Head Coach Discussion: Canned Ham, Who Is Our New Coach?

Yeah, I guess listening to coaches hang their hat on the defensive end and say it's the most important part can't mean anything.

Stats and Armchair GM's know better here on Lakers Ball.

 

I already said..every team in the playoffs is playing good defense. Again this gets flipped somehow into defense doesn't matter. I didn’t say that all. It's great for your point this season that the top two defensive teams are in the Finals. However last season the top 2 defensive teams both got bounced in the 1st rd. Whatever team wins the chip this season, is going to be the one that is able to score consistently against the other teams great defense too.

 

And you gleaned all that from watching James on television and stuff you read in the media?

 

I have known Lebron James types my whole life. Off the court. That guy would sell off you, your family and your dead ancestors to get ahead. He is the Donald Trump of sports. The irony has always been hilarious to watch. They have the same narcissistic tendencies and execution. They both need adulation for "helping people". When something good happens, it was always the hardest, toughest, best thing that ever happened for them to win. Now, like the Donald, they have a special talent that is needed. Trump was good at making leaders uncomfortable and would drop bombs on the enemy if they were teasing. Lebron's talent is that basketball court and he is great there. Life is unbalanced balanced craziness. Need to pick your spots with people.

I do not give two s***s for the media. I barley watch sports TV these days. Too many untalented hacks and all they do is scream non-stop while they tell the world nonsense for the billionth time like who the "greatest is". Lebron James is one of the easiest people to read. Doesn't take much to know what kind of person he is when it really matters. Might not be fair to just pick on him, because most people can't come through when it it matters in general, but he is a famous one so its easier to explain it.

 

So you claim to know who Lebron James really is off the court huh? You are aware of all these people that he has sold out in life in order to get ahead? Do tell.. Curious thing. Rather amazing actually.

 

I know the personality of a Lebron James. I do not know him off the court. Selling out? I wouldn't he is a sell out. He is who he is. If he weren't famous or rich, he would likely be the same person. Money and fame usually just reveals who you really are quicker. It usually isn't the cause. There are exceptions but in very rare cases.

 

no, not every team. the ones that advanced were the best ones. the bad defensive teams generally don't even make the playoffs, which is why it was important not to be bad at defense before worrying about who you can score on. we abandoned that and paid the price.

 

Lebron’s man card and Titanic tendencies are being questioned, and I’m here for it.

 

Or ANY year for that matter. Every Laker Chip I’ve witnessed, was won with a team that played great team defense and could change the trajectory of a game when they decided to turn up the heat on that end for spans at a time.

 

No.No one matches Russell in winning Championships he stands alone in that regard. Yes Russell played on stacked teams, he had 7 teammates that are also in the Hall of Fame. The NBA was different, fewer teams, shorter playoffs etc. but Russell is the ultimate winner. I won't blame the dude for dominating his era whatever the circumstances.

No..Magic and Kobe didn't have better resumes, they did win more Championships. I said James went to the Finals 9 out of 10 years on three different teams. That accomplishment is still unmatched, by any player in the history of the game.
You want to compare achievements, talk differences ok..Magic played with the GOAT of Basketball period in Kareem. He had other great teammates and a Hall of Fame coach. Kobe played with Shaq, who was, in his prime one of the most dominant human beings to ever play in the NBA. He also had a Hall of Fame coach. If we talking Lakers it's Cap, Magic then Kobe for me. None of those three got to the Finals 8 years in a row. Or 9 out of 10.

Lebron James played a brief stint with a Hall of Fame Coach in Pat(Laker). He never had a teammate on par with a Jabbar or Shaq. He was clearly better than Wade in Miami, and has been the best player on every team he played on coming straight out of High School. Once he broke through again in Miami (he took Cleveland to the Finals before he left) nobody beat him in Conference for 8 straight seasons. You say the East was weak, Miami never made it back to the Finals while James was in Cleveland. The Cavs sucked without him both times he left. Then he went West in rescued my team from obscurity after 1 season.Perhaps it was him. I tried to keep it brief as possible, but we can continue about the quality of his teams and the competition he faced in the Finals compared to Magic and Kobe if you like. I stand on exactly what I posted.

 

No. The two best defensive teams in the NBA both lost in the first round last season correct? They did not advance at all. I have not stated anywhere, that defense was not important, in this thread or any other thread. I said it is not some magic elixir, and you MUST be able to score on a good defense, or you will lose in the playoffs. and my opinion on the subject has not changed. The only price we've paid has been to the injury Gods here lately IMO, There absolutely nothing having a great defense would do to overcome that...ie last season.

 

funny how you thought it was a slam dunk argument last year, and now it's dumb.

claiming that you have to score on good defenses isn't the wisdom you think it is?

my claim is that being good at defense is super important if you want to be a good team. i'm right. you know it.

 

Kobe worked out his skill set relentlessly. Ross works out a lot too, but on athleticism and there lies a big difference. At one point Kobe was a mentor but considering we lost him in '20 and Russ still was what he was at that point, I didn't know if he could have had an influence or would have spent the time.
Ross is arrogant, plain and simple, even his fashion sense points at narcissism.

And despite his bragging about numbers, lifetime stats are not that amazing except for assists where he figures to be top 10 sometime soon but one number stands above all others in alltime stats:

4th TURNOVERS
11th Assists
25th steals
30th scoring
87th reb
452nd blocks

 

You haven't contradicted anything I said. You just skipped over last season because it didn't fit the narrative. The Bucks didn't have the best defense in the NBA. Golden State won a chip with the 11th. Whatever team wins the championship has to be able to score against a good defense. Miami had a good defensive team in the bubble. Yeah it's super important, I never said it wasn't. I still say that the ability to score against a good defense is the trump card.

 

Why don't we talk about X'w and O's?

What do you guys like about the Ham hire? What do you think he can do for James and Davis?

Will he bring a more modernized offense with him? What actions will that consist off?

Instead of just talking generalities, let's get specific...

 

That would be my only reason for ever keeping Westbrook...lol Even that isn't enough.

 

Man, if you read this again, you may see the point. You're saying, as we are, that if you don't play defense you're irrelevant in the playoffs or don't even make it. That's the point. Defense gets you in the playoffs. Then offense gets you the chip. But if you have offense only you probably don't make the playoffs. That's the point.

And having LeBron and AD, I really don't think offense is a problem if your supporting cast is defending well. They can always get their points when they are locked in. For me, that P&R is almost impossible to defend.

So we should push the FO to get us defense again. Players, coaches, strategy and culture. Then we can sort out any offense issues with minor tweaks and players. When you have Lebron and AD, especially LBJ, it creates so much attention that you don't need crazy sets or to do anything outstanding to create an open shot.

Of course, if one of them is hurt, which has been a thing, you do need to get creative and need specific players for that, different from the ones you built around both of them. The thing is that we cannot plan to have a roster that works when they are well and also works when they are injured. That's impossible considering our current assets, so we need the best team possible considering they are both healthy

 

I don’t mean to nitpick but he is 5th in turnovers. Lebron James is #1 in turnovers. And he has the same assist to turnover ratio as Westbrook.

It’s odd to me that one of these guys is called one of the best passers of all time and the other is attacked for being turnover prone. One is proclaimed as being a pass first score second guy and the other is a ball hog (while leading the league in assists a few times over his career).

I’m not trying to say Westbrook is anywhere near the caliber of player that James is, but it’s funny the impact media narratives have.

 

I’m hoping he completely removes all of the “let’s stand around and watch LeGM dribble and then pass if he can’t get his own shot” offense.
More off ball screens to get guys open looks.
More PnR with AD and LeGM.
More of Austin on ball and involved in PnRs.
Austin starting.
If Russ is on the team, he should be running the second unit, but I really don’t know Ham will try this out.