Kupchak and Brown Press Conference 12/2/2011

[eckoner]

Kevin Ding::
Kup and Brown taking questions while sitting at the same table

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Basketball operations office went from being very quiet to extremely loud in the past few days. Kupchak's very excited to be moving.

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Kupchak: "We believe this team as structured can contend. On the flip side, we'll continue to look at opportunities to improve the team."

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Kupchak declined to acknowledge trade rumors about other team's players. Said trades can't take place until "the end of next week."

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Kupchak has been in touch w/(free agent) Shannon Brown's representatives. He doesn't expect FA's T. Ratliff or J. Smith to return.

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Kupchak thinks that @ShannonBrown will get a package that's "much more attractive" than what the Lakers can offer him.


KevinDing KEVIN DING
Kupchak expects Shannon Brown to get a better FA deal away from Lakers. Neither Theo Ratliff nor Joe Smith will return.

Live Stream Link now fixed
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/losangeles/play?s=la

[eckoner]

KevinDing KEVIN DING
Brown said of Bynum/Gasol/Odom: "Those 3 will be my bigs." But Odom could also play some small forward.

[eckoner]

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Despite all the work @DerekFisher did in a suit, Kupchak said he "doesn't worry" about Fisher staying in shape or being ready.

[eckoner]

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Brown on if he envisions Fisher as the starter at PG: "Possibly." Said they'll figure it all out once players get to camp.


KevinDing KEVIN DING
Is Derek Fisher still the starting point guard? Brown: "Possibly."

[eckoner]

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Brown, when asked what he'll call Metta World Peace, just laughed. He supposes he'll go with either "Metta" or "Met."


LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Brown said he wouldn't refer to Metta World Peace as "Peace," in case MWP gets confused & thinks he can leave practice.

KevinDing KEVIN DING
Brown wants Odom to operate more in the post -- which will be a challenge. Phil tried in vain to get Lamar to stay in there more.

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Brown does like both Derek Fisher and Steve Blake, saying that he wanted to get both of them to play for him in Cleveland.

[eckoner]

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Kupchak suggests that Lakers are looking for a veteran who might take less to come to L.A. for a shot at a championship.


KevinDing KEVIN DING
Kupchak is hoping to add a player on back end of career who has already made money, can still offer minutes and wants a title.

[eckoner]

KevinDing KEVIN DING
Kupchak cited tampering rules and declined to respond when asked by someone about Dwight Howard.

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Kupchak: "When your payroll is as high as ours, it's not like you can snap your fingers and reduce it that quickly."

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Asked if he has any concerns about Metta World Peace's focus level, Kupchak , w/a smile: "We've had concerns since we signed him."

KevinDing KEVIN DING
Kupchak aware of Bynum speculation (tho he didn't name him). Generally speaking, Mitch said: "There hasn't been a philosophical change."

KevinDing KEVIN DING
Kupchak: "Knowing what I know, we’re going to very limited in what we can do with free agency."

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
While Mike Brown's discussing Quin Snyder, a Dukie, Kupchak (UNC guy, of course) interrupted with a head shake and deep sigh.

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Brown plans to up the number of non-contact practices, or ones with less physical contact, to account for > # of games per week.


KevinDing KEVIN DING
Considering Lakers' age, Brown said walk-throughs instead of physical practices "may happen more often than not."

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Brown currently describing his expectations of Kobe as he outlined yesterday in this piece
(question No. 4): on.nba.com/tEAJV3

KevinDing KEVIN DING
Regarding him and Kobe, Brown brought up Pop and Duncan: "Not about Pop being the boss and Tim being the employee. ... Working together."

DuranLA Beto Duran
Mitch Kupchak on Magic potentially buying Dodgers "sitting on pile of cash...would be great owner"

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Presser over. The media, all of us surely hungry, peppered Kupchak and Brown for 40 minutes. More soon on Lakers.com.

[picc]

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Kupchak suggests that Lakers are looking for a veteran who might take less to come to L.A. for a shot at a championship.


KevinDing KEVIN DING
Kupchak is hoping to add a player on back end of career who has already made money, can still offer minutes and wants a title.

BATTIER

Call him and don't stop until he answers himself.

[Jetset]

Great stuff, thanks eckoner.

Things that stuck out:

Kupchak expects Shannon Brown to get a better FA deal away from Lakers.

Good Riddance.

Is Derek Fisher still the starting point guard? Brown: "Possibly."

I'll play PG, just as long as Fisher doesn't start.

Kupchak suggests that Lakers are looking for a veteran who might take less to come to L.A. for a shot at a championship.

Hopefully it's a PG, hopefully it's Baron.

LakersReporter Mike Trudell
Kupchak suggests that Lakers are looking for a veteran who might take less to come to L.A. for a shot at a championship.


KevinDing KEVIN DING
Kupchak is hoping to add a player on back end of career who has already made money, can still offer minutes and wants a title.

BATTIER

Call him and don't stop until he answers himself.

I can see him resigning in Memphis.

[TyCobb]

Thanks alot for the breakdown, eckoner. Much appreciated.

[Leor_77]

The thing that worries me is that Kupchak said that they would be very "limited" in what they'd be able to do in free agency. I do believe that there's a chance to pull for Howard, but it's a little bit less. At least when he said of Bynum that there hasn't been a philosophical change, it means that they still are Ok with him on the team, but that they'll continue to look to improve the team whenever they can.

[Gek]

Good find dude. I'm liking Brown.

[KingLakers]

Battier is the guy it looks like the Lakers want he can play SG and SF remember he was the Rockets starting SG in that playoff series with the Lakers a couple yrs back. Also Deshawn Stevenson is another option. Pipe dream is Affalo taking a massive hometown discount to play in LA.

[The_Trade_Seer]

"Will Fisher start at PG?" ... 'Possibly" ... AWESOME answer ... any answer other than "YES" is an AWESOME answer and since I don't think there's anyway Blake would start over Fisher this is even better news as it means we have our hopes up to land someone like Baron, woo-hoo!

[hazy_01]

If we get Battier & Bdiddy I will be content.

[dockingsched]

i like that the big 3 rotation will stay in tact and that gasol/bynum's minute disparity will be evened out a bit.

[Dr Aki]

i have a feeling, we got feelers out for grant hill.

dude can stick a midrange J

[eckoner]

I like Grant and Bat but what about Barnes, MWP, and the others we have at that spiddot?

Something has got to give!

I want to keep Matt, I love his attitude, and gumption and he deserves as much PT as he can get!

[semi-sentient]

i have a feeling, we got feelers out for grant hill.

dude can stick a midrange J

He's also a solid/smart team defender, even though Kobe lit him up in the 2010 playoffs. I wouldn't mind Hill at all.