End of the Luke Walton Era?

[shopson67]

It says that it wasn't enough.
Take that as you will.

It says he was already on a playoff team that he enjoyed playing with. Why disrupt that if you're happy and going to receive a big money to stay? I personally wouldn't have stayed, as I think OKC will never really challenge for a ring with Russ, but Russ was part of the allure for PG.

 

[dtgold88]

Paul George grew to love OKC. Nothing more, nothing less. He wanted to stay, so be it. Making that somehow about Lebron is ridiculous.

He probably did grow to love OKC...and Lebron could not convince him to come home. who said anything more?

 

[dtgold88]

It says he was already on a playoff team that he enjoyed playing with. Why disrupt that if you're happy and going to receive a big money to stay? I personally wouldn't have stayed, as I think OKC will never really challenge for a ring with Russ, but Russ was part of the allure for PG.

KD was on a playoff team that went further than PGs OKC team and was able to be persuaded to go. We don't know why he wouldn't play with Lebron, but he wouldn't.

 

[trojanfan12]

As for season ending, would Ball's be season ending if they needed him (serious question as I don't know)?

If the reports that it's a grade 3 sprain are true, then yes, he would still be out if they needed him.

Cavs had the assets because they acquired them. They didn't trade away 1st rounders, they added extras.

Yeah, no shit? I wish I had known that when I made the post you responded to.

Oh wait....I did.

 

[shopson67]

He probably did grow to love OKC...and Lebron could not convince him to come home. who said anything more?

For someone who thinks that anyone could do the job of guys like Woj, where is the story that Lebron talked to George? If it happened, shouldn't that story exist?

George made his decision at Russ' party the night before free agency. Lebron's decision wasn't public yet.

 

[trojanfan12]

Aren't you one of the many who made excuses for Magic that there were no shooters to get, and now you think they'd have gotten them if only Lebron were 4 years younger (he was a whopping 1/2 month older when FA started than he was since he had led the Cavs to the Finals. But they needed to change how he played and the types of players he needed?

No, I said the FA market was fairly dried up and we don't know who the Lakers talked to or whether or not they were looking for contracts longer than 1 year.

Safe to say that if Lebron were 4 years younger, they would likely have been looking to add guys on longer deals. Or better players may have been mor willing to come in on a 1 year deal for a shot at a ring.

 

[dtgold88]

If the reports that it's a grade 3 sprain are true, then yes, he would still be out if they needed him.



Yeah, no shit? I wish I had known that when I made the post you responded to.

Oh wait....I did.

Ok, then I guess the cavs deserve credit for that, don't they?

 

[dtgold88]

For someone who thinks that anyone could do the job of guys like Woj, where is the story that Lebron talked to George? If it happened, shouldn't that story exist?

George made his decision at Russ' party the night before free agency. Lebron's decision wasn't public yet.

Are you saying without a story you cannot infer at some point Lebron and PG spoke about their plans? They have to tell woj (or an insider has to make it up) for it to have happened?

 

[dtgold88]

No, I said the FA market was fairly dried up and we don't know who the Lakers talked to or whether or not they were looking for contracts longer than 1 year.

Safe to say that if Lebron were 4 years younger, they would likely have been looking to add guys on longer deals. Or better players may have been mor willing to come in on a 1 year deal for a shot at a ring.

So Lebron being younger adds players to the FA market who weren't available when he is his current age?

 

[trojanfan12]

Ok, then I guess the cavs deserve credit for that, don't they?

Yes, they do and I gave them credit for it in my post.

Unfortunately, for Magic and Pelinka, they were left with a huge mess to clean up because Short Buss was more interested in trying to save himself than in the long term best interests of the team.

The end result was having to move players that they may have preferred to keep or that could have been used to trade for a star, just to get out from under the Mozgov deal and create cap space.

 

[trojanfan12]

So Lebron being younger adds players to the FA market who weren't available when he is his current age?

Are you really this slow? Or did you intentionally ignore the part where I said "Better players may have been willing to take a 1 year deal for a shot at a ring"?

 

[dtgold88]

Yes, they do and I gave them credit for it in my post.

Unfortunately, for Magic and Pelinka, they were left with a huge mess to clean up because Short Buss was more interested in trying to save himself than in the long term best interests of the team.

The end result was having to move players that they may have preferred to keep or that could have been used to trade for a star, just to get out from under the Mozgov deal and create cap space.

i'm sure Buss mad mistakes, but you get Magic has made his fare share, as well, right? Not everything he's done wrong can be blamed on Buss.

I don't think he will but if they punt on another season they might as well have just kept Mozgov (and Russell).

 

[trojanfan12]

i'm sure Buss mad mistakes, but you get Magic has made his fare share, as well, right? Not everything he's done wrong can be blamed on Buss.

Of course not and I've said that Magic made mistakes. For one, the AD debacle blowing up as big as it did was the result of his and Pelinka's lack of experience. Imo, a more experienced FO doesn't get played like they did. A more experienced FO likely doesn't allow the trade demand to go public like it did either.

He also should have come out with a strong statement supporting Luke, even if he intends to fire him after the season, because it's hard for players to play for a lame duck coach.

I don't really blame him for the current roster because I don't who he talked to or who was available on a 1 year deal with a team that was a 2nd round exit at best. Especially since this was never going to be the roster they were looking to try to contend with anyway.

 

[dtgold88]

Are you really this slow? Or did you intentionally ignore the part where I said "Better players may have been willing to take a 1 year deal for a shot at a ring"?

Really need to go to the personal insults instead of admitting your logic was faulty? You really think good players last offseason didn't think Lebron, coming off his 8th straight season in the Finals, could not get a team there again this season? I get preferring him to be younger to commit to a long deal.

 

[dtgold88]

Of course not and I've said that Magic made mistakes. For one, the AD debacle blowing up as big as it did was the result of his and Pelinka's lack of experience. Imo, a more experienced FO doesn't get played like they did. A more experienced FO likely doesn't allow the trade demand to go public like it did either.

He also should have come out with a strong statement supporting Luke, even if he intends to fire him after the season, because it's hard for players to play for a lame duck coach.

I don't really blame him for the current roster because I don't who he talked to or who was available on a 1 year deal with a team that was a 2nd round exit at best. Especially since this was never going to be the roster they were looking to try to contend with anyway.

Talk about being a homer or an apologist.

 

[trojanfan12]

Really need to go to the personal insults instead of admitting your logic was faulty? You really think good players last offseason didn't think Lebron, coming off his 8th straight season in the Finals, could not get a team there again this season? I get preferring him to be younger to commit to a long deal.

Your missing what I said in my quote isn't faulty logic. It's you missing/ignoring what I said to feed your need to argue.

I'm not getting into another pages/days long bunch of bullshit with you.

 

[trojanfan12]

Talk about being a homer or an apologist.

Nothing homer or apologist about it. Those are the mistakes I see.

If you don't like it or agree, I don't care.

 

[dtgold88]

Your missing what I said in my quote isn't faulty logic. It's you missing/ignoring what I said to feed your need to argue.

I'm not getting into another pages/days long bunch of bullshit with you.

Love when a guy arguing says someone needs to argue, which seems to happen all the time here, and will usually happen when he/she cannot refute what was said........

which was you saying if Lebron were younger, better players would have been willing to sign ONE year deals to play with him to win a title. Because, ya know, he's so far removed from playing on a title contender.

How about you tell me all the stud players who signed 1 year deals in the past to play with him you think would not have done the same this offseason if they were available.

 

[dtgold88]

Nothing homer or apologist about it. Those are the mistakes I see.

If you don't like it or agree, I don't care.

Wasn't gonna bring it up, but Magic also botched the Randle situation and no amount of "so many have tried to explain to you......." can change this.

Sure, IF they signed a max guy who was better it maybe made sense to let him walk. But they didn't. And can we really be sure he wouldn't have been a better fit for this team than the guy they didn't even sign?

Oh, but he wasn't happy.....so unhappy he would not have taken, say, more money than NO offered per year, or a ton on a 1-year deal to get a better deal for himself next year? And here's a flash. Randle's deal might have been the most tradeable deal for any team at the deadline. I wonder if there's a team who likes him who has a player LA wants.

 

[Bart]

I can't believe they hired Luke in the first place, he had almost no head coaching experience at all. The Lakers aren't a team that needs to break in a green coach.