LeBron James and Los Angeles Lakers Have Been Eliminated from Playoff Contention

[shopson67]

I'm not a Ball fan as of right now, notn

Trying to Trade for Anthony Davis last month was a horrible mistake and a disaster. The one thing I really liked about Mitch Kupchak - He reached out and made deals and the ones that happened - were quick and fast and no one knew about it until it was a done deal. Magic has a lot to learn on that front - that was how to screw your team up trading the wrong way. That being said - you have to sign a couple of good players first. They got LeBron and he was okay with waiting til 2019 for the rest of the build - so they signed one year rentals who will very seldom play that good. Once they have signed a Kawhi Leonard or some one - then you trade for the third player.

If Davis was truly available at the trade deadline, the Lakers were ALWAYS going to pursue that, and as soon as possible. When a player like that becomes available, you have to give the full court press. Doing so in the press was the unfortunate part. Whether the leak was Davis' agent or the since fired Pelicans' GM remains to be seen.

 

[WiggyRuss]

If Davis was truly available at the trade deadline, the Lakers were ALWAYS going to pursue that, and as soon as possible. When a player like that becomes available, you have to give the full court press. Doing so in the press was the unfortunate part. Whether the leak was Davis' agent or the since fired Pelicans' GM remains to be seen.

100% no doubt both of them.

 

[tlance]

If Davis was truly available at the trade deadline, the Lakers were ALWAYS going to pursue that, and as soon as possible. When a player like that becomes available, you have to give the full court press. Doing so in the press was the unfortunate part. Whether the leak was Davis' agent or the since fired Pelicans' GM remains to be seen.

Yes and no.

The way they did it was 100% wrong.

They should have contacted the Pelicans and declared an interest, but they should have asked the Pelicans what it would take to get AD. Put the ball in their court. The Pelicans know what the Lakers have. If they wanted a Laker trade package they would have made an offer.

Instead, they chose to start with a low ball trade offer that probably only pissed Demps off. Then, they upped their offer just about every day until they included just about every tradeable player they had. All the while, NO never made an acceptable counter offer or displayed any sense of urgency to deal AD before the deadline.

The Lakers panicked and shot their load when Davis was never really available. And EVERYONE knew that the Pelicans wouldn't move him at the deadline because they were always going to wait and see what Boston would do.

 

[trojanfan12]

100% no doubt both of them.

Agree. I think that Rich Paul leaked that AD wanted out to pressure the Pels.

That pissed Demps off and he decided that the trade wasn't happening and started leaking everything and even making some shit up.

If rumors that he called Pop for advice are true...I could see Pop telling him: "Don't do the trade, but fuck with them a little first". lol

 

[R.J. MacReady]

How the Lakers wasted Year 1 of LeBron

How the Lakers wasted Year 1 of LeBron

See, this is what happens when you get Lebron.


Win, and all the credit goes to Lebron. Lose, and your team is the biggest
bunch of jerk offs ever assembled. It's just amazing.

Only 7 games left in the season and they still don't have more wins than last year.

Never in professional sports has there been player who gives you zero accountability like Lebron
You will get none this year, and you sure as hell got none last year.

Take a look. That is how a coward deals with failure.

.

 

[WiggyRuss]

How the Lakers wasted Year 1 of LeBron

How the Lakers wasted Year 1 of LeBron

See, this is what happens when you get Lebron.


Win, and all the credit goes to Lebron. Lose, and your team is the biggest
bunch of jerk offs ever assembled. It's just amazing.

Only 7 games left in the season and they still don't have more wins than last year.

Never in professional sports has there been player who gives you zero accountability like Lebron
You will get none this year, and you sure as hell got none last year.

Take a look. That is how a coward deals with failure.

.

this is basically true

you win- LeBron gets the credit

you lose- everyone gets shit on besides LeBron


LeBron always talks about how he plays well "when hes uncomfortable" and enjoys making his teammates uncomfortable...well Lebron- some people arent assholes. they dont like playing when you call them out or throw them under the bus or try and get them traded or try and get your coach fired or call out the front office to "get more playmakers" or say that a guy isnt trying to fit in to the media etc. etc. etc.

LeBron is without a doubt, in my mind, the 2nd best player of all time (at worst) but he can be a real pain int he ass



I was listening to a Cleveland radio station and a couple LA high profile reporters called in and they were like "we didnt expect this at all, we thought LeBron was this great leader, where did this stuff come from?"

and every single Cavs fan/media member/team personnel etc. knew the truth- LeBron is amazing- he helps you win more than anyone in the game- but often times he is a pain in the ass and if his goals do not align with the teams goals- he will pursue his goals. Luckily, usually both align.

 

[dtgold88]

2 reasons:

1) spite
2) principle

The perception at the time was that Kawhi was trying to force his way to the Lakers. Pop and the Spurs were not about to give in to Kawhi and let him name the terms of his deal. Because in the long run the perception that the Spurs would cave to specific player demands like this could hurt the team more than taking a bit less in return on a trade.

For the Lakers to make this deal, their offer would have had to have been at least 125% the value of the next best offer. That is the only way the Spurs would have seriously considered moving him to LA. Because if the 2 potential returns were close to similar, the Spurs were always going pick the non-Laker package.

By the way, rumor has it that Spurs FO personnel were in touch with NO lobbying them not to deal AD to the Lakers for the same reasons.

125% better? You asked. 112% better wouldn't do it? 108%?

In all seriousness, we have no clue what it would have taken as LA could not make a better offer. But my opinion is if Derozan was a Laker and they made the offer Kawhi would not be a Laker.

I do believe the report that Pop told NO not to oblige LA......but I also believe if LA had Tatum and/or Randle AD might be in LA right now.

No need for anyone to bring up the no way they could keep Randle notion. Point is IF they could have made an acceptable offer, NO doesn't care what Pop wants.

 

[WiggyRuss]

125% better? You asked. 112% better wouldn't do it? 108%?

In all seriousness, we have no clue what it would have taken as LA could not make a better offer. But my opinion is if Derozan was a Laker and they made the offer Kawhi would not be a Laker.

I do believe the report that Pop told NO not to oblige LA......but I also believe if LA had Tatum and/or Randle AD might be in LA right now.

No need for anyone to bring up the no way they could keep Randle notion. Point is IF they could have made an acceptable offer, NO doesn't care what Pop wants.

Absoltuely.

If hte Pelicans were being offered an elite young player like a Tatum or Fox or Mitchell etc. then Davis would be in LA right now---- but the Lakers just did not have an elite young player to offer.

Ingram is a good young player.

Kuzma is a good young player.

but neither are potential franchise changing guys.

Plus each has their own down sides. Ingram obviously now with this issue- though i think its fairly over stated. Ball with his injuries and broken shot and maniac dad who would lose his shit if his kid was in New orleans. Kuzma- a 4 year college player that cant play defense and prob. doesnt have a helluva lot more upside.

I would take Ingram, Kuzma and or Ball on the Cavs. All 3 are somewhere from good to solid players---- Kuzma is a legit starter at the 4 if you have a 3 and a 5 that can play some D.....Ingram is a solid starting 2.

but none are gonna change your franchise.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

If Davis was truly available at the trade deadline, the Lakers were ALWAYS going to pursue that, and as soon as possible. When a player like that becomes available, you have to give the full court press. Doing so in the press was the unfortunate part. Whether the leak was Davis' agent or the since fired Pelicans' GM remains to be seen.

I believe Popovich interfered and stopped New Orleans or thar may have well went through

 

[shopson67]

Yes and no.

The way they did it was 100% wrong.

They should have contacted the Pelicans and declared an interest, but they should have asked the Pelicans what it would take to get AD. Put the ball in their court. The Pelicans know what the Lakers have. If they wanted a Laker trade package they would have made an offer.

Instead, they chose to start with a low ball trade offer that probably only pissed Demps off. Then, they upped their offer just about every day until they included just about every tradeable player they had. All the while, NO never made an acceptable counter offer or displayed any sense of urgency to deal AD before the deadline.

The Lakers panicked and shot their load when Davis was never really available. And EVERYONE knew that the Pelicans wouldn't move him at the deadline because they were always going to wait and see what Boston would do.

That is the media view of what happened. We don't know that to be 100% accurate, as these were leaks from a team that was not acting in good faith from the start.

Good luck dealing with the Celtics once Kyrie bolts and Davis refuses to sign an extension next year.

 

[eaglesnut]

LeBron doesn't care, his tv show just kicked off.

LeBron's interest in basketball is dropping, he completely used the LA Lakers to further build his brand and empire.

Does his empire include jussie smollett fake hate crimes?

Where are the tapes?

 

[msgkings322]

Does his empire include jussie smollett fake hate crimes?

Where are the tapes?

Way to stay on topic

 

[tlance]

125% better? You asked. 112% better wouldn't do it? 108%?

In all seriousness, we have no clue what it would have taken as LA could not make a better offer. But my opinion is if Derozan was a Laker and they made the offer Kawhi would not be a Laker.

I do believe the report that Pop told NO not to oblige LA......but I also believe if LA had Tatum and/or Randle AD might be in LA right now.

No need for anyone to bring up the no way they could keep Randle notion. Point is IF they could have made an acceptable offer, NO doesn't care what Pop wants.

Might have been 150%.

Also, knowing Pop, it is possible that it was an automatic non-starter out of principle. Pop ain't going to be pushed around.

 

[shopson67]

Absoltuely.

If hte Pelicans were being offered an elite young player like a Tatum or Fox or Mitchell etc. then Davis would be in LA right now---- but the Lakers just did not have an elite young player to offer.

Ingram is a good young player.

Kuzma is a good young player.

but neither are potential franchise changing guys.

Plus each has their own down sides. Ingram obviously now with this issue- though i think its fairly over stated. Ball with his injuries and broken shot and maniac dad who would lose his shit if his kid was in New orleans. Kuzma- a 4 year college player that cant play defense and prob. doesnt have a helluva lot more upside.

I would take Ingram, Kuzma and or Ball on the Cavs. All 3 are somewhere from good to solid players---- Kuzma is a legit starter at the 4 if you have a 3 and a 5 that can play some D.....Ingram is a solid starting 2.

but none are gonna change your franchise.

Mitchell was never an option at #2 to anyone. Tatum has taken a step back this year, and I'll still be surprised if Ainge offers him up anyway. Tatum/Kuzma are a near wash offensively (with Kuzma trailing a little due to taking a step back in 3 pt shooting percentage this year). Clearly that isn't the case defensively.

 

[eaglesnut]

Way to stay on topic

The topic is lebron failing at basketball now and going to hollywood to try to maintain his stardom.

Other gay hollywood stars have faked hate crimes against themselves to try to build their empire. We know they were fake because the tapes came out. The Lebron crew tried the same thing on his front gate, but we didn't get to see those tapes...

Just remember that when Mike did the real Space Jams he had just scored 30 ppg and won the ship. He didn't chump out to hollywood like this poor second fiddle.

 

[dtgold88]

Might have been 150%.

Also, knowing Pop, it is possible that it was an automatic non-starter out of principle. Pop ain't going to be pushed around.

Knowing Pop? You know of a time he was offered a deal and took a lesser one out of spite? That he would rather hurt LA at the expense of his own team, and not care about trying to beat the other 13 teams in his conference?

Is it your belief if LA had Derozan Pop would not have dealt with them?

 

[tlance]

Knowing Pop? You know of a time he was offered a deal and took a lesser one out of spite? That he would rather hurt LA at the expense of his own team, and not care about trying to beat the other 13 teams in his conference?

Is it your belief if LA had Derozan Pop would not have dealt with them?

Pop is a man of principle. And he was very upset with how Kawhi handled the end game in SA.

So yeah. I think at the very least there would have been a significant LA tax added to DeRozan to get Leonard.

Maybe it was bluster and posturing because Pop knew LA didn't have the package he wanted. But given how SA reacted during the AD rumors, yes. I believe they had no desire to deal Kawhi to LA.

 

[dtgold88]

Pop is a man of principle. And he was very upset with how Kawhi handled the end game in SA.

So yeah. I think at the very least there would have been a significant LA tax added to DeRozan to get Leonard.

Maybe it was bluster and posturing because Pop knew LA didn't have the package he wanted. But given how SA reacted during the AD rumors, yes. I believe they had no desire to deal Kawhi to LA.

If he was a "man of principal" wouldn't he have told Kawhi "you have a contract. Play here or kick rocks."?

 

[tlance]

If he was a "man of principal" wouldn't he have told Kawhi "you have a contract. Play here or kick rocks."?

He pretty much did that.

Kawhi wanted to go to LA. Pop sent him to freaking Toronto.

 

[trojanfan12]

Pop is a man of principle. And he was very upset with how Kawhi handled the end game in SA.

So yeah. I think at the very least there would have been a significant LA tax added to DeRozan to get Leonard.

Maybe it was bluster and posturing because Pop knew LA didn't have the package he wanted. But given how SA reacted during the AD rumors, yes. I believe they had no desire to deal Kawhi to LA.

^^^This^^^

It isn't just about getting the best offer. It's also about not making a rival better. I'm sure the last thing the Spurs wanted was to have to face Kawhi 4 or 5 teams a season plus potentially in the playoffs.

Obviously, if the Lakers could have put together a better offer than the Raptors...Pop and the Spurs would have had to talk about it and decide if the difference was significant enough for them to bite the bullet and make the trade anyway.

But since the Lakers offer only made sense if the Spurs were looking to rebuild, I'm sure it was pretty easy for them to go with the Raptors offer over the Lakers offer.