tamaraw08 wrote:Rob thought he can replace his defenders with Bazemore and the very old Ariza, also signed Ellington all failures, that’s on Rob.
I hope you are willing to admit that Rob had very little to work with. He was essentially left having to sign vet-min contracts.You do know that right?
I'm not completely defending Rob. But if we go back to original narrative....AD and Lebron met with Westbrook, they all got the tingly's and Lebron and AD went to Rob/Jeanie and campaigned for Westbrook to be signed. Right?? I mean this was the big narrative for months...before we got to watch it suck. Back when it was theoretical, AD was saying he'd play the 5 more. Preseason interviews were full of love and light. Nobody was talking about DeRosen. Nobody was contending anything written above. Up until a month or so ago, nobody had any issues with this narrative.
So if your Rob, and the Westbrook deal has essentially been dropped on your plate, I don't think it's fair to say Rob thought Bazemore and Ariza were gonna "replace" anyone. Rob was shopping from the discount aisle.
I think that the Lakers have let AD and Lebron run the show. That's a decision the owner makes/allows...not the GM. Rob probably had two options: go with the flow, or say "F** it...I'm out". He prob likes his job, and he also prob sat with Lebron and AD (and let's give Lebron some credit.....4 rings, like 10 finals appearances...he knows SOMETHING about basketball you and I prob don't) and was convinced this was all gonna work. AD and Bron would get more rest.....Westbrook would push the ball. Bada bing. We're in the playoffs....and if everyone is healthy, who's gonna stop em??
Rob and Jeanie were fools for buying Westbrook after the career of evidence out there. But Lebron was triple-so. He KNOWS the game. He's out there. He knows and talks to players in manners/conditions that nobody else will ever get to.
Lebron made a huge mistake. Jeanie was the one that allowed him to do it. Rob was stuck (may have been a willing participant, I don't truly know) walking into the store with $5 bucks in his pocket, and told to buy dinner. You know it's not gonna be steak.
Now in Jeanie's defense.....you'd think Lebron woulda known better. He has been to several teams, built them to his liking, and they've been in the Finals almost every time. Lebron came here....wanted the youth moved for AD....Title. Next year was not so good, but AD and Lebron both had injuries. You can tell yourself that. You have an "out" mentally. Ok....so Lebron shows up, and says "hey...I got Westbrook on board. He's in. He's told Washington he wants to come here.....so we just gotta make this work, and he's gonna do this for me, that for me. He'll work great with AD because of X - Y. So come on.....if you're Jeanie, do you REALLY look at Lebron and tell him he doesn't know what he's talking about?
This was Lebron's bed. Jeanie let him do this....but I don't thing Jeanie was wrong for allowing it. It's worked quite well for the last 12 years. But sadly for Laker nation.....this was the big flub. Oops.
I dunno. We can hate people for this. We can say "Rob sucks" or "Lebron is crap". Or you can enjoy that the whole team at least tried, and swung big. It didn't work. Lebron just needs to be a big man, and own what happened here. And Jeanie needs to accept that she did allow this, and decide (CLEARLY) whether or not she wants to take back control. And Rob needs to understand that he's now in a position where he's gotta make some miracles happen....but he's also gotta grow a pair, and say he's not gonna look the fool anymore by agreeing to these deals where we get played. If the deal is there.....he'll make it. Otherwise sorry. If you don't like it, then fire me. I'm not doing this anymore.
