The Era of Lebron James Anothony Davis & Russell Westbrook

[thomas1897]

It is time for the Lakers Management to evaluate the entire team. The Laker Nation should not be alarmed because this season has been a bust. Where do the Lakers go from here? How much of this team remains with the Lakers beyond 2023 season? When does reconstruction begin and who will be the next generation of stars for the Los Angeles Lakers.

[SlimShady83]

I believe, that majority of this team has their contracts expired end of next season OR the following, can't remember when and hopefully they won't be resigned, but If they do they'll be on small contracts - None of the big 3 are worth keeping not even "Mr Soft" <AD> ...

Need to find away to get a young star and young talent along with it - with all the money they will have when contracts ends, they'll be able to find a way, just a matter of finding the right young star - Someone under 30 and who isn't really Injury prone like AD.

[Kilroy]

LeBron is still the best player on the team when he cares... The problem is, he doesn't care most of the season...
Also, he doesn't play defense... And he rests and conserves energy...
And while those things are understandable in a player who's achieved so much and is his age... That mentality, has seemed to infect the rest of the team... AD plays like he's 10 years older than he is... Even the way the team is coached is like the Regular Season is just for messing around with things and preparing for the finals...
Part of the reason for this I think is that LeBron not only is important because of what he does on the court, but he also has been given so much power off the court, through the embedding of Klutch in so much of the personnel decisions.

So while I'd say the Lakers biggest problem on the court is the fact that AD hasn't been playing 100% for the last 2 seasons...
The actual problem with the Lakers is LeBron/Klutch... This FO needs to do something to sever the control Klutch has over decisions, and then they need to get an actual plan for how to build a championship team around whatever they're left with...

Trade Westbrook for whatever the Knicks will give you, AND trade AD, or convince LeBron and Klutch that life would be better elsewhere...

But this is what, the 3rd franchise where it's become clear that if you let LeBron's squad have too much say in the makeup of the team, it crumbles within a couple seasons...

[Landsberger]

This post lowers the bar for the use of the word Era.

[tamaraw08]

LeBron is still the best player on the team when he cares... The problem is, he doesn't care most of the season...
Also, he doesn't play defense... And he rests and conserves energy...
And while those things are understandable in a player who's achieved so much and is his age... That mentality, has seemed to infect the rest of the team... AD plays like he's 10 years older than he is... Even the way the team is coached is like the Regular Season is just for messing around with things and preparing for the finals...
Part of the reason for this I think is that LeBron not only is important because of what he does on the court, but he also has been given so much power off the court, through the embedding of Klutch in so much of the personnel decisions.

So while I'd say the Lakers biggest problem on the court is the fact that AD hasn't been playing 100% for the last 2 seasons...
The actual problem with the Lakers is LeBron/Klutch... This FO needs to do something to sever the control Klutch has over decisions, and then they need to get an actual plan for how to build a championship team around whatever they're left with...

Trade Westbrook for whatever the Knicks will give you, AND trade AD, or convince LeBron and Klutch that life would be better elsewhere...

But this is what, the 3rd franchise where it's become clear that if you let LeBron's squad have too much say in the makeup of the team, it crumbles within a couple seasons...

AD's health has been the major issue here IMO. My issue with Lebron is his 2 other personal agendas which is the scoring title and the 25 pt/game streak which is affecting his availability and ways to contribute. Ideally, he's so supposed limit his minutes so he can play more games etc but hes also focused on those objectives and now he's missing games bec of severe wear and tear.
I can't see Lebron leaving this team bec his family loves it here plus also his business interests, the only hope is him agreeing to a paycut and recruiting the right players to come in. Lakers will NOT have WEstbrook and his crazy contract in 2 years so that helps.

[zimpy27]

Russ needs to be moved to the bench and limited to 26-30mpg like Manu of the Spurs. His energy off the bench would actually be very useful and he actually has decent fit with the bench team.

Nunn, Monk, THT/Johnson, LeBron, Davis
Bradley, Westbrook, Reaves, Melo, Howard

[TheGameWinner]

I've been watching a lot of lakers games - mainly because I want Bron to win a ship before he retires... and not sure if anyone else observes this - but the way Westbrook has been used has been backwards. I see him 4-5 possessions in a row being asked to park in the corner while Bron / AD / someone else brings the ball up - then he chucks up a shot (likely frustrated bc he doesn't touch the ball) and then it contributes to his bad shooting percentage. That part is on Frank. The part that's on WB is the lack of defensive effort - but the system could also be compensating for Bron / WB / bad defenders which is basically an auto-switch.

I think once Nunn comes back - and is the 2 guard - perhaps Frank gets out of his head (maybe replaced) you have:

WB
Nunn
Stanley
Bron
AD

6: Monk / Ariza
7: Howard / Melo

You have more balance and better scoring off the bench. Whatever the closing lineup is - doesn't matter... it should be by performance... but WB needs to be the primary ball handler and make straight forward plays.

Not sure if you folks see the same - but I don't see this team as being THAT bad. I see them as a contender for the 8th seed with potential to upset if Russ finds his mid range shot and AD plays like someone who isn't afraid of injury.

[thomas1897]

Laker Nation this time we have is an important period to be honest and look at this team for what it is not to wish for what it should be. Lebron is still an elite player however he is not the player who carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to the championship. The answers I received are good but be honest and what can the management do and what direction should they go.

[thomas1897]

Laker Nation this time we have is an important period to be honest and look at this team for what it is not to wish for what it should be. Lebron is still an elite player however he is not the player who carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to the championship. The answers I received are good but be honest and what can the management do and what direction should they go.

[Jakay]

This post lowers the bar for the use of the word Era.

How about "Legacy" then.

[Landsberger]

This post lowers the bar for the use of the word Era.

How about "Legacy" then.

Legacy is a past tense term isn't it?

Overall, I guess the legacy is to not ask your players who you should get to play with them. A legitimate personnel person is probably part of lessons learned here as well.

LeBron started the "super friends" idea several years ago in Miami... It worked because Wade flexed his game but that was more about Wade than it was anything else IMHO. Putting Melo and Westbrook on a team and expecting cohesion and "flexing" was the first mistake.

Bron isn't a loyalist and I don't think he'll be wearing Laker gear when he goes into the hall.... that tells me what I need to know. The legacy this move will leave behind is most likely a 5 year stint at the bottom of the standings.

[zimpy27]

Laker Nation this time we have is an important period to be honest and look at this team for what it is not to wish for what it should be. Lebron is still an elite player however he is not the player who carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to the championship. The answers I received are good but be honest and what can the management do and what direction should they go.

The Lakers is a team that should be trying to use their location and history to go for it with stars whenever possible. They have stars and should go for it now.

During and after Kobe's last years they gave out some awful contracts to non-stars and played the draft for 3 straight years with pick #2 and a pick #7. From the 4 seasons of being bottom dwellers they pulled out borderline stars but none could hold a candle to LeBron or Davis.

Why play the game of a small market team? Use capspace as an opportunity to lure stars. That's their best option. Treat stars well, make them happy. Build teams around them - get smarter at that. It's honestly not that hard, going away from that plan is the problem.

Make LeBron happy, if he and Westbrook in 2023 then you have Davis while showing you've done well by the stars that were with the team. Another FA will come along to join with AD and enjoy the LA life with the Lakers. Jeannie and Pelinka don't have so much ego, it's their best quality. Ego is a part of the reason that Jim and co failed.

[Landsberger]

Laker Nation this time we have is an important period to be honest and look at this team for what it is not to wish for what it should be. Lebron is still an elite player however he is not the player who carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to the championship. The answers I received are good but be honest and what can the management do and what direction should they go.

The Lakers is a team that should be trying to use their location and history to go for it with stars whenever possible. They have stars and should go for it now.

During and after Kobe's last years they gave out some awful contracts to non-stars and played the draft for 3 straight years with pick #2 and a pick #7. From the 4 seasons of being bottom dwellers they pulled out borderline stars but none could hold a candle to LeBron or Davis.

Why play the game of a small market team? Use capspace as an opportunity to lure stars. That's their best option. Treat stars well, make them happy. Build teams around them - get smarter at that. It's honestly not that hard, going away from that plan is the problem.

Make LeBron happy, if he and Westbrook in 2023 then you have Davis while showing you've done well by the stars that were with the team. Another FA will come along to join with AD and enjoy the LA life with the Lakers. Jeannie and Pelinka don't have so much ego, it's their best quality. Ego is a part of the reason that Jim and co failed.

This is the exact strategy of the NY Knicks from about 98-today.... How many "stars" have gone through there with no championships.

The strength of the Lakers has been in generational talent (Kareem, Wilt, West, Magic, Baylor, Shaq, Kobe and LeBron). There are maybe one or two of those people in the game at any given time. I'm hard pressed to find one other than LeBron at the moment.

Collecting "available" stars every 3 years isn't a strategy.... and LA isn't the LA of the early 2000's either. Who wants to give up an additional 25% in taxes.... I'm not talking about just salary. A top star makes a couple times that in endorsements and that will be taxed in CA.

As for Davis.... he didn't come here via FA. He came here because we traded and we had picks and players that someone else wanted....you know... those picks we that created boarder line stars....

Top teams right now are centered on stars they drafted with the exception of Brooklyn which is probably not really a contender.

I'm not one for trying to build exclusively through the draft but without that top player in your core the odds of getting one in FA in their prime is very low.

[danfantastk32]

As for Davis.... he didn't come here via FA. He came here because we traded and we had picks and players that someone else wanted....you know... those picks we that created boarder line stars....

I think this is a half truth here. Yeah, we traded for him. But he wanted to come to Lakers (maybe there were 2 other choices he'd take) and he made that very clear. Admittedly once Lebron came.

We prob gave too much in a desperate attempt to get him NOW (seems like we do that often), but he had made it very clear that he wanted out, and wanted to goto LA. That forced the Pelicans to deal pretty much exclusively with us. It's not like they looked at the package we offered, and called AD in to let him know he was being traded.

You are right though. Lebron is a star who is very unselfish on the court, and is a bit of a swiss-army knife out there. He works well with just about anyone (except low-iq guys who can't shoot, but insist apon taking lots of shots, and not learning /committing to D). You can plug in about 90% of stars out there, and it'll go really well. This isn't the case for alot of guys.

There are alot of teams out there with 2-3 stars who never really gell, or have the talent to get over the hump. Kobe-Shaq, Healthy Lebron and AD...those aren't just a couple stars....those are 2 of the top 5 players in the game, at that time.

There are a bunch of ways to do it these days....I don't know that any one way is right. I mean Dallas and Milwaukee built a solid team around a great player.....and just hung around year in and year out....and eventually both got an opportunity, and walked away with a title. Milwaukee may do it again, if they can keep the squad more or less intact.

Toronto landed a top FA...went all in, got a title, and then it all blew up.

Lakers got 2 top FA...went all in, and got 1.

Warriors drafted incredibly well, and got 1. THEN landed a top FA, and got a couple more. May still win 1-2 more before its done.


I think the tax stuff is overrated. Lebron came. AD came. Westbrook came. Durant went to GS. I don't see Curry, or Klay wanting out. Derozen wanted to join the Lakers. The two dopes took the max in Clipper-land. The Lakers will often (maybe not always) have an edge signing stars.....but there has to be SOMETHING attractive to come to.

I think the NBA has definitely changed a bit, and being a Laker may not be quite what it was....but I don't know. We kicked Jim and Mitch to the curb, and got Magic, and isn't it just remarkable how fast it all changed to winning a title?? That doesn't happen in Chicago, in Philly, Portland, Utah....etc etc. Even Toronto. Yeah...it happened once. But I'd bet the Lakers do this 3 more times before Toronto does it again.

[Landsberger]

Lakers got 2 top FA...went all in, and got 1.

What was the other top FA? We traded for Davis...

Bron was the one we got in FA and a big part of him coming to LA was Hollywood... not our legacy IMHO.

I don't see us getting a top 3 player in their prime or just before it in FA. Those players never hit FA. We will have to draft one or trade for one. The only one's we've traded for that I can come up with are Kareem and Kobe and, at the time Kobe was a gamble to become what he did.

The Shaq is the only top 3 player I can think of other than Bron that we've gotten in FA.

Either way.... we're going to see another few last place finished before we see the 3rd round again. I just don't see how we can put this back together again with Davis' injuries and weak play along side an aging LeBron who's starting to shoot more 35' 3 pointers than points in the paint.

[danfantastk32]

Lakers got 2 top FA...went all in, and got 1.

What was the other top FA? We traded for Davis...

Bron was the one we got in FA and a big part of him coming to LA was Hollywood... not our legacy IMHO.

I don't see us getting a top 3 player in their prime or just before it in FA. Those players never hit FA. We will have to draft one or trade for one. The only one's we've traded for that I can come up with are Kareem and Kobe and, at the time Kobe was a gamble to become what he did.

The Shaq is the only top 3 player I can think of other than Bron that we've gotten in FA.

Either way.... we're going to see another few last place finished before we see the 3rd round again. I just don't see how we can put this back together again with Davis' injuries and weak play along side an aging LeBron who's starting to shoot more 35' 3 pointers than points in the paint.

Your technically correct, but I think your splitting hairs. FA...or got traded so said team didn't lose them to us in FA that offseason. Dwight was another example of that.

Do you consider Kobe a trade? I never did. I mean, yes.....technically again it was a trade. Why we never just traded Vlade, whoever, and our pick to Charlotte BEFORE the draft for their pick, I don't know. But they picked Kobe because that was what we wanted them to do with their pick, in a deal struck before hand. I guess I never put too much thought into it. Would I consider that the Grizz got Marc Gasol via trade? I feel like it has to do with the argument that the Lakers didn't 'build through the draft' but traded for their stars. When in reality, Kobe was a new player who'd never suited up in the NBA. I've always considered Kobe a player we drafted. Drafted in an unusual way, perhaps....

[LAKESHOW]

Dump em all. Lets go with high IQ types. Defensive types. Snag a Medium Star type guy. And build steady. Then when another Shaq, Kobe, Superstar comes along, lets pick him up and take off to 18

[SlimShady83]

Dump em all. Lets go with high IQ types. Defensive types. Snag a Medium Star type guy. And build steady. Then when another Shaq, Kobe, Superstar comes along, lets pick him up and take off to 18

Myles Turner next season Need a decent Center who isn't always gonna be hurt like AD

[Landsberger]

Lakers got 2 top FA...went all in, and got 1.

What was the other top FA? We traded for Davis...

Bron was the one we got in FA and a big part of him coming to LA was Hollywood... not our legacy IMHO.

I don't see us getting a top 3 player in their prime or just before it in FA. Those players never hit FA. We will have to draft one or trade for one. The only one's we've traded for that I can come up with are Kareem and Kobe and, at the time Kobe was a gamble to become what he did.

The Shaq is the only top 3 player I can think of other than Bron that we've gotten in FA.

Either way.... we're going to see another few last place finished before we see the 3rd round again. I just don't see how we can put this back together again with Davis' injuries and weak play along side an aging LeBron who's starting to shoot more 35' 3 pointers than points in the paint.

Your technically correct, but I think your splitting hairs. FA...or got traded so said team didn't lose them to us in FA that offseason. Dwight was another example of that.

Do you consider Kobe a trade? I never did. I mean, yes.....technically again it was a trade. Why we never just traded Vlade, whoever, and our pick to Charlotte BEFORE the draft for their pick, I don't know. But they picked Kobe because that was what we wanted them to do with their pick, in a deal struck before hand. I guess I never put too much thought into it. Would I consider that the Grizz got Marc Gasol via trade? I feel like it has to do with the argument that the Lakers didn't 'build through the draft' but traded for their stars. When in reality, Kobe was a new player who'd never suited up in the NBA. I've always considered Kobe a player we drafted. Drafted in an unusual way, perhaps....

Hmm... I'm not following. If he was a FA then we still have Ingram and the rest of those guys. If he's a trade we don't. Since I'm not seeing them on the sidelines I feel that the hairs are still intact.

Kobe was a Trade so was Kuzma. I'll go with what the league calls it and on their official NBA record of action they were both drafted by someone else and assets changed hands to get them here. I know the "who's smarter" stuff relies on bending those terms but I've never seen the advantage in it.

As for Davis saying he wanted to come to LA.... If I had a quarter for every "star" that leveraged the Lakers I'd buy the team.

[danfantastk32]

I know the "who's smarter" stuff relies on bending those terms but I've never seen the advantage in it.

Well it comes down to your premise, that the Laker brand is from a by-gone era...."this isn't the Lakers of 2000". Followed with the statement that AD wasn't a FA...which is technically true, but the comment that we "traded guys that they wanted" or whatever the exact words were. AD being a trade is the "facts" in the history book....but really doesn't tell the story from the people who lived it. The Pelicans didn't trade AD to the Lakers cause they know a good deal when they see one. And we all know why there weren't 6-7 teams trying to match our deals. Were there ANY teams trying to make deals with the Pelicans there at the last few months of negotiations?

Fine...Star free agents don't wanna come here. But star players want to force trades to get here. Doesn't that kinda feel like the same thing?