DeMarre Carroll was rumored as one of our biggest targets, he's gone. Tyson Chandler was supposedly one of our fall back plans, he's gone. Omer Asik is also gone. Kevin Love re-signed in Los Angeles. There's a handful of others, but they might not have been on our radars. More importantly though we've become laughing stocks through the media for the way our meetings are being portrayed. We're being portrayed as slow, behind the times, unexciting, and relying on our past instead of showing what we can/will do for our future. Our FA stock right now is at a very low low.
Which guys? The ones hanging in the rafters? The ones who used to own the franchise? The one who is retiring but stuck us with 2 years for 25 mil cause he could ? Sorry but no one is thinking (today) 'these guys' on the current roster know how to win
Put Anthony Davis on any roster and they'll be automatic contenders. The kids a baller, but he's wasting his years there. Reminds me of Kevin Garnett wasting his time in Minnesota. After he went to the C Bags he admitted it was a mistake being loyal to a s***ty franchise
That among other things. Just a way of showing that the Lakers have deep pockets and we can help these guys with business ventures. The sense around the league though is that these guys don't feel like they need much help in that department though.
These a-holes are ruining us as an organization. And seriously, who are these sources? The meeting was Mitch, Byron, DJ and his agent. Wow...wonder who the source is. Either it's true or it's false, and if it's true then F him and LaMarcus for being unprofessional a-holes. If It's false.....someone needs to bring an axe to his dome
Well...I get the vibes that players don't take Jeanie Buss seriously, 24 was likely affable but a bit intimidating and Jim Buss...well it's Jim Buss.
You are better than this. Lakers fans know that it's better to be lucky than good and if you are both.. Lookout. Trust that we will win more this year without making a splash today if for no other reason - we will be healthier and have a true point for the first time since 1996.
The last part is what gets me though. The Lakers seem so stuck in the past, I'm sure in every presentation they have the "Look at our history, look at all the things we have won." That's real awesome and everything but come on, that doesn't really sway a player one way or the other when they look at the current situation. You obviously know they have to think for what is best for them right now. I just don't get having TWC reps at the meetings, to me, they don't bring anything to the table. I'm sure these players know we have deep pockets.
Tobias Harris is our last hope at saving this free agency. If we miss out on him then i'll be really disappointed.
Ok. That takes decades - la has 4 years left. Davis was never coming here and thats all I have to say about that
Don't get me wrong, I know Lakers make their moves through trades and not free agency. But it's still frustrating to see players dismiss our franchise to sign with nobody's
Was actually just writing a post on this. I feel like this whole glitz and glamour of LA schpeel has Jeanie written all over it. She's the business mastermind of the operation right? For all the hate we reserve for Jim, she might be the one off on this. We never saw billboards for Shaq back in the day, but as soon as Dwight's a free agent, we see billboards. Who orchestrated the time warner deal? With all the inside access to the Lakers? Who probably invited the execs to our pitch? I love Jeanie as the face of this organization, she does seem more level headed than Jim no doubt, and the more personable....but maybe this is where she falls off. They just don't have the luster of pop. IMO we're facing the growing pains of the post-Dr. Buss era. I hope they figure it out....I just hope our brand isn't damaged by the time they do.
Players today don't seem impressed by our name or history. They seem to want to stick where they are, make the most money by doing so, and carve their own path. Guys like Davis, Lillard, Durant, Rose, Butler, and others don't seem interested in coming to LA to be the next Kobe. They want to stay where they are and be the first Davis, Lillard, Durant, Rose, Butler, and so on. They want to build and win where they are. Honestly I'm not gonna hate on that after seeing stars beginning around 2008 start to bolt to join up with super-teams to win. This is how the league used to be, guys stuck with their teams most of their career, it wasn't if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. On another note, I have to give DJ and/or his representatives props for refuting the report that he was unimpressed with our meeting. Even if it's true that he was, I still appreciate them denying it, THAT is professional. If he doesn't want to come here that's cool, but at least he didn't trash us in the process. And for anyone asking why he wouldn't want to come here over the Clippers and Mavs, they're way closer to a title than we are, let's not kid ourselves. All we have to offer is a max contract, youth with potential, and max contracts to offer next offseason. But seeing as how we have been turned down by the best FA's available 3 years in a row, that last bit of the pitch probably holds little weight.
And yes, Jeanie is not blameless here, I probably should have put her picture right next to Jim's many pages back.
Yeah even if we acquitted ourselves poorly, at least Jordan was professional enough to not say it out loud.
