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Q: On whether he thinks the Lakers can make the playoffs:
Kupchak: Yes we can. In fact, our goal every year is the same: to win the championship.

Mirjalovic wrote:

Q: On whether he thinks the Lakers can make the playoffs:
Kupchak: Yes we can. In fact, our goal every year is the same: to win the championship.

i thought im the only one who crazy to think this team strong enough for playoff, even championship.

(dont quote me)

DEEP3CL wrote:

Mirjalovic wrote:

Q: On whether he thinks the Lakers can make the playoffs:
Kupchak: Yes we can. In fact, our goal every year is the same: to win the championship.

i thought im the only one who crazy to think this team strong enough for playoff, even championship.

(dont quote me)

You're not by yourself Mirjalovic....I got ya back too. I think they can make the playoffs. Only the media is trying to psych out Laker fans. I look at the west and outside of the top 3 ( SA, OKC, LAC,) anybody else can stumble, have bad injuries etc...

Where I get pissed is when they're trying to anoint teams like Denver, Dallas, Phoenix and New Orleans as teams absolutely better than the Lakers and I just don't see it.

TylersLakers wrote:Dallas is better, yes. Phoenix, Denver, New Orleans.. No way.

crazyeights wrote:I said this before but yeah, Dallas's PG rotation is awful.

And I think Tyson Chandler is washed up.

crazyeights wrote:I said this before but yeah, Dallas's PG rotation is awful.

And I think Tyson Chandler is washed up.

ALL HAIL wrote:I'm sorry, but I love the way this team is constructed, both financially and from a chemistry/balance standpoint.

Offensively, Kobe, Lin, and Boozer may not wow anyone as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd options, but a bench of Young, Randle, and Clarkson will be the best in the league.

Throw in what I believe to be great defensive role-players in Hill, Johnson, and Davis, and you have the makings of a very solid team.

Health aside, the consistent play of Lin and Randle (offensively) are paramount to this team's success.

Defensively, Hill and Johnson need to be quite impactful as well.

If Scott can mesh these guys into a cohesive defensive unit while also patiently maximizing the offensive potential of Lin and Randle, and appreciating and utilizing his dynamic second unit (say a prayer for him and Young), I see this team as a 4 seed --- better than Phoenix, better than New Orleans, better than Houston, better than Portland, better than Dallas, better than Memphis, better than Golden State, and almost better than the Clippers.

Mike Trudell: Your relationship with Byron Scott started in 1989 when you were on assistant on Pat Riley’s staff. How did that evolve to the point that he hired you as a key part of his staff in 2014?
Eyen: The three years I spent with Byron (1989-1991) started the relationship, and a lot of years have come and gone in between. But over the years, just in coaching and playing against each other from the benches, we stayed in touch, if superficially. When he got the job here we talked, initiated by me. And Byron was really open and honest up front and said that an important part of who he was going to hire was there had to be a certain comfort level, which you can understand. The more that we talked and re-familiarized ourselves with each other, I think there was a certain comfort level that was achieved in our conversations. And I think that the root of our basketball philosophies are very similar, and maybe it has a lot to do with where we came from 20 years ago over that time. We started talking basketball, and a lot of what each other said was similar. Some with just different terminology, but some of which was rooted in the same philosophy.

MT: How would you describe the basketball philosophy that you think that you share with Byron?
Eyen: I think that in basketball it is difficult to pinpoint specifically as to what makes a team successful. However, I think that probably the similar philosophies that we engaged in had to do with the defensive side of the ball and how your offense can affect your defense and vice versa. It’s hard to pick one versus the other, but certainly there was an old school approach that I think we found ourselves thinking very similarly.

MT: The head coach and the general manager can dictate how a staff operates in different ways, with some having assistants focus on specific things and others having a more macro approach. Do you have an idea of how Coach Scott wants things to run?
Eyen: I think every staff is different and every head coach likes a particular mode, but basketball’s a little different from other sports. It’s not football where you have coordinators and you have a specific, sole responsibility. Basketball’s a little bit integrated, and I think the feeling that I get from Byron is that he would like us to be well rounded, well versed, see the entire game and certainly contribute in any area we want to – but have a particular focus as to maybe where we’re coming from in that point of view. I, over the years, have been at it a long time, and when you’re in something a long time you usually do a little bit of everything. So I have done a little bit of everything. But probably one of my strengths would be game preparation, which then leads you down the road of defense, though there’s still an offensive part to that game preparation as well. That’s probably where my focus will be.