Lakers 2016 Season Thread

[trojanfan12]

I agree. They will be fun to watch and see grow. They looked like they were having fun unlike last year.

I was listening to Thompson and Trudell(?) this morning on ESPN radio on my way to work and they were raving about how much more fun it looked like they were having. They were talking about how they were cheering for each other, etc.

Mychal Thompson pointed out that the real test of that will come when they've had a 4 or 5 game losing streak or are 10 games under .500. But even with that, both seemed to think that Luke will be able to keep them upbeat.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Sorry old man needs his rest lol. If I make it to 11, something is wrong.

I am 57 years old and a night owl by nature - I never go to bed before 11:30 and seldom before midnight - lol

 

[wildturkey]

Oh noes! We suck again!


On a serious note, Ingram tweaked his knee and didn't return. MRI coming tomorrow. Hopefully its just a sprain with no significant damage

 

[Retroram52]

Well we tried but lost in Utah, 89-96. WE made several comebacks in the game but couldn't stop Utah runs the last was a 11-0 run that just buried us. Back to the D issue again it appears. Well, onward we go to OK City and this could be a real test for our anemic D. WE shall see if we can surprise the Okie's or get walloped.

 

[trojanfan12]

The last 2 games are likely a microcosm of how things will be this year. They'll play hard, they'll be competitive. Sometimes they'll play to the level of their talent, sometimes they'll play to the level of their experience.

They sure look to be fun to watch though. Couldn't see the game live last night because I was at work, but I watched the replay when I got home, even though I already knew they had lost. I never do that.

 

[Retroram52]

Yea TJG12. I was hoping this team would come together quickly and play like during the Riley years but that is just a fantasy wish more than anything reality-based. We will probably lose to OKC and beat the Pacers and maybe steal one from Atlanta. I hope.

 

[tomodach10]

Well we tried but lost in Utah, 89-96. WE made several comebacks in the game but couldn't stop Utah runs the last was a 11-0 run that just buried us. Back to the D issue again it appears. Well, onward we go to OK City and this could be a real test for our anemic D. WE shall see if we can surprise the Okie's or get walloped.

Good game. Russell and Clarkson did not shoot well. Julius played some lazy defense on 3 closeouts. I did not like how the refs called the game. Lakers got mugged. lot of home cooking ticky tack fout calls.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

What's surprised me a bit is that they're staying competitive till the end. Both Clarkson and Russell had terrible shooting nights. Even if just one of them made their buckets more they would have won.

 

[tomodach10]

What's surprised me a bit is that they're staying competitive till the end. Both Clarkson and Russell had terrible shooting nights. Even if just one of them made their buckets more they would have won.

I agree. I don't think it will happen that often that both shot so poorly.

 

[Retroram52]

I agree Shaqdaddy and that is one of the changes this year's team is demonstrating so far. They don't quit at the end of the third like they used to the last several years of losing. Now we need to get better on defense and the wins will become more consistent.

 

[shopson67]

Sorry old man needs his rest lol. If I make it to 11, something is wrong.

It's not easy for me either. I'm 46 and start work at 7:30am. I can't crash before 12-12:30 regardless for some reason.

 

[Inimical]

What...
The..
Fuck?

 

[lasportzphan]

Another nugget from the Jim Buss Era....

Los Angeles offered Bazemore four years and $72 million last offseason, while the Hawks offered four years and $70 million. The Orange County Register’s Mark Medina explains why:


Bazemore acknowledged his decision partly stemmed from the Lakers declining a $1.1 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent in 2014. After striking out on James, Anthony and Gasol, the Lakers also narrowed in on Jeremy Lin, Nick Young and Jordan Hill before pursuing Bazemore. He agreed to a two-year deal worth $6 million with Atlanta shortly afterward.


“One thing you want in this league is to be wanted. They didn’t pick it up for that little amount of money,” Bazemore said. “So that showed how much they believed in me and my abilities. That closed that chapter.”

The Lakers, finally post-Kobe Bryant, have put together a solid-enough nucleus of young talent. Losing out on the chance to keep Kent Bazemore on the cheap (and, later on, “the expensive”) is another in a long line of embarrassments, though.

 

[wildturkey]

Another nugget from the Jim Buss Era....

Los Angeles offered Bazemore four years and $72 million last offseason, while the Hawks offered four years and $70 million. The Orange County Register’s Mark Medina explains why:


Bazemore acknowledged his decision partly stemmed from the Lakers declining a $1.1 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent in 2014. After striking out on James, Anthony and Gasol, the Lakers also narrowed in on Jeremy Lin, Nick Young and Jordan Hill before pursuing Bazemore. He agreed to a two-year deal worth $6 million with Atlanta shortly afterward.


“One thing you want in this league is to be wanted. They didn’t pick it up for that little amount of money,” Bazemore said. “So that showed how much they believed in me and my abilities. That closed that chapter.”

The Lakers, finally post-Kobe Bryant, have put together a solid-enough nucleus of young talent. Losing out on the chance to keep Kent Bazemore on the cheap (and, later on, “the expensive”) is another in a long line of embarrassments, though.

It was the right move at the time. NO ONE believed Bazemore, not just LA. Not even the Hawks, he got 3 mil per year, which even under the old cap is still a very low salary figure. To that point in his career, he was a bench player that had shown very little in game skills beyond brief blips of athleticism. He was more known for his bench celebrations than anything else. But Atlanta under Mike Budenholzer and respected player development coach Kenny Atkinson (now HC of the Nets), made something of him.

 

[DJ Fieri]

MOST OF Y'ALL DIDN'T BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAID WE'D WIN 33-37 GAMES AND SURPRISE PEOPLE!!!! WE BEAT THE FUCKING DYNASTY WARRIORS!!!!

 

[DJ Fieri]

I'm something like a prophet.

 

[DJ Fieri]

*Looks into the crystal ball to seen how long I'll live


Doesn't see anything, throws it into the trash*

 

[shopson67]

I am 57 years old and a night owl by nature - I never go to bed before 11:30 and seldom before midnight - lol

I'm 46 and the same way, despite starting work at 7:30am during the week.

 

[shopson67]

Another nugget from the Jim Buss Era....

Los Angeles offered Bazemore four years and $72 million last offseason, while the Hawks offered four years and $70 million. The Orange County Register’s Mark Medina explains why:


Bazemore acknowledged his decision partly stemmed from the Lakers declining a $1.1 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent in 2014. After striking out on James, Anthony and Gasol, the Lakers also narrowed in on Jeremy Lin, Nick Young and Jordan Hill before pursuing Bazemore. He agreed to a two-year deal worth $6 million with Atlanta shortly afterward.


“One thing you want in this league is to be wanted. They didn’t pick it up for that little amount of money,” Bazemore said. “So that showed how much they believed in me and my abilities. That closed that chapter.”

The Lakers, finally post-Kobe Bryant, have put together a solid-enough nucleus of young talent. Losing out on the chance to keep Kent Bazemore on the cheap (and, later on, “the expensive”) is another in a long line of embarrassments, though.

His inability to see the larger picture (LA was saving cap for bigger targets) and still be petty got him 4 years in Atlanta. We'll see if he ends up regretting that.

 

[trojanfan12]

His inability to see the larger picture (LA was saving cap for bigger targets) and still be petty got him 4 years in Atlanta. We'll see if he ends up regretting that.

Yeah, I was hoping the Lakers would keep Bazemore because I liked his athleticism. However, as wildturkey pointed out, THAT Bazemore wasn't THIS Bazemore. Plus, as you mention, he didn't see the bigger picture.

Jim Buss has made his fair share of mistakes, but Bazemore isn't one of them.