In the championship years of the Lakers with Kobe Bryant, I couldn't care less about the outcome, I just enjoyed watching their game, and I liked watching the Lakers play with Kobe Bryant. And now I'm not going to change myself, and I more or less like the game of the Lakers with LeBron James.
there are about to be some VERY interesting conversations within the organization. we'll never get the truth about what's going to be said internally in the next few weeks, but oh to be a fly on the wall... in reality, i just don't see a path to contention with this group in the short term, but we're a year too early to tank. lebron doesn't really want to leave, but he's going to threaten it as hard as he can to force a trae young trade, which atlanta now has leverage for that they didn't a couple weeks ago. not sure it matters, though, as i'm actually thinking dlo will opt out and thus NOT be a trade asset. he's going to want to control his next destination, even if it's for less money, imo. he knows opting in means getting traded to the place of our (or the market's) choosing. if dlo opts out, then the only way to match salary on a big-name player is to clean house, westbrook style and fill out the roster with vet mins again (and remove all continuity once again). if he opts in, his value is basically where it's been (salary ballast) but will require this year's first just for his inclusion in a deal (team taking him will argue they're eating salary even if he is a starting caliber guard, which he is, just not against denver...). relatedly, one thing i think you'll see going forward is a reticence towards player options in the near future. dlo controlling our offseason can't be something rob & co are thrilled about now.
DLo fooled the the team with the f*** you Ham run. Should have moved him. Not trading for Kyrie was a mistake. 2 1st rounders for that skill is pittance in the current market
They should have gotten rid of him last summer as i vehemently pleaded.The guy is wildly inconsistent.Im also positive that AD is fed up with being the only guy who can rebound a basketball on this team
Or, play consistently good defense. Yeah, I know, we had Vando and Gabe for a couple of games here and there.
I don’t blame DLo if he walks. He was treated poorly by our inept coach. I bet we try and trade for mighty mouse, it fails, and we lose Austin and Rui mentality for half the season. Wooooooo! I can’t wait! So exciting. Or, SOMEONE, like Jesse or Joey convinces Jeanie/Rob/Rambii that Ham needs to go, and we try and fix the current holes in this roster. That being said, with our cap situation, it would take DLo inexplicably agreeing to a S&T to help us out. Anyway, LeBron is probably here for another run, which means another episode of “Who’s Getting Shipped Out to Appease ‘The King’”as well as a second episode of the same near the trade deadline. LeBron is an All Time Great on the court, but he’s also an All Time Great when it comes to narcissism and control.
Denver likely knows much more than the Lakers, allowing them to showcase the most modern basketball at present and be stronger than LeBron James and the Lakers themselves.
If LeBron James hadn't won a title with the Lakers in 2020, his mindset going into the playoffs this year would have been different, and Denver would have been defeated.
Sorry, I still think that even if LeBron hadn't won a title with the Lakers yet, it wouldn't have been any easier to fight with Denver
Did not agree with your first statement and now you apologize and say you’re doubling down on it … but you just contradicted it instead?? …. or maybe you should have replaced “still” with “now”?
Reaves, Christie, 2029 first and 2 swaps. Hmmmm Brooklyn is trash so those swaps would have meant nothing.. I would have done the trade
It was a missed opportunity, plain and simple. Elite player damn near begging to play for us, on a reasonable contract for his talent level to boot.
It feels like the Lakers and Denver have the one strength, and the Lakers are a little stronger this year than last year only because Denver is a little weaker.