Wrong thread I know, but in those 13 years we still only missed the playoffs once. We never reached these depths. My optimism is only that B0ron is fired this offseason, that we have a ton of cash to use, and that hopefully Jim will be gone in a couple years if he continues to fail.
True... The last two seasons including this one is uncharted territory for us. Agree on all counts. I hope Buss is true to his word about stepping down if we don't contend.
I feel good about JC's play. With the proper guidance, he could be a star in this league, possibly a franchise player. Russel is beginning to prove me wrong about him. I feel good about our young core. A good coach could get a lot out of our young core. Hopefully this will be addressed next season.
I read somewhere that Shane Battier commented that it will be at least three years before we really contend. He's one of the more objective people around. I would say it could be less by a year with the right coach with the proper team concepts implemented which would maximize the talent on hand.
So it's okay to turn on the greatest player in Lakers history? That's ridiculous. Yeah Kobe is struggling and I wish he'd change his approach, but you know what's funny? Nobody was criticizing him years ago when we were winning championships and he was playing the same way. Now all of a sudden he's declined due to age, atricion, and injuries and everyone is killing him. I won't ever turn against the man. Ever. He's given everything he's had to the game of the basketball, to us as fans, to the Lakers, he delivered five championships to this organization, put them on his back and led them back to the promise land when nobody thought he could. Byron is as much to blame as anyone. He has Kobe getting the ball three or four feet behind the three point line where he has to take multiple dribbles to get into his shot. He doesn't have a first step at all anymore because of the Achilles injury which is why he needs to be catching the basketball closer to the basket. That mid and occasionally the low post area so he can get to his sweet spots. Saying Kobe doesn't care is absurd and ridiculous. The man he given his entire body and soul to this franchise. Of course he cares. If he didn't he would've retired after the Achilles tear. He kept coming back and coming back because he lives, breathes, and loves basketball and the Lakers. I credit guys like Garnett, Dirk, and Duncan for changing their games and taking lesser roles. Kobe isn't them. Neither was Michael Jordan. Neither was Allen Iverson. Tracy McGrady. A host of other superstars. I'm disgusted with this fan base right now. I get being frustrated by Kobe's struggles and some of the shots he's taken, but these are the same shots he's taken throughout his career. He doesn't have the lift on his jumpshot and the explosiveness anymore athletically. It's not Kobe's fault. It's Jim Buss's for making three terrible hires in a row. All of which are clueless with their rotations and managing Kobe's minutes. What they did was so agregious especially MDA running him into the ground after he carried that team back into the hunt. It was an absolute disgrace. Kobe was playing as well as he had since his last title run. It's a shame really. He looked spry, lively, energetic and was playing incredible basketball. You guys are kidding yourselves if you think everything would be fine and dandy without Kobe. Byron Scott is a horrible coach. He's the one holding the you guys back not Kobe. He's the one forcing this Princeton on these young guys even though they don't fit at all in it. He's the only who keeps benching our #2 draft pick, who won't even draw up any plays for Randle other than isolations and not on the block where he's most effective. He's the one with the moronic rotations. If acknowledging means I'm Kobe homer whatever. I love Kobe. He's given me so much happiness as a die hard Lakers fan. Greatest player I've ever seen in my life. I refuse to turn on him.
A couple of years? Jim needs to go NOW. People keep killing Magic and Stephen A, but they're right on the money in their criticism of Buss. He has a massive ego. He refuses to get out of the way. Refuses to hire basketball people or actually let them do their job and not stand in the way of them doing their jobs. This is now three disastrous coaching hires. He traded all those picks for Nash. He refused to trade Pau and let him walk for nothing. Same with Dwight even though it appeared he wasn't ever gonna stay. He traded Lamar for nothing. He chose D'Antoni over Phil. Say what you want about Phil as an executive, but he's at least got the Knicks respectable and not a laughing stock like the Lakers currently are.
Where did I say he doesn't? Jeanie set the deadline, Jim set the deadline. I said hopefully he's gone in a couple years because that's the end of the deadline he gave himself. That doesn't mean I don't want him gone immediately, that means I'm facing reality and hoping like hell he sticks to his word, because right now I honestly don't believe him or Jeanie with the deadline stuff. I think it's all BS and they believe they will be back on top by then so it won't be an issue. Oh and as for Stephen A, the guy is a celebrity suck-up moron. Today on first take he said Magic should have Jim Buss' job, and he placed zero blame on B0ron for any of this. Like that wound fix anything, like Magic would fire B0ron. He said Magic would come out and have a press conferences at least to say that he will fix this and not to worry, like that qualifies him for the job.
@Lakers2015 You are just cherry picking some of the words I used without actually using any reading comprehension. By "turn on Byron and Kobe," I meant it's time to take a scrutinizing eye to the most glaring problems with the team as it performs on the court today. Like it or not, that is Byron and Kobe. There's plenty of blame to go around. Never have I said that Kobe is the only reason we are playing this poorly. Just as an example, I posted this in the Kobe thread: I guess you also missed my countless posts blaming Byron and decided to just focus on this one throwaway comment in the optimism thread that was said as a joke. That's on you. I mean, look at my signature FFS. Also, at no time and in no place did I see anyone here saying "everything will be fine and dandy without Kobe." Those are words coming out of your mouth and that's on you too. Looking at your avatar and through your comment history though, it's very clear that one of the only things on your mind is Kobe, Kobe, and Kobe. Let's just be real about that. Your argument that "this is how Kobe's always done it so it's fine!" holds no water. If Kobe is as intelligent a basketball player as we all thought, he should be able to recognize that what used to work is not working anymore. Maybe taking 20+ shots isn't a great idea, maybe taking 17 threes isn't a great idea. Maybe taking these kind of shots isn't a great idea: You're right, it's not Kobe's fault that his body has aged and taken wear and tear. That's nature. What is his fault is that despite knowing his body is not up to the task, he continues to play in a reckless way that is detrimental to team play and frankly is just not good basketball. And not to harp on your reading comprehension even more, but when I said "if Kobe doesn't care" that is in reference to the gigantic quote I pasted above it (that came from Kobe's own mouth) about having to accept the criticism that comes with poor play. So if he doesn't care about criticism that comes with poor play, why should you. Nowhere did I say that means Kobe doesn't care about the Lakers or basketball anymore, again that's on you. Anyways, it's very clear that you are one of those people who only cares about a player first, and the team later. I'm sorry but I really really really hate those types of fans, one of my biggest pet peeves...so I will be putting you on my ignore list now. I suggest you do the same since it's pretty clear you don't actually read my posts anyways. Now hopefully we can leave this optimism thread in peace. Good day to you.
I don't even know where to begin with this post. I'll be honest, it made me genuinely angry. Turn on him? To not want to see him launch 17 threes and probably in the long run cost us a game against a terrible team is turning on him? To want to see him play team ball and set an example for our youth on his way out is turning on him? If you think Kobe was playing the same way he is now during our title runs as he is now you're blind. He's taking horrible, horrible shots. He's not even looking to pass and set up teammates more than a few time a game. Kobe is getting the ball wherever he wants. He's calling for it around the 3 point line and then running out to get behind it, checking to make sure his feet are behind it, and launching. Going back to your last point, this is how Kobe has always played, 17 threes, most of which were "F it" shots outside of any structured offense? And let's say for argument's sake that this is how he's always played, well you know what, it used to work. It doesn't now, he can't sustain it past quarter 2. So you know what you do in this situation if you want to be a good teammate and help the team succeed? Stop launching threes when you are 4-14. Stop actively seeking the worst possible shots, stop shooting every time you touch the god damn ball. I'm sorry, but he doesn't care. He announced his retirement, the team isn't making the playoffs, he's laughing and joking out there and after these losses, he does not care. I'm not even mad at that, but let's be real, he doesn't. If he cared he'd do what he said he was going to when he said this season was all about developing the youth. How are they gonna develop when he's taking 20+ shots a game? What are they going to learn from the insanely selfish play he's displaying? You are right he has given us everything, and he has cared every single season, until now. Now he's collecting his last gigantic paychecks, enjoying his farewell tour, and chucking like there is no tomorrow, because there isn't. Maybe he wants to collect as many points as possible, we suck so it's really all he can get from this season. Actually Jordan did take a lesser role with the Wizards, a supporting role. He played much less minutes than Kobe, and didn't shoot a billion shots. If Kobe dialed back and just played like one of the guys nobody would be mad. But he's not, he's playing like he's at the park, and he's the only one that has game, so he's gonna take all the shots. Jordan joined his franchise to try and help, that's not what Kobe is doing. So again, you are right, he doesn't have the lift or explosiveness anymore, and some of these shots are ones he's always taken. So since he doesn't have those things, freaking stop already, dial it back, accept it. You're disgusted with this fan base? I'm disgusted with anyone who puts the name on the back of the jersey ahead of the name on the front, and tells me o have to sit back and watch someone play incredibly selfish basketball because he's earned it. Screw that, these kids out there also earned their way into the NBA, and they deserve to play a real game with team ball. They deserve to play in a system and learn the NBA game and grow, not to have to bring the ball up and pass it off to Kobe for a horrible 3 because he's earned the right to do whatever the hell he wants. Kobe is being incredibly selfish going out leaving these guys with a message like that, I don't care what they say in tweets or what he's taught them in practice, workouts, or on the bench. Regarding B0ron, have you not been following this forum? Who the hell said everything would be fine and dandy if Kobe alone was gone? Not one person here said that. Everyone here has said the coach needs to go above all else, and that is he largely to blame for Kobe playing however he wants. Both of these guys are responsible for this mess. I'm sorry for posting all this in the optimism thread, but that needed to be addressed. I've watched Kobe's entire career, I don't need to be told how to act toward him as a fan, I'm pissed and I'm going to tell it like it is. I love Kobe, which is why I'd like to see him go out better than this, because he can, he just won't. And if he won't, the game is bigger than Kobe, our franchise's future is bigger than Kobe, and that's how I see it. That's all I'm gonna say on this to you, I've got enough complaining to do in other threads already without having to argue this nonsense.
Only caught the last half of the 4th. I heard from Gametime chat that the team looked more cohesive, Kobe was taking much better shots, Julius was feasting on the boards, and JC and Dlo were doing their thing. Looking at the box score, looks like everyone got in on the action which is just beautiful and the way it should be. I hope this continues! Totally gonna catch the replay tonight.
Seeing the ghost of Kobe Prime show up for about a minute or two in the clutch was good for overall morale.
Had to DVR the game, didn't really have the heart to watch when I got home so checked the score and we won! Might have to keep this game.
