RealGM

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP7B9lQGduQ[/youtube]

Talks about Luke, expectations for the coming season, free agency and so on.

The front office scares me.

these three analysts for tw really need to be upgraded... we should put their jobs in the fa thread too jeesh.

"even if we just add marginal talent I think we'll be better."

Sounds like fans in here should brace for a possible off-season haul of Hassan Whiteside and DeMar DeRozan

or **** worse... Roy Hibbert & Derrick Rose

miggs wrote:"even if we just add marginal talent I think we'll be better."

Sounds like fans in here should brace for a possible off-season haul of Hassan Whiteside and DeMar DeRozan

or **** worse... Roy Hibbert & Derrick Rose

I don't think you need to worry about getting Whiteside, DeRozan or Rose. You do need to worry about Hibbert.

Not to go off topic and turn into a trade/FA thread which we already have. But Hibbert could be good to be kept and replace Sacre and take his minutes and sign whitside - Whiteside/T.Black/ share Kelly some minutes at center and then Hibbert Hibs the new C.Kaman/Sacre Towl/bench boy

Whiteside and DeRozan aren't a bad get, certainly, we can do a lot worse than those two in free agency. Looking around, how many guys would really be clear upgrades over those two in this free agency anyway? Hibbert and Rose would be...riot worthy for us. And the scary part is, Jim might just do that to "preserve flexibility" again.

Danny Darko wrote:these three analysts for tw really need to be upgraded... we should put their jobs in the fa thread too jeesh.

Lol. Indeed...

slifersd wrote:Whiteside and DeRozan aren't a bad get, certainly, we can do a lot worse than those two in free agency. Looking around, how many guys would really be clear upgrades over those two in this free agency anyway? Hibbert and Rose would be...riot worthy for us. And the scary part is, Jim might just do that to "preserve flexibility" again.

Derozan sucks ass. If we max him, the entire front office should be forced to sell the franchise.

I like Mitch. I think he needs to be empowered and given the rights to completely take over the basketball operations department. If he was given that, he'd build this team the right way, no matter how long it takes.

miggs wrote:"even if we just add marginal talent I think we'll be better."

Sounds like fans in here should brace for a possible off-season haul of Hassan Whiteside and DeMar DeRozan

or **** worse... Roy Hibbert & Derrick Rose

This is taken out of context. He said this to mean even if we don't add anyone significant, we will be better because sour young players would be better from year 1 to year 2, and obviously didn't meant that they meant or intend to get marginal talent.

Obviously marginal talent will not refer to Whiteside and Derozan.

TylersLakers wrote:I like Mitch. I think he needs to be empowered and given the rights to completely take over the basketball operations department. If he was given that, he'd build this team the right way, no matter how long it takes.

This is BS. Last I heard Kupchak has final say on everything. The idea that Jim Buss is somehow inhibiting Kupchak, I believe, is completely false.

They've both admitted who has the final call, and it's Kupchak (unless they're lying).

TylersLakers wrote:I like Mitch. I think he needs to be empowered and given the rights to completely take over the basketball operations department. If he was given that, he'd build this team the right way, no matter how long it takes.

What makes you think there's anything that Mitch has been prevented from doing?

I think he'll sign first star that shows interest. He seems that desperate. I just hope they find a great two punch to go along with DeRozan. Whiteside is ideal, but who knows how he feels about an organization that skipped on him. Not too worried about his personality as I think Luke can handle him.

WHy are we assuming Derozan is a done deal? Don't depress me guys. I'd seriously stop watching the Lakers and support the Grizzlies or something, I hate him that much. He's spent the entire playoffs struggling to create a semi good shot against a decent defense let alone score efficiently.

TyCobb wrote:I think he'll sign first star that shows interest. He seems that desperate. I just hope they find a great two punch to go along with DeRozan. Whiteside is ideal, but who knows how he feels about an organization that skipped on him. Not too worried about his personality as I think Luke can handle him.

He does seem desperate but that's only because his job is essentially on the line and he loves this organization. If he had it his way, he'd do the exact same thing as he did in 2004-2008. Accumulate assets until we had enough to make a big deal. Now, we were insanely lucky that we had one of the best players ever in his prime to carry us to win games.

I do think DeRozan can be a part of a Championship team. However, he needs the right pieces around him. And he definitely can't be the best player on the team.

dockingsched wrote:

TylersLakers wrote:I like Mitch. I think he needs to be empowered and given the rights to completely take over the basketball operations department. If he was given that, he'd build this team the right way, no matter how long it takes.

What makes you think there's anything that Mitch has been prevented from doing?

I actually like a lot of what he's done. This is not something that's going to fix overnight. If it were his choice, I'm sure we'd keep on making a run at stars until we land one and then can turn the other pieces we have into a second star.

I think this is the year, even if he can't land a star, he'll start to find valuable pieces that can grow with the team. At the same time, he'll also retain flexibility for the right time.

This announced 3 year term is just stupid. Jim should have never made that public.

Slava wrote:WHy are we assuming Derozan is a done deal? Don't depress me guys. I'd seriously stop watching the Lakers and support the Grizzlies or something, I hate him that much. He's spent the entire playoffs struggling to create a semi good shot against a decent defense let alone score efficiently.

I know the playoffs have been awful, try not to focus on that too much though. His regular season, for the most part, was fantastic. Not sure what's happened this post season. His last 2 games have been similar to what he's done all season.

Randle is the biggest question. The Draymond Green comparison is crazy. They don't have much in common. Green is an elite playmaker, Randle is a nonfactor with his playmaking. Green is a much better shooter, and his range is a major weapon in GS's offense: in running the pick and pop (as one of the best screeners in basketball), spot up shooting, and stretching defenses. His shooting in combination with his playmaking is a devastating dynamic. This is what makes guards who can shoot and pass elite. He is essentially a top point guard who is grabbing 10 boards a game and guarding everybody. He is an MVP candidate.

Comparing Randle to Green is like comparing Dante Exum to a prime Kobe Bryant, because they're vaguely the same size and didn't have a clear position. And yeah, that comparison actually happened too (Chad Ford).

But I'll say this...Draymond Green improved exponentially from year to year. How much of that was internal or external, who knows, but Walton was around for the past two years of that happening. So the intentions are obvious, the Lakers hope that Walton can open up Julius' game.

I think D'Angelo Russell is ready to go. He has to work harder on the defensive end, but he's going to benefit like crazy under the open system of the Warriors, and I expect to see a big uptick in his assists and scoring.

Clarkson I think will be about the same. He's been playing his game anyways, for some reason Scott never gave him a short leash.

Slava wrote:WHy are we assuming Derozan is a done deal? Don't depress me guys. I'd seriously stop watching the Lakers and support the Grizzlies or something, I hate him that much. He's spent the entire playoffs struggling to create a semi good shot against a decent defense let alone score efficiently.

Then get ready to watch the grizzlies Its kinda starting to add up. 2 weeks ago Romona was on ESPN radio with John Ireland and they both said that the lakers have been lead to understand that they can sign a nice free agent this summer. Add that with SAS continuing to yell from the moutain top about how Rozen is coming to LA and there you have it.