GAME 3 IN MINNESOTA 6:30PM PST > NEED TO COME URGENT MINDSET..

[Jedi32]

Nice effort but the season is over.

[RamonSessions7]

While this roster is embarrassingly shallow, can’t not rest the guys whole 2nd half. Redick out of his depth

[stan francisco]

We were outplayed and outcoached in the fourth.

Incredible effort and output by Bron. Especially on defense. Monster game.

We could have used a few different offensive sets than just that one. Maybe LBJ and Reaves could be allowed to bring up the ball once or twice.

And I agree the rotation was too tight. Vincent could’ve helped. Same with Vando.

Edit: Let’s make history. Let’s be the first to win a series after being down 3-1. It starts with winning one game. By 20. The next by 30.

We played timid offense.

[Tracymcgoaty]

Time to move on from Reaves. Trade him. Acquire a quality two way wing hopefully and just overall get bigger and more athletic. If we had that we'd win this series easily imo.

DFS
'Rui
Lebron
Luka
Gabe

are probably the ones i'd want to keep. Everyone else is tradeable. Time to properly build around Luka.

[Danny Darko]

Reeves missed too many open shots... waste of a vintage Bron d game

[ReggiesKnicks]

Edit: Let’s make history. Let’s be the first to win a series after being down 3-1. It starts with winning one game. By 20. The next by 30.

Didn't LeBron win an NBA Finals series being down 3-1?

[Liam_Gallagher]

Edit: Let’s make history. Let’s be the first to win a series after being down 3-1. It starts with winning one game. By 20. The next by 30.

Didn't LeBron win an NBA Finals series being down 3-1?

I think he means first Laker team.

[tamaraw08]

Time to move on from Reaves. Trade him. Acquire a quality two way wing hopefully and just overall get bigger and more athletic. If we had that we'd win this series easily imo.

DFS
'Rui
Lebron
Luka
Gabe

are probably the ones i'd want to keep. Everyone else is tradeable. Time to properly build around Luka.

I thought about this even the start of the playoffs, they also badly need a serviceable Center who can protect the rim. But here are some obstacles.
1. Jeanie Buss is in love… in keeping Austin, will likely shut down any trade talk involving him.
2. Slim pickings, very few options with regards to defenders who can shoot and likely expensive, plus salary needs to match with Reaves only making 12.5 mil… who do you have in mind?

[Tracymcgoaty]

Time to move on from Reaves. Trade him. Acquire a quality two way wing hopefully and just overall get bigger and more athletic. If we had that we'd win this series easily imo.

DFS
'Rui
Lebron
Luka
Gabe

are probably the ones i'd want to keep. Everyone else is tradeable. Time to properly build around Luka.

I thought about this even the start of the playoffs, they also badly need a serviceable Center who can protect the rim. But here are some obstacles.
1. Jeanie Buss is in love… in keeping Austin, will likely shut down any trade talk involving him.
2. Slim pickings, very few options with regards to defenders who can shoot and likely expensive, plus salary needs to match with Reaves only making 12.5 mil… who do you have in mind?

I have no idea who's available on the FA market. I'd love Okongwu from the Hawks i think he'd be a major gamechanger.

Herb Jones is someone i'd look into as well.

[Beethoven]

Besides Lebron, and JJ being his first time coaching in playoffs..

the team is defeating itself with its mentality/approach to this series. No ownership, no urgency, no focus, or critical thinking on the part of anyone else.
We can defeat anyone but the team has decided not to act in that manner.


-



Also, if Luka is not committed to getting into professional shape (Im not saying losing 30 pounds and becoming 8% body fat) that he personally can be to be most effective, I am open to trading him as well. I am beginning to see Dallas' motivation on trading him (on top of personal issues with him and the ownership).

[Hans1984]

The supporting cast is just terrible (even though Rui had a great game). Lot's of trades need to be made in the offseason.

[Beethoven]

The supporting cast is just terrible (even though Rui had a great game). Lot's of trades need to be made in the offseason.

Rui needs to be shipped out. The guy has one great game out of every four. The other three he makes horrid decisions and is a detriment to the team. Dude's not a playoff player.

[Hans1984]

The supporting cast is just terrible (even though Rui had a great game). Lot's of trades need to be made in the offseason.

Rui needs to be shipped out. The guy has one great game out of every four. The other three he makes horrid decisions and is a detriment to the team.

Absolutely. It was more like "he had a good game for once". Hes unreliable. Just like the rest of the supporting cast.

[Beethoven]

We're wasting Lebron's last years.
He's been playing unbelievable, world class, even for a 25 year old (in a 40 year old body)

SHIP THEM ASSES OUT:

rui
ar
vando
hayes
Luka (if he's not committed to being serious about condition)


That'll make a good dent

[tamaraw08]

We're wasting Lebron's last years.
He's been playing unbelievable, world class, even for a 25 year old (in a 40 year old body)

SHIP THEM ASSES OUT:

rui
ar
vando
hayes
Luka (if he's not committed to being serious about condition)


That'll make a good dent

It's been reported that Jeanie has been in love...in keeping Reaves so she might just shut down any trade talks....unless he wets the bed again in game 5.
Lakers badly need real defenders who can hit the 3pt shot and it will cost them dearly to acquire them.
Suns also need to revamp/rebuild their roster, Are they interested in getting Reaves and Rui?
Royce O'Neal is a good defender who only shot below 37% from 3 once in the last 7 years.
Is Grayson Allen a good enough defender? I think he is a little tougher than AR and also a really good 3pt shooter, career 41%, only shot below 39% once, 7 years ago.
Lakers also badly need a decent serviceable Center. I hope they can get Nick Richards in a sign and trade.
Pelinka messed up giving that contract to Vando, as he became the MOST EXPENSIVE player who can't SHOOT in the entire league.

[tamaraw08]

Time to move on from Reaves. Trade him. Acquire a quality two way wing hopefully and just overall get bigger and more athletic. If we had that we'd win this series easily imo.

DFS
'Rui
Lebron
Luka
Gabe

are probably the ones i'd want to keep. Everyone else is tradeable. Time to properly build around Luka.

I thought about this even the start of the playoffs, they also badly need a serviceable Center who can protect the rim. But here are some obstacles.
1. Jeanie Buss is in love… in keeping Austin, will likely shut down any trade talk involving him.
2. Slim pickings, very few options with regards to defenders who can shoot and likely expensive, plus salary needs to match with Reaves only making 12.5 mil… who do you have in mind?

I have no idea who's available on the FA market. I'd love Okongwu from the Hawks i think he'd be a major gamechanger.

Herb Jones is someone i'd look into as well.

Both guys are one of the few bright spots for their respective teams so I doubt they let them go.
What do you think of guys like Royce ONeal and Grayson Allen? Both guys have really good career 3pt%, are they good enough defenders?
How about Nick Richards as Lakers future center?

[Tracymcgoaty]

I thought about this even the start of the playoffs, they also badly need a serviceable Center who can protect the rim. But here are some obstacles.
1. Jeanie Buss is in love… in keeping Austin, will likely shut down any trade talk involving him.
2. Slim pickings, very few options with regards to defenders who can shoot and likely expensive, plus salary needs to match with Reaves only making 12.5 mil… who do you have in mind?

I have no idea who's available on the FA market. I'd love Okongwu from the Hawks i think he'd be a major gamechanger.

Herb Jones is someone i'd look into as well.

Both guys are one of the few bright spots for their respective teams so I doubt they let them go.
What do you think of guys like Royce ONeal and Grayson Allen? Both guys have really good career 3pt%, are they good enough defenders?
How about Nick Richards as Lakers future center?

I'd take Royce easily. I like Grayson as well but i consider Royce a better two way player.

Dude everyone is better than Hayes. I'd take Nick in an instant.

Thing is i think Reaves and Herb's salary match and they're both the same age. I still think we'd need to get more than Herb if we'd ever do that trade.

Pels could use someone like Reaves imo. He's great in the regular season.

[tamaraw08]

I have no idea who's available on the FA market. I'd love Okongwu from the Hawks i think he'd be a major gamechanger.

Herb Jones is someone i'd look into as well.

Both guys are one of the few bright spots for their respective teams so I doubt they let them go.
What do you think of guys like Royce ONeal and Grayson Allen? Both guys have really good career 3pt%, are they good enough defenders?
How about Nick Richards as Lakers future center?

I'd take Royce easily. I like Grayson as well but i consider Royce a better two way player.

Dude everyone is better than Hayes. I'd take Nick in an instant.

Hopefully they can get all 3 if Ishbia likes both Reaves and Rui.

[danfantastk32]

We're wasting Lebron's last years.
He's been playing unbelievable, world class, even for a 25 year old (in a 40 year old body)

SHIP THEM ASSES OUT:

rui
ar
vando
hayes
Luka (if he's not committed to being serious about condition)


That'll make a good dent

Lebron's done. His last years were wasted when they got Westbrick. Had they got the right guy....that mighta been his last hurrah. But it's done now. Now we're just waiting for him to retire.

This team - for better, or for worse - is Luka's team now. Time will tell if it works out. Either way...it was the right move. This team was just getting worse and worse for several years...and they had to do something. Getting Luka for AD was pretty good work, imo. But with that said...this team made several mistakes that have eventually caught up with them:

1) They didn't need to make the AD trade they did. He was coming here the next season. This is the main Achilles heal of the Lakers...it bites them in the arse over and over, and neither the FO or the fans learn this. We gotta be PATIENT. We gave away the FARM for Nash back in the day, in a desperate attempt to make the Dwight thing huge. We spent summer after summer trying to get super-star after super-star. And then same with AD. He was a free-agent. We coulda got him for next to nothing if we'd played our cards right. We held all the leverage.....except we wanted it NOW. A butt-ton of good prospects, and FRP's went out the door needlessly.

2) The Westbrick deal was essentially the same thing: desperation to make a splash. Why we gave up all the pieces we did, I'll never understand. It was obvious that it was gonna be a disaster...but again....even if it wasn't, we didn't need to give away all those parts! The Wizards couldn't give him away! We shoulda got a pick for taking the contract..instead, we're tossing picks and prospects around like dinner mints!

3) We get Westbrick....he's a f**king disaster....and then we give away picks moving him!! Double - dumb! ---- And again, this circles back to point two...we couldn't give him away! We had to PAY someone to take him. Why did we give so much away for him??? We're just desperate and careless to our complete detriment.

4) We have an expiring contract in DLo....and instead of getting something for it...we move that...AND...3 second rounders for a completely useless player. And again.....again....even if he turned into something decent...we didn't need to give that away for him. It's crazy. ---- and yet again, circling back to point 2....does anyone think we'd get an expiring contract, and 3 second rounders for him this offseason?? Of course not! We got jobbed yet again. Because everyone can see it a mile away when the Lakers are desperate to try can keep the dream alive. When your hunting for guys like Finney-Smith....I mean come on! The dream's so obviously over at that point. And look...this isn't about him. This is about the wasting of assets. If nothing else...we could have just eaten the Dlo contract, and had $20 mil to play with this offseason. It was desperation, and we need to get out of that mode.



So look....it's gonna be a minute guys. We don't have a First round pick this year. Based on our "deals" ....I'm pretty sure we don't have a 2nd round either. We're short a future first round due to Luka.....and future 2nd-rounders are gonna be sparse as well. I don't know what the 2nd-tier salary cap is these days, but I do know that Lebron took a haircut...so we were about $75k under it. $75k ain't gonna get you much.

Look at our contracts....there's not much coming off the books either. Maybe about $13 mil...for about 8 different riff-raff players. I think we did shed some salary moving DLo, although Finney-Smith is gonna make over $15 next year...so your talking a $7-8 mil difference.

So go make a sandwich guys....cause we're gonna be here for a minute. The hens have come to roost. We got no picks, and really no salary space. I've been screaming about this for a while. It's why I was really hoping they would get some sort of pick for DLo's expiring...not attach 3 freakin picks to it going out! It's why I'm pleading with the FO not to give that lumbering slab of useless beef down in Utah 2 first rounders! Please dear God no! We need to R-E-L-A-X! The window for Lebron is closed. It's done. If yesterday's game didn't open your eyes....then I'm sorry. We need to stop over-paying for panic moves to "win now"....We're done with that.

I'm going to say this in the most peaceful manner I can: We need to wait for Lebron to retire. And when he does...we need to take our time, and find someone who can pair with Luka. And when we do find that guy....we need to be patient, and wait till we can sign him.

In the meantime...no more picks out the door. Our squad is essentially value-less. So we're just gonna have to wait until they start expiring. Unless we can move a piece or two for A)Youth - B)Picks. - good luck with that, btw....but I guess if someone's foolish enough to part with 3 second rounders for Finney-Smith...there's hope. Let's just hope it's not us again.

Hopefully Luka has the patience to give us a couple seasons to start building around him. Cause we're gonna need it. The cupboards are bare. Most of our picks are spoken for, and we're all but maxed out - salarywise. If he doesn't have the patience...then so be it. Let's move him too. We will certainly get a better haul than we woulda for AD.

But please, for the love of God.....STOP making desperation "win now" moves. It's check mate! We're done! The Lebron train has moved on.

[Tracymcgoaty]

Both guys are one of the few bright spots for their respective teams so I doubt they let them go.
What do you think of guys like Royce ONeal and Grayson Allen? Both guys have really good career 3pt%, are they good enough defenders?
How about Nick Richards as Lakers future center?

I'd take Royce easily. I like Grayson as well but i consider Royce a better two way player.

Dude everyone is better than Hayes. I'd take Nick in an instant.

Hopefully they can get all 3 if Ishbia likes both Reaves and Rui.

I have a soft spot for Rui though. Because i think he shows up in the post season. He hits his shots. Can his defense be better? Yes sure but i think when he guards he's actually good. I think his off ball defense is really bad. He seems to lack awareness.

But yeah Rob should take a look into everyone this off season. we need a shakeup.