I don't think it's an excuse. I think it was their honest mindset. They knew they weren't the favorites so they went all out and likely still failed. I don't think the FO has time to use Ramona as a mouthpiece right now, LJ. They're literally in meetings all over the country right now. I think they're more focused on trying to get someone ANYONE to take our cash.
This is what annoys me about having meetings with so many FA's. If we get spurned by long shots, it'll just get spun in the media to fit their narrative that no one wants to play in L.A. anymore and the Lakers mystique is dead, blah, blah, blah.
That's not right. 1.) Green didn't sign yet, he agreed to terms, meaning only his cap hold is in place since they have his Bird Rights. 2.) They picked up the QO on Cory Joseph so his cap hold is 5 million. 3.) They don't have that much cap space Parker - 13.4 Diaw - 7.5 Kawhi - 7.2 Mills - 3.6 CoJo - 5.1 Anderson - 1.1 Green - 7.6 5 cap holds - 2.5 Total - 48 million Cap space - 19 million total (If cap is still 67 million and they hang onto CoJo) They could renounce CoJo and if the cap is really at 69 now like some predict - 25.6 million in cap space.....6.7 million left over to resign Duncan and Manu
Parker signed an extension last year "Marc Stein ✔ @ESPNSteinLine Official numbers on Tony Parker's three-year fully guaranteed extension w/Spurs: $13,437,500/$14,445,313/$15,453,126 with no outs or options 12:11 PM - 1 Aug 2014
I think you missed my point. Woj's wording was too ambiguous. You are taking one of two possible meanings and running with it. He might have meant that, or he might have meant the other. One is a problem, and the other is not. Until that question is clarified, there is no reason to assume the negative about the FO presentation.
I just don't see much reason for optimism about the wording as is though. Just the way I see it. We should have at the very least left a "good" impression. We didn't leave a "strong" impression implies we left somewhere between "no" to "weak" to "not that strong". Shouldn't we be better than that?
I have exactly the opposite impression. I don't think we look weak at all. Every source out there described that we were the only other team LMA was even considering seriously. Woj made it clear days before the presentation that the Spurs had a big lead.
Ok, I'll try once more, then I'll stop beating the dead horse. I am not being optimistic about it. I'm being neutral. You are being pessimistic about his wording when there is no reason to be. His wording COULD mean what you think, but it could just as well mean the opposite. He failed to write his tweet clearly.
If that jab was in response to my post, I'm wondering why you think I'm saying the FO did a great job. I am not claiming they did. I have no idea whether they did a good job or a bad job and no one else here does either. All we are discussing is our impressions based on the minimal early reports. Your impression is that we look weak. My impression is that we are busy trying our hardest to sign a player or two. I'm not sure how that = weakness.
Love just re-signed with CLE And Davis we already tried him, really don't want him back at the price he wants ($9-$10 mil)
I understand that I'm being pessimistic about it. I am at peace with that decision. The wording, in my opinion, isn't as ambiguous as you think it is. I am disappointed in the way FA has gone so far. There's no dead horse to beat, my friend we just have differing opinions here.
Woj is trying to spin the rhetoric or something. Journalists have something to gain from all this. How and why could the Lakers leave anything BUT a strong impression? There's no f****** way. With all the heads in that room, years of courting free agents and a colorful history it's not that hard to leave a good impression. The fact is, even before July 1 the Spurs were the favorites. As TIME stated the fact that our piss poor team was even a serious candidate speaks to the pull we still have. Would you come to LA if you were LMA?
