RealGM

Kobe Bryant, longtime advocate of patience in team building, encourages the Lakers to stay the course with their young core and not rush things in free agency

Yeah sure... But like Doc pointed out in the other thread, that young core is going to get PAID soon... So if we want a few vets, this year and next is pretty much the window...

That said, he and Randle are pretty close, so I read this as a direct endorsement of signing him long term.

Good thing about the cap window this summer and next, you can keep your young core and target free agents if you time it right. Don’t have to choose between one or the other.

I agree with Kobe. See sig.

"Ship his ass out".

Shut up Kob

You have to at some point bring in talent if you want to make that next step, its now or never really (well, this year and 2019, then we're stuffed).

Why not both?

stan francisco wrote:I agree with Kobe. See sig.

Highly doubt we can steal both Ariza and Capela away from Houston.

Okay, Kobe...cuz Pau Gasol totally was drafted by the Lakers, right? And Shaq, too. Even you were, Kobe!



I'm all for re-signing Randle, if he had a reliable 3PTer we wouldn't even be debating it. I'm also against trading any of the young core, even for Kawhi Leonard who will probably stay with the Spurs once they iron things out. But you gotta shake things up at some point. I interpret this as Kobe being resentful of the Dwightmare, even though keeping Bynum would've suuuucked for us, and Mitch lost his mind trading 500 draft picks for a busted and old Steve Nash. And signing Deng & Mozgov probably didn't go past Kobe, either.

Sign PG this season, resign Randle and IT - IT for a year - and call it off season

Love Kobe....but didn't he lose his sh** when we didn't sign B_Davis? Wasn't he the one demanding a trade when we were 1st/2nd round exits?

Nothing but a 1000% Kobe fan.....but seriously, you need to STFU on this one. Your so full of it.

danfantastk32 wrote:Love Kobe....but didn't he lose his sh** when we didn't sign B_Davis? Wasn't he the one demanding a trade when we were 1st/2nd round exits?

Nothing but a 1000% Kobe fan.....but seriously, you need to STFU on this one. Your so full of it.

You're comparing two different situations where on one hand we had an iconic superstar in his peak demanding moves to an irrelevant team with a bunch of B level prospects.

We already made some stupid decisions in recent history with Nash and Dwight Howard. So Kobe probably has that in mind when hearing the team in the mix with so many names this summer. Not every acquisition is a home run.

danfantastk32 wrote:Love Kobe....but didn't he lose his sh** when we didn't sign B_Davis? Wasn't he the one demanding a trade when we were 1st/2nd round exits?

Nothing but a 1000% Kobe fan.....but seriously, you need to STFU on this one. Your so full of it.

I believe the trade was Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd.

PKABOOICU wrote:

danfantastk32 wrote:Love Kobe....but didn't he lose his sh** when we didn't sign B_Davis? Wasn't he the one demanding a trade when we were 1st/2nd round exits?

Nothing but a 1000% Kobe fan.....but seriously, you need to STFU on this one. Your so full of it.

I believe the trade was Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd.

There was that....but he was also pissed when Baron wanted to come here, and we did nothing to get him. Forgot about the Bynum/Kidd thing....but that only adds to it.

Optms wrote:

danfantastk32 wrote:You're comparing two different situations where on one hand we had an iconic superstar in his peak demanding moves to an irrelevant team with a bunch of B level prospects.

My colorful language at Kobe aside....he really aughta know better. I get his point, that you don't wanna just sign guys for the sake. And that we may wanna be cautious about parting with youth in the name of building a super team (is Kobe kinda worried about Lebron coming and winning a couple titles as a Laker?)

But I think he's really the wrong guy for this message. He wanted a team built that could win...and NOW. He felt abandoned, and forced to go battle on a fruitless journey each year....and in very little time, he'd had it.

Magic comes at you in a very different way, but they are very similar personality types. And this team does have a year or two window before they won't be able to just sign guys. And this team ain't winning much without a couple stars. I expect that Kobe knows all this very well....and so I question his motive for this message a little. Maybe it's noble....and he just has a much higher opinion of this core? I rather doubt that, though. Dunno.

Either way...he's a guy that wants to win. Win always. Win win win. So why would you be against a star or two coming and help this squad do exactly that?

PKABOOICU wrote:

danfantastk32 wrote:Love Kobe....but didn't he lose his sh** when we didn't sign B_Davis? Wasn't he the one demanding a trade when we were 1st/2nd round exits?

Nothing but a 1000% Kobe fan.....but seriously, you need to STFU on this one. Your so full of it.

I believe the trade was Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd.

Devils advocate: HE is looking at it from the perspective of when he was young meaning when he, Nick, Eddie, Shaq were together. They got broken up for a name in Rice. They won a ring, but the team was never really quite the same and became devoid of depth and talent despite Kobe and Shaq masking that like few could.

I think he's looking at it from a younger perspective because these guys in Ingram, Randle, Ball, Kuzma are all that young and haven't put it together yet but show signs.

I don't think he's looking at it from the perspective of when the LAkers wasted his prime years and he got pissed beyond belief when the Boozer, Baron, and JKidd deals all fell through and he was playing with Lamar, Luke, and a bunch of guys who went out the league when not attached to him while he carried them and their careers.

This team isn't wasting the prime or peak years of anyone right now, let alone a superstar talent and proven winner.

PErsonally I feel he is slightly right and slightly wrong. Everyone is going to need to be paid. That was the problem with keeping Eddie years ago next to Kobe and Shaq, as well as keeping Rice, they all need to be paid. Ingram is going to need to be paid next like Randle is now, which limits how you can sign and trade in the future. Now is the time to be creative. Maybe sign one guy, then retain Randle, and hope you can talk Brook/KCP/Thomas into cost control deals

Kobe's got the blinders on

kblo247 wrote:

PKABOOICU wrote:

danfantastk32 wrote:Love Kobe....but didn't he lose his sh** when we didn't sign B_Davis? Wasn't he the one demanding a trade when we were 1st/2nd round exits?

Nothing but a 1000% Kobe fan.....but seriously, you need to STFU on this one. Your so full of it.

I believe the trade was Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd.

Devils advocate: HE is looking at it from the perspective of when he was young meaning when he, Nick, Eddie, Shaq were together. They got broken up for a name in Rice. They won a ring, but the team was never really quite the same and became devoid of depth and talent despite Kobe and Shaq masking that like few could.

I think he's looking at it from a younger perspective because these guys in Ingram, Randle, Ball, Kuzma are all that young and haven't put it together yet but show signs.

I don't think he's looking at it from the perspective of when the LAkers wasted his prime years and he got pissed beyond belief when the Boozer, Baron, and JKidd deals all fell through and he was playing with Lamar, Luke, and a bunch of guys who went out the league when not attached to him while he carried them and their careers.

This team isn't wasting the prime or peak years of anyone right now, let alone a superstar talent and proven winner.

PErsonally I feel he is slightly right and slightly wrong. Everyone is going to need to be paid. That was the problem with keeping Eddie years ago next to Kobe and Shaq, as well as keeping Rice, they all need to be paid. Ingram is going to need to be paid next like Randle is now, which limits how you can sign and trade in the future. Now is the time to be creative. Maybe sign one guy, then retain Randle, and hope you can talk Brook/KCP/Thomas into cost control deals

The problems with this train of thought are that the league has the hard cap now. If we are going to bring in outside help, this gotta be this offeason or next. Also...this team can get a Max player (possibly 2 with a little haircut, and stretching Deng) all the while, keeping this core.

Kobe didn't seem to give much damn about our youth his last couple seasons. I dunno....I smell an agenda here.

Perhaps he was just throwin a warning out...nothing more. Maybe I'm making more of this than is necessary. Heard some ESPN guys today talking about it. They didn't agree with him at all either. Kinda called him out on same stuff. Seems like such a weird comment coming from Kobe. Talks all this talk about the comradery...but he never seemed to give flip when Fisher was let go. Either time.

Kobe's just so not 'that guy'. I think there's something else.

Oh well....he said it. I disagree. Life moves on. Magic and Rob are going to make that decision...and we leave it at that.

PS: Didn't Eddie leave because Kobe was beginning to take all the playing time? Eddie wanted to be a starter...have big minutes, all that? I don't remember it being a $$ issue at all. Could be wrong.

Optms wrote:

danfantastk32 wrote:Love Kobe....but didn't he lose his sh** when we didn't sign B_Davis? Wasn't he the one demanding a trade when we were 1st/2nd round exits?

Nothing but a 1000% Kobe fan.....but seriously, you need to STFU on this one. Your so full of it.

You're comparing two different situations where on one hand we had an iconic superstar in his peak demanding moves to an irrelevant team with a bunch of B level prospects.

We already made some stupid decisions in recent history with Nash and Dwight Howard. So Kobe probably has that in mind when hearing the team in the mix with so many names this summer. Not every acquisition is a home run.

This. I find it funny how different these 2 situations yet being assumed as the same. There's a difference when you have a team with 1 superstar and a bunch of young guys to where the Lakers are right now. That's where Kobe the point of his career when he wanted Bynum traded for Kidd. I mean didn't the Cavs do it when they got LeBron back and traded Wiggins for Klove? Teams do that all the time. And that's what Kobe asked for and looking back at it even though it worked out for him, he was probably right.

Where the Lakers are at this point is 0 superstars and a slew of elite young talent. There's a real argument to be made to let this team develop as is. I also think that as is this team can compete for the playoffs. And who knows, maybe Ingram or Kuzma become the next Jayson Tatum, Jaylon Brown or Donovan Mitchell.

Now, I don't agree with Kobe that the Lakers should shun all max free agents, but I can definitely see his opinion. There's no way his opinion is as crazy as people are saying and it definitely does not wreak of any ulterior motive.