Timofey Mozgov Discussion: Shut Down For Season (66)

I'm upset about both. A lot of it though stems from me disliking both signings right off the bat with an instant "WTF, are you serious?" reaction. So I feel like I'm upset that the Lakers didn't see this coming themselves. I'm an armchair GM, as are others on these boards. These guys are paid not to make these dumb mistakes. Not so much the Zu/Black part of Moz's situation but that simply, he wasn't a good player and didn't deserve that contract. Their desperation to sign Moz - which was universally mocked, aside from Laker apologists - is now proven to be every bit a waste as was expected by those who weren't involved in the decision. That said, I have said I am more upset about Deng. His disappointing play. His lack of filling that leadership role. His needless 4 year contract when no team was offering more than 3 and the Lakers just drafted Ingram #2. This is all just a pile of garbage right now. That Deng/Moz are benched because there is exciting young talent on the roster does make me feel a little better but not enough to stop being overly irritated that these moves happened in the first place.

But anyways, this is all pointless. Lakers signed them. They are on the team. Barring a time machine, it is what it is. Just glad for Ingram and Zu.

 

It's not imagine going into the season with Black and Zu though....

Moz was a 12:01 night one signing. It wasn't Moz or nothing. There other options and I'm not just referring to the other top center free agents.

The other thing that I disagree with in this back n forth is that we had to get Moz at the market price and overpay a little to get him here. If Moz's worth, a career 7 and 5 dude's worth is 16 million a year, you get the hell out of the market. You guys can insert whatever comparison you want, but what it comes down to is that no matter what you are paying for, you don't pay a ton of money for a known mediocre at best commodity.

The 4 years is typical Mitch crap.

You can argue whether Moz sucks vs average or if we paid appropriately for him, but at the end of the day he's a 7 and 5 player that has jumped to multiple teams and has never moved the needle for any team he was on. That's just unacceptable.

 

Undoubtedly things were promised to Walton to get him to take on the job Pops told him he'd not be smart to take. They discussed all of this and he needed that center. Whiteside or Horford or pipe 5s weren't coming. He knew what his offense needed skills wise, size wise and speed wise for the Big man center option to be his Bogut and from experience 2 finals earlier against healthy Mozgov .... wanted him. Shaw wanted him again. So now you've baited and switched him Doc and say we didn't mean that part of it, Luke? Unless you have a different player on offense you could have sold him and Shaw? He was comfortable with his small ball options here.

 

they're both terrible contracts...I hate Deng contract less because there is historical evidence that he was that vet leadership that helped shape Butler's progression as a player and I still think he can do the same for Ingram. Moz on the other hand isn't going to be mentoring anyone, he's not that skilled nor has the accolades as Deng had during his peak. Moz championship experience is like Morrison championship experience so its mean little to me in that regards. I should be upset and I dont know why you wouldn't that a Moz has been surplanted by a 19yr old, and while he shown promise of being a good player he isn't exponentially better than Moz and the fact that he's been benched for Zu/Black is really disappointing.

 

Moz is an NBA champion. You've got to overpay and be lucky to get one of those guys on your roster. We lucked out. Truly a blessed franchise.

 

Like i said Deng "could" still be somewhat useful if he helps ingram development. We didnt sign Moz to mentor Zu because we all agree that we didn't have high hopes for him this yr. Would you think if we gave Biyombo the 72mill contract and still offered deng the 64mill for 4yrs he would accept? I mean same $ spent just different outcome

 

Biyombo at 6'9" 240lbs and his of course larger than Moz repertoire of offensive skills for the offense planned on being run .....you would have convinced Luke and Shaw to sign for even more money to run out there as their Big man option to wrestle with Boogie, Embiid, Bogut, Gorcat and the other true Big man 7 footers in the league when you knew you had Tarik at 6 million and hopefully Randle and Nance also to play some small ball 5 for you as needed? Sure, that was going to work.

 

Black is 6 9 and is starting now...so youre pt doesnt fly and why did we care for an offensive C when we all knew how terrible our players are on defense? Also how do you bring up these other c to defend, did moz defend any of those guys well to begin with?

 

Yeah it does. We are talking about why 12:01 happened. You still have no tenable plan B Big man for what they wanted.

 

Why do you still insist on using shaw/walton as the reason for moz being here when both have now given up on Moz?

 

They haven't given up on him. We aren't making the playoffs and Zu has arrived as capable for handling minutes now respectably much sooner than anticipated. They're playing the young guys now for development.