Deng surgery

[Princeinrevolt]

I can't believe people with 20/20 vision or near of are trying to justify this Luol Deng signing lmao. The man has been complete garbage all season and is getting paid 18 mil a year to do be a "veteran 3&D presence" but he's shooting 31% from 3 and 39% from the floor. These numbers won't get better.

His contract is terrible, the front office screwed up big time! But his bad play is not entirely his fault. He is not a Sf anymore, he wasn't a Sf when the front office signed him. If he played the Pf position this year, and he still sucked, then yeah you can judge him. But for now, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. If he becomes an average or above-average player next year as a Pf, his contract would still suck in my opinion so I'm not trying to justify that.

[Frank Dux]

Mitch deserved to get fired for this contract.

Anyone paying attention to Miami knew he was having trouble playing the SF position, and that he was more of a 4. Well, why did we spend 72 million on a mediocre, small, aging 4 while we're developing two solid power forwards in Nance/Randle? Also, we had just drafted a small forward with all star potential, what was their rationale for this signing? It might not have been a terrible idea if it was a 2 year deal. Something like 2 years 40 million wouldn't have been the end of the world while we're developing the youngsters. But 4 years? We gave this guy a contract into his mid 30's?

It boggles my mind that anyone in the front office thought this was a good idea. He would've been overpaid getting a contract half the size.

[Crooked-I]

Anyone got stats of Deng playing at the 4 last season? I know he saw some PF minutes and he didn't look any better with my eye. Maybe stats say otherwise, but he was trash regardless what position he played.

[Mirjalovic]

pf or not his open wide jumpshoot still short

[danfantastk32]

His contract is terrible, the front office screwed up big time! But his bad play is not entirely his fault. He is not a Sf anymore, he wasn't a Sf when the front office signed him. If he played the Pf position this year, and he still sucked, then yeah you can judge him. But for now, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. If he becomes an average or above-average player next year as a Pf, his contract would still suck in my opinion so I'm not trying to justify that.

What your saying might be true. To be honest, I could give a rip about Miami...so I have no idea how he looked playing PF there. But my point in all of this though, is while it may not be his fault.....it's certainly not the fault of Laker fans who watch that guy soak up $18 mil (20% of the teams cap last year!) and think "boy this guy sucks".

He wasn't asked to play upside down....he was asked to play the position he played the good 90% of his career. I mean come on.

One minute people are telling me "this isn't your daddy's NBA....positions aren't fixed....people can move up and down positions at will" ....and then the next day I'm hearing violin concerto #8 for Deng's mishandling. I dunno....the guy seemed like a pretty good SF back in his day. That was all a lie?

This last paragraph is not at you Prince...but more to "the room":
If you don't think the Deng signing was horrible....by all means. That's your right. I totally disagree, but whatever. But let's not pretend like "the unwashed don't get it" when it comes to Deng. There's a reason we gotta throw first-round picks and young talent at whatever team to entice them to take his contract. The list of teams lined up to take this "misused gem" off our hands it AWFULLY SMALL. I mean that about sums it up, doesn't it? Go find me the team that would "love to take him" before saying I'm crazy for calling this signing what we all know it is: HORRIBLE

[larry14r]

Mitch deserved to get fired for this contract.

Anyone paying attention to Miami knew he was having trouble playing the SF position, and that he was more of a 4. Well, why did we spend 72 million on a mediocre, small, aging 4 while we're developing two solid power forwards in Nance/Randle? Also, we had just drafted a small forward with all star potential, what was their rationale for this signing? It might not have been a terrible idea if it was a 2 year deal. Something like 2 years 40 million wouldn't have been the end of the world while we're developing the youngsters. But 4 years? We gave this guy a contract into his mid 30's?

It boggles my mind that anyone in the front office thought this was a good idea. He would've been overpaid getting a contract half the size.

Let's see Ingram was not ready to start yet, Young was about to be cut, and we needed SF depth, but there we're no options left in free agency that's why. Also Mitch has been after Deng for 9 years remember he wanted Deng in the potential Kobe trade to the Bulls back in 2007, and looked at him again in 2014. So 9 years and 4 yrs/$72 mil later he finally got him.

[danfantastk32]

Mitch deserved to get fired for this contract.

Anyone paying attention to Miami knew he was having trouble playing the SF position, and that he was more of a 4. Well, why did we spend 72 million on a mediocre, small, aging 4 while we're developing two solid power forwards in Nance/Randle? Also, we had just drafted a small forward with all star potential, what was their rationale for this signing? It might not have been a terrible idea if it was a 2 year deal. Something like 2 years 40 million wouldn't have been the end of the world while we're developing the youngsters. But 4 years? We gave this guy a contract into his mid 30's?

It boggles my mind that anyone in the front office thought this was a good idea. He would've been overpaid getting a contract half the size.

Totally agree. Alot of people think those two signings were the last straw. My guess is after that really good start, you could see what this team could accomplish with time. They 'came back down to Earth'...but you saw what was there. Some of our flaws were exposed, and I'd be around game 35-40 Jeanie started thinking future moves.....and grabbed a calculator.

And as she sat there....numbers staring back up at her she said: "Four f*** years?!?!"

She immediately realized those 2 had to be moved in order for us to sign (never mind ATTRACT) a legit free agent. That thought was immediately followed by some rough calculations on what it'd take to move 1 or both of them....Immediately followed by "ok...these two don't know what their doing".

Ring-Ring..."Hello Jeanie, How are you today? (in that charming Magic voice)"

"Hey Erving....I'm doing good. Say.....do you have any plans for lunch?"

History.....

[lake_show]

And as she sat there....numbers staring back up at her she said: "Four f*** years?!?!"

This!

Anyone claiming Deng needs to play PF just doesnt know what they're talking about. Every time someone makes a Deng thread you get 4 or 5 dudes come into the thread with the ground breaking, never thought of before solution of:

"Deng needs to play PF"

Wow... Like I said "ground breaking" right? I hate to break it to all the "geniuses" out there, but there's a reason he didn't play much PF last year. No, it's not because nobody else could think up such a well thought out solution as you just did... You know, "Deng should play PF". It's because we already have 3 other PF's who are better than him... And I know that scholars such as yourselves are gonna have trouble with this next point, but we're only allowed to have 5 guys on the court at once. Crazy!... I know.

Unless we trade Randle, or Nance the only way Deng reedems his contract is by changing his game (again) to fit the system he's in. Which means hitting open shots, and yes, playing SF. Changing your game is extremely difficult for any player, especially a guy Deng's age. Extremely difficult. Don't get me wrong, there are guys who have done it, Vince Carter, Grant Hill, but when Deng moved to PF it was a natural transition. This will take work on his part.

Deng may get minutes over T-Rob, because of seniority. Yall can forget about Deng getting minutes, or starting over Randle, or Nance though. Sorry to break it to all the "great minds" out there.... Never gonna happen.

[Pythagoras]

And as she sat there....numbers staring back up at her she said: "Four f*** years?!?!"

This!

Anyone claiming Deng needs to play PF just doesnt know what they're talking about. Every time someone makes a Deng thread you get 4 or 5 dudes come into the thread with the ground breaking, never thought of before solution of:

"Deng needs to play PF"

Actually, it's just the opposite. People who keep saying Deng should play the 4 know exactly what they're talking about because... He should play the 4. I know suggesting that Deng should be moved back to the position that he was more successful at isn't as sexy of a solution as complaining about how awful his contract, but it is a valid solution.

[lake_show]

And as she sat there....numbers staring back up at her she said: "Four f*** years?!?!"

This!

Anyone claiming Deng needs to play PF just doesnt know what they're talking about. Every time someone makes a Deng thread you get 4 or 5 dudes come into the thread with the ground breaking, never thought of before solution of:

"Deng needs to play PF"

Actually, it's just the opposite. People who keep saying Deng should play the 4 know exactly what they're talking about because... He should play the 4. I know suggesting that Deng should be moved back to the position that he was more successful at isn't as sexy of a solution as complaining about how awful his contract, but it is a valid solution.

Sure... Lol

Look, it's very clear you only read about 2 sentences into my post, didn't understand what I wrote, and then decided you knew something you actually don't.

Go back and read it again. Take your time. Call me if you need notes.

Btw, evetything you wrote has nothing to do with what I wrote, but like said, just read it again. It'll sink in at some point.

[lake_show]

Wow. Some geniuses on this board.

[DS17]

Man i thought he'd be a reliable SF at the start of the season

[Mirjalovic]

And as she sat there....numbers staring back up at her she said: "Four f*** years?!?!"

This!

Anyone claiming Deng needs to play PF just doesnt know what they're talking about. Every time someone makes a Deng thread you get 4 or 5 dudes come into the thread with the ground breaking, never thought of before solution of:

"Deng needs to play PF"

Actually, it's just the opposite. People who keep saying Deng should play the 4 know exactly what they're talking about because... He should play the 4. I know suggesting that Deng should be moved back to the position that he was more successful at isn't as sexy of a solution as complaining about how awful his contract, but it is a valid solution.

he shouldn't play in PF because the Lakers have 3 better PFs already.

[Princeinrevolt]

This!

Anyone claiming Deng needs to play PF just doesnt know what they're talking about. Every time someone makes a Deng thread you get 4 or 5 dudes come into the thread with the ground breaking, never thought of before solution of:

"Deng needs to play PF"

Actually, it's just the opposite. People who keep saying Deng should play the 4 know exactly what they're talking about because... He should play the 4. I know suggesting that Deng should be moved back to the position that he was more successful at isn't as sexy of a solution as complaining about how awful his contract, but it is a valid solution.

he shouldn't play in PF because the Lakers have 3 better PFs already.

We're not saying that Deng should play Pf, we're just saying that if you want to get the best out of him that's where you need to play him. Many people are calling him trash when he is not even playing his correct position.

I don't even care about getting the best out of him to be honest. I won't let him play Pf minutes over Randle/Nance for development purposes. But Deng is an average/slightly below average 3 point shooter, and at the Pf position that is valuable, and he is an average/above-average defender. That is not too bad of a player. Randle is only better than him at playmaking. Nance is only better than him at defending, and not by a lot.

Don't think I'm saying that his contract is not that bad. Because his contract is atrocious. I don't even hate on Deng as much as a lot of people, and if I could have signed him for like the veterans minimum last year, I still wouldn't have because we already have enough Pf's, and we really needed a Sf (a cheap one).

Deng will never redeem his contract, even if he becomes average at the Sf spot.

(This is more of a response to Lake_show)

[Pointgod]

Mitch deserved to get fired for this contract.

Anyone paying attention to Miami knew he was having trouble playing the SF position, and that he was more of a 4. Well, why did we spend 72 million on a mediocre, small, aging 4 while we're developing two solid power forwards in Nance/Randle? Also, we had just drafted a small forward with all star potential, what was their rationale for this signing? It might not have been a terrible idea if it was a 2 year deal. Something like 2 years 40 million wouldn't have been the end of the world while we're developing the youngsters. But 4 years? We gave this guy a contract into his mid 30's?

It boggles my mind that anyone in the front office thought this was a good idea. He would've been overpaid getting a contract half the size.

I called this from the moment that these contracts were signed, Mozgov and Deng are poison. Just another move in the long line of idiotic moves by Jim and Mitch.

I'm not surprised that were posters on this site defending this, they would defend anything. Let's see what Magic and Pelinka can do. First move should be to clear capspace.

[Pythagoras]

This!

Anyone claiming Deng needs to play PF just doesnt know what they're talking about. Every time someone makes a Deng thread you get 4 or 5 dudes come into the thread with the ground breaking, never thought of before solution of:

"Deng needs to play PF"

Actually, it's just the opposite. People who keep saying Deng should play the 4 know exactly what they're talking about because... He should play the 4. I know suggesting that Deng should be moved back to the position that he was more successful at isn't as sexy of a solution as complaining about how awful his contract, but it is a valid solution.

Sure... Lol

Look, it's very clear you only read about 2 sentences into my post, didn't understand what I wrote, and then decided you knew something you actually don't.

Go back and read it again. Take your time. Call me if you need notes.

Btw, evetything you wrote has nothing to do with what I wrote, but like said, just read it again. It'll sink in at some point.

Irony...

(Character limit dance)

[lake_show]

Actually, it's just the opposite. People who keep saying Deng should play the 4 know exactly what they're talking about because... He should play the 4. I know suggesting that Deng should be moved back to the position that he was more successful at isn't as sexy of a solution as complaining about how awful his contract, but it is a valid solution.

he shouldn't play in PF because the Lakers have 3 better PFs already.

We're not saying that Deng should play Pf, we're just saying that if you want to get the best out of him that's where you need to play him. Many people are calling him trash when he is not even playing his correct position.

I don't even care about getting the best out of him to be honest. I won't let him play Pf minutes over Randle/Nance for development purposes. But Deng is an average/slightly below average 3 point shooter, and at the Pf position that is valuable, and he is an average/above-average defender. That is not too bad of a player. Randle is only better than him at playmaking. Nance is only better than him at defending, and not by a lot.

Don't think I'm saying that his contract is not that bad. Because his contract is atrocious. I don't even hate on Deng as much as a lot of people, and if I could have signed him for like the veterans minimum last year, I still wouldn't have because we already have enough Pf's, and we really needed a Sf (a cheap one).

Deng will never redeem his contract, even if he becomes average at the Sf spot.

(This is more of a response to Lake_show)

Yup. I completely agree. That's basically my point. I don't hate on Deng either. I actually have hopes that he can at least put together a couple decent seasons over the next few years (if he's still here). On this specific team though, which is overloaded with PF's (Randle, Nance, Black, T-Rob), it doesn't make his contract better to say "Deng should play PF". It actually makes his contract worse.

Yes, I agree, he's probably better at PF than SF at this point in his career, but by suggestion he should only play PF people are basically saying we paid 4yrs 72m for a 3rd or 4th string PF. That's on this team specifically though. Maybe on another team where they don't have as much PF depth it makes sense to pick up Deng as a PF. On this team though... With the log jam we have at PF... I didn't even include Metta, who's also a PF at this point in his career... It makes his contract even worse if he's only ever gonna play PF, because we don't have the minutes to let him do that.