Former Lakers Majority Owner Mark Walter Discussion

If we were waiting to end the season to hire FO guys, I imagine we're poking other teams?
It doesn't affect the basketball team so not sure why else would you lose some weeks/months to add them

Didn't like moving the G-league just for money reasons when it impacts basketball operation, close connection with the A team that benefited both sides. Even more when we preach and so much need player development

But well, giving the benefit of the doubt

 

Hard disagree .... we're the gawdamned Lakers no excuses!

 

Rob addressed one benefit to kicking out the G- League squad

 

**cough**detroit**cough**
**cough**dennis lindsey**cough**

 

Big move to help with the conditioning and healing

These moves will pay off in the mean time and long run

 

Okay, this makes sense, but sending the G-League squad all the way out to Choachella? That seems a bit extreme.
If I had that kind of money, I would have trolled Ballmer by building a beautiful facility in Inglewood- to start taking back our old turf.

 

So the fact that they didn't have this in their facility just tells me that it was a money issue? Because I highly doubt the G-League is a big issue for the Lakers in regards to this.

Did the Lakers (Buss family) just refuse to spend money on it thinking it was a waste of money?

 

The problem with the G league team is they were practicing in El Segundo and playing in Oceanside. That is an hour and a half away with no traffic. No traffic is an oxymoron. That was a huge drive for these players. Now they have the practice facility and the arena right near each other in the desert. Makes way more sense. Might cause a slight wrinkle in the teams ability to call up a two way player on a moments notice. In traffic, that drive could take upwards of 3 hours or more. Yuck.

 

Yes

 

Seems to me that we’re kind of drawing a line in the sand and saying we don’t believe that our G league team is that beneficial to us, which is kind of fair enough.

Instead they’re doing two important things.

1) They’re upgrading the recovery and medical aspect of the lakers with the space they get back. Which should make everyone happy as it’ll keep our players healthier and hopefully less injury prone.

2) They’re building out a top shelf scouting unit that will look at the draft, the league, internationally and the G league. Which means we should be able to unearth much more high level players for cheap than we have in the last 5 years.

 

This is how I see it as well.

 

I honestly think the fanbase just isn’t used to the owners executing a real plan based on a long term vision / strategy. No more mom and pop stuff. We’re building things up from top to bottom and I’m pleased with what I’m seeing.

 

Unless some don’t like the player decisions this off season and going forward and then will continue to call those out every game and season that doesn’t end in a win or championship as their approach guaranteed would have regardless of circumstances, injuries or whatever. After all they’re knowledgeable Laker fans … new owner and all the talent brought in be damned.

 

It's always easier to tear things down and complain - especially without any alternative suggestions.

 

I'm not informed enough to know the impact of moving the G-league farther. But I did like the concept of having both teams connected and it was regularly praised by JJ and other staff.
The proximity that allowed synergies between both teams in terms of culture, language and approach, have joint practices or guys coming up to the A team and our guys coming back from injuries and training with them, it even happened with Bron.

But on this one I have to give the benefit of the doubt on the people involved in this and I'm sure all factors were considered

 

It’s still strange to me considering the fact that we need to lean into developing players more in order to create a deep team. I guess we’ll find out more regarding this choice later on next season.

 

We don't need to focus on developing our G league guys. We have 15 slots and 3 two ways. Even if you had 14 slots, at least 3 should be development guys plus your 3 two ways. That's 6 guys we believe in that we can develop, that's plenty. I prefer quality to quantity.

 

Weren't most of our home games played at the UCLA Lakers facility? But I saw someone mention Long Beach too. What venue would that have been, and how large a capacity? Seems maybe the primary reason was likely a lot more money with ticket sales, the Acrisure Arena having up to 11,000 seats.

https://acrisurearena.com/information/

 

“Whether they’re still looking to fill that role is unclear. Pelinka recently told reporters the team will be hiring a pair of assistant general managers; one focused on personnel, the other on strategy and analytics. “We have started a wide search and begun interviews,” he said. That process is being led by Pelinka and longtime Lakers executive Kurt Rambis. But, according to league sources, Friedman and Zaidi have been involved in the process as well, with at least one of them typically sitting in on interviews.”


…for the love of God get Kurt out of there.