind in evaluating data related to player performance or health, but also destroyed public perception of the team that contributed to failed free agent meetings. Just look at the LMA fiasco.

Even if you think the effect of advanced analytics is limited and overstated, what it did to the way players see this franchise was huge.made the team look archaic and behind the times

That team could have competed earlier had they not had Rambis there. The Rice trade for Eddie was already done. Kobe was a starter. Fish, Fox, and Horry were there. Had they made Rodman work or had someone to control him, they could take out San Antonio Imo. It's more a combo of Rodman-Rambis.

Payton was an example of limiting our talent and diminished returns. I also think Payton was the start of pure disrespect that doesn't go unnoticed by peers. When west was with the team he consulted stars and coaches about moves. He let people like Van exel and Eddie know they were traded no matter how uncomfortable. Payton was traded, not told, and disrespected in his own words which is why he waited to even report. Fast forward and doesn't that sound familiar for Mitch and Jim? Odom two titles and couldn't get a phone call at all as he finds out he's traded by espn. Pau is in the same boat. Players get consulted, tokenly about coaching hires like Adleman or considering Shaw or bringing Phil back, yet ultimately find out about Dantoni and Brown via espn. The lakers history of disrespect and unprofessional behavior starts there with the Payton trade and the cycle just continued to roll after so I'd say it's important. We are the team who disrespects its legends and contributors, that matters

[ALL HAIL]

Seems like the title should be "every blunder" not "biggest blunders", i mean...rodman? Payton? Talk about irrelevant.


For me one of the bigeest blunders was and probably still is how reluctant and far behind they've been in adopting analytics as part of the culture. For a time they were the only team not to have a bball person at the Sloan conference. It's put them behind in evaluating data related to player performance or health, but also destroyed public perception of the team that contributed to failed free agent meetings. Just look at the LMA fiasco.

Even if you think the effect of advanced analytics is limited and overstated, what it did to the way players see this franchise was huge.made the team look archaic and behind the times

That team could have competed earlier had they not had Rambis there. The Rice trade for Eddie was already done. Kobe was a starter. Fish, Fox, and Horry were there. Had they made Rodman work or had someone to control him, they could take out San Antonio Imo. It's more a combo of Rodman-Rambis.

Payton was an example of limiting our talent and diminished returns. I also think Payton was the start of pure disrespect that doesn't go unnoticed by peers. When west was with the team he consulted stars and coaches about moves. He let people like Van exel and Eddie know they were traded no matter how uncomfortable. Payton was traded, not told, and disrespected in his own words which is why he waited to even report. Fast forward and doesn't that sound familiar for Mitch and Jim? Odom two titles and couldn't get a phone call at all as he finds out he's traded by espn. Pau is in the same boat. Players get consulted, tokenly about coaching hires like Adleman or considering Shaw or bringing Phil back, yet ultimately find out about Dantoni and Brown via espn. The lakers history of disrespect and unprofessional behavior starts there with the Payton trade and the cycle just continued to roll after so I'd say it's important. We are the team who disrespects its legends and contributors, that matters

Damn, damn, damn good points here blo. Wisdom like this only comes from knowing your history kids. Remember that.

[Crooked-I]

Hiring D'Antoni over Phil.

[Pointgod]

Steve Nash
Resigning Jordan Hill
Resigning Nick Young
Deng and Mozgov

[kblo247]

Seems like the title should be "every blunder" not "biggest blunders", i mean...rodman? Payton? Talk about irrelevant.


For me one of the bigeest blunders was and probably still is how reluctant and far behind they've been in adopting analytics as part of the culture. For a time they were the only team not to have a bball person at the Sloan conference. It's put them behind in evaluating data related to player performance or health, but also destroyed public perception of the team that contributed to failed free agent meetings. Just look at the LMA fiasco.

Even if you think the effect of advanced analytics is limited and overstated, what it did to the way players see this franchise was huge.made the team look archaic and behind the times

That team could have competed earlier had they not had Rambis there. The Rice trade for Eddie was already done. Kobe was a starter. Fish, Fox, and Horry were there. Had they made Rodman work or had someone to control him, they could take out San Antonio Imo. It's more a combo of Rodman-Rambis.

Payton was an example of limiting our talent and diminished returns. I also think Payton was the start of pure disrespect that doesn't go unnoticed by peers. When west was with the team he consulted stars and coaches about moves. He let people like Van exel and Eddie know they were traded no matter how uncomfortable. Payton was traded, not told, and disrespected in his own words which is why he waited to even report. Fast forward and doesn't that sound familiar for Mitch and Jim? Odom two titles and couldn't get a phone call at all as he finds out he's traded by espn. Pau is in the same boat. Players get consulted, tokenly about coaching hires like Adleman or considering Shaw or bringing Phil back, yet ultimately find out about Dantoni and Brown via espn. The lakers history of disrespect and unprofessional behavior starts there with the Payton trade and the cycle just continued to roll after so I'd say it's important. We are the team who disrespects its legends and contributors, that matters

Damn, damn, damn good points here blo. Wisdom like this only comes from knowing your history kids. Remember that.

I know it is uncomfortable breaking up with people which is what trading them essentially is. Eddie cried as West said and it was ahrd to do. Nick got pissed at him as Nick has said in documentaries as he was livid. But West always sucked that **** up like a man and did it. Stuff like that shows respect for their past and even though it is difficult it earns trust, such as Fox signing here for cheap on a handshake deal when he came originally and then staying later.

What Jim and Mitch were doing was the equivalent of someone changing their status to single on facebook, then blocking the contact of a old girlfriend hoping she got the message. They didn't show Payton, Pau, LO, or even Fish respect as men and people. Hell Fish got traded to Houston without even a call and he had just been in the office the day before to check on Mitch because he knew how stressful things were. Kobe and Fish find out Fish is traded, along with the rest of the team on a NBA TV Deadline special after 5 **** rings. Hell that was also how Caron and Kobe found out Caron was traded twice, once in the Boozer deal that fell apart, and then the Kwame deal that went through, ESPN broke them to them when you would think you would give the layer who is being dealt and a your star a heads up to deal with the LA media. PAu was in the air every deadline and told hey you can stay, we will pay you 10mil, when Melo said he wanted him on the team if he was to think about coming, but for years he was given no actual inclination as to what they were doing with him. That's some scumbag **** honestly and the NBA is a fraternity.

I welcome Magic because he was a player. HE knows how important respect as a man is. PElinka is a former agent, ran a firm, and he gets how important it is to keep players informed, be honest, and even tell them **** they don't want to hear. Case and point, I'm sure it was fun telling Kobe hey Sprite and McDonalds are cutting you, etc, but he has to suck it up and do it, same with any bad press any of his players got.

Jerry West and Jerry Buss valued respect. They need to bring that back to this franchise to be taken seriously if they want to actually attract talent and win games

[danfantastk32]

Not getting Wade in the Shaq deal.
Riley and his damn intense practices back in the 80's cost us a title.
Not giving Horrace Grant what little he wanted (Prob cost us a title). <--- talk about easily fixed.

Lesser:
I thought we totally F**ked up the Trevor Ariza negotiations. I think Ariza and Artest woulda been a freakin NASTY 1-2 punch. Did it affect any "titles"...prob not.
Moz and Deng. <---- Has yet to really bite us....but there's plenty of time.
Nash. So Nash was prob our poster-child for short-sightedness. Could have been the dumbest move in Laker history. BUT.....if we end up keeping this pick, and then it shuffles our future picks....it really takes the "sting" out of that whole deal. It becomes what? Like 4 second rounders we ultimately paid?

If we do end up losing this pick, and Ball becomes the next hot-sauce PG....then I'm right back to "F** Nash!"

[tugs]

Seems all these "blunders" are products of being revisionists.

[danfantastk32]

Seems all these "blunders" are products of being revisionists.

To be fair...isn't that what almost all blunders fans know/care about are? Your not gonna know about the time Mitch called Orlando to talk about the deal with Howard....only to realize he's speaking to the Bulls....right? The time Jeanie had 5000 balloons shipped to the wrong hospital don't usually affect the fans. It's the "woulda coulda shouldas" of the player world that we care about.

[dockingsched]

Seems all these "blunders" are products of being revisionists.

To be fair...isn't that what almost all blunders fans know/care about are? Your not gonna know about the time Mitch called Orlando to talk about the deal with Howard....only to realize he's speaking to the Bulls....right? The time Jeanie had 5000 balloons shipped to the wrong hospital don't usually affect the fans. It's the "woulda coulda shouldas" of the player world that we care about.

Blunders shouldn't require revisionist history or hindsight. Blunders should be able to be identified the moment they happen. Otherwise it's really just a mistake, not an act of stupidity or carelessness which is what a blunder is.

[danfantastk32]

Seems all these "blunders" are products of being revisionists.

To be fair...isn't that what almost all blunders fans know/care about are? Your not gonna know about the time Mitch called Orlando to talk about the deal with Howard....only to realize he's speaking to the Bulls....right? The time Jeanie had 5000 balloons shipped to the wrong hospital don't usually affect the fans. It's the "woulda coulda shouldas" of the player world that we care about.

Blunders shouldn't require revisionist history or hindsight. Blunders should be able to be identified the moment they happen. Otherwise it's really just a mistake, not an act of stupidity or carelessness which is what a blunder is.

Agree....but I think the intention here is the "woulda-coulda-shoulda's". It wasn't a blunder to sign Nash. I think everyone knew exactly what they were doing. Just turned out to be a giant mistake. Nobody thought they were signing CP3, only to realize "holy-sh**...we just signed Nash!!! My bad!"

By "blunder" i think the intention was "sh**t you wish you could take back".....not an actual mistake.

[So Gutta]

Not necessarily a "blunder", but allowing Steve Nash to travel the world while he was on the Laker payroll just reeks of organizational incompetence. He should have had his contract revoked for doing that.

[chefy]

just be glad we didnt end up signing Yi lmao

[ALL HAIL]

A blunder is a stupid or careless mistake.

Allowing Jerry West to walk out of the door in favor of Phil Jackson.

[Michael Lucky]

Well the first ones that come to mind where the Mozgov and Deng deals. I don't think many if any of us felt good about either when they happened. The Byron Scott for all intended purposes was bad as well if the idea was to actually compete. If the idea was to tank then, it was our best coaching hire since Phil.