I hope ya'll are okay with me posting all the links... I don't know if it's helpful or not. I only realized half-way through that it's crowded.
Excellent reads, really gets into the teams thought process and who will be back. I like who they are high on and who is on the outside looking in.
Hill has to go, we can't have that salary on the books. Davis can probably be kept long term for half that, and we have Black as a backup for dirt cheap.
Thoughts on what the guys had to say... Boozer: Sounds like if we field a good team next year, he'd have no problem taking a backup role. He's made his money and likes LA and his teammates, if he'd play for the minimum, then I'd gladly welcome him back. A backup big rotation of Davis, Booz, and Black is fine with me, 2 of them can play 2 positions. He was an ultimate professional and solid vet about this season, that's always a plus to have on your teams. Wes: Mitch and Scott had no negative critiques for him? I call b*******. Maybe they've already written him off and it's not worth wasting time on giving him any instruction, other than the door is that way. Sacre mentioned Scott emphasized being in shape, then there's Jordan Hill. Was he absent those days? What happened? Davis: he isn't going anywhere. Wants fit and a staff that believes in him over $. The staff has given him more attention and improved his game more than any other team he's been on. Unless we draft one of the 3 bigs AND sign one of the max bigs in FA, I'm certain he'll be back. Hill: Get out. Practicing 3s this summer, cuddling up to Young (the outcast), not being in shape for big minutes or the long haul. What happened to the Jordan Hill we fell in love with? The energizer in a bottle, the hustler, the dirty work guy who didn't leave the paint. Where is THAT guy? With Mitch saying it might come down to the deadline on him, I don't think he's back. A very different tune than was sung about the rest of the bigs. Mitch is letting Scott build his culture and club, well Hill doesn't fit that. JC: Love the attitude and the approach, not content, never satisfied...that's the makings of a star. Watching the draft 8 times, I instantly thought that's something Kobe would do. The mini-Westbrook comparison is catching on. I really hope he doesn't watch too much CP3 tape -- don't pickup the self entitlement, the whining, the flopping, the begging for whistles, the groin punches. Adding bulk will be good for him though, he won't take as much a beating when attacking the rim. Hopefully Nash can make some significant time for him and not just 30 minute sessions. Let the kid move in with you for a intensive week long camp. Him mentioning Randle is hungry -- having two rooks that are hungry and with something to prove, instead of just being 20 year old kids who just got handed millions of dollars (not yet for JC), forture, fame, and a very unique lifestyle for a young man...that's rare. For them to be on the same team...that's special. Black: Glad to hear they're high on him. Another absolute steal. Sounds like he would like to set up long term roots here -- I'm perfectly ok with that. Lock that up before he garners a bigger pay day. Having him extend his ability as a 4 gives himself more opportunities for PT and us more versatility up front with him and Davis being interchange. Chuck, Rodman, and Big Ben? f*** YEAH! Two of those guys were written off before they made their niche, too. I like where the FO's head is at. Have him bath in tape of those three. He gets what Hill doesn't. It's not about doing everything. You excel at your specialty and you'll have a VERY long career. I love the culture and attitude we're building with the young guys and they're all growing and going through it together. They all have the right attitude, approach, work ethic, chemistry, and they get it. They have it between the ears and aren't your typical college kid who gets dropped into the NBA. That's a big reason I'm hoping we keep the pick. Keep building on this. We're doing a damn good job so far, why stop? Cost effective talent like we have is hard to come by.
It was very helpful because some guys I have no interest in sitting through watching their videos and my twitter feed stopped scrolling back. The Lakers.com recaps just hit the highlights. Could've gone to each beat writer's twitter feed but this is much easier.
JSM "We're doing a damn good job so far, why stop? Cost effective talent like we have is hard to come by." That hits the nail on the head. I and I'm sure all of you are tired of the cap hell they've been in. One critique, give me Ellington over Boozer. Youth over washed up.
With Mitch's comments... -It sounds like he much prefers Black and Davis over Hill. Smart man. -FA approach seems to be swing for the fences again, if you miss don't spend to spend. No need to panic with our ability to develop the young guys right now. Strike while that iron is hot. Streaks like that don't last, don't care how good your scouts are. That said, I expect at least one new addition making $10m next year. The pitch seems to be this for max FA targets: Share the ball with Kobe, in whatever capacity he's in for a year, and the keys are yours. You can help pick who you want to play with when we go shopping next summer. At least a lot of guys (according to Scott) have said they want to play here, so that misnomer is squashed. -He could be BSing or bluffing (most GMs do to some degree with the public) but his words make it sound like he wants to keep the pick. -He's giving Scott a lot of rope. More so than any coach we've had in the past 15 years not named Phil. Letting him develop his culture his way. In doing so, I expect Young and Hill to be jetted out of here one way or another. So far, it's working. The players all went above and beyond in praising Scott in these exit interviews. He sucks at X and Os and is abrasive with players he shouldn't be abrasive with and isn't a good in game strategist, but he has the players buying in, backing him, and playing hard for now. That's something. -Little disappointed with his timeline on Randle. From everything I've seen/read, that looks like an overly cautious time frame. -Found it funny that Mitch has no idea what Philly is doing either.
ATGROH... Hill has to go. Im a Wes fan but he can go too. I would love to see hard workers like Black and Davis back. JC ain't goin nowhere we are high on that kid and rightfully so. I'm no longer high on Nick either. I'd take Booz back at the right price and I know I'm on an island by myself but I like Lin too. Even so, I wouldn't be overly annoyed if he was gone too.
@JSM awesome analysis, that's almost everything I wanted to say. To piggy back on your takes: Wes- You need to work on your handle? How about you work on your defense? Why do we never hear guys say anything about focusing on that end, but every summer they want to develop another offensive skill? Hey Wes! I'm going to fair: your jumpshot never looked better in your career. You finally seem to have the hang of your shooting form after however many years you've been in the league. Your defense was subpar, your handle is worse, your hands are stone, and somehow you get back-cut at least once a game. I'm done with you. Young- You're a goofball and if you didn't have such an affinity for the Lakers, I'd wash my hands of you. As things are, I still see value here. Odom wasn't amazing when we were a bad team. Once things turned around, Odom was a catalyst. Nick can be that too, he just needs to get his energies focused in one direction. Hated the Maui comment. If we can flip him, do it. Clarkson- What more can be said? Heady kid, has a ton of heart, glowing reviews from everyone. He's a stud. Randle- Another good kid. I feel like they're being overcautious with him, but that's alright. It'll be a treat seeing him play again. Hill- Got lazy and I'm done with him. Plenty of talent, but all the heart he used to show is gone. I know it's easier to stay out of the paint and chuck long-range two pointers, but I don't care. I know he stayed relatively healthy this season mostly because he wasn't in the paint much, but I don't care about that either. I don't want him to get hurt or anything, but I'm sick of the long-range two point shots and the layups he gives up. Trade him or let him go. Black- Everything Hill was when he got here and a really good kid. "It's about being great at some things, not everything"? How effing astute is this guy? Lock him up to a long-term deal while he's still affordable. I don't mind him learning a jump-shot because of quotes like that. He knows what he's good at. I like him a lot. Brown & Blue- Not to much to say. See you next year, keep up the good work. Lin- Good luck finding a better home elsewhere. Somewhere he'll learn that there is no perfect fit for him because he's not good enough to lead a team to a Championship. He needs to adjust to the team/coach, not the other way around. Price- See you next year. Good mentor for Clarkson in terms of professionalism. Ellington- Unless we draft Russell, see you next year. Maybe even if we do. Davis- Nothing but glowing reviews. I think there's a good shot he returns here as long as we don't draft a big man. I'd love him back. Another guy that knows his role, but knows there's places to improve even within that role. His FT shooting was unacceptable. I'm glad he'll work on it. Kelly- Not a lot to say. He showed he's still a viable stretch 4, but didn't show a lot of other progress. Another guy who I'd be alright if he stayed or left. Sacre- Good dude, but we can replace him. His contract is for 900K next season. I'd waive him and look for either a cheaper option or find a way to bring him back for cheaper. He's a good 3rd string Center. Boozer- I'd love him back on a reasonable deal. Was a solid presence for us off the bench, embraced the role, embraced the team and the city. Professional. If we draft a guard or a wing (preferably a wing), he makes some good sense. Byron- I find it encouraging that the team almost universally respected him. The LA media did their best to poke holes in him. They tried to foment insurrection within the team, but they all held fast. They all ended up tight knit. He has a LOT of faults, but respect shouldn't be one of them. Mitch is going to give him the ability to build that tough love culture and I'm alright with that. I expect at least one of Hill and Young to be gone. They are good fun and good friends, but they keep each other unfocused. I think we'll like him more next season with more success. We still need an Xs and Os assistant at the very least. Mitch- He was vocal about being able to change things next summer which tells me he's confident. As a Laker fan honestly I can feel something cooking too. I don't know if it's the draft pick or if it's some great plan they've got this summer, but I'm beginning to feel like the clouds are lifting. Then again, I'm an optimistic person. He had good things to say about most of the young guys. He's done a phenomenal job acquiring young talent. I'm excited to see where he goes with the draft and what kind of FAs he talks to. Soon the mysteries will end and we'll have our team built back up again. Exciting times, LB family. Exciting times indeed.
