Vogel deserves the finger pointed in his direction too. He's earned it, he's been earning it all season.
We lost to Portland without Dame and CJ, while both AD and Bron played. How’s that even possible? I hope this game convinced people we are much further away than 1 piece, unless that 1 piece is a superstar like KD. I can’t remember watching a Laker team that I liked less. Sure we’ve had worst record/talent teams but I was always hoping to see growth or improvement. With very few exceptions, this is a team of old vets that no longer give a s*** and I’m finding it harder to care myself.
Yeah why discredit the WMC? One of the greatest thread names of all time! It’s an awesome title. Sorry just some terrible gallow’s humor for this rough time.
If Bron and AD are not able to beat these Blazers that just traded away half their team and played without Dame, that means they have 100% given up this season. I think it is extremely unfair to us faithful fans. And I don't care if there was no Russ and if it was me, Ox and Cookie playing with the two of them -- they should have won that game. What a disappointment.
You did indeed LVBD. I was in denial but it’s hitting home now for sure. The utter dysfunction of the Russ Vogel Rambis Rob situation came to a head and it will be interesting to see how that plays out. But yeah the last two losses and the players’ reactions show me they have basically thrown in the towel. Stick a fork in it.
It's just depressing going down the line KCP > Bradley AC > THT Kuzma > Ariza Vogel is a very stubborn coach. Combining playing small with drop coverage when you don't have the size to do so makes no sense. Playing Bradley who is just getting torched plus not switching when you have the tools to do now (Stan, Reaves, THT) makes no sense. Lack of talent plus poor coaching is not a good combo
This sums it up. We're in the position we're in right now because of poor front office decisions combined with Lebron's meddling. A big reason why the bubble team worked was chemistry, and you don't just destroy that. I don't know if you guys watched JAVALE MCGEE's behind the scene videos on youtube but a big part of why we were successful and other teams weren't was the chemistry, especially considering everything that happened that season. I think the trade for The Hedgehog was the right move, but not bring back JAVALE MCGEE and Dawite, who were absolutely HUGE for us chemistry wise was such a huge mistake. They brought life to that team even if their contributions were up and down and they were able to contribute. I don't think Rob understood that. Then he compounded that mistake by trading away KCP, Kuz and MontrezL for a declining perenniel loser, which now puts us in cap hell and made retaining Caruso cost $30 million so he walks. We could've used Kuz this year considering Lebron and Ludabrow getting hurt. We could have used a 6'5" defensive guard that could hit 3's, wait a minute we used to have 2 of them. Now here we are, in horrible position for the forseeable future. This failure is at the feet of Jeanie, the Rambii and Rob. They took a great situation and set fire to it. They caused it, they need to be held accountable in some way shape or form.
My original point, which Rock and Khmrp were replying to and building on, is was that ring worth this? I have been a fan for almost 40 years. I watched them through the Magic coaching nightmare, the Kelly Clarkson years, etc. I still loved them. This team is completely unwatchable. Is being able to say 17 instead of 16 and the joy experienced for the few weeks around the bubble title (which let's be real, in the middle of the pandemic it wasn't even all that great) worth not being able to even watch them because they are so unlikable? This team doesn't feel like the Lakers. It now feels like a corporate shell that is a literal slave to one man. We handed the keys over to an egomaniac who got us one ring. And we all know deep down that he doesn't give a flying f--- about the Lakers or Lakernation. He came here because he wanted to live in LA and build his brand using the Laker lore. I would rather root for a bad team that is young and giving it their all for 6-7 years as opposed to getting one ring...then essentially not have the team exist in it's true form anymore. This isn't the Lakers. I don't need ring 17. I need my Lakers back to being the Lakers again.
A ring was worth it though. This franchise was going nowhere before LeBron came, they bungled D’Angelo Russell, they were bungling Randle, I have no doubt they’d have done the same with Ball, Ingram, Hart, Kuz, etc. We’d be stuck in a similar mediocre position complaining that we’d never win another title. This thing is rotten from the top, that’s why Jeanie asked for Magic’s help, and as long as Kurt and Linda Rambis are in charge of things, it won’t get any better. At least we got a ring to end up back where we started.
For sure @karacha. If nothing else we’d have 18 hard fouls amongst and some no names would have to think before dancing into the paint.
weezy beat me to it. lebron doesn't show up, and we're the knicks. seriously. so easy to forget that nobody would even meet with us. we were awful and hoping ingram and ball were going to be franchise cornerstones. and we might be heading back there, but we got another ring and lebron got us another top shelf talent in AD. again, we'd have had zero shot at AD if lebron's not here. none. so, definitely worth it, just not at all fun now. the westbrook move was just so, so bad. i'm actually thrilled we didn't do anything at the deadline because anything that mucks with our plans two years from now would have pissed me off. lebron got his turn to run things. we got a ring and then a train wreck. he's out as gm now.
Lakers do not know how to operate building up to a contender. They had a stint in the mid 90s and a little bit with Kobe in his prime. But this Lakers team can't help just rolling with stuff without changing s*** every 10 min.
