Official 2017 NBA Offseason Thread: Media Days begin

[whiplashtw03]

Don't believe everything you read.

Magic said just a few months ago that the Lakers were going to preach PATIENCE and that they wouldn't make any drastic moves/trades in the offseason. Next thing you know, Russell and Moz are traded for Lopez and a first rounder. Next thing you know, Lakers are deep in discussions trying to acquire PG'13. Next thing you know, there's all kinds of talk about Lebron coming here in 2018. You call that PATIENCE? LOL

All smokescreens and no-look passes. That's why he's the Magic Man.

Like I've been saying for months even going back to the Lakers thread....the Lakers way is NOT to stockpile picks and keeping a team of nothing but young players while hoping these young assets will grow and evolve into a championship team. That's not how they do it.

The Lakers Way has always been to TRADE FOR and/or SIGN FREE AGENT STARS in order to augment the players they already have whom they value, and build a championship contender through aggressive yet calculated moves. Every once in a while, the Lakers will draft a player who ends up being an impact player, but most of the time they're in the market looking to sign big time players via free agency or via trade.

 

[617collector]

BOS should trade #3 and Smart for KP

Ainge will probably draft Josh Jackson, throw the max at Hayward and then go after KP.

Josh Jackson and Crowder for KP

 

[whiplashtw03]

I would not be shocked if the Lakers don't draft Lonzo. His passing skills are highly overrated. Compare Jason Kidd's college tape to Lonzo's and it's not even close. Ball livin off that hype.

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Ainge will probably draft Josh Jackson, throw the max at Hayward and then go after KP.

Josh Jackson and Crowder for KP

Hope Zinger is freed either way

Boston would be interesting, dude would become a folk hero there for sure

 

[Bend_The_Knee]

The NBA needs to step in and save the Knicks.

Dolan is the problem.

Something like what happened to Sterling is the only way.

 

[MajinZuub]

I would not be shocked if the Lakers don't draft Lonzo. His passing skills are highly overrated. Compare Jason Kidd's college tape to Lonzo's and it's not even close. Ball livin off that hype.

I don't think it's a skill similarity moreas to how he sees an offense. Kidd is also a top 5 all time PG arguably so I mean that's a high bar

 

[casper90403]

Comparing Ball to Kidd in college just isn't fair though. Kidd was a killer. Man amongst boys. He didn't just come out of nowhere.

 

[noblekane]

once again its looking like lakers aint gonna get ****

 

[whiplashtw03]

What I'm bout to say is so good I posted it somewhere else. Bring out your popcorn folks, I'm bout to shock the world and get y'all Laker fans shook like Lavar did when he told y'all he could defeat MJ.

Lakers fans ought to start preparing for the big disappointment tomorrow. 

Media doing a superior job of hyping Lonzo and making him seem like a lock at #2 even when nothing stands out about his workout or college tape. So why all the allure? Why does the media continue to hype him up as the next special thing in Los Angeles? 

Could it be that the media is setting up Lavar and his son for a little bit of karma, as conspiracy theorists would say, because he hasn't been able to keep his big mouth shut and perhaps has overdone himself?

Lavar's big mouth guarantees that Lonzo will be a Laker. Lavar tells the world Lonzo has $500 shoes. Lavar says he would've beaten Jordan 1-on-1. 

As expected, the media buys it, runs with it, and takes it to another level. Next thing you know, the media tells all y'all that Lonzo is a lock at #2 even though Lonzo has an average NCAA tournament performance. But y'all buy it, thinking he's the next Jason Kidd lol. Yet y'all don't realize the media bringing him up just to tear him down at the end. That's what the media is great at. 

Meanwhile, Fox and Jackson go about their business and do their thing quietly but surely.

So the Media continues to swiftly build up Lonzo and his name, the Ball family is at an all time high, then BOOM! As if like a magic trick, just when everyone and their grandmothers think LAL is gonna take him, Magic and Rob "shock" the NBA world by drafting someone else. 

Lavar is brought back down to earth, the Ball family hits a dose of reality and realize all that hype was for naught because Lonzao "fell" to #4 or #5. People are wondering how this could be and how they didn't expect such a thing especially after everyone said the Lakers were going to draft him.

My oh my, how sweet the karma is. People may even blame Lavar for ruining his son's chances.

 

[MVP]

Only took 24 hrs for this dude to get back on his dumb ****

 

[casper90403]

you need to go to bed my dude.

 

[a-friend]

UA seems to be fixing their designs so they aren't for the 50+ crowd

They will be signing another stud soon from MLB.

Dude sports the UA cleats (a lot of young MLB cats do) daily, and he's a damn beast.

I feel like that's the worst part of his game, his shoe, them pro wings he has on.

Endorsements work because before Curry, you wouldn't be caught dead in UA anything for feet

 

[EddieDoyers]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19701211/lonzo-ball-says-los-angeles-lakers-plan-not-it

NEW YORK -- After seeing the Los Angeles Lakers trade D'Angelo Russell on Tuesday, Lonzo Ball says he believes Magic Johnson has "a plan."

Whether that includes drafting Ball with the second overall pick in the NBA draft on Thursday night, Ball said he is making no assumptions despite the fact that most believe he will be a Laker.

"You know, the Lakers have a plan," Ball said when asked whether he thought the Russell trade was to make room for him to play point guard. "So whatever that is, we will see whatever that is in the future."

Speaking at media availability for draft prospects, Ball deftly handled every question that came his way with straightforward answers, in stark contrast to his father, LaVar, who has made headlines with many of his eye-catching comments.

Despite the fact that he said he has met with only the Lakers during the pre-draft process, the UCLA point guard stuck to the script that he does not know whether Johnson will make his dream come true of becoming a Los Angeles Laker.

"It will mean a lot to play for my hometown [team] and learn from the best point guard ever," Ball said of Johnson, the team's president of basketball operations. "Yeah that's crazy to me [if it happens]. Magic Johnson is the best point guard ever. ... Words [couldn't] describe that."

Ball said the Lakers told him that they would embrace his outspoken father as well if they pick him.

"They were open-armed and said they loved my dad," Ball said when asked whether the Lakers had any concerns about LaVar Ball. "So I left it at that."

On Tuesday, the Lakers agreed to trade Russell, their second overall pick from the 2015 draft, and Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and the 27th overall pick in Thursday's draft. Russell, 21, averaged 15.6 points and 4.8 assists this past season.

The trade not only clears cap space for the Lakers to pursue at least one max free agent next summer but it would also appear to pave the way for Ball to come in and run point for coach Luke Walton.

Wearing his Big Baller Brand shirt, Ball said he has a "clean" suit picked out that does not have the "BBB" logo on it to wear for Thursday night. Ball said his Big Baller Brand shoes will be out in November.

Ball, who grew up a Lakers fan watching Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal and recently met Bryant for a few minutes while the two were working with ESPN, hopes he will be adding a Lakers cap to his suit after the second pick is announced.

"I can't tell the future," Ball said of why he kept saying he isn't sure who will draft him. "I don't know where I am going."

"I know he is going to be happy," Ball added of his father's reaction once he will be drafted. "He will be smiling, I will be smiling, get the hat and go from there."

They sound pretty happy to me regardless of who's drafting Lonzo.

 

[whiplashtw03]

Only took 24 hrs for this dude to get back on his dumb ****

What will you say tomorrow if Ball ends up on another team? You gonna continue to call it dumb ****? Or are you gonna man up and admit? something ya boy leemelone couldn't do when he lost the DLo bet and realized he was too damn egotistical to pay up his debt to society so now he's denying he ever made the bet.

Conversely, if Ball is drafted by LAL...I will be right back up in here admitting I was wrong.

 

[rck3sactown]

I can't wait for Kristaps to be a King tomorrow

 

[Benny Hinn]

I cant wait for the Lakers pick just to see the grave digging posts from the side that ends up being right

 

[EddieDoyers]

I can't wait for Kristaps to be a King tomorrow

Don't be disappointed when the Suns swoop in

 

[whiplashtw03]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19701211/lonzo-ball-says-los-angeles-lakers-plan-not-it

"I can't tell the future," Ball said of why he kept saying he isn't sure who will draft him. "I don't know where I am going."

"I know he is going to be happy," Ball added of his father's reaction once he will be drafted. "He will be smiling, I will be smiling, get the hat and go from there."

They sound pretty happy to me regardless of who's drafting Lonzo.

Of course he will be happy if ANY NBA team drafts him. His son bout to make millions. But if he were to be drafted by the Lakers, he will be a lot more than just 'happy.' More like EUPHORIC.

 

[a-friend]

Did Rubio get traded to Dallas?

 

[whiplashtw03]

 
I can't wait for Kristaps to be a King tomorrow

Nobody's really talking about it, but Vlade has some really solid bargaining chips he can throw at the Zenmaster. 

 

[rck3sactown]

 

I can't wait for Kristaps to be a King tomorrow

Don't be disappointed when the Suns swoop in

Every Kings fan eats disappointment for breakfast

 

[casper90403]

definitely wouldn't be stunning if Lakers didn't take Ball. But all signs pointing to Ball unless they trade it

 

[noblekane]

I can't wait for Kristaps to be a King tomorrow

theres more of a chance of a 28 year old michael jordan showing up from a time machine to play for the kings than kristaps being traded there

 

[casper90403]

Vlade makes Phil look coherent.

 

[EddieDoyers]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19701211/lonzo-ball-says-los-angeles-lakers-plan-not-it

"I can't tell the future," Ball said of why he kept saying he isn't sure who will draft him. "I don't know where I am going."


"I know he is going to be happy," Ball added of his father's reaction once he will be drafted. "He will be smiling, I will be smiling, get the hat and go from there."

They sound pretty happy to me regardless of who's drafting Lonzo.

Of course he will be happy if ANY NBA team drafts him. His son bout to make millions. But if he were to be drafted by the Lakers, he will be a lot more than just 'happy.' More like EUPHORIC.

But you made it seem like Lavar and Lonzo would break down and cry if Lonzo were to be drafted by someone else....judging by the kid's demeanor in interviews, it says otherwise.