Game Thread: Lakers Vs. Suns Oct 29, 2014

[trojanfight]

feel bad for kobe going all out and getting no help. but also at same time its hard to considering his salary is part of reason he has no help.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

feel bad for kobe going all out and getting no help. but also at same time its hard to considering his salary is part of reason he has no help.

So you advocate owners who already pay most players in the NBA less than what they're actually worth, getting even more? I'm sure he doesn't regret the contract at all. LeBron basically sold out to get a championship.

 

[trojanfight]

So you advocate owners who already pay most players in the NBA less than what they're actually worth, getting even more? I'm sure he doesn't regret the contract at all. LeBron basically sold out to get a championship.

its difficult. looking around the league. outside of Carmelo what other player near kobes age range is taking that kind of money. yeah I get it about LeBron...but dirk, Duncan hell all the spurs really. I think its clear the quality of players lakers could have got is higher had kobe took less. maybe ill see it all play out in a few years. the mark Cuban approach doesn't appeal to me..

 

[Retroram52]

Its a catch 22 if that is what is happening. Players will let the guy making the most money play the game, and in this case, the guy is older and can't play the game all by himself like he once did. Players will play up to or down to their salary. As TJF12 has already mentioned, it all about the Bejamins, Lebowski. If Lin is yelling for players to move, nobody is doing much of anything possibly because they aren't getting paid much in their eyes compared to somebody who signed a huge contract.

 

[lasportzphan]

Sadly, we knew this team was going to be bad. It now appears things are going to get really bad with young fella' breaking his leg and the defense potentially being worse than anticipated. Even when Nick Young comes back, that does not resolve the defensive issues.

I said it in the offseason here and was blasted. But Kobe trade rumors will start flying. I know his contract is nearly "untradable," but at the very least get ready for rumors, whispers, brow beating, ESPN trade machines and drama.

 

[lasportzphan]

Its a catch 22 if that is what is happening. Players will let the guy making the most money play the game, and in this case, the guy is older and can't play the game all by himself like he once did. Players will play up to or down to their salary. As TJF12 has already mentioned, it all about the Bejamins, Lebowski. If Lin is yelling for players to move, nobody is doing much of anything possibly because they aren't getting paid much in their eyes compared to somebody who signed a huge contract.

It's not an issue of desire, rather it's about talent and the Lakers have little of it from a defensive standpoint. Lin was an awful defender in New York and his brief stint in Houston. He can yell all he want, but he can't close or blanket a majority of NBA point guards.

 

[Retroram52]

That could be too lasportzphan.

 

[Davis_Mike]

Kobe will be NYK by the trade deadline...

 

[trojanfan12]

If teams keep shooting such a high percentage on 3-pointers against the Lakers, it's going to be a long, long year guys. The amount of 3's the Lakers shoot doesn't even matter if they can't play defense.

^^^THIS^^^

The Lakers have to figure out a way to improve their perimeter defense. The interior defense isn't necessarily anything to write home about, but it's serviceable (especially when Ed Davis is in). The perimeter defense, however, is full of holes. Good team defense is about effort and communication.

The effort seems to be there, the communication is not. Hopefully, that will change as the season moves on and players get more familiar with one another, but that remains to be seen.

 

[trojanfan12]

Kobe will be NYK by the trade deadline...

I have no doubt that we will hear all kinds of "Kobe trade" rumors throughout the season. I'll be shocked if a trade happens though.

The only way I see Kobe agreeing to a trade would be if he went to a contender or a team that could be a contender by adding him. I don't think there are any teams that could take on his salary that fit that status, they'd have to give up too much of what put them there.

 

[lakersrule]

Ed Davis needs to start. I'd start him along with Hill in the frontcourt. Boozer is garbage. Kobe feeds him for an easy uncontested layup and he blows it?! Garbage. Move Kelly up the depth chart when he returns. Boozer should only play during garbage time because that's what he is at this point.

 

[wlk3]

Ed Davis needs to start. I'd start him along with Hill in the frontcourt. Boozer is garbage. Kobe feeds him for an easy uncontested layup and he blows it?! Garbage. Move Kelly up the depth chart when he returns. Boozer should only play during garbage time because that's what he is at this point.

 

[wildturkey]

Ed Davis needs to start. I'd start him along with Hill in the frontcourt. Boozer is garbage. Kobe feeds him for an easy uncontested layup and he blows it?! Garbage. Move Kelly up the depth chart when he returns. Boozer should only play during garbage time because that's what he is at this point.

I have no idea why Byron Scott ever thought it was a good idea to start Boozer. My best guess is he's just being "old school for the sake of being old school" so the vet gets the spot. Randle or Davis should have been/should be the starter for development purposes. Boozer's game has just declined too much. I said it before he came to LA, but Boozer's ideal role now is a bench guy for a championship team. He's perfectly suited for a team like LAC or OKC to give you 12 pts and 6 reb off the bench. We'll likely keep him for size purposes now that Randle is done but I was hoping we could have traded Booze later on for a late draft pick to one of those contenders.

 

[Retroram52]

Well if the Lakers have not understood the need to get younger with talent than trying to re-tread aging vets by now with all that has happened excluding Randle, they are never going to understand what the Logo has done in San Francisco and needs to be their model as well. Mitch and short buss better be thinking top five this year so as to continue along that understanding and maybe that is what they have done by assembling this roster-perhaps.

 

[Retroram52]

This summarizes what many are saying.

Five takeaways from Lakers' 119-99 loss to Phoenix - LA Times