We've had three straight failed FA campaigns. I hope we learn from our mistakes. The next one needs to be a home run. Desperately.
Yeah they were failed but they were never realistic in the first place. Seems to me now a little too much piling on. Maybe the FO feels obligated to do the meetings in the first place because we're the Lakers and would be a really crappy look to not do them, plus we do need to make a big splash. Totally get we don't have the charisma with Mitch and Jim (especially baseball cap guy) and Byron in there like we used to have with Doctor Buss, West or a Riley or Cuban. But at the times of last 3 years, c'mon... Dwight clown Howard? Doesn't Melo's wife have a career in NY, and the extra money with their deal, and they're already living there? Aldridge is going home to Texas and to a flat out better squad and one of the best coaches in the history of the game. Probably has known he was, from day one.
I think it's more like Mitch was patient & didn't make a panic move & the FA's didn't share his patience. We didn't make a splash giving an ancient Chandler a big contract. We didn't get into a bidding war for Rolo. Instead we traded absolutely nothing for a C better than both of them.
Call the FAs they want... together. Durant and whoever it is they want with him. Tell them their role, explain the direction of the team, and show them the parade route. They're gonna get max no matter where they go and apparently being part of a rich history doesn't mean anything to these kids. But deep down, they all want to win a ring. No one can do it alone, but together, with the parts we have, they can. That's the sales pitch. And leave Jimmy Boy out of the meeting.
That might be true, but then it's a waste of time trying to pitch these guys AND their presentations don't resonate with them either. They need help and they need change and there's really not much to be argued against that.
Exactly, although I completely agree with RealDeal as it pertains to Byron being a Neanderthal with analytics. The dude has to stop being a mouth breather in that arena. You being stubborn about what they can bring isn't "cool" or "old school." Scientists aren't sticking with the Earth is flat argument because..."old school, yo!"
But how can the pitch improve? How do we make a basketball pitch when all we have is unproven rookies and a geriatric Kobe? If Russell and Randle (and maybe Upshaw) end up being studs, the basketball pitch becomes awesome next offseason.
Agreed. And I think most here would also agree ... until a few days into next year's free agency when we strike out. Then they'll be crucifying the front office for trying to hit a home run instead of settling for roleplayers.
You talk about what you plan to do and how that player builds up the players around them. Advanced analytics can help show why Aldridge is best shooting from this spot with this player here, this player cutting, etc etc etc. You can tell him what other FAs you plan to get. You can tell him what other trades you're going to or are trying to make. How did Dallas sell DeAndre on the shell of a roster that Dallas had? I mean I know there were other factors, but it certainly wasn't the roster.
Our FO is going to have to really do their homework. I like what John said. Figure out exactly who they are targeting and make it stick with a campaign that turns him/them on to our franchise, not off it like what has happened three straight years. I guess Melo was ok with our pitch, but the other two weren't at all. Again, I'm not saying that ultimately we aren't better for missing out on these guys - but if the point was to get them, those attempts were failures. When we get our next chance we need to knock it out of the park. No ifs and or buts about it. No more excuses either. Keep Jimbo out of there like John said!! Not sure about some of the other peeps that were there either. But I don't get paid to do that stuff - they just need to get it done, whatever it takes.
I've read all posts from both sides, and I think I'm taking a step back into a more neutral stance. So we can all agree that Mitch is a wiz when it comes to trades and scouting/drafting. He is an absolute beast with 3 blockbuster trades in a decade (Gasol, CP3, Howard) and respectable drafting (Bynum, M.Gasol, Turiaf, Farmar, Randle, Clarkson) Now on to his free agency resume. Most notable is retaining Kobe in 2004, Malone/Payton in 2004, Ron Artest in 2009, and Antawn Jamison in 2012. Not impressive but it got the job done. He brought the Lakers back from a 34-win season in 2004 to back-to-back titles. Possibly more if the CP3 veto didn't happen. Now, does 3 years worth of free agency ineptitude validify his firing? I say no because acquiring quality free agents are becoming increasingly difficult under the current CBA's restrictive constraints. BUT should the front office seek change? (I'd assume @therealdeal means hiring new personel to supplement Mitch's deficiency, not firing) Absolutely. And I say this not entirely for the past 3 FA strike-outs, but because we are entering the biggest cap raise in NBA history. 30 teams are going to be under the cap, and we'll see competition like never before. We will need killer tactics and godlike presentations from our FO. We may need to assemble a new FA team just in preparation for the next 3 years. I still think this year's situation was a small hiccup and was blown out of proportion by the media. The FO did not make a fool out of the Lakers, because they pulled through with a solid Plan B. But, and that's a big BUT, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about our free agency moving forward.
I agree it probably was a waste of time. But damned if you do and damned if you don't. What would the perception be of the Los Angeles Lakers if they did not pursue the premiere FAs any year they have cap space to sign one?
Surely a franchise as large and powerful as the Lakers has a social media department that scours the net and assists in research on these things. If not, they're living in the dark ages compared to other businesses when they're headhunting.
Yeah but it's up to them to know what's what. They know if FAs are taking us seriously and if they aren't then why should we entertain them? Make the pitch, understand the situation, and then move in another direction. Not to mention more importantly: don't screw up the pitch.
