PMOTT3 and Chuck Texas Early Off-Season Review: Los Angeles Lakers

[Texas Chuck]

I think both of you guys are being too hard on the Lakers' offseason.

I mean, what else could they have done given their cap situation? They went for a superstar and when that fell through, they had a solid back-up plan in HIbbert, who is an expiring and someone who probably will have a greater impact in the W/L column than LMA.

If you honestly think that 2nd part is true regarding Hibbert than obviously you will think the 1st part is true. I don't share that thinking at all hence our difference of opinion.

[Karmaloop]

I think both of you guys are being too hard on the Lakers' offseason.

To an extent, I'd agree. The Lakers were already forced with one arm behind the elephant in the room that is Kobe's contract. Whiffing on LMA and to a lesser extent DeAndre Jordan, the Lakers didn't have the financial room to make multiple FA moves. I think they might a nice mix of high upside gambles along some safer moves. The choice of Russell over Okafor was a curious one at first, but the more you dig into it you can't fault the Lakers for taking the guy with the higher perceived upside. The Lakers don't have a franchise in the post-Kobe era, so they need one and the Randle/Okafor fit long term was dicey at best unless Okafor can learn to effectively use his length to alter shots like Pau learned to do later on in his career. Hibbert has a chance to be a strong bounce back candidate, and could be a nice midseason pick up for a team whose looking to make an upgrade at the deadline for a run. Worst case scenario, he's an expiring contract. The Brandon Bass signing was a great signing both on the court as well as off of the court, he should help out our young guys. The Lou Williams was really the only odd selection. In terms of touches, Russell and Clarkson both need/should get the touches over him and then you've got Kobe whose going to demand them as well. I would have preferred to see someone like Norris Cole brought in for a fraction of the price and probably a better fit with what we've got.

But back to missing out on LMA/Jordan, I think anyone who was gunning for one of them pretty much dropped from an A if they landed them to at best a C if they missed out.

[Texas Chuck]

I just want to be clear that I didn't downgrade the Lakers for not signing a top FA. LMA never really made sense from either his perspective or the Lakers. The windows just don't line up. Jordan did fit and would have been perfect but it was obviously he was only considering 2 teams and the Lakers likely would have found themselves in the Mav's shoes if he had agreed with them anyway so bullet dodged there.

I think if Clarkson proves he can repeat and build on what he showed last year, and Russell and Randle look like NBA players then the Lakers could become an interesting FA destination as soon as next year. But anyone expecting big things from them this year in free agency was bound to be disappointed imo.

[sonictecture]

I don't go to the Laker board, but do Laker fans think the team is in good shape? 3 summers ago Laker fans felt invincible in the knowledge that they had built in advantages that no other team could match and that they would be champions again faster than expected. Now fans are rationalizing the teams decision making and having delusions of grandeur with Roy Hibbert at center.

[Prospect Dong]

I don't go to the Laker board, but do Laker fans think the team is in good shape? 3 summers ago Laker fans felt invincible in the knowledge that they had built in advantages that no other team could match and that they would be champions again faster than expected. Now fans are rationalizing the teams decision making and having delusions of grandeur with Roy Hibbert at center.

Opinions on the general board seem to be a mix of "we're going to be scrappy but below average this season, but we've got the key pieces in place for the next contender" and "the lakers are going to surprise a lot of people, this year for sure!".

I spent a lot of time on the Knicks board during the late Layden/early Isiah era, when fans who had gotten used to feeling relevant every year had to gradually (very gradually) come to terms with the fact that a rebuild isn't automatic, especially when that same sense of fan entitlement pushes management towards quick fixes. That was sad/funny then and this is sad/funny now.

But at least the lakers have a top 5 pick in year two of their rebuild. The Knicks only managed to land their first one this year.

[DanishLakerFan]

I don't go to the Laker board, but do Laker fans think the team is in good shape? 3 summers ago Laker fans felt invincible in the knowledge that they had built in advantages that no other team could match and that they would be champions again faster than expected. Now fans are rationalizing the teams decision making and having delusions of grandeur with Roy Hibbert at center.

I think you guys have graded the Lakers based on 2-3 years of bad decisions and overreact to the Lakers not getting guys that never were available to them.

In terms of the team, I dont think we're in all that good shape, but quite honestly if we werent getting DJ, Love, Butler or Kawhi, then i'd probably prefer getting Hibbert on an expiring as well as Bass and Lou on cap friendly deals. That gives us options. Adding Lamarcus at a max or similar potentially could have given us a sligthly better shot at a playoff spot, but we wouldn't be anywhere close to being able to actually contend and his "window" didn't match that of Russell, Randle, Clarkson etc., so by the time the youngsters become really good (hopefully), LMA would have been on the decline.

In terms of the Lakers' future i think all of the fans are hoping that some of the rooks show promise this upcoming season and show enough promise that it can help land a top tier FA next summer.