2019 Los Angeles Lakers Off-Season Thread

[DJ]

James playing the role of Magic....!!!!!!

 

[DJ]

Site is glitchy as fuck tonight....

 

[Vitamike]

The Lakers are starting James at PG next season.

You heard it here first!

Starting Line-up

• LeBron James -- Point Guard (He'll command the ball anyhow)
  
• Danny Green -- Shooting Guard
  
• Kyle Kuzma -- Small Forward
  
• Anthony Davis -- Power Forward
  
• DeMarcus Cousins -- Center

Sixth Man

• Kentavious Cadwell Pope -- Guard/Small Forward

Them so called NBA insiders MUST be following Vita!

 

[Vitamike]

My original thought was that it would be too taxing.

But then I thought about it more and it might actually help him rest a bit, depending on how it's done. He'd be looking more to set other guys up rather than expending the energy trying to score.

As long as it's him starting the offense/setting guys up rather than having to do everything, it could work.

I'm a bit concerned on the defensive side of the ball. The starting line up I heard yesterday, was the same I listed here on Sunday. Just not enough little guys chasing little guys in that lineup defensively, but having KCP as the 6th man could be enough to solve that problem when it presents its self.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

Muscala and Bullock are not coming back. Muscala signed with the Thunder and Bullock went to the Knicks. That leaves Rondo and Morris available.

Two trades that got them no where and left them with little young talent

 

[shopson67]

I beg to differ, and I don't think it was about not wanting to go with the Lakers as much as it was going with what he thought would be his best option.

The Lakers were undoubtedly a good enough option for him to have a serious meeting in weighing his options.

Here's the difference that tilted the scales in LA...

Spoiler: The X Factor

And if that wasn't enough....

Spoiler: Here's two more...

Ballmer's a reason NOT to go to the Clips lol. AD is a better partner than Playoff P. Kawhi must've had other reasons IMO.

 

[shopson67]

My original thought was that it would be too taxing.

But then I thought about it more and it might actually help him rest a bit, depending on how it's done. He'd be looking more to set other guys up rather than expending the energy trying to score.

As long as it's him starting the offense/setting guys up rather than having to do everything, it could work.

Plus, it's not like he's going to defend the opposing PG. We could very well see the following rotation:

Starters: Lebron, Bradley, Green, AD, McGee
- first off the bench: Kuzma (backing up Lebron and AD), Cousins (backing up McGee)
- when Lebron comes out, Rondo (or Caruso?) subs in to run the offense
- KCP/Daniels/Cook/Dudley subbed in as needed, depending on who the hot shooters are (with KCP getting more minutes due to his defense over the others when that is needed)

Right now (with 13 players plus THT), inactives will probably be THT and Dudley.

That 15th spot should be used on a defensive PF for depth, unless Iggy manages to shake free.

 

[DJ]

Two trades that got them no where and left them with little young talent

Gave them salary cap room for this summer.

 

[DJ]

I'm a bit concerned on the defensive side of the ball. The starting line up I heard yesterday, was the same I listed here on Sunday. Just not enough little guys chasing little guys in that lineup defensively, but having KCP as the 6th man could be enough to solve that problem when it presents its self.

I hope Kuz comes off the bench honestly....he could be a 6th man of the year candidate and KCP gives us another solid player off the bench.

 

[Retroram52]

The Avery Bradley signing really bolsters are backcourt depth. We now have some really talented players in the backcourt. Let's see: Bradley, Caruso, Rondo, Quinn, LeBron, Green, Daniels, Norvell, Jr. and KCP.

 

[Retroram52]

This team is really looking stout from top-to-bottom, on paper at least. I like what Pelinka has done sans Magic. I must admit, I was one of the posters that thought we would get screwed royally keeping Pelinka around. I was def wrong on that one (as I reach for some frozen crow in the freezer)

The further we go forward, the more evidence is emerging that the problems from the Lakers FO last season falls at the feet of Magic Johnson. He did some good moves and then he ran his mouth and screwed-up two big trades: The AD trade the first time around and the Kawhi disaster, both by running his mouth and apparently blaming it on others when STHF. AS an earlier post exclaimed: The dude just can't STFU!!

 

[trojanfan12]

This team is really looking stout from top-to-bottom, on paper at least. I like what Pelinka has done sans Magic. I must admit, I was one of the posters that thought we would get screwed royally keeping Pelinka around. I was def wrong on that one (as I reach for some frozen crow in the freezer)

Yeah, you weren't the only one concerned with Pelinka. I was willing to give him a chance just because I figured there was more to what happened than just Magic's side of things.

In these kind of situations, the one doing the most talking is usually the one in the wrong. Pelinka hasn't said a word. Magic hasn't stopped talking.

It kind of reminded me of the Shaq/Kobe fallout. Shaq did a lot of talking and bashed Kobe. Kobe never said a word. Turned out that the issues were with Shaq.

Having said that, I'm still not convinced that Pelinka is the right guy...but I'm starting to warm to the idea.

The further we go forward, the more evidence is emerging that the problems from the Lakers FO last season falls at the feet of Magic Johnson. He did some good moves and then he ran his mouth and screwed-up two big trades: The AD trade the first time around and the Kawhi disaster, both by running his mouth and apparently blaming it on others when STHF. AS an earlier post exclaimed: The dude just can't STFU!!

Magic said it best himself when he was talking about why he stepped down. He can go back to just being Magic.

Everyone loves Magic and his personality and doing a lot of talking is a big part of why. That's great for someone in the role of Ambassador. But it's not great for a front office executive trying to execute trades or sign FA's where often times, being discreet can be very important.

 

[Retroram52]

Spot on TJF12 as usual. I agree on all points made. I, too am not sold on Pelinka as being permanent. I think the Icon would have handled all things better by far. I'll give a thumbs up to Pelinka when his league-wide rep changes for the positive.

I have to admit though, even with the crappy rep, he really has put together a damn good team of talent with a nice mix of vets, middle-aged guys, and youth. And he signed nearly everyone to two-year deals and instead of those ridiculous one-year deals which was the mistake last year. That one-year deal shit just destroys a developing team and its locker room chemistry.

We shall see how all this plays out this season. I am looking forward to watching all the new guys and we shall see how these Lakers can get the big trophy, something we haven't talked about in nearly a decade.

 

[tomodach10]

Spot on TJF12 as usual. I agree on all points made. I, too am not sold on Pelinka as being permanent. I think the Icon would have handled all things better by far. I'll give a thumbs up to Pelinka when his league-wide rep changes for the positive.

I have to admit though, even with the crappy rep, he really has put together a damn good team of talent with a nice mix of vets, middle-aged guys, and youth. And he signed nearly everyone to two-year deals and instead of those ridiculous one-year deals which was the mistake last year. That one-year deal shit just destroys a developing team and its locker room chemistry.

We shall see how all this plays out this season. I am looking forward to watching all the new guys and we shall see how these Lakers can get the big trophy, something we haven't talked about in nearly a decade.

Me too Ram. Rob has done a great job this offseasn. I remember last offseason when Turkey and others questioned the signings of beasley, Lance etc...They were sooo right. That lack of shooters really hurt this team all year. I am so happy with this balanced team we have now. If it does not work out, I will not crticise these signings.

 

[trojanfan12]

I have to admit though, even with the crappy rep, he really has put together a damn good team of talent with a nice mix of vets, middle-aged guys, and youth. And he signed nearly everyone to two-year deals and instead of those ridiculous one-year deals which was the mistake last year. That one-year deal shit just destroys a developing team and its locker room chemistry.

The other thing that is smart about the 2 year deals is that they line up with end of Lebron's contract. So theoretically, they could have Lebron and all of the 2 year deals coming off the books at the same time, allowing them to rebuild around AD.

The 2 year deals will also be expiring contracts next year which can make them valuable trade assets.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Yeah, you weren't the only one concerned with Pelinka. I was willing to give him a chance just because I figured there was more to what happened than just Magic's side of things.

In these kind of situations, the one doing the most talking is usually the one in the wrong. Pelinka hasn't said a word. Magic hasn't stopped talking.

It kind of reminded me of the Shaq/Kobe fallout. Shaq did a lot of talking and bashed Kobe. Kobe never said a word. Turned out that the issues were with Shaq.

Having said that, I'm still not convinced that Pelinka is the right guy...but I'm starting to warm to the idea.



Magic said it best himself when he was talking about why he stepped down. He can go back to just being Magic.

Everyone loves Magic and his personality and doing a lot of talking is a big part of why. That's great for someone in the role of Ambassador. But it's not great for a front office executive trying to execute trades or sign FA's where often times, being discreet can be very important.

Yeah, I'm still very much a Magic fan, but realize he puts his pants on one leg at a time too...prone to make some mistakes.

That said...this Laker squad as built today can finally compete for the west again.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yeah, I'm still very much a Magic fan, but realize he puts his pants on one leg at a time too...prone to make some mistakes.

That said...this Laker squad as built today can finally compete for the west again.

Magic is my favorite athlete of all time, any sport and I had hope that he would be a great FO exec.

Unfortunately, he was completely miscast in that role. Based on the amount of time he was able to devote to the job alone, he should have never been in that role. His role should basically be as the Lakers Ambassador. He still has clout with today's players, so he should be a guy who talks to FA's about how great it is to be a Laker and that's about it.

Yeah, it's nice to be considered contenders again.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Magic is my favorite athlete of all time, any sport and I had hope that he would be a great FO exec.

Unfortunately, he was completely miscast in that role. Based on the amount of time he was able to devote to the job alone, he should have never been in that role. His role should basically be as the Lakers Ambassador. He still has clout with today's players, so he should be a guy who talks to FA's about how great it is to be a Laker and that's about it.

Yeah, it's nice to be considered contenders again.

We might've had this conv before, but growing up in Memphis with no NBA team, as a kid I was a Lew Alcindor sky hook fan. Liked the Bucks with the Big O and big Lew Al...When Kareem went back west, I went with him. When Magic was drafted and Worthy, et al became the showtime Lakers...I kinda resented Magic a little until it was clear that Kareem had turned the team over to Magic and he became more of a role player. It was then I became a huge Magic fan.

Yes...you're exactly right. Magic was a lot of things, but being nailed to a desk, working phones and all of the grunt work a GM needs to do, was never a great fit for him. A role like Grant Hill has for the Hawks now would've been ideal for Magic.

If Kawhi was not going to go to the Lakers, him and Paul George going to the Clippers kinda worked out for the best for the Lakers imo. It mostly shifts the balance of power away from OKC and Toronto, and makes LA vs LA an attraction again.

 

[tomodach10]

Magic is my favorite athlete of all time, any sport and I had hope that he would be a great FO exec.

Unfortunately, he was completely miscast in that role. Based on the amount of time he was able to devote to the job alone, he should have never been in that role. His role should basically be as the Lakers Ambassador. He still has clout with today's players, so he should be a guy who talks to FA's about how great it is to be a Laker and that's about it.

Yeah, it's nice to be considered contenders again.

Glade Kareem is my all-time favorite. The only time he disappointed me was getting his ass kicked by Bruce Lee in a movie LOL

 

[tomodach10]

The Clippers LOL!!!



The Kawhi Leonard surprises don't stop. In the end he chose to sign just a two-year deal with the Clippers with a player option for Year 3 ... sacrificing even more guaranteed money and putting him on the exact same track as Paul George


Marc Stein

✔@TheSteinLine

Last point on Kawhi Leonard's contract: It makes the haul that the Clippers traded away for Paul George -- already the biggest for any one player in league history -- even bigger when they have their new superstar duo only locked in for two years #thisinsaneleague