Are We Tanking?

Tiesto_Lakers · Post #1 » by **Tiesto_Lakers** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 3:47 pm

I'm getting the feeling that the Lakers are tanking, and I can't blame them. We have a bunch of guys on 1-year contracts who are just showcasing their talent for next summer. We're not even playing Nash, Young, and Gasol in the 4th quarters...instead we're playing Blake for 32 minutes, in which he goes 2-12, all on open looks.

I think the FO will give this team until the beginning of February to see where we're heading this year. If after Kobe returns we climb into the playoffs, then we probably won't tank. But if we stink even with Kobe, I can see us dumping Gasol to a contender for a bunch of expiring contracts, just to ensure the tank.

ROballer · Post #2 » by **ROballer** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 4:01 pm

Not yet,right now we suck and that's why we're losing

I think the FO is still torn at this point about tanking or making a push for the playoffs
They're probably waiting for Kobe to return to see how the team looks.....if we're still down in the rankings
around the trade deadline there's no doubt in my mind we're dealing Pau and start tanking seriously

Edit: didn't read your post,you were basically saying the same thing

SlimShady83 · Post #3 » by **SlimShady83** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 4:12 pm

I was going to write a big arse post on this and have same headline lol but no need now.

MDA I thought knew how to rotate his players, after the spurs game I'm not so sure
-playing blake @31 min just because he can shoo is stupid < he shot what 2-12 or 1 for 9 or something? Sure he got 9 assists but shouldn't make up for his poor shooting

- MDA needs to let go of what ever grudge he has against Hill and play him more < he was our best player I recon 11min all in the 4th quarter, hustling on almost every rebound and giving energy etc..etc.

- Blake/Nash shouldn't start at all < Farmer/Young or Henry

- While I love Pau/Nash I just hope they aren't here next year and we start rebuilding < I hate to say it as I'd love Kobe to get last ring, but not sure about it atm

- I hope we keep our bench for next year Kaman/hill/Henry/Johnson/Farmer/Young are all doing good ok well ok.

-Pau/Nash/Williams/Blake need to go next year

unless we use Nash as spot up 3point shooter then keep him.

dAdo dA dEvil · Post #4 » by **dAdo dA dEvil** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 4:12 pm

... only 3 games ...??? and NO ... Lakers don' tank ...

hermes · Post #5 » by **hermes** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 4:16 pm

probably but keep it under you're hat, we don't want to be associated with that kind of thing

anyway we're going about it the right way, not openly trying to be awful, like someone said we just stink

good cover mitch you sly dog 8-)

ak7 · Post #6 » by **ak7** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 4:31 pm

I hope we are. #RigginforWiggins

leeprettyp · Post #7 » by **leeprettyp** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 4:36 pm

ak7 · Post #8 » by **ak7** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 4:58 pm

dAdodadevil wrote:... only 3 games ...??? and NO ... Lakers don' tank ...

I agree with the first part, way too early to even think about tanking.

I don't agree with the second part. It's a new NBA due to the CBA. Gone are the days where we could just throw money at players like some kid at a strip club on payday.

Aside from that, realistically speaking, unless you have LeBron James or Kevin Durant going forward, how realistic are your chances at winning a championship? Why do you think so many teams are blowing it up? You haven't seen this many teams doing it in a while.

One can argue that the "championship" impact between your tier 1 superstars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant and your tier 2 superstars like Melo, Love, and even Chris Paul (he can't get out of the 2nd round) is so large that unless you have a LeBron or Durant, or a resurgent Spurs team, you don't even really have a chance at a ring.

I hate being a realist, but unless Kobe finds the fountain of youth in Germany and hogs it all to himself, ain't no way we are winning a championship as constructed without the above mentioned players.

DEEP3CL · Post #9 » by **DEEP3CL** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 5:12 pm

No

Anybody thinking that is lacking some ball IQ.

Nash isn't playing because he just can't produce, hell he can't even get revved up to play. Blake playing the minutes he does is all on the coach, he's in lust mode with him when we clearly have a better option in Farmar.

But just quit with this tanking crap after only just 3 games, we got beat due to issues that could've been controlled.

You guys have to face the facts that we're also gonna lose games due to MDA's decisions.....which are always suspect.

I don't know how old some of you are that think "tank", but the Lakers in my lifetime have NEVER done that and WON'T do that. So kill the nonsense, we're gonna lose games and it won't have a damn thing to do with tanking.

TruSkool · Post #10 » by **TruSkool** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 5:19 pm

Honestly i never thought about it but its true...nash, gasol, young, farmar, hill, kaman dont even play many minutes. they play around 25-30 minutes and sit out in crucial times.
It seems like most of the minutes go to meeks, henry, and johnson.

i wouldnt be surprised if the lakers are secretly gunning for the draft instead.

Optms · Post #11 » by **Optms** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 5:20 pm

Yeah, you guys. We aren't losing on purpose, we just suck.

ROballer · Post #12 » by **ROballer** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 5:20 pm

DEEP3CL wrote:
I don't know how old some of you are that think "tank", but the Lakers in my lifetime have NEVER done that and WON'T do that. So kill the nonsense, we're gonna lose games and it won't have a damn thing to do with tanking.

Hypothetically...we are 32-40,10 games left
No shot at the playoffs

You think we won't try to improve our draft odds and gain a few extra pingpong balls,while going out and trying to win some meaningless games just because "we're the Lakers"?

My money is on no.....we're not tanking right now and we're not gonna do it in the forseeable future....but if a scenario close to mine is happening ,and the last 5-10 games are basically meaningless,I guarantee you the team will look more to not winning than to win

IamBBAnalysis · Post #13 » by **IamBBAnalysis** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 5:29 pm

skullz wrote:I was going to write a big arse post on this and have same headline lol but no need now.

MDA I thought knew how to rotate his players, after the spurs game I'm not so sure
-playing blake @31 min just because he can shoo is stupid < he shot what 2-12 or 1 for 9 or something? Sure he got 9 assists but shouldn't make up for his poor shooting

- MDA needs to let go of what ever grudge he has against Hill and play him more < he was our best player I recon 11min all in the 4th quarter, hustling on almost every rebound and giving energy etc..etc.

- Blake/Nash shouldn't start at all < Farmer/Young or Henry

- While I love Pau/Nash I just hope they aren't here next year and we start rebuilding < I hate to say it as I'd love Kobe to get last ring, but not sure about it atm

- I hope we keep our bench for next year Kaman/hill/Henry/Johnson/Farmer/Young are all doing good ok well ok.

-Pau/Nash/Williams/Blake need to go next year unless we use Nash as spot up 3point shooter then keep him.

He played Blake because he thought that was his best chance to guard Parker. Nash and Farmar are both poor defenders. Not that I agree with the decision...but that was definitely the thought process.

Post #14 » by **semi-sentient** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 5:34 pm

That's pretty much why D'Antoni needs to go.

Farmar can defend better than Blake, and he's far more valuable on offense. Blake getting more PT than Farmar is flat out ridiculous, and under-utilizing Hill on top of that is just icing on the cake.

I can not wait until we fire that moron.

Michael Lucky · Post #15 » by **Michael Lucky** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 6:07 pm

don't know why Blake gets so many minutes over Farmar when it's clear to anyone that Farmar is the better player.

The answer is no we aren't tanking although we should.

Michael Lucky · Post #16 » by **Michael Lucky** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 6:08 pm

Also Hill is has a Per near 30 but only plays 10mpg. >.>

IamBBAnalysis · Post #17 » by **IamBBAnalysis** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 6:18 pm

semi-sentient wrote:That's pretty much why D'Antoni needs to go.

Farmar can defend better than Blake, and he's far more valuable on offense. Blake getting more PT than Farmar is flat out ridiculous, and under-utilizing Hill on top of that is just icing on the cake.

I can not wait until we fire that moron.

"Can" defend...as in more athletic? That's true. But Farmar gets lost on D a lot. I try to watch each player play D for a period of time. Farmar doesn't always try very hard on that end and he seems to lose focus.

Michael Lucky · Post #18 » by **Michael Lucky** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 6:27 pm

who cares he's a much better offensive player. The difference on D is negligible at this point.

what would jack bauer do? · Post #19 » by **what would jack bauer do?** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 6:42 pm

The plan should be to win as many games as we can, yet D'antoni's rotation is nonsense.

I just don't understand why Farmar isn't getting 30 minutes a game. Is there something I'm missing? Is D'antoni trying to be cautious with his calf? Farmar is by far the best guard we have, but is losing minutes to blake and nash. How long is this going to continue before D'antoni let's go of his old dispositions.

I just don't understand the rotation with Hill, Kaman, and Gasol either. We have a good three headed monster there, the chemistry between Gasol and Kaman is great. Why do we continue to see Wes Johnson and Shawne at the four? Why not try and beat down teams in the low post when Nash "the fastbreak pg who can't run a fastbreak" is in the game.

Also why can't we get more minutes for Farmar with Gasol? We need our biggest threats on offense on the floor together, this should make the game easier for our role players- giving them spot up jumpers instead of offbalance ones after pump faking. And why the hell is Pau posting up so far away from the basket, grow some damn balls and battle for that position early.

I don't think we're tanking on purpose, but D'antoni is doing a good job at it so far. I hope we don't have to go through a full 2 months before D'antoni actually makes some adjustments away from this small ball crap. I mean it's alright for the minority of the game with that 2nd unit, but that 2nd unit alone isn't leading us to the playoffs.

what would jack bauer do? · Post #20 » by **what would jack bauer do?** » Sat Nov 2, 2013 6:50 pm

IamBBAnalysis wrote:
semi-sentient wrote:That's pretty much why D'Antoni needs to go.

Farmar can defend better than Blake, and he's far more valuable on offense. Blake getting more PT than Farmar is flat out ridiculous, and under-utilizing Hill on top of that is just icing on the cake.

I can not wait until we fire that moron.

"Can" defend...as in more athletic? That's true. But Farmar gets lost on D a lot. I try to watch each player play D for a period of time. Farmar doesn't always try very hard on that end and he seems to lose focus.

Blake hasn't stopped anyone while in a Lakers uniform thus far either though. Blake is a pg that can't guard pgs and just annoys sg's while getting lit up at this point. We have a plethora of wings that are capable of defending sg's. Wes Johnson's activity on defense has been standout despite his bad play.