2018-2019 NBA Regular Season Thread

[Mecca]

Hard to say.

Based on media reports, he should already be gone, even though most of the media also says that what has happened since Christmas isn't his fault.

Jeanie likes him and insists he is the coach, so he has that going for him.

The media has been saying that Magic wants him out ever since Magic chewed him out early in the season, even though there is nothing directly quoting Magic saying so that I have seen and he's still the coach.

The media has also been saying that Lebron's "camp" wants him out, even though I haven't seen any direct quotes from anyone in his camp.

Not really sure if it's just media speculation because Lebron's history is coaches getting replaced even though Blatt is the only 1 who actually was replaced while Lebron was on the team.

Could be that the Lakers are waiting until the all star break.

Could be that the Lakers are just going to wait until the off-season to see who might be available that they believe is better.

Could be that there isn't near as much to the "Luke is going to be fired" speculation as the media is making it seem.

Could be that they will keep him at least into part of next season so that they aren't spending the off-season, chasing FA's, trying to trade for AD and looking for a coach all at the same time.

Really no idea. Losing to the Hawks certainly wouldn't help his case though.

I thought Magic was going to fire him on the plane.

I'm not even kidding.

Thibbs got fired after a blowout win.

So, it really isn't that far fetched.

Dude has some truly bizarre substitution patterns.

But, I don't think this is all on him.

Just like Blatt, the timetable shifted from, teaching to contending, as soon as you signed LeBron.

Luke was the right coach before the math changed.

 

[trojanfan12]

I dont think there ever was a negotiation from the beginning. I have had real estate agents offering to buy house, but I never responded. So now if they go tell their buyers I didnt negotiate in good faith, that wouldn't be true. My nonresponse should have made it clear that I was saying no. THATS NOT A NEGOTIATION. The only thing the Pelicans may have done at the best was to demand more and waiting for Magic to get the hint that they were not interested

If the Pelicans demanded more, they negotiated. If they demanded more just hoping that the Lakers would go away, they didn't negotiate in good faith.

It will be interesting to say the least. Most of the media seems split.

Some say, it was the right move and that the Pels will get more in the summer.

Some say, they will regret it because the offers aren't going to be as good if AD is as dead set on the Lakers as he seems to be.

 

[Mecca]

The Pelicans are being held to a standard that the NBA has not held other teams to this season. A very healthy Carmelo Anthony was essentially exiled by the Rockets in November. Memphis' Chandler Parsons and Cleveland's JR Smith, too

I agree.

I get it from both perspectives.

I don't think Klutch and Davis had a plan B.

They fully expected the Pelicans to cave.

When they didn't, they were left winding their asses and scratching their watches.

With that being said, of course he wants to play.

So did Kanter, Parker.

If NOLA could crawl back into the playoff race, maybe it would be a good thing.

I personally think they should tank to keep their pick.

So, if it were me....

Dress him, give him a few minutes, bench his ass.

It's dirty pool. But, it's following the rules.

 

[Mecca]

If the Pelicans demanded more, they negotiated. If they demanded more just hoping that the Lakers would go away, they didn't negotiate in good faith.

It will be interesting to say the least. Most of the media seems split.

Some say, it was the right move and that the Pels will get more in the summer.

Some say, they will regret it because the offers aren't going to be as good if AD is as dead set on the Lakers as he seems to be.

Have you seen anything that said they actually asked for particular assets?

I saw multiple reports on what was offered, the entire kiddie corps and 2 firsts, and the Pelicans saying that's not going to get it done.

I remember something about 4 first rounders.

But, the thing that sticks out most is Magic saying he's done bidding against himself because the Pelicans haven't so much as sent a counter offer.

That's on Magic.

Seriously, the Lakers need to hire a legit Assistant GM.

They completely bungled this.

 

[trojanfan12]

I thought Magic was going to fire him on the plane.

I'm not even kidding.

Thibbs got fired after a blowout win.

So, it really isn't that far fetched.

Dude has some truly bizarre substitution patterns.

But, I don't think this is all on him.

Just like Blatt, the timetable shifted from, teaching to contending, as soon as you signed LeBron.

Luke was the right coach before the math changed.

Imo, complaints about his substitution patterns are folks looking for a scapegoat.

Early in the season, with a bunch of new players, he had to experiment with different substitution patterns/rotations to see who played well together and who played well with Lebron.

By Christmas, when the Lakers were the #4 seed and had just blown out the Warriors at Oracle, no one was complaining about his substitutions/rotations.

Then they lost Lebron and Rondo at literally the same time, lost Kuzma for couple of games and lost Lonzo. With that many injuries, of course there are going to be some strange substitutions and rotations.

 

[dtgold88]

Imo, complaints about his substitution patterns are folks looking for a scapegoat.

Early in the season, with a bunch of new players, he had to experiment with different substitution patterns/rotations to see who played well together and who played well with Lebron.

By Christmas, when the Lakers were the #4 seed and had just blown out the Warriors at Oracle, no one was complaining about his substitutions/rotations.

Then they lost Lebron and Rondo at literally the same time, lost Kuzma for couple of games and lost Lonzo. With that many injuries, of course there are going to be some strange substitutions and rotations.

Agree and comes down to this......when fans or even media don't like a coach he will get blamed for any loss. Like him and he gets a pass.

Many thought Boston was going to run away with the East this season with Kyrie and Hayward healthy. Doesn't seem to be the case, but who is being blamed in Beantown? The players......and I agree more on the players. Certainly wasn't going to be Stevens.

 

[trojanfan12]

Have you seen anything that said they actually asked for particular assets?

I saw multiple reports on what was offered, the entire kiddie corps and 2 firsts, and the Pelicans saying that's not going to get it done.

I remember something about 4 first rounders.

But, the thing that sticks out most is Magic saying he's done bidding against himself because the Pelicans haven't so much as sent a counter offer.

That's on Magic.

Seriously, the Lakers need to hire a legit Assistant GM.

They completely bungled this.

Yeah, a bit of a rookie mistake by Magic and Pelinka.

I never saw anything, at least directly from the Lakers, saying what their "final offer" was. Just a bunch of stuff that was apparently leaked by the Pels.

Basically, a more experienced GM would have made a decent offer, but not his best offer. When the Pels didn't respond, then maybe he makes one more attempt before stopping.

This is why I was hoping the Lakers would have kept Kupchak in an advisory capacity. I don't think they would have lost control of the situation like they did if he was still around.

 

[Mecca]

To be fair, Magic was asked if he thought the Pels negotiated in good faith and he said no and said something about "It is what it is". This wasn't him going to the media.

Also, I don't know how much of this is true and how much is CYA. But according to Doug Gottlieb, folks he knows in the Lakers organization have said that all of the leaks came from the Pelicans and that the offer never reached the number of players and picks that were reported.

To be fair to that, he didn't say what actually was reported. Just that it wasn't what the Pels said it was.

Oh, I totally believe that the Pelicans leaked this.

I don't know about you, but , I think this whole thing was the machinations of LeBron and Rich Paul.

Like they are doing with Zion, they recruited Davis with this particular plan in mind.

I won't go as far as to say Magic was in on it.

I don't actually believe he was in on the plan.

But, he found out long before the rest of us.

I say all this to say....

Rich Paul, Davis' Father, had no problem undercutting the Pelicans by making his demand public and trying to sabotage a Celtics bid to get him to the Lakers.

So, why would NOLA care about making things uncomfortable in Lakerland?

The Lakers may not have been complicit.

But, they were more than willing to benefit from Klutch's wrong doing.

 

[trojanfan12]

Oh, I totally believe that the Pelicans leaked this.

I don't know about you, but , I think this whole thing was the machinations of LeBron and Rich Paul.

Like they are doing with Zion, they recruited Davis with this particular plan in mind.

I won't go as far as to say Magic was in on it.

I don't actually believe he was in on the plan.

But, he found out long before the rest of us.

I say all this to say....

Rich Paul, Davis' Father, had no problem undercutting the Pelicans by making his demand public and trying to sabotage a Celtics bid to get him to the Lakers.

So, why would NOLA care about making things uncomfortable in Lakerland?

The Lakers may not have been complicit.

But, they were more than willing to benefit from Klutch's wrong doing.

I agree 100%. I don't think Magic ever wanted to offer, and maybe didn't, what was leaked. I mean, it was like half the roster. lol

But, as you said, he knew before anyone else.

I also think that once it started to get out of control, he didn't know how to stop it.

 

[Mecca]

Yeah, a bit of a rookie mistake by Magic and Pelinka.

I never saw anything, at least directly from the Lakers, saying what their "final offer" was. Just a bunch of stuff that was apparently leaked by the Pels.

Basically, a more experienced GM would have made a decent offer, but not his best offer. When the Pels didn't respond, then maybe he makes one more attempt before stopping.

This is why I was hoping the Lakers would have kept Kupchak in an advisory capacity. I don't think they would have lost control of the situation like they did if he was still around.

Agree.

....and again, I really don't believe the Lakers were in on the pre-planning of the Davis defection attempt.

I think it was Paul, LeBron and Davis.

Magic came in much later.

Fuq was he supposed to say?

Naaaaa, we don't want another top 5 player?

Lmfao

But, it should have been obvious that Demps was toying with him.

What team do you know that can take back 5 extra players in a trade?

A front office guy with experience would have noticed that and inquired about/lined up additional trades.

 

[Mecca]

I agree 100%. I don't think Magic ever wanted to offer, and maybe didn't, what was leaked. I mean, it was like half the roster. lol

But, as you said, he knew before anyone else.

I also think that once it started to get out of control, he didn't know how to stop it.

Yep.

When all this started, when the deadline passed, I said this was an indictment of Rich Paul and Klutch, not Magic and the Lakers.

I see this less " We aren't bending over for the Lakers " and way more " If I give in, the rest off the NBA will be Rich Paul's bitch".

His client roster would have trippled...lol

 

[WiggyRuss]

Agree.

....and again, I really don't believe the Lakers were in on the pre-planning of the Davis defection attempt.

I think it was Paul, LeBron and Davis.

Magic came in much later.

Fuq was he supposed to say?

Naaaaa, we don't want another top 5 player?

Lmfao

But, it should have been obvious that Demps was toying with him.

What team do you know that can take back 5 extra players in a trade?

A front office guy with experience would have noticed that and inquired about/lined up additional trades.

obviously the Lakers looked like fools afterthe whole thing

but i think we do have to remember that if the Lakers had the right assets i do think a deal gets done.

if the Lakers had like Fox, and a pick like the unprotectd Miami pick, to build a deal around- and offered something like Fox, Kuzma, 2-3 first rounders and Ingram- a deal probbaly gets done.

the Lakers just dont have the high end assets that a team feels like they cant pass up. They have some nice pieces but nothing anyone is going to say--- WOW we really blew it by not taking player X.

 

[LAD]

Have you seen anything that said they actually asked for particular assets?

I saw multiple reports on what was offered, the entire kiddie corps and 2 firsts, and the Pelicans saying that's not going to get it done.

I remember something about 4 first rounders.

But, the thing that sticks out most is Magic saying he's done bidding against himself because the Pelicans haven't so much as sent a counter offer.

That's on Magic.

Seriously, the Lakers need to hire a legit Assistant GM.

They completely bungled this.

The first problem is it sounds like Magic was the one handling this even though he isn't the GM. I wonder if the Pels were a bit put off by that as well.

 

[Mecca]

Ultimately it will boil down to where the Lakers finish the season. If they miss the playoffs, Walton will almost certainly be the scapegoat for a failed season regardless of whether he is at fault or not.

Dude, Sup with Simmons calling Magic?

I love me some Magic. But, they shouldn't let that Dude speak without a script.

He said " Simmons called me, Nothing's going on, he just wants me to mentor him".....

Lmfao!!!

Why in GAWD'S name did he tell the media?

All bullshit aside.

Outside maybe LeBron, he couldn't pick a better mentor.

But, will the Sixers allow this?

 

[LAD]

Agree.

....and again, I really don't believe the Lakers were in on the pre-planning of the Davis defection attempt.

I think it was Paul, LeBron and Davis.

Magic came in much later.

Fuq was he supposed to say?

Naaaaa, we don't want another top 5 player?

Lmfao

But, it should have been obvious that Demps was toying with him.

What team do you know that can take back 5 extra players in a trade?

A front office guy with experience would have noticed that and inquired about/lined up additional trades.

And this is why I say LBJ is part owner of Klutch - just not on paper for now.

 

[bksballer89]

And this is why I say LBJ is part owner of Klutch - just not on paper for now.

He clearly is. They think we're stupid lol

 

[Mecca]

obviously the Lakers looked like fools afterthe whole thing

but i think we do have to remember that if the Lakers had the right assets i do think a deal gets done.

if the Lakers had like Fox, and a pick like the unprotectd Miami pick, to build a deal around- and offered something like Fox, Kuzma, 2-3 first rounders and Ingram- a deal probbaly gets done.

the Lakers just dont have the high end assets that a team feels like they cant pass up. They have some nice pieces but nothing anyone is going to say--- WOW we really blew it by not taking player X.

I can agree with this.

Sub Lonzo out for Fox and this deal looks completely different.

But.....


Can we all just admit that Kuzma is way better than we gave him credit for?

He may not be a #1.

But, he can be Carmelo-Lite.

Still not enough to headline a Brow trade.

But, that Fucker can play.

 

[bksballer89]

Agent Client Lists - RealGM

 

[Mecca]

And this is why I say LBJ is part owner of Klutch - just not on paper for now.

He is.

Like @bksballer89 said....

Nobody believes otherwise.

Knowing it and proving it are different.

 

[Mecca]

Agent Client Lists - RealGM

Have they updated Zion to Klutch yet?