2014-15 Lakers Season Thread (21-61) KAT

[kal-el-8]

What would we have to offer to get draymond green?

Assuming we've already gotten dragic or rondo at this point?

Green>Hill

 

[darthska]

relevant:

"I'd want to play with a guy like that." — Kevin Durant on Kobe Bryant.

Link

"Excuse my language, but that's (expletive)," said Durant, who congratulated Bryant via text message after he surpassed Jordan on Sunday. "I want to play with a winner every single night, especially somebody who wants to win that bad, who works that hard, who demands a lot, who raises up your level. I'd want to play with a guy like that every day. ... (His style) may make people uncomfortable, how he acts and just how he approaches the game, but I love that type of stuff. I think (the accusation) is BS."

Wish I was the person asking things.

"So then went haven't you? Or why don't you?"

"*crickets*"

 

[kal-el-8]

relevant:

"I'd want to play with a guy like that." — Kevin Durant on Kobe Bryant.

Link

"Excuse my language, but that's (expletive)," said Durant, who congratulated Bryant via text message after he surpassed Jordan on Sunday. "I want to play with a winner every single night, especially somebody who wants to win that bad, who works that hard, who demands a lot, who raises up your level. I'd want to play with a guy like that every day. ... (His style) may make people uncomfortable, how he acts and just how he approaches the game, but I love that type of stuff. I think (the accusation) is BS."

Wish I was the person asking things.

"So then went haven't you? Or why don't you?"

"*crickets*"

You mean why didn't kevin durant take a 3 million dollar one year contract and forego millions to come play with Kobe?

CBA is set up that way. It's advantageous for the teams to keep there players cuz they can offer more years and more money.

And don't bring up Dwight, different scenario and he actually made more money in Houston.

Greg Moneoe is the only player in the new cba that has taken the 1 year deal and forego millions so he can be a unrestricted free agent.

It's okay to not like kobe I get it


But to discredit him and say how no one wants to play with him isn't fair at all.

 

[grandtheftbike]

I would play with Kobe. They can sign me for league minimum. Do it Mitch

 

[CP1708]

relevant:

"I'd want to play with a guy like that." — Kevin Durant on Kobe Bryant.

Link

"Excuse my language, but that's (expletive)," said Durant, who congratulated Bryant via text message after he surpassed Jordan on Sunday. "I want to play with a winner every single night, especially somebody who wants to win that bad, who works that hard, who demands a lot, who raises up your level. I'd want to play with a guy like that every day. ... (His style) may make people uncomfortable, how he acts and just how he approaches the game, but I love that type of stuff. I think (the accusation) is BS."

Wish I was the person asking things.

"So then went haven't you? Or why don't you?"

"*crickets*"

Because he was drafted by the Thunder, and extended before his contract was up, before the new CBA even kicked in?

I get what you're sayin tho. It's Kobe's fault we don't have Durant, LeBron, Anthony Davis, Wiggins, Melo, Rose, Steph, and John Wall all on our team right now. We'd be really good if we had all of them.

*crickets tho*

 

[kal-el-8]

 

 

 

relevant:

"I'd want to play with a guy like that." — Kevin Durant on Kobe Bryant.

Link

 

"Excuse my language, but that's (expletive)," said Durant, who congratulated Bryant via text message after he surpassed Jordan on Sunday. "I want to play with a winner every single night, especially somebody who wants to win that bad, who works that hard, who demands a lot, who raises up your level. I'd want to play with a guy like that every day. ... (His style) may make people uncomfortable, how he acts and just how he approaches the game, but I love that type of stuff. I think (the accusation) is BS."

Wish I was the person asking things.

"So then went haven't you? Or why don't you?"

"*crickets*"

It's Kobe's fault we don't have Durant, LeBron, Anthony Davis, Wiggins, Melo, Rose, Steph, and John Wall all on our team right now. We'd be really good if we had all of them.

 

/Thread.

 

[CP1708]

Some days, he laughs like we've never heard him laugh. Other days, he barks with a startling chill..

One moment he rages with competitiveness. The next moment, his throat is thick with humility.

He winces in pain. He reflects with wisdom. He jokes about his shortcomings. He fights against frailty.

It's taken 19 years, but it feels like Los Angeles is finally seeing the real Kobe Bryant, and what a joy.

During a season filled with Lakers defeats, every game for Kobe is a triumph over age, a victory over reputation, a win against the natural predisposition to preserve a mask that has served him so well for so long.

That mask was gone when he showed up after a Sacramento game with a fat lip and said, "I'm hurting, I'm hurting."


That mask disappeared when he showed up in Detroit and said he was so tired he slept the day away. "I closed my eyes it was 9:30 [a.m.], I opened them again it was 2 o'clock, what the hell happened?"

Derek Jeter just completed a carefully orchestrated farewell tour in which the world learned nothing about him, planting him into the landscape as little more than a pinstriped monument. Kobe Bryant is only a couple of months into what could a two-year farewell tour, and he delightfully couldn't be more different. He is slowly showing us everything, revealing bits of himself in every grand moment and small gesture, ensuring that he won't just be remembered as a Staples Center statue, but somebody real.

Remember his first milestone, seven games into the season, when he set the awkward NBA record for career missed shots? Byron Scott, the Lakers' coach, actually threw up a shield for Bryant by calling the record "crap," and a younger Bryant might have walked away in a huff, but this one stuck around and smiled.

"Well, I'm a shooting guard that's played 19 years," he said, later adding, "You've got to step up and play, man. You can't worry about criticism. You can't worry about failure."

Then, a couple of weeks later, Bryant became the first NBA player with more than 30,000 points and 6,000 assists. Instead of gloating about the assists, he smiled and laughed at himself.

"It's a huge honor," he said. "It means I pass more than people say."

There was the time he missed a morning shoot-around and blamed his weariness on a mythological figure that sent reporters scrambling to Google.

"What I got, man, comes from Chronos," he said, referring to a mythological figure who was the origin for Father Time.

Even as he was showing the world his softer and more human side, Bryant reminded everyone of the nasty, almost inhuman competitive edge that fueled his five-ring greatness. For years, everyone has heard stories about Bryant's toughness during practice, but reporters were only allowed to see the final minutes when everything was calm.

Last week Bryant finally confirmed those stories by throwing a fit at the end of a practice in front of the media. He ripped teammates, called them "soft like Charmin," and even profanely griped about their effort to General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

"I don't know if it helps them, it obviously raises the intensity level," he said later, adding, "I just challenge guys, see what happens. I've always believed in throwing them in the pool then seeing if they can sink or swim."

These varying views into Bryant's previously shut-tight persona became even more clear Sunday in Minnesota when he passed Michael Jordan for third place on the all-time scoring list.

At the beginning of the postgame interview, this most hardened of athletes looked like he was going to cry.

"I'm just honored to be here, to still be playing," he said.

A guy who usually talks like he will play forever openly stared down his own basketball mortality.

"I appreciate the game even more, because it has a certain finality to it," he said. "Moments like this come around, you're really overjoyed by it . . . at the same time, the end is pretty near, which is fine too."

Then the guy who has long fueled himself with opposing fans' boos actually talked about appreciating cheers from the Minnesota fans.

"When you're not expecting a hug, and you get a hug, and you're like, man this actually feels pretty damn good," he said.

When is the last time Kobe Bryant used the word "hug?"

As Bryant then explained, for all these years, his tough talk and sharp edges have been more a job description than a personality trait.

"I think the competitive nature is something that frightens a lot of people, when you peel back truly what's inside a person, to compete and be at that high level, it scares a lot of people that are comfortable just being average," he said. "You can't get to a supreme level without kind of channeling the dark side."


Los Angeles is finally seeing all sides of this town's most polarizing sports star, and it may allow us to drop all the tired criticisms and appreciate the athlete.

Seriously, after 19 years, can everyone stop complaining about how much he shoots the ball? On this awful Lakers team, at this stage of his career, does it really matter anymore? This column space has ripped him a lot, but right now, it's a pleasure watching him fight, and he can't shoot the ball enough.

I texted Bryant Tuesday about how he has approached this season.

"It's growth and understanding that things come and go, good, bad, etc.," he responded. "I have more compassion for others . . . because I'm currently working through the limits time has given me while still challenging the extent of those limitations."

I asked him about that dark side.

"It's what I am," he said. "It's not WHO I am."

Never too late, a city finally sees.

 

[essential1]

 

[essential1]

Big Game James





Better quality, but doesn't show the whole thing

 

[pmatic]

Chad Ford released his new big board and I ain't even have the desire to post it.

 

[CP1708]

Meaning, he has us outside the top 5.

Least we have the Houston pick.......in the mid 20's.

 

[pmatic]

It's just a big board, not a mock draft.

 

[essential1]

By the way... I have Kobe 5th All Time

1. Jordan
2. Russell
3. Magic
4. Kareem
5. Kobe
6. Bird
7. Wilt
8. Duncan
9. Shaq
10. Oscar Robertson


Since it's the poll question.


2-4 is always rearranged.

 

[kal-el-8]

There will be a few votes for 11-15

They will be ska and various ska troll accounts

 

[darthska]

relevant:

"I'd want to play with a guy like that." — Kevin Durant on Kobe Bryant.

Link

"Excuse my language, but that's (expletive)," said Durant, who congratulated Bryant via text message after he surpassed Jordan on Sunday. "I want to play with a winner every single night, especially somebody who wants to win that bad, who works that hard, who demands a lot, who raises up your level. I'd want to play with a guy like that every day. ... (His style) may make people uncomfortable, how he acts and just how he approaches the game, but I love that type of stuff. I think (the accusation) is BS."

Wish I was the person asking things.

"So then went haven't you? Or why don't you?"

"*crickets*"

Because he was drafted by the Thunder, and extended before his contract was up, before the new CBA even kicked in?

I get what you're sayin tho. It's Kobe's fault we don't have Durant, LeBron, Anthony Davis, Wiggins, Melo, Rose, Steph, and John Wall all on our team right now. We'd be really good if we had all of them.

*crickets tho*

No, we don't have a lineup of Melo and KD and Bron and Eyebrows and Kobe.

blah, blah, blah

Birdman, Bosh, Wade* (read the damn asterisk below before responding about Wade), Mike Miller, Love, Jesus, etc., etc., etc...

There's a LOTTTTTT of gray area in between a lineup of CP3 + Kobe + KD + Bron+ Eyebrows and a lineup of... this garbage, or Smush + Kwame and them scrubs.

As LOOONG as Kobe has been here, we have never, EVER been a legit consideration for top tier FAs, which is especially damning considering that we are in LOS ANGELES.

Someday that will be over. 

And the elite won't just SAY they'll come on over, but they'll actually do it. "Yeah, I'd do it" will be replaced with "The reason I did it was because"..."

*Yes, I know GEOGRAPHICALLY, Wade never WENT anywhere. But he was entertaining Chicago and NY, and DECIDED to stay because he knew Bron was coming. That's making a DECISION to play with someone, not just SAYING "Oh yeah, I'd totally do it" and then not doing it.

 

[jab step]

 

relevant:

"I'd want to play with a guy like that." — Kevin Durant on Kobe Bryant.

Link

"Excuse my language, but that's (expletive)," said Durant, who congratulated Bryant via text message after he surpassed Jordan on Sunday. "I want to play with a winner every single night, especially somebody who wants to win that bad, who works that hard, who demands a lot, who raises up your level. I'd want to play with a guy like that every day. ... (His style) may make people uncomfortable, how he acts and just how he approaches the game, but I love that type of stuff. I think (the accusation) is BS."

Wish I was the person asking things.

"So then went haven't you? Or why don't you?"

"*crickets*"

Because he was drafted by the Thunder, and extended before his contract was up, before the new CBA even kicked in?

I get what you're sayin tho. It's Kobe's fault we don't have Durant, LeBron, Anthony Davis, Wiggins, Melo, Rose, Steph, and John Wall all on our team right now. We'd be really good if we had all of them.

*crickets tho*

No, we don't have a lineup of Melo and KD and Bron and Eyebrows and Kobe.

blah, blah, blah

Birdman, Bosh, Wade* (read the damn asterisk below before responding about Wade), Mike Miller, Love, Jesus, etc., etc., etc...

There's a LOTTTTTT of gray area in between a lineup of CP3 + Kobe + KD + Bron+ Eyebrows and a lineup of... this garbage, or Smush + Kwame and them scrubs.

As LOOONG as Kobe has been here, we have never, EVER been a legit consideration for top tier FAs, which is especially damning considering that we are in LOS ANGELES.

Someday that will be over. 

And the elite won't just SAY they'll come on over, but they'll actually do it. "Yeah, I'd do it" will be replaced with "The reason I did it was because"..."

*Yes, I know GEOGRAPHICALLY, Wade never WENT anywhere. But he was entertaining Chicago and NY, and DECIDED to stay because he knew Bron was coming. That's making a DECISION to play with someone, not just SAYING "Oh yeah, I'd totally do it" and then not doing it.

This is incoherently ridiculous. 

Maybe it's just me. 

 

[essential1]

We've never had cap space for Free Agents.. Not even during the Smush years.

When we traded Shaq, we took on $24mil in Brian Grant & Lamar Odom for 3 years. With Kobe at $14mil. The cap was $43.87mil in 2004-05.


Then in 07-08, we traded for Pau Gasol. Kobe's $19mil, Pau's $13mil, Lamar's $13mil was $45mil of the $55mil in cap space. Doesn't include someone like Radman who was making $5.3mil.

We've had significant cap space 1 year of Kobe's career. That was after Kobe had torn an achilles, and played 6 games in the following year. And was the equivalent of Yoda in basketball years.




Stuff I knew already, but seriously, how was Brian Grant making what Kobe was making?

 

[pmatic]

Hello Henry Abbott.

 

[kal-el-8]

 

 

relevant:

"I'd want to play with a guy like that." — Kevin Durant on Kobe Bryant.

Link

"Excuse my language, but that's (expletive)," said Durant, who congratulated Bryant via text message after he surpassed Jordan on Sunday. "I want to play with a winner every single night, especially somebody who wants to win that bad, who works that hard, who demands a lot, who raises up your level. I'd want to play with a guy like that every day. ... (His style) may make people uncomfortable, how he acts and just how he approaches the game, but I love that type of stuff. I think (the accusation) is BS."

Wish I was the person asking things.

"So then went haven't you? Or why don't you?"

"*crickets*"

Because he was drafted by the Thunder, and extended before his contract was up, before the new CBA even kicked in?

I get what you're sayin tho. It's Kobe's fault we don't have Durant, LeBron, Anthony Davis, Wiggins, Melo, Rose, Steph, and John Wall all on our team right now. We'd be really good if we had all of them.

*crickets tho*

No, we don't have a lineup of Melo and KD and Bron and Eyebrows and Kobe.

blah, blah, blah

Birdman, Bosh, Wade* (read the damn asterisk below before responding about Wade), Mike Miller, Love, Jesus, etc., etc., etc...

There's a LOTTTTTT of gray area in between a lineup of CP3 + Kobe + KD + Bron+ Eyebrows and a lineup of... this garbage, or Smush + Kwame and them scrubs.

As LOOONG as Kobe has been here, we have never, EVER been a legit consideration for top tier FAs, which is especially damning considering that we are in LOS ANGELES.

Someday that will be over. 

And the elite won't just SAY they'll come on over, but they'll actually do it. "Yeah, I'd do it" will be replaced with "The reason I did it was because"..."

*Yes, I know GEOGRAPHICALLY, Wade never WENT anywhere. But he was entertaining Chicago and NY, and DECIDED to stay because he knew Bron was coming. That's making a DECISION to play with someone, not just SAYING "Oh yeah, I'd totally do it" and then not doing it.

This is incoherently ridiculous. 

Maybe it's just me. 

It's not just you.

I don't get it.. i really don't...

but ska is gonna ska.

 

[jab step]

We've never had cap space for Free Agents.. Not even during the Smush years.

When we traded Shaq, we took on $24mil in Brian Grant & Lamar Odom for 3 years. With Kobe at $14mil. The cap was $43.87mil in 2004-05.


Then in 07-08, we traded for Pau Gasol. Kobe's $19mil, Pau's $13mil, Lamar's $13mil was $45mil of the $55mil in cap space. Doesn't include someone like Radman who was making $5.3mil.

We've had significant cap space 1 year of Kobe's career. That was after Kobe had torn an achilles, and played 6 games in the following year. And was the equivalent of Yoda in basketball years.




Stuff I knew already, but seriously, how was Brian Grant making what Kobe was making?

Also the one year the Lakers had cap space with Kobe (this summer) was under the new CBA, which specifically hinders big market teams/teams trying to take away free agents from their incumbent teams. 

On another note, who thinks Kobe plays beyond the 2015 contract? 

I actually see it happening if the Lakers can field a good roster excluding him and if he feels like his body can hold up. I don't see him going out on a rebuilding squad like right now. 

And I think he'll take that paycut everyone expected this time around 

Based on this season he does have a lot left in the tank. His FG% is ghastly, but there's a lot of things that account for it. 1) He's old/the injury + has too much responsibility on this team. 2) He's just getting back from a very long layoff. 3) This "offensive system" for a lack of a better term is just horrible and leads to almost no easy looks and 4) There's no spacing around him, teams just load up on him. 

Fix those things Lakers, and I think Kobe can go out the right way. Hopefully. 

Also who else feels like Scott is just a temp/stop gap? 

 

[MVP]

Hello Henry Abbott.

Darth SkAbbot

That was one of your poorer attempts ska.

 

[grandtheftbike]

As LOOONG as Kobe has been here, we have never, EVER been a legit consideration for top tier FAs, which is especially damning considering that we are in LOS ANGELES.

Does Kobe Bryant count?

 

[CP1708]

I mean, I thought he was trying at first, but that second attempt Naw, not even close.

Zo or Doo could do better than that man, free agent signings, when Kobe and Shaq used to be over half the cap by themselves? And when Shaq left, it wasn't for free, so.....and then Pau came, and Kobe, Pau, LO, AND Bynum all got extensions.......who, (and how) did you want to sign?


The Heat signed their 2 FA's because they had ONE player with a cap hold, and a rookie. Wade and Chalmers. They got their 2 FA's off that. Cap space, tons of it. THEN, they got Birdman, Haslem to re-sign, Battier, Allen, etc etc.


We have never had more than 4-5 mil in cap space at our disposal since the day Shaq signed in 1996. So when you busy blaming Kobe for no one coming, when are you going to face the actual facts man?

Christ, Payton and Malone came for ONE million dollars each, because there wasn't anymore than that to give them.

 

[kookcle]

On another note, who thinks Kobe plays beyond the 2015 contract? 

I actually see it happening if the Lakers can field a good roster excluding him and if he feels like his body can hold up. I don't see him going out on a rebuilding squad like right now. 

And I think he'll take that paycut everyone expected this time around 

Based on this season he does have a lot left in the tank. His FG% is ghastly, but there's a lot of things that account for it. 1) He's old/the injury + has too much responsibility on this team. 2) He's just getting back from a very long layoff. 3) This "offensive system" for a lack of a better term is just horrible and leads to almost no easy looks and 4) There's no spacing around him, teams just load up on him. 

Fix those things Lakers, and I think Kobe can go out the right way. Hopefully. 

Also who else feels like Scott is just a temp/stop gap? 

The way Scott is playing him?

Had him playing the whole 3rd last game down 30 pts. on a back to back

I'll be shocked if he's even playing in March.



And i agree with everyone here ...We just never had Cap space during Kobe's prime.

 

[CP1708]

The Spurs never signed anyone to play with Tim Duncan either. He must be a bad teammate too.

We've been lied to.