I get it but the Celtics were a title contender when Shaq was here so it's not really the same.
I get it but the Celtics were a title contender when Shaq was here so it's not really the same.
I hope West never goes back to the Lakers. Jerry West and Red are on the very top of a very short list of guys who understand how to build championship teams.Yep, I think there's real reason to doubt their competency. Everything looks better than the preceding Kupchak/Buss team, and both management teams have drafted well with later picks, so someone deserves credit there. But Pelinka and Magic are very unimpressive -- add in that Jerry West is first up in Golden State and now in the same town doing his magic....I don't know their inside politics, but I assume West would work for the Lakers if offered authority, but just hasn't been given the offer.
Seconded; it isn't your typical athlete autobiography. Even after all his success, he was still tortured by a few failures.I hope West never goes back to the Lakers. Jerry West and Red are on the very top of a very short list of guys who understand how to build championship teams.
West is a prickly soul, who internalizes every slight, no matter how small, and never forgets or forgives. I think when the Lakers bumped him out it irrevocably damaged his relationship with Dr Buss' heirs. This is of course, all speculation. As a fellow West Virginian and WVU alum, I followed his career closely.
His book: is a good read and a peek into a deeply unhappy life.
Yeah, I know AD is great, but I'm not sure he's gonna solve this if they trade out everything for him. Especially another year or two from now. They had to win this game.Why would any other star want in on this mess? Seriously... I think they only get one via trade now, and perhaps he recognizes that and his anger over the AD fiasco is no longer containable as he knew it was his best chance. These players aren't even good enough to get traded for what he wants.
Sounds like a good read. By "a few failures" does that include 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969?Seconded; it isn't your typical athlete autobiography. Even after all his success, he was still tortured by a few failures.
The Cs were 28-9 with Shaq in 2011, and 28-17 without him. Shaq shot 66.7% with the Celtics, the highest percentage of his career by far, albeit at a low volume, because there was plenty of room for him to beast with the Big Three out there. If he stayed healthy, that team might have gotten by the Heat and won a title. The fossilized remains of Jermaine O'Neal and Nenad Krstic was quite a downgrade from an old Shaq.I get it but the Celtics were a title contender when Shaq was here so it's not really the same.
Yeah, we were 37-11 when Shaq went down with his calf injury. Even as a shell of his former self he was so effective for us that year on both ends of the floor. The guy could barely move but still was such an impactful presence.The Cs were 28-9 with Shaq in 2011, and 28-17 without him. Shaq shot 66.7% with the Celtics, the highest percentage of his career by far, albeit at a low volume, because there was plenty of room for him to beast with the Big Three out there. If he stayed healthy, that team might have gotten by the Heat and won a title. The fossilized remains of Jermaine O'Neal and Nenad Krstic was quite a downgrade from an old Shaq.
Thirded. Much less about bball than life itself.Seconded; it isn't your typical athlete autobiography. Even after all his success, he was still tortured by a few failures.
still very small sample size, of course, and the flip he's still just 21.over the past month, averaging 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 36 minutes per game. The Lakers have sputtered since the All-Star break, but Ingram has shined, racking up 88 points on 53 field goal attempts over the last three games...That commitment to attacking has led to a spike in scoring efficiency —a .630 true shooting percentage over the past month, up from a .549 full-season mark—thanks in large part to a major jump on attempts at the rim. Before January 27, Ingram had made 59.7 percent of his shots inside the restricted area, which would rank 50th among 62 forwards who average at least three such shots per game this season. Over the last 11 games, though, he’s converting 70.1 percent of his up-close tries, which would rank 15th … right behind James (70.3 percent).
Almost the entire rotation was there when Lebron signed as a FA. They were 27-35 last season at this point, 30-32 now, with Lebron taking up Randle's minutes. (24-20 with LBJ in the lineup, a 45 win team if he had played all season and they won at that rate). Lebron should have known what he was signing onto. Two of the flotsam signed for this transition year, Rondo (39%) and Stephenson (38%), have been their best three point shooters all season, a scary thought for a roster. The recently acquired Reggie Bullock is a career 40% shooter, and he has been getting 32 mpg and is shooting 44% on the longball.
He could have surrounded himself with talent if he didn't decide that the most important thing in the world to him was to go play for a specific team because a long time ago they had great players. For example, he could have figured out a way to play in Milwaukee.
It's worse than that. He goes to teams, dictates that the acquire or dump players, and then complains about the results. A lot of the mess on the Lakers, and on Cleveland before that, is because they brought in players on bad contracts specifically because LeBron wanted them. Wherever he goes, you get the best player in the league and the worst GM at the same time.He could have surrounded himself with talent if he didn't decide that the most important thing in the world to him was to go play for a specific team because a long time ago they had great players. For example, he could have figured out a way to play in Milwaukee.
Yes, its absolutely worse than that and BOTH whiffs on PG will haunt LeBron. I'll eventually stop making this point, but he could have just stayed with his 'hometown' team and built around Kyrie and Paul George. Two of the three best players in NBA (healthy Kawhi is the other) plus another top 10 in Kyrie is not a bad place to start. Yes, I acknowledge the advanced stats don't always agree with my take.It's worse than that. He goes to teams, dictates that the acquire or dump players, and then complains about the results. A lot of the mess on the Lakers, and on Cleveland before that, is because they brought in players on bad contracts specifically because LeBron wanted them. Wherever he goes, you get the best player in the league and the worst GM at the same time.
It's not just advanced stats that disagree with this take. Paul George is an excellent basketball player. He is not a top three player and never was and never will be. Kyrie's peak is top 10'ish, but even that is a stretchYes, its absolutely worse than that and BOTH whiffs on PG will haunt LeBron. I'll eventually stop making this point, but he could have just stayed with his 'hometown' team and built around Kyrie and Paul George. Two of the three best players in NBA (healthy Kawhi is the other) plus another top 10 in Kyrie is not a bad place to start. Yes, I acknowledge the advanced stats don't always agree with my take.
That’s a bizarrely categorical take wrt to George. RPM has him first in the league this year by a comfortable margin, and most MVP talk has him easily in the top 5, often in the top 3.It's not just advanced stats that disagree with this take. Paul George is an excellent basketball player. He is not a top three player and never was and never will be. Kyrie's peak is top 10'ish, but even that is a stretch
Yeah, LBJ and Curry are the consensus top two; most GMs would also have Durant, Giannis and Harden ahead of George or Kawhi, PG13’s career year notwithstanding.It's not just advanced stats that disagree with this take. Paul George is an excellent basketball player. He is not a top three player and never was and never will be. Kyrie's peak is top 10'ish, but even that is a stretch
He is having a great year, no doubt. And yes, he is likely top 6'ish this year for sure. However, the talk of him going to CLE was from 2017 though offseason. Don't think anyone would have categorized him as a top 3 player when this hypothetical trade didn't happen.That’s a bizarrely categorical take wrt to George. RPM has him first in the league this year by a comfortable margin, and most MVP talk has him easily in the top 5, often in the top 3.
I put him somewhere around 3-6 myself, but “never was and never will be” is extremely debatable.
Now THAT'S leadership that the youngsters will look up to. I cannot help but feel joy and satisfaction over the Lakers performance this year.#PlayoffModeActivated
I felt the same way but they're still losing. How good is he if he's not impacting Ws?A silver lining for the Lakers is that Brandon Ingram is playing really great basketball now. His trade value has increased.
Players his age usually don't. With him, it's a matter of gaining weight and putting in effort on the defensive end. The offensive game is pretty good, especially if the 3 point shot is falling. He doesn't turn 22 until September. I'd guess the average player starts to impact wins around age 24, but that's just a guess. I'm expecting the Wolves to be significantly better next year and the only difference will be Towns. He'll be putting up basically the same stats he did this year but they'll be better anyway. Sorta like the Bucks this year with Giannis. Just not as good. Brock Lopez helps but not that much.How good is he if he's not impacting Ws?
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26134208/lakers-melo-press-pause-deal-talksThe Lakers had been leaning toward signing Anthony for the rest of the season -- until losses in four of the past five games left the organization and Anthony's camp wondering if it made sense to bring the veteran into an unsettled environment with suddenly so little chance of making the playoffs, league sources said.
Because they’re secretly hoping for a top 4 pick to land Davis?Why the hell wouldn’t you just fire him now?
Lebron doesn't have time for interviews.Why the hell wouldn’t you just fire him now?
Other teams aren't knocking down Lue's door to hire him. he has shown he can coach a LeBron led team to a title, as a Laker pedigree, as a scrub but a Laker nonetheless, and is close enough with LeBron to attend Bronny's AAU games.I feel like Ty Lue isn’t signing up for that rodeo again. LeBron is such a coach killer.
This seems a bit overblown. Silas and Brown both got gigs after coaching Lebron. Spoelstra has obviously succeeded since Lebron left. So we are talking about Blatt and Lue. Not sure two coaches not getting another chance after being in the league for 17 years is all that out of the ordinary.LeBron is such a coach killer.
I know this sounds insane, but if they strike out this summer on premium FAs (which is looking very possible), they're going to have to seriously consider trading LeBron. His contract wasn't eligible for a no-trade clause (per reporting at the time of the deal); there is a 15 percent kicker.I think this assures that LAL won’t wait out AD for 12 months, they will use their cap space on whoever they can get this summer as they can’t afford another season like this. LeBron’s bullets are starting to wane.
LA doesn’t trade away stars. They would never seriously consider trading LeBron. What they’ll do is re-shuffle the chairs on the deck of the Titanic a million times.I know this sounds insane, but if they strike out this summer on premium FAs (which is looking very possible), they're going to have to seriously consider trading LeBron. His contract wasn't eligible for a no-trade clause (per reporting at the time of the deal); there is a 15 percent kicker.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26137383/lebron-first-season-los-angeles-become-disasterThrough Christmas, the Lakers had a defensive rating of 104.5 when James was on the floor. Since Christmas, the Lakers have a defensive rating of 111.9 when James is on the floor.