End of the Luke Walton Era?

[WiggyRuss]

The roster they surrounded him with considering they have Lebron James was pretty crappy. Also Lebron missing 2 months didn't help him.

The front office did a terrible job of surrounding Lebron with better role players

exactly....there were DEF. role players out there to be had that fit better

and while selling "Lakers and LA weather, playing with LeBron, etc.

I mean i have seen a shit ton of role players come to CLEVELAND for LeBron.

I just dont know if i buy the--- well we tried to sign Jeff Green but he just wanted to play for that vet. min deal on the Wizards REALLY BAD instead of playing in LA with LeBron. LOL

 

[CaptainStubing]

they will definitely need a new voice leading that team (along with a roster restructure) to get things going in LA

 

[shopson67]

exactly....there were DEF. role players out there to be had that fit better

and while selling "Lakers and LA weather, playing with LeBron, etc.

I mean i have seen a shit ton of role players come to CLEVELAND for LeBron.

I just dont know if i buy the--- well we tried to sign Jeff Green but he just wanted to play for that vet. min deal on the Wizards REALLY BAD instead of playing in LA with LeBron. LOL

They probably didn't even look at Jeff Green. They already had Kuzma in his role and wouldn't want to take minutes from him. It's obvious the Lakers didn't intend for their placeholder vets to be anything more than that. This revisionist history about the Lakers expecting these role players to be the be all end all to match up with Lebron is bunk. They didn't land any shooters, so they went with play makers on a one year trial. Nothing more, nothing less. The target of course was the playoffs, but they had no illusions about a title in year one.

 

[flyerhawk]

They probably didn't even look at Jeff Green. They already had Kuzma in his role and wouldn't want to take minutes from him. It's obvious the Lakers didn't intend for their placeholder vets to be anything more than that. This revisionist history about the Lakers expecting these role players to be the be all end all to match up with Lebron is bunk. They didn't land any shooters, so they went with play makers on a one year trial. Nothing more, nothing less. The target of course was the playoffs, but they had no illusions about a title in year one.

When they lost out on Paul George it became clear that they were going to defer to 2019-2020. So the priority was getting players on 1 year deals.

Young players weren’t a real possibility as they would want multiple years. So it boils down to vets that would take 1 year deals.

They probably could have signed some other vets that would have made them marginally better but not much better.

The Pelinka-Magic Era will likely ride on what they do this summer.

 

[Cyder]

He's not Lebron's guy so he's gone. In the Knick game Lebron refused to go into the huddle in the closing seconds and the game on the line. Total dick move from a guy who's mailing it in this year.

 

[trojanfan12]

When they lost out on Paul George it became clear that they were going to defer to 2019-2020. So the priority was getting players on 1 year deals.

Young players weren’t a real possibility as they would want multiple years. So it boils down to vets that would take 1 year deals.

They probably could have signed some other vets that would have made them marginally better but not much better.

The Pelinka-Magic Era will likely ride on what they do this summer.

Exactly. It's hilarious to me that some people want to act like this was roster that the Lakers were going to try to win a title with.

Could the Lakers have gotten a shooter or 2 rather than some of the guys they got? Maybe. Maybe even probably.

But it didn't matter because none of the players they signed were ever going to be anything but 1 year place holders.

Once PG decided to stay in OKC, this teams ceiling was always a 2nd round exit. Adding a shooter or 2 wasn't going to change that.

 

[shopson67]

He's not Lebron's guy so he's gone. In the Knick game Lebron refused to go into the huddle in the closing seconds and the game on the line. Total dick move from a guy who's mailing it in this year.

He didn't need to know the play, since he was going to ignore it and play hero ball.

 

[Cyder]

He didn't need to know the play, since he was going to ignore it and play hero ball.

Good point, sometimes the simple solutions elude me.

 

[shopson67]

Good point, sometimes the simple solutions elude me.

It's sad but true, lol.

 

[dtgold88]

They probably didn't even look at Jeff Green. They already had Kuzma in his role and wouldn't want to take minutes from him. It's obvious the Lakers didn't intend for their placeholder vets to be anything more than that. This revisionist history about the Lakers expecting these role players to be the be all end all to match up with Lebron is bunk. They didn't land any shooters, so they went with play makers on a one year trial. Nothing more, nothing less. The target of course was the playoffs, but they had no illusions about a title in year one.

Agree, but Magic claimed the plan was not to go with shooters and to go with playmakers.

 

[dtgold88]

Exactly. It's hilarious to me that some people want to act like this was roster that the Lakers were going to try to win a title with.

Could the Lakers have gotten a shooter or 2 rather than some of the guys they got? Maybe. Maybe even probably.

But it didn't matter because none of the players they signed were ever going to be anything but 1 year place holders.

Once PG decided to stay in OKC, this teams ceiling was always a 2nd round exit. Adding a shooter or 2 wasn't going to change that.

This is fair (not a title contender), but LA was in a 6 year rebuild and are no better now with Lebron than they were without. Yes, not all 82 games, but he'll be close to 60, right?

with 4 years to rebuild the Cavs went to Finals in year 1.....and they also didn't expect it.

 

[dtgold88]

It's sad but true, lol.

You have no idea how thankful I am he deferred to Kyrie in Game 7 against GS. I do wonder what would have happened, though, if that was the last possession of the game.

 

[huskers1217]

Lakers have a better chance at the #1 pick than making the playoffs.


A team with LeBron should not be in that situation... unless it's tanking.

to be fair. Lue didn't get fired until LeBron left and they left nothing in the cupboard for him

 

[Montalban]

the GM is more at fault than Walton.

Walton will easily land on his feet.

Magic screwed him over with this absurd roster compilation.

They're probably not getting Brow, trade for Bradley Beal and watch how this dynamic changes.

James kills another coach

 

[CitySushi]

This is fair (not a title contender), but LA was in a 6 year rebuild and are no better now with Lebron than they were without. Yes, not all 82 games, but he'll be close to 60, right?

with 4 years to rebuild the Cavs went to Finals in year 1.....and they also didn't expect it.

Yes, but every time Lebron has moved from one team to another he had two all-stars and at least 1 of them be a top 10 talent at the time. Dwyane Wade was top 5 at the time and Chris Bosh was probably top 15ish. Kevin Love was in his prime and considered a top 10 player in Minnesota and Kyrie was probably top 20ish or so at the time (which he got much better from then).

Lebron's best teammate coming to LA weren't even considered top 50 players. That's a huge difference.

Go back and look at what the odds were for the Cavs to win the Championship in their first year with Lebron. They were the heavy favorites. So it wasn't unexpected.

 

[lebron23james]

LMAO

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Luke Walton will have a head coaching job within a week of being fired - Phoenix Suns is already talking about him as well as the Arizona Wildcats - Luke will have choices and Magic Johnson will end up regretting it.

 

[handicappers]

bwwwahahahahaha

 

[shopson67]

Agree, but Magic claimed the plan was not to go with shooters and to go with playmakers.

I think that was largely due to scarcity in last year's free agent class. Redick wasn't leaving Philly, and who else was there, Ellington? Some other guys could've been options that ended up having good seasons, but they weren't necessarily considered good bets at the time. Then again, neither are Lance and Beasley.

 

[trojanfan12]

This is fair (not a title contender), but LA was in a 6 year rebuild and are no better now with Lebron than they were without.

This is completely false. This team will likely finish with a worse record because of injuries more than anything. Prior to the injuries, the roster was working and the Lakers were the #4 seed. In the previous 6 years, they didn't even have a winning record at Christmas (when Lebron and Rondo went down), let alone as high as the 4 seed.

with 4 years to rebuild the Cavs went to Finals in year 1.....and they also didn't expect it.

When Lebron came back to Cleveland, they already had Kyrie and brought in Kevin Love. And at the least, were expected to reach the ECF.