Batum isn't shooting much better from 3, 27% in 2 games, and he's out the rest of the series with an ankle injury. We have to sign someone at SF though, unless we get that #1 or #2 pick and want to go super young and take Simmons or Ingram.
I actually do like Jeff Green, I think he'll cost less and he isn't a star that demands the ball, he fits into a role. I think Deng is too old to be investing in though. I know he's only 2 years older than Green, but there's a difference between going into a contract at 30 and 32. I still go after the bigger names though, regardless of playoffs, because they still GET you to the playoffs, and we need to start there to get back to respectability. I'm still not opposed to DeRozan, he played well for the whole season before the playoffs.
Getting durant requires trading the pick and one of the youngsters (which is still doubtful considering he should do the 1+1). Since that's unlikely, I hope we keep either Simmons or Ingram and platoon the sf spot with two of Dudley, deng, lee. Oh, then hopefully sign whiteside with Ollie as our coach.
I predict Swaggy could be a serviceable player with a decent coach. Not worried about keeping him, but for cost vs potential output, what's the risk?
BUMP It's a whole new ballgame. We need a Jim and Mitch Bandwagon smiley. I'm on it. Give Jim and Mitch the pick and wondrous things may shake out here. Look at how all of a sudden we are positioned now that Scott's gone. Jim said about a year ago or little less ..... I just read it in quotes the other day ..... that it was going to happen quick. Getting back in western division contention. Give him and Mitch that pick, let Mitch work his magic and have Luke as your New young, accomplished, thick ....errr.... (hey where's trodgers been since Boron was fired??) with the greatest coach's voice ever ... magnetic personality possessing .... 2 time Laker NBA champion as a player just 6 years ago .....Coach ..... who played with Kobe Bryant for those championships (I still think Kobe's going to be around their practice facility at times). Kobe and Luke seemed like they were tight. ..... Become the franchise's new premiere recruiter. He's in every meeting. Did I mention that voice ...LOLOL and his big in shape presence? I'm serious. FAs are going to love this guy. And it's all there in spades between his ears. Luke is your new "star" NBA coach. Talent wise and intellectually he's got it and he's going to keep getting better and better. But he's got that young Pat Riley presence and Hollywood look. He's got IT. How about this too. He and Ryan go way back. They are probably really fond of one another. If Phil were to come back in some helpful that was needed capacity maybe Luke could be instrumental in trying to keep him here. Otherwise I think Ryan would leave. Great young FO / Coaching core for the future to go with all our young talent. Do it Jim and Mitch
Am I in the minority for liking Mitch??? He was trained by Jerry West and has proven that he can put together a championship roster. He also makes amazing trades!
Green would be a solid if not spectacular option at the 3... Yes, he would fit in with our young core and will be content with his place in the hierarchy. Green has a balanced overall game not to mention a Wesley Johnson with a brain.
I'm a huge supporter. He has been part of putting together multiple championships, making great trades, etc. The current executive format is not conducive to success for sure, but he has also made his share of blunders in an attempt to make the most of Kobe's last years. The disconnect of the major players makes it look like a circus going on there. Jeanie's interview stating she was clueless as to what they were about to do with firing Byron spoke volumes about the dysfunction going on there.
This... Our front office is looking like the Keystone Cops. It would have been better if they kept their confusion out of the press but...
There are at least two of us. If I had guess, I would say that probably at least 50% of LB members still like him.
i'm still on team mitch. i suspect the coaching hires were influenced from over his head. he drafts and trades well. and the FA debacles also shouldn't be pinned directly on him, imo. LMA wasn't walking through that door even if jerry west was in the office.
We made a decision, and we made it quick and with confidence, that has me optimistic. It also has me feeling better starting to think that this is why B0ron wasn't fired mid-season. They knew they had an out in his contact if he didn't meet certain standards, and they knew he wasn't going to. He seemingly did all he could to win games when the tank was on, yet still couldn't. I feel like the Lakers were watching Luke all season, waiting for B0ron to fail, and waiting to pounce when Luke was available for interviews. That lifts my confidence in them a bit, because so much stuff that went on this year made no sense. When we interviewed B0ron like 3 or 4 times before the hire, I was like wtf is going on here, either he's the guy or he isn't, and when we hire Luke after one meeting, Mitch and Jim clearly wanted him for a while now.
I'm optimistic again. More than I have been in years. I was really terrified of our future. Not the players, but just what looked like incompatence in the front office. Allowing Byron to continue to waste away our youth and they've finally put an end to it. They hired a guy who's gonna develop, who's gonna teach, who's gonna get the most out of this group, teach them how to play unselfish basketball, and is gonna communicate and now just constantly throw them under the bus. These last three seasons and really four because even though we made the postseason in 2013 it was in many ways a disastrous year saved by Kobe's brilliance. It's been brutal. Year after year seeing the Lakers miss out on the playoffs. Normally a mainstay. Just seemed like we've been continuing to decline and finally it looks like we're on the rise again. This hire tells me they're serious about rebuilding. They wanna get this thing back in the right direction. They've got their coach, their young core, now it's just a matter of starting this process. It'll be a lengthy one, but also a necessary one. Three or four years from now I think we'll all look back at this day as the start of our reassention to basketball supremacy. Luke is gonna be talked about as the guy who turned the Lakers franchise around and he'll be seen as a hero because of that. D'Angelo and Julius will have developed beautifully and become stars in this league. The days of free agents not wanting to sign with the Lakers will seem like a century ago. I truly believe that. I've said all along if we play our cards right things can change quickly. The first chip has fallen. We've finally moved on from Kobe. We're not staying in the past anymore. We've hired a modern day coach with a modern day system. Roster needs a lot of work, but we have a lot of money to spend. I fully believe we will get at least one or two really good players. Free agents will see we're dedicated to getting this thing turned around. That we aren't just gonna say oh hey we're the Lakers come sign with us because we actually look like we have a plan now. You can come here play for a great young coach and a great young core and lead them. We also probably will trade the pick for an All Star. I'm almost certain. I think they believe they have enough young talent, but they have to get someone that is a proven commodity at some point who will attract others as well. Things are looking up.
Every team in need to rebuild through picks should hire Byron. He's one of the best to get you a record bad enough to ensure a top pick. In a few years, everybody will say hiring Byron was a great move by the FO.
