mitch interview on 570 tonight

[Sedale Threatt]

Agreed. Provided the triumvirate of Bynum, Odom and Gasol can stay healthy for about 70-75 games apiece, we've got more than enough frontcourt depth to survive. It's a gamble, of course, but I'd challenge anyone to find an NBA roster that has everything. A hint -- they don't exist. It's up to us to maximize our strengths, minimize our weaknesses, and most importantly get a little lucky. That's how championships are won, and we've got enough horses to do it.

[milesfides]

He specifically said with Bynum back there were no mins for Ronny (w Pau, Odom, Vlad) and that's why the let him go... Which leads to... They are confident in Bynums recovery, Mihms ability to give 8-10 min, Odom going nowhere, and Vlad picking up some PF time. No Ronny for that tax hit.

That's convenient, except Bynum has yet to show that he's healthy, Mihm hasn't shown he can contribute since sitting out a year - and he's an expiring, and Odom is an expiring and is a constant subject of trade rumors, and Vlad playing PF is about the worst possible scenario for our team.

You can take Mitch's word for it, but then again, he's the one who always assumes everybody will be healthy - that's his crutch and his scapegoat.

[milesfides]

It's easy, if the Lakers were willing to eat some tax this year, they'd be a much stronger team, more prepared and flexible going into the future.

Mihm and Odom have a lot to prove. Mihm, that he can contribute at all. Odom, that he can play SF successfully (Odom is NOT going to get paid 10m+ to play backup PF). See, these are variables, uncertain. Some would say unlikely.

The Lakers could have bought valuable insurance by bringing back Kwame or Turiaf. The cost would be eating Mihm's contract for one year and letting Mbenga go, and paying about 2m as a penalty this year.

But see, having Kwame or Turiaf could be the difference. That 2m could be difference in a series. Maybe not, but I'd wager they're a much better bet than Mihm or Mbenga.

Because while Kwame has butter fingers, while Turiaf's role was diminished in this year's playoffs, they have a far better track record (and youth) when it comes to contributing. They've had their moments, they've had big games, they've had a tangible, visible effect. Mihm and Mbenga? C'mon.

Relying on these two for depth, in order to save a couple mil this year is just pathetically myopic.

[daddyfivestar]

Maybe Mitch secretly hoped Sasha would be had for less, say 3 mill, and he'd have some wiggle room in whatever magic-number Buss has given him.

And some would say Turiaf is an ingrate for signing an offer sheet that he knew would not be matched even when the Lakers did this for him:
"Black said the team plans to pay all of the medical expenses Turiaf incurs" even when he was not under contract, which they did and then paid him for 2 1/2 more yrs following his recovery.


,

[That Nicka]

^ seriously.. Letting Turiaf walk for nothing is gonna come back to bite us, sooner or later

[hermes]

ronny did what was best for ronny, going after the money, i've got no problems with that
ronny isn't the person at fault here, and i don't know if mitch is either
his job probably was to keep the team together for as little money as possible, and if we had to lose someone so be it

[daddyfivestar]

As a person who deals with medical legal issues all day long, what the Lakers did for Ronny was UNHEARD of. No business covers major medical expenses like this for someone who may not even work for them.
I am glad he found a great opportunity to do "what was best for ronny" and I agree with Nicka it'll bite later when depth is an issue, but if the Lakers had "done what is best for the franchise" in 05 they would've never paid his medical - but THEY did. A little gratitude discount would've been nice.
That's all.
,

[TommyTheCat]

As a person who deals with medical legal issues all day long, what the Lakers did for Ronny was UNHEARD of. No business covers major medical expenses like this for someone who may not even work for them.
I am glad he found a great opportunity to do "what was best for ronny" and I agree with Nicka it'll bite later when depth is an issue, but if the Lakers had "done what is best for the franchise" in 05 they would've never paid his medical - but THEY did. A little gratitude discount would've been nice.
That's all.
,

no doubt about the bolded. it was an amazing gesture by the organization. i can't really blame anyone for making the most money they can............especially in pro sports where your career could end tomorrow................so i wish ronny the best. i also don't blame the lakers for not paying a guy 4 mil (plus luxury tax) to play little minutes. i still believe the lakers are not going to trade odom and they'll be sitting with a bynum, gasol & odom rotation at the 4 & 5. odom sees some time at the 3 and that leaves crumbs on the floor for the next big..........enter dj

[daddyfivestar]

agreed - and what hurts is that it wasn't 4mil, it was front loaded 5mil in year one - just to really seriously ensure no match.

.

[lakeshow248]

I think what I take from this is that Mr. Bynum will not be starting and he will be in the Ronie role at least to start the season, then if he shows health and stamina he will be worked into the role as starting centre.

So the lineup opening night goes like this:

Fish, Kobe, Gasol, Odom and Vlad......virtually the same team that put them in 1st place in the west.

Farmar, Bynum, Sasha, Ariza and Mihm will be first off the bench at each position and Luke and Karl and Benga getting spot min depending on the matchups and the score in any given game.......

Then at like the 25 game mark everybody will be evaluated and then a move might be made involving Odom, I think Mitch is basically saying he is not giving up his best rebounder for the 4 spot if Bynum can't come back 100%.....I don't see any harm in doing that......It is a safe move and a smart move to hold on to Lamar until the Bynum everybody is counting on steps up and produces.......

As a little sidebar I think Jordan Farmar will start getting more mintues than Fish as the season wears on an eventually becoming the lead guard....giving the team a little more dribble drive w/ finish which is excatly what they need.....

[milesfides]

Oh, please, let's not bring up what the Lakers did for Ronny. Yes, it was a nice gesture. It was also almost unthinkable to just void his contract and leave him to his own devices.

What if Turiaf had died, God forbid? How would the Lakers come out of that?

Just like Radmanovic and his snowboarding accident. Yeah the Lakers could have voided his contract, but several reports suggested they didn't have much choice; it would be a terrible PR move, the players' union would have filed a grievance, and that might hurt the status of the Lakers in terms of future FA or trade negotiations.

Lastly, the Lakers voided Turiaf's contract, and signed him to 3-years of minimum wage. How kind of them. And Turiaf and his agent both expressed gratitude for the Lakers paying for his surgery, and that was a big factor in why he accepted the peanuts deal.

Let's not distort the past.

Mihm hasn't contributed in 2 years. Mbenga hasn't played a meaningful role at all. Odom's future is in serious doubt (anybody who doubts the doubt should heed Mitch's own words about Odom's uncertain future earlier this year).

Saying Turiaf wouldn't get minutes is extremely short-sighted. He's a better investment than Mihm and Mbenga combined, and Odom will be counted on to play small forward, alongside Gasol and Bynum. Whether he succeeds (at small forward) or fails (and is traded), the backup big man minutes are very open.

[hermes]

I think what I take from this is that Mr. Bynum will not be starting and he will be in the Ronie role at least to start the season, then if he shows health and stamina he will be worked into the role as starting centre.

So the lineup opening night goes like this:

Fish, Kobe, Gasol, Odom and Vlad......virtually the same team that put them in 1st place in the west.

Farmar, Bynum, Sasha, Ariza and Mihm will be first off the bench at each position and Luke and Karl and Benga getting spot min depending on the matchups and the score in any given game.......

Then at like the 25 game mark everybody will be evaluated and then a move might be made involving Odom, I think Mitch is basically saying he is not giving up his best rebounder for the 4 spot if Bynum can't come back 100%.....I don't see any harm in doing that......It is a safe move and a smart move to hold on to Lamar until the Bynum everybody is counting on steps up and produces.......

As a little sidebar I think Jordan Farmar will start getting more mintues than Fish as the season wears on an eventually becoming the lead guard....giving the team a little more dribble drive w/ finish which is excatly what they need.....

don't say that Star would go crazy if bynum didn't start

[That Nicka]

I know I've said this before but to add to what Miles was saying, I seriously doubt Odom plays for the Lakers after this season... He'll just be too expensive to keep as a 4th option... I look at it like Glen Rice after our first championship... Rice was fine for us, but what he did could easily be replaced by Rick Fox... Odom will probably average something like 13 and 9 as our starting SF with average defense... I, for one, definitely think an Ariza/Luke combo can match that... And they'll make a combined 10 mil a year while Odom will cost an average of 10 mil or more.... And with Bynum coming into his own we all know that Gasol/Bynum will be better than the Odom/Gasol combo that got us to the finals.... Now, when Odom leaves all we have left is Gasol/Bynum with Radman/Mihm backing them up... Now thats a scary thought... Especially when we could have had Turiaf backing up both positions for 4 mil a year

[TommyTheCat]

I know I've said this before but to add to what Miles was saying, I seriously doubt Odom plays for the Lakers after this season... He'll just be too expensive to keep as a 4th option... I look at it like Glen Rice after our first championship... Rice was fine for us, but what he did could easily be replaced by Rick Fox... Odom will probably average something like 13 and 9 as our starting SF with average defense... I, for one, definitely think an Ariza/Luke combo can match that... And they'll make a combined 10 mil a year while Odom will cost an average of 10 mil or more.... And with Bynum coming into his own we all know that Gasol/Bynum will be better than the Odom/Gasol combo that got us to the finals.... Now, when Odom leaves all we have left is Gasol/Bynum with Radman/Mihm backing them up... Now thats a scary thought... Especially when we could have had Turiaf backing up both positions for 4 mil a year

well, that of course is if the lakers make NO moves over the next year and a half. i think there's a higher likely hood that a backup big is figured out in the future.

[daddyfivestar]

Oh, please, let's not bring up what the Lakers did for Ronny. Yes, it was a nice gesture. It was also almost unthinkable to just void his contract and leave him to his own devices.

What if Turiaf had died, God forbid? How would the Lakers come out of that?

Just like Radmanovic and his snowboarding accident. Yeah the Lakers could have voided his contract, but several reports suggested they didn't have much choice; it would be a terrible PR move, the players' union would have filed a grievance, and that might hurt the status of the Lakers in terms of future FA or trade negotiations.

Lastly, the Lakers voided Turiaf's contract, and signed him to 3-years of minimum wage. How kind of them. And Turiaf and his agent both expressed gratitude for the Lakers paying for his surgery, and that was a big factor in why he accepted the peanuts deal.

Let's not distort the past.

Mihm hasn't contributed in 2 years. Mbenga hasn't played a meaningful role at all. Odom's future is in serious doubt (anybody who doubts the doubt should heed Mitch's own words about Odom's uncertain future earlier this year).

Saying Turiaf wouldn't get minutes is extremely short-sighted. He's a better investment than Mihm and Mbenga combined, and Odom will be counted on to play small forward, alongside Gasol and Bynum. Whether he succeeds (at small forward) or fails (and is traded), the backup big man minutes are very open.

miles you are a respected on this board but let's clear some of these things up as I think you are the one distorting the facts:
Mitch said, not me, mulitple times in the interview that there were no minutes for Turiaf and LA considered but was not about to meet price GS offered him.

The Lakers were forced to void Ronny's "conditional" contract due to the failure of the Physical - a condition of employment that was not passed. Unlike Vlad, and you should not compare the two situations, who did pass his conditions of employment. Vlad was an employee who violated his contract. There is significant legal risk to employers for termination of a contract on misconduct versus failure to meet pre-employment conditions. I deal with this everyday, as mentioned earlier.

Let's say I hire an engineer straight out of Caltech, by hire I mean make an offer of employment with pre-employment conditions that must be met, and he comes in and even starts doing some work for me while his results are pending - if he does not meet the conditions of employment I can terminate his contract with minor, probably no, legal problems. If that same engineer works for me for 6 months then does something that would be considered misconduct and a violation of his contractual employment agreement, I can fire him.... but would fully expect his lawyers, the DOL, and EDD all over me and my employer with questions and lawsuits. My documentation has to be clean and tight. Very winnable for us but a hassle none-the-less.

Ronny was paid low-scale I agree, but it's not like he was going to make more than that before his heart examination. He was on a min deal already at 2yr/1mil. He basically picked up where he left off, with a bit of a bump to start 06-07 at 664k instead of 463k, He didn't accept less to go back - the Lakers still had his rights. They also could've let him play out the season with Yakima instead of bringing him in mid-season, which was also a financial gain for him.

Again, I wish Ronny was back, and had only rec'd a 3mil offer which the Lakers would've matched and this wouldn't be an issue.
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[berdy]

what do you think about signing Josh Powell for the vet min since he was just released by the clips? I think he'd be an adequate replacement for Turiaf.

[ChocolateThundr]

what do you think about signing Josh Powell for the vet min since he was just released by the clips? I think he'd be an adequate replacement for Turiaf.

This also just crossed my mind. he looks interesting, 6-9, 240, PF, on paper he looks like a banger. But I dont know anything about him. But he sounds like someone that fits what we lacked in the finals