Are the Lakers done being an "elite" Franchise?

ricochet · Post #41 » by **ricochet** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 3:24 pm

Aboozer wrote:
Hook_Em wrote:- Kobe, Nash, Pau and Peace are 32+

Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Harper were all 32+ in 1998. They lost 21 game in regular season...

That was Jordan aka arguably the GOAT, not Kobe.
Their current run is most likely over. Has been since 2010.

However, they are not done being an ELITE franchise. After Kobe, they'll just sign a premiere FA and bang.. They're back to being a good team. The location, market size and money will almost always be there.

83SixersRocked · Post #42 » by **83SixersRocked** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 3:27 pm

No. Not as long as the weather holds and Hollywood lives.

druggas · Post #43 » by **druggas** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 3:37 pm

They are the only elite franchise and have been since the NBA formed.

What a stoopid question.

Deus · Post #44 » by **Deus** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:00 pm

Sinant wrote:To be honest, current team aside, it depends A LOT on the ownership situation. If the current owner is as bad as reports make him seem, they could be in trouble.

Obviously the Lakers will always play with a stacked hand, but if their owner is an idiot who folds every time or calls everybody's bluffs, a great hand can be blown.

The one thing that can screw up any franchise is a terrible owner. Look what Dolan's done to a gigantic market with tons of draw in New York.

this

I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan, and know first hand.

Post #45 » by **dockingsched** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:03 pm

the current owner is jerry buss, arguably the greatest owner in sports. the hell u talking about "if the current owner is as bad as reports make him seem"

:crazy:

Dr Pepper · Post #46 » by **Dr Pepper** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:16 pm

dockingsched wrote:the current owner is jerry buss, arguably the greatest owner in sports. the hell u talking about "if the current owner is as bad as reports make him seem"

He probably meant his son who infamously hired a bartender as a scout and both of these guys seem to have a lot of drama with Phil Jackson. The Zen Master was the easy coaching choice but an interview or two later and they hire the Mike and Mikes instead

As long as D'Antoni is still their head coach, its basically Knicks 2.0 imo

deNIEd · Post #47 » by **deNIEd** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:24 pm

If Donald Sterling wasn't a cheap, racist, scumbag...the Lakers could face a real threat.

If they don't turn their team around in the next year or two, and the Clippers continue to contend and/or win a championship or two, is it not possible that LA slowly becomes a Clippers town? If LAC can continue to put out a high quality team for the next decade or so...who knows.

SaveOurBullets · Post #48 » by **SaveOurBullets** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:24 pm

It's not going to be as easy as people say it is. Who's going to be available within the next few years?

seren · Post #49 » by **seren** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:30 pm

SaveOurBullets wrote:It's not going to be as easy as people say it is. Who's going to be available within the next few years?

Some names from 2014 FA market:

Lebron James
Carmelo Anthony
Dwayne Wade
Chris Bosh
Kevin Love
Dirk Nowitzki
Danny Granger
Rudy Gay
Zach Randolph

TruSkool · Post #50 » by **TruSkool** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:41 pm

Hook_Em wrote:First of all, stop giving me that look..

Secondly, they're historically the best franchise in NBA history but I'm talking about on-the-court results for the next decade plus...

But, for the last 33 years the Lakers have had a franchise player from their rookie seasons for 28 of them in Kobe and Magic. Bryant, while still a great player is aging and I don't see him playing into his late-40's with all the wear and tear. He's played over 51,000 minutes between the regular/postseason.

On to the current situation:

- Kobe, Nash, Pau and Peace are 32+
- Dwight has been a disappointment and will probably leave this summer
- Mike D'Antoni is a mediocre coach and they can't fire him because they're still paying Mike Brown
- Buss JR is running the organization and he's come under criticism
- Going forward they're not the best team in their own arena

Counter-argument is everyone said the Lakers would never be the same after Magic retired and Shaq was traded to Miami and they've gone thru 2 dynasties since then. So, will the Lakers be a mediocre team for the next decade-plus or will they find some way to get Lebron/Irving/Love like they always do...?

this must be the first threat ever that i didn't bother reading past that

deNIEd · Post #51 » by **deNIEd** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:59 pm

seren wrote:
SaveOurBullets wrote:It's not going to be as easy as people say it is. Who's going to be available within the next few years?

Some names from 2014 FA market:

Lebron James
Carmelo Anthony
Dwayne Wade
Chris Bosh
Kevin Love
Dirk Nowitzki
Danny Granger
Rudy Gay
Zach Randolph

Lebron James - Player Option
Carmelo Anthony - Player Option
Dwayne Wade - Player Option
Chris Bosh - Player Option
Kevin Love - Not any kind of a FA or has any kind of options
Dirk Nowitzki
Danny Granger
Rudy Gay - Not any kind of a FA or has any kind of options
Zach Randolph - Player Option

Knicker23 · Post #52 » by **Knicker23** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:00 pm

It depends on what you mean by "elite" .. The Lakers are still in LA, big names will continue to want to play there. That isn't changing.

However Kobe is a unique type of player that brings a certain status of elite to that franchise, that can't be replaced with a Rudy Gay, Love etc. To me, the departure of an image like Kobe brings that franchise which with him has always been a few pegs higher, down to earth a bit. He has always grounded that team with a certain class and intrigue- even if the team isn't a top team in the league. Post-Kobe they just become another big city team looking to get some big names.. hoping to be elite for a few years, likely destined for the normal "good for a couple years, bad for a couple" that isn't really accustomed to being the case for a Kobe team.

They're sort of ending in that direction now.. but until Kobe leaves that image will still be surrounding them for me, regardless of record

jstnw89 · Post #53 » by **jstnw89** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:02 pm

They won't be contenders, but I don't see why they couldn't be good again relatively quickly

LakerLegend · Post #54 » by **LakerLegend** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:04 pm

The Lakers have been an elite franchise since the days of George Mikan.....

Post #55 » by **dockingsched** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:09 pm

SaveOurBullets wrote:It's not going to be as easy as people say it is. Who's going to be available within the next few years?

2015 with Howard only the books, go get Rondo and Love. done.

AirP. · Post #56 » by **AirP.** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:10 pm

Good lord, the Lakers understand that having the most dominate big man in the game is the easiest way to be an elite team and they went out and got the most dominate big man, the problem is the Laker's don't have the right type of players to fully utilize D.Howard as the centerpiece and LA can't just move Gasol for pieces to put around Howard because he's still not signed long term and if he leaves they'll in an even worse position.

If Howard were signed long term, Gasol would be gone, better fitting players would be brought in and LA would be doing much better but in the current situation they're at now, they're in total disarray off the court because of all the situations.

You have to remember, D.Howard went to the finals with a team that started, J.Nelson, R.Lewes, Turkoglu and whoever got to start at SG(C.Lee/Pietrus) and never really put any championship quality teammates around him. LA is just lacking the right roleplayers to fill in the gaps to go with Kobe(even at his age) and Howard.

seren · Post #57 » by **seren** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:15 pm

deNIEd wrote:
seren wrote:
Some names from 2014 FA market:

Lebron James
Carmelo Anthony
Dwayne Wade
Chris Bosh
Kevin Love
Dirk Nowitzki
Danny Granger
Rudy Gay
Zach Randolph

Lebron James - Player Option
Carmelo Anthony - Player Option
Dwayne Wade - Player Option
Chris Bosh - Player Option
Kevin Love - Not any kind of a FA or has any kind of options
Dirk Nowitzki
Danny Granger
Rudy Gay - Not any kind of a FA or has any kind of options
Zach Randolph - Player Option

You are right about Love and wrong about Gay, but I don't get your point. Player option means it is up to the player to decide whether they will be a free agent or not. You know that, right? The summer Wade/Lebron/Bosh all signed to Miami, they all had player options. And what a surprise, none took it.

khufure · Post #58 » by **khufure** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:21 pm

I still can't believe they hired Pringles... IMO they will be fine once they get a real coach, and tweaked personnel.

Im Coming Home · Post #59 » by **Im Coming Home** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:28 pm

dockingsched wrote:
SaveOurBullets wrote:It's not going to be as easy as people say it is. Who's going to be available within the next few years?

2015 with Howard only the books, go get Rondo and Love. done.

Rondo is literally one of the worst pairings with Howard.. he can't shoot, and neither of them can make free throws.. :-?

I'd rather pair a lot of other point guards with Howard before I paired him with Rondo.

RatherUnique · Post #60 » by **RatherUnique** » Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:39 pm

seren wrote:
SaveOurBullets wrote:It's not going to be as easy as people say it is. Who's going to be available within the next few years?

Some names from 2014 FA market:

Lebron James
Carmelo Anthony
Dwayne Wade
Chris Bosh
Kevin Love
Dirk Nowitzki
Danny Granger
Rudy Gay
Zach Randolph

Underwhelming if you wiff on Lebron or Melo. Wade will be 33, Dirk 36 and Love isn't a free agent in 2014.