Q And A With Mitch Kupchak (David Aldridge)

Corrected

 

I didn't read/understand it this way

 

It sounds like they're going to hand more minutes to the younger players and play the vets less.

I can see why some may consider this "tanking".

 

It is what it is.

The Lakers need assets and if we keep their pick, that's a big asset to a team with a fire sale or might be enticing enough for some teams to even take on a Deng or Mozgov.

 

The interview basically highlighted the youth and disregarded the veterans. I think Kupchak realizes that no one cares about "veteran presence" and "leadership" right now - especially in light of Walton's recent comments that this team straight up has no actual leader. As such, he is selling the young talent and the future because that is really all he can do. I can only assume that is a precursor to the team being aggressive before the February 23 trade deadline in shopping the veterans to acquire assets for the future and free up playing time for the young players. Let's be real, Moz and Deng are going nowhere but Swaggy and Lou can certainly be traded and Calderon can be included as cap filler in a trade (if he isn't dealt, I've noted before that the team should do him a solid and release him).

The Lakers can then tighten the rotation. The rotation should consist of Russell, Clarkson, Ingram, Randle, Zubac, Nance, Deng and Moz and that's it. If injuries occur or foul trouble occurs, then someone else can get in there. The Lakers aren't tanking. It's a logical youth movement. If they lose games as a result, oh well. It happens.

 

That sentence you quoted was in reference to the prior sentence where I said the Lakers should trade Nick and Lou. Naturally if they are still on the team post-trade deadline, they'll get playing time like they are right now. As for Black/Robinson, both are capable energy big men and they are fine if the Lakers need to fill frontcourt minutes due to foul trouble/injury but the Lakers are just fine at PF/C if all of Randle, Nance, Moz and Zubac are available.

 

Signing deng and mozgov would suggest they didnt want to tank....Mitch just playing with words to cover up his and jim failed plan with those 2

 

Good. Let's see what we have.

 

Why be fair to the vets? They havent been fair to the team with their lack luster performances and failure to even remotely live up to their bloated contracts

 

Their plan entering the season was certainly to compete. You don't give 4 years deals to Deng/Mozgov, trade for Calderon, sign Huertas and MWP and then give key rotation roles to Swaggy/Lou to start the season unless your intention is to be competitive. Which goes right along with Jim Buss and this being the final year of his timeline in being competitive or quitting. The plan failed - like many of us expected it to. So now it's on to Plan B and that is talk up the youth to try and downplay just how awful the offseason moves truly were. Nice try but no cigar.

 

Being "fair" to Lou, Calderon and even Swaggy is finding them new homes on more competitive teams so they aren't wasting away on a loser.
Being "fair" to Moz and Deng is exactly what Mitch is doing and that is not throwing them under the bus for sucking. That's it. The team owes them nothing in terms of playing time.

 

So, DA and Mitch nudging and joking to each other about this year's draft class... on NBA's official website.

I think our Top-3 protected pick will be... protected come lottery time