Good points real. I do agree with you and others that Magic as a public speaker should probably be more tactful and thoughtful with his comments considering that, yes, the Lakers can't go out and publicly tank. Maybe it is cover for his boy. I just didn't get the outrage over the thing that he's saying considering so many here expressed the sentiment (perhaps worded differently) over the past few weeks since it became obvious that they have no realistic chance to make the playoffs. Jeez, some people started the tank talk as soon as Randle went down. I'm in between and have been for a while. On the one hand I want to see competitive basketball and I can never actively route for my team to lose. However, I totally get the idea that we are better off keeping our Top 5 pick, especially if we aren't going to make the playoffs anyway. I like what others have said about less minutes for Kobe, more development for Clarkson, more time for Ellington who might be a keeper, etc. Those things would bring a positive out of this year. Heck, personally I consider just having an official end to the D' Antoni era a huge improvement.
I'm not mad at Magic at all for what he said, I only wanted to point out his inconsistency. I also think that when he was a player if someone came up to him and told him to tank he'd have laughed in their face. I don't think he's seeing it from a player like Kobe's perspective, tanking is not in him. It doesn't seem to be in many of our other players either, they're trying. My main issue though, boils down to saying we need to lose. You can't lose on purpose, our players aren't going to throw games. So that we need to lose to get a better pick goes without saying, it is better than middle of the pack, but it's a silly thing to say IMO.
I'd definitely like to see more Clarkson and less Kobe. I think that'd be a great step. Heck I'd like to see Clarkson instead of Price at this point. I mean really what's Price bringing to the team that Clarkson can't?
His opinions on the Lakers are 100% dependent on who is coaching the team, that is where my outrage comes from... Mike Brown - The team is better than this, the coach just sucks, losing is on the coach Mike D'Antoni - Flat out disrespected him repeatedly, team should be better, losing is on the coach Byron Scott - I love the way we are losing, Byron has done a great job with what limited roster we have, we need to lose to get better, it's not his fault Same with his flip flop comments about the Nash deal being great when it happened and then saying it was an awful deal when it went south. He's just a moron that shouldn't talk about the Lakers because depending on the circumstances, his comments aren't genuine.
I agree with you for the most part. I have been talking draft for quite a bit on here and definitely think we are approaching full tank mode. I just think its much different for a bunch of guys on a message board to ramble on about draft picks, bringing in Rondo, etc and a HOF former player with tons of influence to actually say that on the record. I am not outraged. More annoyed by the thought that his quote will be trotted out constantly for the next few months. I will not say I outright disagree with what he said, but I don't think he should have said it.
Earvin Magic JohnsonVerified account @MagicJohnson Happy days are here again! Mike D'Antoni resigns as the Lakers coach. I couldn't be happier! How quickly we forget. A 27-55 win team last year that he often criticized...now he's advocating tanking because his close friend his coaching the team and is on pace to win less games...but that's okay because 'we need to tank and can't be middle of the pack.'
I certainly agree with you on the Nash comments, Doc. And I do get you about the coaching thing - he certainly is protecting his own in that regard. That part just doesn't bother me as much because I get that aspect and my hatred for Brown and D' Antoni is so great, and I do actually like Byron and I'm glad we have an actual Laker great (player) as a coach and not those two knuckleheads. I can't ever really call Magic names or get too mad at him, myself. I still think of him as the greatest Laker of all time until Kobe retires. I don't take that commentary thing he does very seriously - it's a gig. Charles and Shaq say dumb things all the time on that show. So does Chris Webber. I know it has more weight when it's Magic talking about the Lakers because of the history. I do get that.
I always felt like there was a true dislike of D'Antoni from Magic. Like maybe something had happened behind the scenes. I disagreed with him making those comments public as well.
Magic just seems to speak from his emotions without thinking things through at times. He really does need to step back and think things through before he makes a comment.
personally, i don't really mind if what magic says happens. i don't really mind that he said it either. maybe i'm just too numb at this point to care.
you have a lot of people with whom to be angry, my friend. including many on these forums, i'd guess.
okc was a tanktastic build. i wish i could share your faith in the lakers attracting free agents with the assets they currently have in place. the draft is really the only place where you can get your hands on stars when your cupboard is as bare as the lakers'. if the organization is really concerned about creating a losing a culture, they shouldn't have blown their cap space on jordan hill and jeremy lin and instead spent on or traded for better players. you can't have it both ways. the flexibility route means losing. and losing should mean losing BIG.
I get what he's saying and I agree 100%, as a fan. As a HOF Laker, he needs to choose his words a little more wisely.
I don't understand the concern of "creating a losing culture" with this team. It makes sense if we were a 45 win team that was tanking, but what the heck is the difference between being very bad and very very bad? I understand if we were expecting the players to throw games, but we're not and they're not. I'm thrilled with whatever coaching changes or roster moves create more losses. We need that pick... desperately. Imagine it as a trade chip if you're not sold on the chances of drafting a star.
I don't know what other teams you follow, but as a lifetime Phillies and Raiders fan, I understand the concern all too well. Getting talented players doesn't always turn around losing teams. The losing can be so entrenched no one in the organization will be able to set things right.
I completely understand that a losing culture is a very real thing. I just don't fear that for this team. I think duration is the bigger variable, not intensity when a losing culture starts to develop. if we were losers for a longer duration, I'd start to get more worried. I don't think being very bad last year and very very bad this year is a big deal compared to the alternative... being very bad ( opposed to very very) this year and losing our pick.
