Game 3 Lakers vs. Spurs 04/26 7:30PM

[KB24TBOTB]

Blake has been real good for us lately so I'd like to have him back but we seriously need to get a fast, athletic pg to either play backup or start. One guy I want is Nate Robinson. Sure he is undersized but dude has a heart of a lion and can be that bench spark for us. His style of play can be reckless and out of control but sometimes those are the type of players you need coming off the bench. Players that can create their own shot and get you points in bunches, players that aren't 1 dimensional catch and shoot type only

[Sedale Threatt]

Sedale my man please tell me you didn't utter that sentence ? How the hell can you not blame the injuries ? It was the 1st prong of a two prong problem we had. It's asinine to think that you have to play a playoff series without your franchise player and expect to win. Unfortunately this is the second time this has happen in my lifetime with the Lakers. I still think about 1989 every year.

Prong #2 that I alluded to. Yes the problems began was before assembling this roster. And I'll get into that once I do the GT.

Injuries are obviously a key reason why we're falling apart in this series, and struggled for most of the season. It ruined any chance we had at gaining any measure of consistency.

At the same time, they're not THE reason.

I would hope we take a serious look at all the issues that plagued us rather than simply chalking up the massive disappointment this season has been strictly to injuries.

Also, this team couldn't be any more different than the 89 squad. That was a legit championship contender. This one scraped into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth.

Anybody who thought this group had a legitimate shot at beating the Spurs, even with Kobe, I don't know what to say. You were thinking with your dicks rather than your heads.

You're a semi Spur closet fan....I've seen your fandom of them over the years. But I'm gonna pull your card here on this. You said they're " staying the course".... bullcrap, up until a few years ago the Spurs used almost the same formula we use, buying middle of the road vets with experience. Then after their last title in 2007 they were an utter disappointment and playoff fodder and got dominated by us in 08, they also have losing to an 8th seed on their resume and repeatedly being bounced in the playoffs in devastating fashion including last season. I'm gonna give you the real here, yeah they're going to kick our ass and end this but I can bet the deed to every family member's house...they're going to get bounced again.

I got a simple answer for this, they had no choice. The foreign talent pool is drying up and it's easy to draft guys with some potential. Leonard was a guy I saw play many times, was never really impressed but he's a Spur type player and so is Green. These guys will never develop enough to "take over" the Spurs...just fit in. The minute Tim is dried up along with Manu and Parker, these guys will be getting bounced around the league like bad checks.

My fandom is exclusive to the Lakers, but my love of basketball does not preclude me from respecting and admiring other players and teams. I take that as a point of pride. Just as I take pride in not being a narrow-minded homer.

I've certainly gotten into my fair share of scrapes over the years. But you take a, let's say, more combative approach, and I'll leave it at that.

The reason I cite the Spurs is to provide an example of a team that did not overreact to playoff losses/disappointments, and kept their core together, which is pretty much the exact opposite of what I'm proposing.

And the reason I did that was to acknowledge that my stance could very well be the wrong one.

This I can fully agree with. We've made major mistakes for years with drafting and acquiring the proper free agents that fit playing with Kobe. But people need to get off this "blow it up....start over" BS, it don't work that way. Yes the Lakers have to resolve some financial issues, but if guys are expecting a roster of 8-9 new players you're delusional.

In bold is a totally asinine pipe dream, Kobe is coming back. Yeah it may be a gamble but there are guys who've come back from that type of injury and had success. In reality here's some of the core that needs to be back.....Dwight, Clark, Goudelock, Hill and Kobe. Everybody else can check out.

I wouldn't expect it to be immediate. It would obviously be a process taking course over a couple of seasons.

But, considering the age of some of our key players, and the massive salaries they're pulling in, I think it needs to be seriously explored.

I'd much rather see us cut bait and begin the rebuild than simply trying to prolong the inevitable. Maybe this team deserves one more season to prove that this year wasn't a fluke of bad circumstance.

But I've seen enough teams hold on to old players and die on the vine over the years that I recognize the risk involved in that.

Each course involves a big risk. But I don't have much confidence things are going to be significantly better next season.

So, with the majority of our salaries coming off the books over the next couple of years, my personal preference would be to simply let everyone go and start fresh.

[Sedale Threatt]

Classic, classic Deep. Chide me for proposing we clean house, then post this in the game thread:

So it's 1 game that's gonna decide who stays and who goes. The one thing you can't be is sympathetic. It's the number 1 reason in sports why some teams don't come out of ruts they get into. We're in a rut and have been for at least the last 3 seasons. Bottom line is we're going to be watching some guys perform for the last time in a Laker uniform. We've all been so hardened by this season and the past two that we know it's time to start it over. But first just win 1 game......we're gonna see who has pride for that Lakers on the front of that jersey.

[Doormatt]

why would i ever think with my dick when it comes to basketball

[DEEP3CL]

I respect the response Sedale, and for the record don't get it wrong but I respect you as one of the better posters here. And I certainly never wanted to get combative so to speak, it was just certain things in your post I had to check straight up.

Obviously I don't want to get into a tit for tat squabble with one of my own board mates, we all are gonna have a different POV on things from time to time.

And I agree that without Kobe I knew we were shot for dead before we even played Game 1. But I agree with mostly everything you posted above, changes need to be made and I can certainly understand the uncertainty in our future moves. This is the first summer ever that decisions will have to be made without Dr.Buss being there.

In my 3 plus decades as a Laker fan I've usually had a pulse on what will be done, this time I got no damn clue. None of us do for that matter.

[moonpie]

why would i ever think with my dick when it comes to basketball

When you're watching the lingerie league of course.

[DEEP3CL]

:lol: Classic, classic Deep. Chide me for proposing we clean house, then post this in the game thread:

So it's 1 game that's gonna decide who stays and who goes. The one thing you can't be is sympathetic. It's the number 1 reason in sports why some teams don't come out of ruts they get into. We're in a rut and have been for at least the last 3 seasons. Bottom line is we're going to be watching some guys perform for the last time in a Laker uniform. We've all been so hardened by this season and the past two that we know it's time to start it over. But first just win 1 game......we're gonna see who has pride for that Lakers on the front of that jersey.

Well Sedale it depends on how literally you take it. Like I've said we need changes but it's still very possible some of the same guys will be back. You can't take it as set in stone to what I mean by it. Major changes have to be done with our core......reestablishing a new one.

[IamBBAnalysis]

I respect the response Sedale, and for the record don't get it wrong but I respect you as one of the better posters here. And I certainly never wanted to get combative so to speak, it was just certain things in your post I had to check straight up.

Obviously I don't want to get into a tit for tat squabble with one of my own board mates, we all are gonna have a different POV on things from time to time.

And I agree that without Kobe I knew we were shot for dead before we even played Game 1. But I agree with mostly everything you posted above, changes need to be made and I can certainly understand the uncertainty in our future moves. This is the first summer ever that decisions will have to be made without Dr.Buss being there.

In my 3 plus decades as a Laker fan I've usually had a pulse on what will be done, this time I got no damn clue. None of us do for that matter.

The thing about it Deep is with the "star power" on the roster even without Kobe the team should have been able to compete in the series. But there are huge fundamental problems with the team this season.

-The team had no identity.
-The team was neither great on offense or defense.
-The team never blew other teams out.
-The team had poor chemistry.
-The team was unorganized and looked sloppy on offense and defense.
-The players were not used properly.
-The players had poor attitudes.
-The team is slow.
-The team is unathletic.
-The team is a poor shooting team.
-The team has turnover prone players.
-Missed free throws.

The above resulted in many turnovers, easy baskets for the opponent much too consistently, and a lack of easy buckets for the Lakers.

What the Lakers had that was positive:

1. Size on defense (bothers shots inside).
2. Kobe just playing a brilliant offense season many nights.
3. Solid interior scoring.
4. Experience.
5. Dwight in about 1/2 the games was a big factor on defense in a positive way.
6. Free throw shooting attempts.


Long Term Goals:
-Keep Dwight, Hill
-Sign Clark
-Make a trade to get younger pieces (Gasol is the only option)

Short Term Goals:
-Play out next season and see if Kobe can play. A championship with Kobe/Dwight will always be a possibility so a season cannot be thrown away.
-Maintain flexibility after the season.
-Obtain players that fix some of the weaknesses above (shooting, athleticism, speed) and remove players that are part of that...but attempt to maintain strengths (free throw shooting, Dwight, Kobe, interior scoring).

Players that will likely stay:

Dwight, Kobe, Hill (could be traded), Blake (could be traded), Steve Nash (no one will trade for a 39 year old with a large contract that just ended the season with an injury no one knows how much of an issue it will be next year...the only thing that may happen is he simply does not play next year if the injury is serious but he will be a Laker), Duhon (no one would take him willingly), Meeks (could be traded).

Players that will likely leave:

Gasol (he simply cannot be around next season or it will be more of the same with the team), Morris, Jamision, Artest, Ebanks, Sacre.

Other: Goudelock. He may return. Unknown but he should get a chance. Clark may stay but he may demand too much and he was not getting a lot of minutes towards the end of the season. He should be kept for his defensive potential and energy.

What I think makes sense is getting 3 new rotation players. 2 wings and one pf.


Starters pre Kobe:

Blake
New Wing
Howard
New Pf
New Wing

Bench pre Kobe:

Nash
Meeks
Hill
Clark
One of starting wings

The starting team focuses on Howard, defense, and inside out. The bench comes in and plays up tempo with energy. Hill is a good pick and roll player and the team can spread the floor.

Post Kobe:

Blake
Kobe
Howard
New PF
New Wing

Nash
Meeks
Hill
Clark
New Wing

Also, D'Antonni should be replaced with a coach that commands respect and can install a plan and discipline.