[:: LAKERS 2014 THREAD | POLL: Who Should Coach Next Year? ::]

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Guy goes on and on about how worthless a late pick is but would rather keep it instead of flip it for something better like Houston did. Still hasn't answered how we are supposed to end up with a top 3 pick. You are a walking meme

 

[CP1708]

I could make that guarantee if I had access like front office folks have.

Me, myself? I can't guarantee anything by player.

I can guarantee it's better to be picking in the top 3, than the 10-11 range. I can do that for ya, just fine.


I can give my estimations on the top guys.
Jabari, looks real safe.
Embiid, raw, but can't teach size, he could be Bynum-Hibbert
Wiggins, RAW, not LeBron, but I don't see Rudy Gay either
LaVine, LOVE his skillset. Explosive athlete, even moreso than Kobe was. Less polish tho
Randle, solid. All Star talent, he could be the Bosh of the draft, solid, really good, but not the sexy Wade/Bron type.
Exum, international, no way to know. All I know are his measurables, youtube stuff, and what scouts claim of him.


Again. How can I know if they are Kobe and live in a gym? Or are they Bynum, and just loaf around and are good, just cuz they're tall? Do they LIVE for basketball?

I can't know ANY of that, unless I got access like the GM's will have.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

To summarize: "I don't know"

Moving right along

 

[sea manup]

just for now, lets ignore how it would be possible for us to get a top 3 pick. some think it can happen some dont, forget about that argument for a second.

can we all get on the same page and agree that a 3rd pick (not the player drafted at 3 but the right to be the 3rd team that gets to draft a player) is more valuable than the 11th pick?

there is no logical way you can argue that the ability to pick 3rd in the draft is worse than or equal to the ability to pick 11th

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Yes, a #1 pick is better than #14 even though nothing is guaranteed.

Now how the hell are we supposed to get a top 3 pick

 

[senorroboto2k5]

A late pick would not have much value, especially the kind Jeremy Lamb had to fetch Harden.

If the Lakers play themselves to the 10 range, maybe they can wait out a situation like GS's and trade that player + filler for Harrison Barnes.

But they're still in the race. They can do much better than that.

The player they end up with has no guarantees of being a star. But the chances are much higher of the player panning out. And with the team constructed the way it is, and with several of the future draft picks traded away, we're really banking on the player we draft to make a difference (as a player or trade piece down the road). We need the best opportunity possible to make it happen.

 

[darthska]

 

If I had to risk something, I'd absolutely consider walking away.

The more important the thing is that I'd risk, the higher my 'walk away' odds.

"You COOOOULD get a top 3 pick... but the risk is drafting a Kwame or an Oden."

Some take that risk.

Some don't.

 NOBODY is 'wrong', or 'right', or 'more wrong', or 'more right'.

Because NONE of this is guaranteed, and NONE of us have any control over ANY of this.

Wish all you want that we lose out.

G'on: I'm serious.

Wish it.

Wish it good and hard and with all your might.

Hope that you wish that you want for us to never win a game again this season... and then watch all that effort not matter at all. 

I get "It's something to discuss." Nothing wrong with that.

What I don't get, and what I'll adamently oppose, is "You stupid clown. My way is clearly the right way. I'm surrounded by morans."

 

[CP1708]

Getting into the top 3 could have been fairly easy, considering 48 hours ago we were a half game away from it.

At some point, you reach that low, Mitch has to pull the chute. Like trading Pau, or Swaggy, or Hill, Kaman, ANY asset he can flip.

At that point, you "lessen" the team as it is for this year, and Kobe (who already is out til Feb, may actually rest a smidge longer to get right. Say, mid Feb. (not unlikely at all)

And then, you have LA with the 2nd toughest schedule in the NBA, the rest of the way.


Had we lost these 2 games, been on the cusp of the top 3, trade a Pau or other piece (Hill) and then Kobe takes an extra week or two, they could have easily, and safely drifted off into the 20 wins max territory.

The longer they try to hang in, the longer Mitch may wait to say screw it, need to flip players and get returns asap.

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Ska how do you want to see the team get back to the top?

I'm sure you've answered, but I can't keep everything straight.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

The opportunity was right there to trade Pau for Bynum. Obviously that's not the plan. So now the question is why are we even discussing this

 

[sea manup]

im not going to tell other people how to root for the lakers, im not annoyed by anyone that doesnt want to tank im happy to discuss it with anyone on here

yes, i do hope we dont win a single game for the rest of the season. just like how i hoped we would win every game last season

do i think it will happen? no

it would be great to feel good about the lakers winning, life would be easier if i didnt get annoyed at every win. however, i have yet to come up with or read about a single reason for why a win this season benefits us in any way. on the other hand, i see a lot of great prospects that have potential to be great players in this league so for me there is a lot to gain by losing every game and getting a high draft pick.

 

[darthska]

Ska how do you want to see the team get back to the top?

By using all of my powers in the Lakers organization and...

... turning my tv on and off.

One day, I will turn my tv on, and we will be back on top.

Sooo... how do I want to see it? On my tv. Maybe home theater if I'm so fortunate. 

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Roboto, in okc's case it was either lamb or let harden walk if I'm not mistaken. In that scenario the pick gains value even though it's late lotto. One thing's for sure, the new cba makes small market teams avoid that tax like the plague

Manup, the only reason to win is because we can't stop our guys from competing anyway and learning how to win is a huge component of building a championship team. I know that's not as sexy as a 19 year old with potential but it is what it is

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Thanks ska

I'm reading your post as why should we try to get a top pick when we can end up with Greg Oden or Kwame Brown? Why bother? And I just don't get that line of thinking.

The goal is to add a star or semi-star player, right?

You're rolling the dice picking a collegiate player and hoping he turns out to be one of the above.

You're rolling the dice even more hoping stars on other teams pass up contract extensions, then offer sheets, or are backed into a situation like OKC/Harden. There are so many more variables this route for the Lakers to even have a chance at adding a high-quality player to their roster.

You might as well utilize the pick, and try to get the most out of it. The higher the pick, the higher the chances the player pans out.

leemelone I thought you meant late pick like in the 20s. But I agree, a 10-11 pick like Lamb still has value, even more in a situation where OKC has it's hand forced.

 

[sea manup]

if lebron wants to come play for us should we not sign him because he might blow out his knee the first game of the season?

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

And about our schedule. 9 of the next 12 vs teams below 500. I guess it gets tough after the break but even then the NBA sucks so hard this year that "tough" is subjective. Only games I would consider automatic L's are okc, indy and Miami. Maybe golden state. We've already beaten Houston, LAC, Memphis while being short handed. Damn near every game is winnable and that just further decreases the chances of a top 3 pick, especially since it looks like we are keeping Pau

 

[sea manup]

we probably wont get a top 3 pick, but that doesnt mean im not going to root for us to lose every game to increase our chances at one

just like how we wont make the playoffs, but some of you guys will root for us to win every game to increase our chances at making the playoffs

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

If you are hoping for losses it is solely with the hope of a top 3 pick. Rooting for wins is entertaining for one thing but it is great for our development, experience, retaining FAs, attracting FAs etc. playoffs or not

 

[CP1708]

if lebron wants to come play for us should we not sign him because he might blow out his knee the first game of the season?

Apt

 

[sea manup]

we have seen great results from players picked up from the dleague, as much as you can develop these players other than pau and kobe none of these guys will ever be a sure-fire starter in this league

experience can be gained from wins and losses, its still each player getting to play X amount of minutes in an nba game

these are guys no other teams want, we wont have a problem resigning them

a top 3 pick in this years draft will do more to attract other FAs than getting to play alongside the great nick young and jordan hill

its not entertaining for me to see this team win when there are no benefits from winning. when we were contenders after every win i would check the standings, did we close the gap between us and whoever is ahead of us in the standings? did we distance ourselves from the teams behind us in the standings? thats when winning is meaningful, i can look on the standings and see that we are getting closer to getting HC in the playoffs, i can see our progress. when we win in the playoffs i dont celebrate the individual victory, i think good we won thats one down 7 more wins to go. 

this year there is no progress to be made after wins, losing was exciting to me because i could check the standings and see us move under the celtics one day then the nets the next day. thats progress that i can see and feel good about as a fan, not meaningless wins that dont get us anywhere

 

[darthska]

This gon' be fun.

Thanks ska

I'm reading your post as why should we try to get a top pick when we can end up with Greg Oden or Kwame Brown? Why bother? And I just don't get that line of thinking.

I could understand your confusion... if I relayed that line of thinking.

The line of thinking I relayed, however, is "I have no control over ANY of this, and neither do you.

Or you.

Or you, you, you, or you.

Or you.

So chill. Discuss it, sure. But chill w/ thinking that someone else's different opinion matters. It doesn't. None of you do. Nor do I."

You didn't pick that up? Well, I have no control over any of this. And neither do you. So chill. Discuss it, sure, with the understanding that you control... ZIP.

The goal is to add a star or semi-star player, right?

My goal is to figure out what I'm going to eat for every game.

You're rolling the dice picking a collegiate player and hoping he turns out to be one of the above.

I'm rolling the dice on food choices, bruh.

You're (They're) rolling the dice even more hoping stars on other teams pass up contract extensions, then offer sheets, or are backed into a situation like OKC/Harden. There are so many more variables this route for the Lakers to even have a chance at adding a high-quality player to their roster.

Fixed.

And what can I do to increase those chances? Let me know and I'll spend the necessary energy to answer your original "What would like to see happen?" question.

I'm one of these weirdos who spends energy on things in my control. I know, I know: silly. Trust me, it has cost me a TON in my life.

Oh wait, no... no it absolutely hasn't. 

 

 
if lebron wants to come play for us should we not sign him because he might blow out his knee the first game of the season?

We already see what Lebron is. I guarantee I know what kind of NBA player Lebron is: a fairly decent one. Fairly.

But if there were signs that he will be an injury prone player now, like DRose, yeah, I'd weigh the pros and cons of signing him.

Literally, the only con to acquiring Lebron would be the dollar amount or what you'd have to give up to get him.

The cons to EVERY SINGLE NON-NBA PLAYER is that we literally have NO CLUE how they'll pan out. Kobe was far better than expected at 13. Oden was far worst at 1... or 2, can't remember. I have video proof of how Lebron James will be in the NBA. And managing money and contracts to lure him is CERTAINLY far less risky than lobbying for a specific draft position to acquire him.

It's ridiculous to be all uptight at people for not buying into something you can't even guarantee.

 

[essential1]

Some executives think there is a chance that Parker won't enter the draft.

Sam Smith of Bulls.com writes that executives believe Parker will return to Duke for his sophomore season. From day one, it has been clear that Parker isn’t your typical get-me-out-of-college-ASAP phenom. Smith believes that Jahlil Okafor’s commitment to Duke could persuade Parker to stay.

Okafor, like Parker, is from Chicago and the two players have become very good friends in recent years. Long before Okafor committed to Duke, he said that Parker was giving him advice and talking him through the recruiting process since he had just went through the same thing the year before. This was the first hint that Okafor would follow in Parker’s footsteps to Duke.

On top of the chance to play with Okafor, Smith believes Parker will return to Duke because he’s “a bright young man with a strong family” and he “understands both the importance of education and feels he owes Duke and the chance to have a great Duke team, which more than likely is the next two seasons.” Smith also says that Parker “has seen what staying in school has done for other greats compared with the tough starts for even stars like Kobe Bryant.”

Before Duke fans start celebrating, we’ll see what happens between now and the end of the season. It’s very hard for most players to walk away from the chance to be a top pick in the draft and, historically, returning to school hasn’t worked out well for prospects (just ask Jared Sullinger, Willie Warren and Perry Jones III among others).

Read more at http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nba-pm-wizards-interested-in-greg-monroe/#1aeuiyZUDgDvum5Y.99

 

[darthska]

if lebron wants to come play for us should we not sign him because he might blow out his knee the first game of the season?

Apt

Thank you for reminding me I'm debating with black and white thinkers.

I don't know why I keep forgetting this. 

Y'all dudes see things 2 ways; no middle ground.

"Either it's a certainty... or a guarantee. Got it."

Yeeeeaaaahno. But keep understanding things that way.

Who's tagging in? leemelone? L2B?

 

[sea manup]

The cons to EVERY SINGLE NON-NBA PLAYER is that we literally have NO CLUE how they'll pan out. 

not sure if serious

what this means is that in 04 the cavs could have picked 40 year old eddie vedder and had the same chance of getting a franchise changing basketball player out of that decision as picking lebron

 

[sea manup]

 

if lebron wants to come play for us should we not sign him because he might blow out his knee the first game of the season?

Apt

Thank you for reminding me I'm debating with black and white thinkers.

I don't know why I keep forgetting this. 

Y'all dudes see things 2 ways; no middle ground.

"Either it's a certainty... or a guarantee. Got it."

Yeeeeaaaahno. But keep understanding things that way.

Who's tagging in? leemelone? L2B?

you are going to talk about black and white thinking? 

a person would need to do two things in order to justifiably make fun of people for not having 100% faith in the draft.

2 things.

- guarantee who we will get in the draft that is being doubted
- guarantee who the busts and stars of that draft will be

If you can't do both of those things, then you are doing nothing but showing a complete lack of understanding when you fail to see how people are not buying in to your unguaranteed 'sure thing'.