Optimism Discussion: The Laker's Sky Is Not Falling

I'm not saying that it has to be a max player, it depends on the player involved. I am, disregarding this Trae Young stuff, that's not Rob's MO.

It could be 1guy in the 30-35M range, two guys in the 40's, it depends. I would have traded for Kyrie, at that price tho.

Now..Phx has several issues, but the stars have to perform too. Booker has been almost as iffy, as his best friend, D'Angelo. They will pick up some ring chasers, with health, they will still be in the mix next season.

 

He likes Ham too, maybe he doesn't like some people base on their looks...

 

I mean AD and Bron are enough to win a chip without a 3rd - when you have the right pieces around them. We didn’t quite do that and we knew it coming into this season.

My priorities to fill out the team this offseason:

1. Perimeter D (i.e. replace d lo or Reaves)
2. Rebounding
3. 3 point shooting

Our rebounding woes were so visible vs Denver. Btw this season the Lakers

- 22nd overall in rebounds
- 30th in offensive rebounds
- 1st in defensive rebounds - but also 1st in FG allowed

 

30th in offensive rebounds
- 1st in defensive rebounds
Wow

 

(Mustering all the optimism and juju I can manage...)

"Hey...if the Nuggets can make history as the first team to win the first three games of a series after trailing at halftime, then maybe the Lakers can make history by being the first team to come back from 0-3 to win a playoff series...?"

(Clutches magic amulet, pokes Jokic voodoo doll w/ hat pin...)

 

Not likely, but life with hope is more interesting.

 

….. There’s hope for you in spite of LeBron and the likelihood AD may again in the future be injured or not play like an Alpha in any particular game.

JK … but apology I realize I’m in a snippy mood tonight … not your fault.

 

Watching this team when you know it’s true potential will do that to you

 

Run it back. You can't be this close to the defending champions and blow it up.

Need some luck to see Lebron has one more great season in him.but man the Lakers had literally no bench player step up. They are jeremi grant tyoe of player from beating the champs


I put this in the wrong thread: Rui may need a bench player but the team has a legit 6 rotation for a title team. They need another center and big guard to pair with Reaves to complete the roster

 

I’m inclined to run it back and make changes around the margins. We lost to the best team in basketball by a combined 11 points. If Vando is healthy we likely win. Desperately need another big to play alongside and backup AD.

 

minor tweaks to the roster, and a big change in the coaching staff, and things may not look so bad next year.

 

Too much? Nah I don’t think so!

 

This team isn’t far off.One reliable shooter and another solid big and they will compete for the title

 

I think minor changes...even with coaching staff, I probably just hand Phil Handy the reigns, get rid of Hamburger, and then I probably find a way to get another big that can help AD/Bron on the boards. I am more than willing to dump Gabe/JHS/2 picks to get a nice big - maybe someone like Vucevic?

Also - don't bring back Taurean because with Rui/Vando, there's just not enough minutes and I wanna save the coach from himself, whoever that will be

Wood/Reddish/Hayes can all stay if they want since they all have player options and unlikely to get a better deal elsewhere.

What's wild is that if Wood/Reddish/Hayes all opt in, and LeBron also opts in...we'll have 11 players under contract already, with DLO, Spencer, Christie as our FA's that we would want to retain which would put us at 14 players so literally just one roster spot leftover for the MLE....(I assume we have the MLE?)

 

if everyone opts in, we don't have the mle. if dlo opts out, we have the mle--drops us to 160 in obligations/holds.

if dlo walks, i'm guessing we use most or all of the mle on dinwiddie. that's what i'd do. problem is that using the mle hard caps us at 172, which can complicate other stuff.

all that's assuming no trades, etc., so it's too hard to speculate right now.

 

wait what if just LeBron opts out and then we re-sign him to a 2-3 year deal? Can we use MLE then?

I guess it's pretty certain that both LeBron and DLO will opt out so safe to say we will have MLE but I think it depends on the timing of the signings?

 

they both have cap holds (larger than their salaries) if they opt out. we'd have to renounce those holds to reap any cap benefits.

in fact, if lebron doesn't opt in, it might cut into space under the apron created by dlo opting out.

 

I was sorry to see them eliminated, as was everyone else here. But I stick with them through thick and thin. I have been a fan since Magic started with the team. I look forward to next year and right now, I guess, LeBron isn’t committing, last I heard. But the way he keeps himself, if he wants to play, he will and probably look as good as he did this year. Unless he has other ideas, and with his money, he can just about do anything he wants to. Besides, I just like the game.