2014-15 Official Lakers Season Thread, Vol: We Love Each Other

[CP1708]

New Poll.

 

[grandtheftbike]

as much as i want to put 2010, it has to be 2009 for me. having being embarrassed the year before, that feel of the shot clock winding down in orlando >>


2000 was great too..it always the first one. Shaq :x

 

[freeze]

** Any takers?

Spoiler: In Fact, you know what

**** it, I want him to know who I am

 

[pmatic]

Tough poll.

I want to say 2000, but that just might be nostalgia more than anything. The Lakers wiped the floor in 2001, which was impressive yet kind of boring. 2002 only stood out because of the Kings series. 2009 tops 2010 to me, though beating the Celtics was enjoyable as hell.

 

[pmatic]

FB&G:

Byron Scott, Kobe, and Lessons from Showtime

When Byron Scott was named head coach of the Lakers, one of the major reasons he received instant backing from a healthy portion of the fan base was because of his history as a Laker. The bulk of his career was spent as a member of the Showtime era teams and his legacy is one of a key contributor to championship glory. This history has earned him a credibility that other candidates could not match. I mean when Magic, Silk, and the Captain show up to your introductory presser the goodwill transposed upon you is massive.

Scott will need more than goodwill to succeed, though. He has inherited a mismatched roster mixed with veterans possessing proud histories and young players looking to build their names and continue to progress on an upward trajectory. Managing this situation will not be easy and Scott will need to draw on all his experiences as a coach and as a member of those championship teams to find workable solutions.

If Scott looks back, though, he should find at least one comparison that could aid him in his success.

Right as Scott was entering the prime of his career, the Lakers were in a mild transition. Though they were considered championship caliber and had the Showtime moniker, they were still somewhat of a team seeking a true identity. For years they had deftly mixed the post-up prowess of Kareem and the fast paced stylings of Magic, but as the Captain aged and Magic became more of an offense onto himself, the team had to make a choice. Would they continue to be an opportunistic running team that mostly played through Jabbar or would they hand the keys over to Johnson and let him orchestrate the high octane attack he had mastered?

The answer, of course, was the latter and the rest is history. Starting in the 1987 season, the Lakers became Magic’s team and with that came a truly historic run. As a player, Magic won three of the next four league MVP’s (1987, 1989, and 1990) and as a team the Lakers won back to back championships (1987 and 198 and went to four of the next five NBA Finals (1987, 1988, 1989, and 1991). And as the starting shooting guard, Scott saw it all firsthand.

Today, Scott may not have a Magic Johnson to turn the team over to, but he does have his Kareem in one Kobe Bryant.

Like Jabbar, Kobe is an aged legend whose career is winding down. Like Kareem, Kobe is still an icon and, should his health permit, should still be one of the more reliable scorers in the league. And, like Kareem, Kobe is still worthy of being the focus of an offense offering a skill set in the post and, again, health permitting, a perimeter savvy that can tilt a defense in his direction to be the fulcrum of a half court offense.

But, also like Jabbar, the team around Kobe is changing. Though Boozer joins him as a sage veteran who is at his best playing a more methodical approach, the rest of the roster will likely be at their best playing an open court style.

In Jeremy Lin the Lakers have a point guard who does his best when pushing the pace and turning the game into horserace. Nick Young is mostly seen as a chucker in the half court, but he had his most successful season as a pro playing in Mike D’Antoni’s uptempo offense that generated looks early in the clock against a defense that was not fully set. The same is true for Wes Johnson and Xavier Henry. In Julius Randle, Jordan Hill, and Ed Davis the team has three young bigs who can all get up and down the floor well, finish on the break, and play with tempo. Even Steve Nash, should he be healthy enough to do so, is at his best when trying to create open court chances where he can pick out teammates while the defense scrambles in transition.

As a team, then, the Lakers would seemingly do well to push the pace and see if they can get easy baskets early and often. They could, potentially, play nine to ten players, most of whom can thrive in an open court game. The question, though, is whether Scott will let them.

This isn’t to say that Kobe should be marginalized. Even though Kareem took a backseat to Magic, it’s not like he was forgotten. When the team needed a key bucket or when Magic was on the bench, the team quickly shifted back to their big man on the block and watched him sky hook opponents to death. It’s just that happened a little less often than it did earlier in the 80′s when he was the focal point. Scott could do the same with Kobe, featuring him plenty and giving him ample opportunities to be the focal point of the offense via post ups, wing isolations, and actions that get him touches at the elbow. They could also continue to use him as an initiator of the P&R to get him the ball on the move and attacking a defense in the midst of making rotations.

But, even in doing that, Scott will still need to give his younger players a chance to do what they do best. If that means Kobe gets a little bit less of the action than he used to, that will just come with the territory of aging and adjusting to the team he finds himself on.

Besides Scott touting his championship history with the team, he also talked up his relationship with #24. This next season, Scott might do well to remember his playing days and how the organization handled the transition of another aging legend and apply that to his current one. And while he may not find the championship glory he did during Showtime, he may just get the best from most of his other players. Much like (Scott’s mentor) Pat Riley did with Magic.

http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2014/08/08/byron-scott-kobe-and-lessons-from-showtime/

 

[senorroboto2k5]

2009 and 2002 are basically tied for me.

2009 was a sweet climb back to the top. I was always a diehard Laker fan as a kid, but 2005+ was when I really started looking up stats and reading recaps day-to-day. So I was following them closely from the bottom to the title, and the payoff was that much better. Not to mention all the roadbumps - Kobe trade request, beatdown by Boston, Bynum injury, 7 seeds, starting Smush Parker...

2002 was special because of the Kings series, and seeing the disappointment in all their fanbase after all the slick talk and whining. Apologies to any Kings fans who may be lurking this thread , but I really despised the Kings fans (and I'm sure it was the same the other way)

 

[had pants]

HBD Kal.

Tough poll....gonna have to go with GM7.

 

[CP1708]

2000 meant so much to me because it was the first since I was a child. I remembered thinking back then that I didn't have to worry anymore about Kobe or Shaq, they had a title. They wouldn't be Stock, Malone, Ewing, Reggie, Barkley, etc. They could just relax the rest of their careers, they were "winners".

2001 was validation. Proof we could do it again, and Jesus Christ did we. I remember thinking Kobe and Shaq had done something Bird hadn't, winning back to back.

2002 was of course emotional because of Horry. That series was pure hatred. And now, they had 3-peated. History was now watching us.

2009 was my first title here on NT. All the "never win again" stuff was erased. We had been rebuilt.

2010 was simply classic, icing. A 7 game series, won at home, against a bitter historic rival. But I remember thinking this was it too. I knew we had used everything we had to get this one, and if you all know me, know that I don't believe in 4 straight Finals, I knew 2011 would be damn near impossible. I knew Bynum's knee was a timebomb. Kobe/Pau/LO were running on high mileage fumes and not that young anymore. We'd moved the younger Ariza for the older Ron. Fish, just no youth on the squad, and Mitch went and got older guys in Blake and Barnes.


In the end, I go with the 7 game, win at home, #5, historically important series. Beating Indy, Philly, NJ, and Orlando, eh, interesting, but beating Boston, in 7 games, on our floor, hard to beat that.


View media item 279328

 

[hybridsoldier23]

HBD Kal!

 

[grandtheftbike]

2002 was special because of the Kings series, and seeing the disappointment in all their fanbase after all the slick talk and whining. Apologies to any Kings fans who may be lurking this thread , but I really despised the Kings fans (and I'm sure it was the same the other way)

man, i wish i witnessed this series. didn't have cable back then so i tuned in by radio |I

had the radio with the long antenna right in the center of the dining table...just staring at it

 

[CP1708]

If you remember, a much doughier Love jumped from UCLA to a rebuilding lottery team in Minnesota, went through two coaches and two GMs, lost 58 games and watched Al Jefferson tear his ACL. And that was just his rookie season.
During the 2009 draft, the immortal David Kahn passed on Curry twice — with the no. 5 and no. 6 overall picks — to take Rubio (knowing he might spend an extra two years in Europe — which he did) and Jonny Flynn (bustaroo). So much for some help.

The following June, Kahn passed on 19-year-old Boogie Cousins for 23-year-old Wes Johnson with 2010’s no. 4 overall pick, then he spent 2011’s no. 2 overall pick on Derrick Williams (who played the same position as Love). Kahn also gave Jefferson to Utah for two non-lottery picks; wasted valuable cap space on Brandon Roy, Martell Webster and Darko Milicic; and sacrificed a future no. 1 to dump Johnson’s contact so he could sign Andrei Kirilenko (who left a year later). And if that wasn’t enough, Rubio blew out HIS knee during a promising rookie campaign in 2012. So how is the following sentence an excuse?

Nobody can do worse than McHale, Kahn, Flip Saunders and beleaguered owner Glen Taylor did running the Timberwolves these past 10 years

Yeesh.

 

[darthska]

[quote name="MJsaver"][quote name="CP1708"]Excited for you guys to someday comprehend I'm not even the oldest person in this thread. [/quote]

If not youre still the most disgruntled by a country mile

Seriously is it me, you, Ska, or maybe Pac......?

#teamoldhead
#teamvhsgametapes
#studiedhoopsb4youtube
#stillknownbaonnbcthememusic[/quote]Yes (to the bold)

 

[mjsaver]

Gotta be 2009 for me the redemption always feels better because of all the trials and tribulations they had to endure to to get back to the top.

There were some dark days after Shaq left yeah Kobe was showing out but the hate was strong because they weren't contending , all we heard was Kobe can't win without Shaq and even the disrespectful Shaq freestyle :x

Winning back to back just shut the world up.....until now as we see the haters poking their head out and popping off after a well deserved hiatus.

 

[darthska]

Gm 7?

Chance to avenge 2008?

Against the Celtics, the only other team w/ more titles than us?

And on a personal note, w/ Artest?

Yeah, gimme that one.

That '01 playoff run, though... all bad for everyone else. Just, bad, bad, bad.

 

[CP1708]

I'm still pissed at Horry about game 1, 01. Sonofa*****

We were gonna be 15-0. 15, and 0.

Come on Robert.

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Wasn't the Shaq freestyle after one of the titles?

 

[CP1708]

Wasn't the Shaq freestyle after one of the titles?

Yeah, after the Heat title when he said how my *** taste.

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Nevermind, it was right after they lost to the Celtics.

"You know how I be, last week Kobe couldn't do without me"



I remember it was weird timing, I guess because this fool had just gotten ran out of the first round that year

 

[sb]

01 for me. should of swept philly. just ran through the playoffs. kobe destroying the spurs.

 

[CP1708]

Another poll I thought of, was favorite series that wasn't a Title, and you woulda had to choose from

2000 Portland
2002 Sacramento
2004 San Antonio
2009 Houston
2010 Phoenix


Tell ya what. Look at those first 3 options. God damn those are heavyweight knockouts. How on earth could you pick one or the other?

Houston was a 7 gamer, always fun, Phoenix was revenge for 06-07. And I bet those wouldn't get a single vote.

But 2000, 2002, and 2004..........man. I could probably scratch 04 off, but 2000 and 2002 meant everything to me. No way I could choose one or the other.

 

[pmatic]

2010 Thunder is underrated.

 

[grandtheftbike]

07-2010 Utah Jazz

 

[sb]

Another poll I thought of, was favorite series that wasn't a Title, and you woulda had to choose from

2000 Portland
2002 Sacramento
2004 San Antonio
2009 Houston
2010 Phoenix


Tell ya what. Look at those first 3 options. God damn those are heavyweight knockouts. How on earth could you pick one or the other?

Houston was a 7 gamer, always fun, Phoenix was revenge for 06-07. And I bet those wouldn't get a single vote.

But 2000, 2002, and 2004..........man. I could probably scratch 04 off, but 2000 and 2002 meant everything to me. No way I could choose one or the other.

2010 phoenix. kobe just killed the suns. those shots by kobe to clinch the series will live forever.

 

[sb]

07-2010 Utah Jazz

 

[sb]

damn now im thinking of the kobe to shaq lob. still gets me hyped when i watch it.