A Quarterback

ALL HAIL · Post #1 » by **ALL HAIL** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 2:36 am

First things first I really enjoy the spirit of this team. They remind me of another team I really enjoyed watching ... those Sac teams who passed and shot very well.

Unfortunately they, like the old Sac teams, lack defensive toughness. This is something that has been widely discussed by everyone including myself who has always professed to what I deem to be a very soft team including Gasol (a fantastic offensive machine).

Defense is important and we desperately need more coaching on that end but I think what this team sorely lacks is a quarterback. Phil alluded to this last week in an interview in reference to Gasol and its something I really agree with.

It doesn't really matter at what position this quarterback plays. A quarterback in basketball can play at any position. Traditionally they are at point guard. With the Bulls, Pippen was clearly the quarterback. I always thought Odom would be our quarterback from the power forward position. I was wrong (now I know that he is a much better rebounding Derrick McKey w/o McKey's jumper).

The quarter back for our team for as long as I can remember has been Kobe. That's cool when we had Shaq in his prime but the moment Shaq left and Kobe became the undisputed first option we should've made it a top priority to find someone to get him the ball. To Kupchak's credit, I think he thought like me, that Odom could learn or blossom to become our quarterback but it obviously hasn't happened.

Kobe cannot be our number one option and our quarterback. It pained me to watch the Finals last year when whenever the game became tight and we obviously needed a bucket, Kobe would bring the ball up and try to maneuver the offense in a way that would give himself a good look. It didn't work. He had to work way to hard just to get in a position to score. He was trying to do way too much. This resposibilty makes a player old really quick (McGrady is a perfect example as he has always been asked to do it all including being a qurterback. The weight is really unbearable on anyone's shoulders and, like McGrady, can cause back problems).

I have always liked Farmer's game although I thought he was a little too erratic. More importantly I thought he was the definition of a quarterback but lacked the outside shot to be a good fit with our team. To his credit he has made himself into a respectable shooter. Now we see that he lacks the defense at the point that we sorely lack and hasn't neccessarily shown the leadership and quarterbacking skills he showed us all in college. I still think he IS a quarterback but that Farmar just doesn't fit our more structered offense. He tried to adjust his game last year with great success but I think more and more he is coming to the realizarion that he doesn't want to change. He wants to play HIS game which is predicated on him being able to make plays and mistakes knowing that his coach will not have him on a short leash. Given the right opportunity, Farmar will be a solid starter on a team that affords him the freedom that he needs to be an effective quarterback. He'll probably play remarkably better defense then too.

Farmar is a quarterback but isn't the most comfortable in our system and seriously lacks defensive intensity so unfortunately he may not ever reach his full potential with us (I hope I am wrong though). We clearly have another quarterback on our team not named Kobe or Farmar or Odom.

His name is Luke Walton. He is the definition of a quarterback. He can and will get Kobe the ball, run the offense and get others involved. Luke is very unique in this way. However, In addtion to simply needing a quarterback we need a quarterback who can play sigificant minutes without ever really being a liability. Luke is a truly unique ball player but he is also unique for a ball player in that he is extremely UNathletic. He can't guard opposing small forwards with any substantial athleticism. I really hate that Luke wasn't blessed with speed or lateral quickness. Again he is exactly the quarterback we need but he CLEARLY is a liability. If he continues to be our quarterback Paul Pierce will continue to lick his chops come June. It won't be pretty.

hermes · Post #2 » by **hermes** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:01 am

which sport are we walking about again?

Post #3 » by **Danny Darko** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:15 am

You had me until you said luke. And btw the defensive quarterback of our Shaq/Kobe teams? Rick Fox/Rob Horry.

Asianiac_24 · Post #4 » by **Asianiac_24** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:56 am

i agree with you for the most part. Thats why a player like Marbury would help IMO. He can take the playmaking duties off of Kobe. Or we can try getting a player like Rip from Detroit and move Kobe to the 3. Have Rip do the playmaking for us, and put Kobe in the post where he's most effective IMO.

kevin_405 · Post #5 » by **kevin_405** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 3:21 pm

Rip is a natural SG no...
We need Kobe to move to PG he is the only person who can make good decisions.. Any way the ball goes to Kobe half the time.. lets make it all the time..

Asianiac_24 wrote:i agree with you for the most part. Thats why a player like Marbury would help IMO. He can take the playmaking duties off of Kobe. Or we can try getting a player like Rip from Detroit and move Kobe to the 3. Have Rip do the playmaking for us, and put Kobe in the post where he's most effective IMO.

Erik Eleven · Post #6 » by **Erik Eleven** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 3:50 pm

The leader you're looking for is Chauncey Billups. Too bad we missed out on him again.

TonyMontana · Post #7 » by **TonyMontana** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:02 pm

Hey is there a shorter version of this post by the O.P cause Im confused.

TylersLakers · Post #8 » by **TylersLakers** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:08 pm

Erik Eleven wrote:The leader you're looking for is Chauncey Billups. Too bad we missed out on him again.

Bingo.

ALL HAIL · Post #9 » by **ALL HAIL** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:41 pm

Billups is definitely a qurterback that is not a liability. Other guys who could (?) have that potential are Kidd (obvious), Hinrich, Salmons, Jaric, Hill, Kirilenko, Diaw, Prince, Deng, Jeffries, A. Daniels, A. Miller, and Sefolosha. All of these guys can handle the rock, are unselfish, and are good to great passers. They are also NOT liabilities on defense.

These guys are off the top of my head, they could be complete duds. I'm the guy who adamantly thought that Odom was perfect to be our quarterback ... wrong (Odom can dribble and pass but lacks quarterback intangibles in the triangle). I finally realize this.

TylersLakers · Post #10 » by **TylersLakers** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:46 pm

I think that Kidd will sign with us this off-season for cheap. Him and Kobe are good buddies, and he's already made a lot of money.

hermes · Post #11 » by **hermes** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:52 pm

can kidd defend anymore? he can't shoot for beans

ALL HAIL · Post #12 » by **ALL HAIL** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:41 pm

TylersLakers wrote:I think that Kidd will sign with us this off-season for cheap. Him and Kobe are good buddies, and he's already made a lot of money.

You're right. He loves the Lakers ... always has. I am really intrigued by Luol Deng though. I think he is a very good passer and can definitely dribble. Would Chicago even consider letting him go though? He's really stinking it up right now ... maybe???

Sedale Threatt · Post #13 » by **Sedale Threatt** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 2:50 am

The most assists Deng has ever averaged is around 2.5 per game. He's about the furthest thing from a ballhander/playmaker as you can get.

aroba · Post #14 » by **aroba** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:49 am

...BTW gasol is defending better than anyone on this team this season.
Problem on defense is PG and SF. That's why we're talking about a QB on those positions.

I'll take Billups+Battier everyday

Battier is great defender, generates great chemistry being such a nice guy, would fit perfect on the triangle offense being a team player and nice spot up shooter, can play with Gasol and also close friend...

Billups can hit from outside, nice defender, a true leader, earns respect from the whole league..

Erik Eleven · Post #15 » by **Erik Eleven** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 7:29 pm

TylersLakers wrote:I think that Kidd will sign with us this off-season for cheap. Him and Kobe are good buddies, and he's already made a lot of money.

That sentence made me smile. What a good idea, Tyler. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Do it, Mitch!

J Rob · Post #16 » by **J Rob** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:20 am

Forget the QB, we average over 108 pts a game and Kobe will always be the QB as long as he's here.

Instead, give me the veteran Linebacker...the guy that's gonna set the tone defensively and not take plays off.

I want someone that will raise the defensive intensity of the whole team. This team is young and needs that veteran guy to do it.

Its pretty apparent its not gonna be Kobe or Gasol (or even Fish). Its not in their personalities...not to mention each of them take plays off defensively.

That's really the one thing KG and Pierce bring every night and have over Kobe and Pau.

ALL HAIL · Post #17 » by **ALL HAIL** » Wed Mar 3, 2010 12:36 am

Nothing has really changed in this regard.

Kobe cannot continue to bear the brunt of the ball handling duties and be expected to close games for us. Jordan didn't have to do it after the age of 30 and Kobe shouldn't have to either.

We need PG defense but in addition we need someone to facilitiate the offense so that Kobe, Gasol, and Bynum all get their touches with their backs to the basket.

This need is more important to me than either Pau or Bynum.

If we don't find a quarterback and lighten Kobe's load, he will get old really, really fast.

Post #18 » by **snaquille oatmeal** » Wed Mar 3, 2010 12:51 am

best part of bumping this thread is reading posts from EE.

TylersLakers · Post #19 » by **TylersLakers** » Wed Mar 3, 2010 5:03 am

snaquille oatmeal wrote:best part of bumping this thread is reading posts from EE.

Was thinking the same thing when reading this.

Where's he at? He's my Real GM Idol Poster. Lol.

Post #20 » by **Slava** » Wed Mar 3, 2010 5:32 am

snaquille oatmeal wrote:best part of bumping this thread is reading posts from EE.

I was shocked for a minute and then checked the date on those posts.