A 5-point plan for fixing Lakers: Requires patience

leeprettyp · Post #1 » by **leeprettyp** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 4:35 am

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-nba-bolch-20140202,0,5021025.story#ixzz2s880GyYi

By Ben Bolch
February 1, 2014, 6:25 p.m.

The season is over.

It only feels like the Lakers franchise is done.

There is the terrible team, the sidelined superstar and the dim prospects for a quick turnaround. What's next? A walkout by super fan Flea?

Fortunately, these are the Lakers, and they always seem to figure it out.

Unfortunately, short of drafting Magic Johnson, these things can take time.

It was six long years between the Lakers' going pfft under Randy Pfund in 1994 and winning their next title. It took them four years to fully recover from Chucky Atkins, Chris Mihm et al. in 2005 and raise championship banners No. 15 and 16.

In the interest of speeding things up, here is a five-point plan that could help the Lakers figure out a way back onto their Figueroa parade route well before the end of the decade:

leeprettyp · Post #2 » by **leeprettyp** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 4:37 am

My favorite suggestion from Blotch. We can start here when the seasons over. He's not the right guy for this franchise period

3. Bring in a new coach this spring.
You can't blame Mike D'Antoni for the mess this season has become. Even before the Lakers began conducting more MRIs than Cedars-Sinai, they were going to be fringe playoff contenders at best with this roster.
But does anyone really think D'Antoni is suited to be their next championship coach? He's slow to adapt to his personnel, largely uncommunicative with players and seemingly incapable of formulating an elite defense.
Lakers owner Jim Buss should make things right with his sister Jeanie and a critical fan base by placing his first call to Phil Jackson. Barring a return of Zen-sanity, go after Jeff Van Gundy or George Karl. The Lakers need a coach with a Finals pedigree who can entice free agents while bringing a certain gravitas to the job that has been missing since Jackson's departure.

tviper · Post #3 » by **tviper** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 4:45 am

leeprettyp wrote:My favorite suggestion from Blotch. We can start here when the seasons over. He's not the right guy for this franchise period

3. Bring in a new coach this spring.
You can't blame Mike D'Antoni for the mess this season has become. Even before the Lakers began conducting more MRIs than Cedars-Sinai, they were going to be fringe playoff contenders at best with this roster.
But does anyone really think D'Antoni is suited to be their next championship coach? He's slow to adapt to his personnel, largely uncommunicative with players and seemingly incapable of formulating an elite defense.
Lakers owner Jim Buss should make things right with his sister Jeanie and a critical fan base by placing his first call to Phil Jackson. Barring a return of Zen-sanity, go after Jeff Van Gundy or George Karl. The Lakers need a coach with a Finals pedigree who can entice free agents while bringing a certain gravitas to the job that has been missing since Jackson's departure.

funny, I was about to quote the same thing and say what a moron the article writer is. yeah, George Karl is the answer. what an idiot. then he goes on to say that Young, Meeks, and Blake are keepers, the former two of which deserve a raise. first, by giving Swaggy AND Meeks a raise, the FA possibilities start to shrink due to the limited cap room available. second, Blake is hurt EVERY YEAR, so why are we retaining him as part of a "5 point plan"? He talks about trading Pau as if the Lakers haven't been trying. Duh. Anyway, nothing in this article in the form of novel suggestions, just a monotonous rehash of points made by every talk show and forum page every day for the past three months. this is the LA Times, wow.

gotokyo · Post #4 » by **gotokyo** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 5:05 am

I have a better 1 step plan.

1. Stop letting Jim Buss make decisions.

Everything else should work itself out.

RJM · Post #5 » by **RJM** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 5:59 am

I like that suggestion.

Kobe System · Post #6 » by **Kobe System** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 7:50 am

Man, tell us something that we don't know. Even casual fans know that "5-point plan" thing.

TylersLakers · Post #7 » by **TylersLakers** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 8:27 am

^^^ no doubt.

Can't believe he got paid to write that article. I thought it would be a detailed 5 point description of who to sign/when, etc with cap breakdowns and such.. Instead it was that.

I'm sure every Laker fan on this board could write a better, more detailed article.

hazy_01 · Post #8 » by **hazy_01** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 11:26 am

We are already dealt with a better situation than most rebuilding teams-Kobe will come back stronger, we got young a team, LA is a premier free agent destination and cap space. It's sad to see some posters here still hoping for Lakers to make it to playoffs this season or just plain against getting a high draft pick.

AdonisDeMarion · Post #9 » by **AdonisDeMarion** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 4:32 pm

hazy_01 wrote:We are already dealt with a better situation than most rebuilding teams-Kobe will come back stronger, we got young a team, LA is a premier free agent destination and cap space. It's sad to see some posters here still hoping for Lakers to make it to playoffs this season or just plain against getting a high draft pick.

I really don't understand it either. I'm not going to the post season just to get bounced in the 1st round and for a late pick in this loaded draft. Lose now and lose big to get a fresh start. We can't lose out of this draft pick, I'm tired of retooling and reloading lets rebuild and get this underway.

I say lets suck next season too if at all possible

GeorgeDillion · Post #10 » by **GeorgeDillion** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 5:12 pm

Why suck next season when we owe our pick to Phoenix? It's only top 5 protected there's no guarantee that we suck bad enough to keep it.

Most people have already either accepted the tank or have accepted this isn't our season on this board. Who's saying their opposed to a high draft pick? I think most people who are "opposed to the tank" are just looking for us to be a watchable product and look half way respectable while losing.

chefy · Post #11 » by **chefy** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 5:18 pm

Kobe System wrote:Man, tell us something that we don't know. Even casual fans know that "5-point plan" thing.

Exactly! Lol even a ballboy can come up with the same plans as those lol.

And number 3 is gonna break the lakers bank lol. So we'll have have to pay two coaches that are not even going to coach the team, Brown and D'antoni. And on top of this we'll hire two big name coaches as replacements? lol. Phil was already demanding too much when we tried to hire him again, not gonna happen now esp after all the "embarrassments" that happened when the FO went with D'antoni.

Post #12 » by **dockingsched** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 6:39 pm

i'd be very disappointed if george karl was a candidate to replace MDA. i would heavily question the front office's plan to build a contender.

personally i'd prefer to go with a young new comer that puts advanced stats into use. someone in the mold of frank bogel or brad stevens.

The Skyhook · Post #13 » by **The Skyhook** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 6:43 pm

Number 1 is to finish with the worst record possible. The writer says "This should be easy." No this should not be easy especially once Kobe, Nash, Blake, Farmar, Pau, and Henry are all back during the final stretch of the season.

The only way I see it being easier is if we trade Pau and are basically left with no interior presence.

WCDYNASTY · Post #14 » by **WCDYNASTY** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 6:43 pm

I like JVG and George Karl but I'd rather hire Byron Scott as head coach... former coach of the year, proven winner who has taken teams to Finals, and true Laker who would be embraced by everybody.

Post #15 » by **dockingsched** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 6:46 pm

guys like george kar and byron scott are imo the worst possible choices. its all preference anyway, but i would hate to see retreads like them. i honestly don't know what people see in byron scott.

WCDYNASTY · Post #16 » by **WCDYNASTY** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 7:00 pm

dockingsched wrote:guys like george kar and byron scott are imo the worst possible choices. its all preference anyway, but i would hate to see retreads like them. i honestly don't know what people see in byron scott.

Let me rephrase my comment on Karl, I like him but wouldn't want him to coach Lakers. On the other hand I'd like JVG as a Lakers coach but I'd prefer Byron Scott for some of the reasons I mentioned above. Instead of just stating your opinion why don't you explain why you don't like Byron Scott as a coach?

LAKESHOW · Post #17 » by **LAKESHOW** » Sun Feb 2, 2014 8:45 pm

shaw, but it seems he is unavailable due to his current job.

next in line is Byron scott.

rick Adelman, because he runs a similar motion type offensive system. has tons experience. is a known commodity that players would gravitate to. but again, would be unavailable due to current job.

that leaves Byron scott.

minifang · Post #18 » by **minifang** » Mon Feb 3, 2014 6:48 pm

PIggy backing on this topic, what would you guys do to fix the lakers?

1) Tank this year/draft a top prospect (already happening)
2) Make a push for Lebron (unlikely) --> go to step 3

3) Continue to preserve cap space for 2015
4) Tank next year/draft another top prospect

5) Sign Love in 2015 FA
6) Preserve cap space for a max contract in 2016

6) Sign Durant in 2016 FA

leeprettyp · Post #19 » by **leeprettyp** » Tue Feb 4, 2014 12:44 am

2015 lottery pick is only top 5 protected. I just cant see us risking that. I still believe we'll be aggressive this offseason.

I just hope we dont trade our Lottery pick this year I have a feeling we may not win more than 5 games for the rest of this season (if that many). I'm all on board for getting Wiggins. The player with the biggest upside in this draft. I'm cool with Embiid also but I'd still take Wiggins before him personally

minifang · Post #20 » by **minifang** » Tue Feb 4, 2014 1:08 am

If it was top 3 protection, I would definitely be against it but with top 5 protection, you can (essentially) guarantee the pick as long as you have one of the bottom 2 records in the league.

It would really depend on who declares for this year's draft and who doesn't to see if it's worthwhile.