Los Angeles Lakers 2018-2019 Season Thread

[DJ]

It was a rough season for the Raiders.....allow me this, folks.....

 

[Retroram52]

Let's see. We are at the 30 win mark which apparently to this team signals tank time. Last year's team had more wins without James. I say trade this albatross and let's get back to winning and the real Lakers basketball.

 

[tomodach10]

James has maybe 2 seasons left before he starts to decline.....If you can get 2 of Leonard, Irving or KD......you would have to trade James. 2 of those 3 have a longer shelf life than James.

Kyri is always injured, dont want him.

 

[tomodach10]

Let's see. We are at the 30 win mark which apparently to this team signals tank time. Last year's team had more wins without James. I say trade this albatross and let's get back to winning and the real Lakers basketball.

It has been an injury riddled season, not james fault. If this team could have stayed together after the Christmas game, we would not be in this position. We have had to play games without james, Lonzo, ingram, or kuzma, all out at same time. You are going to lose alot of games. You take Harden off houston, or westbrook off OkC, you are going to lose games. Keep this season in perspective. Injuries killed this team more then anything.

 

[trojanfan12]

Everyone has some blame for how this season has gone but, imo, they aren't as bleak as some think.

Folks have to remember, it's the Lakers, so everything gets blown up into a huge story, even if it isn't necessarily that huge.

The biggest problem this year has been injury. Prior to losing Lebron and Rondo on literally the same day, they were the #4 seed in the West, were considered to be "ahead of schedule and had good chemistry. These are the games missed so far:

Lebron 18 games, Rondo 34 games, Lonzo 19 games (and out for the season), Ingram 14 games (and out for the season), Kuz 6 games, Hart 3 games (hasn't been healthy for several weeks).

That's a lot to overcome for any team. But especially a team made up of 1 star, a bunch of kids and a bunch of 1 year players on "make good" deals.

The next biggest problem was the AD debacle:

I don't know if Lebron panicked or got bored or what, but he and Rich Paul apparently thought they could bully the Pels into trading AD. They were wrong and it blew up in theirs and the Lakers faces. It destroyed the chemistry the team had as the 1 year guys checked out and the kids no longer trust Lebron.

As for blame:

You can't really blame anyone for injuries. They happen. The Lakers aren't the first team to have a season ruined, at least in part, by injuries and they won't be the last.

Lebron, Rich Paul and Klutch get a big chunk of the blame because the AD trade attempt should never have been made public. Making it public embarrassed the Pels and pissed them off. The Pels then decided that they'd rather embarrass the Lakers back and did so.

I am of the opinion that had they handled the whole thing quietly, there's a good chance that AD would be a Laker right now and for a lot less than their reported final offer of what? Half the team?

Magic and Pelinka share some of the blame because of their inexperience. When the AD debacle started to spin out of control, they didn't know how to stop it. I think that may be part of why, when all of the rumors and quotes were happening at that time, nothing was actually coming from the Lakers. They were all coming from Klutch and the Pels.

Jeanie shares a small part of the blame too, imo. She should have tried to keep Mitch in an advisory role for Magic and Pelinka. I think that if Mitch were involved, the AD thing either never goes public or it's dealt with right away.

She also shouldn't have allowed the constant speculation re: Luke's job to continue. She backed him with a "Luke is our coach" statement. But it was largely ignored because everyone was focused on some alleged "loud meeting" between Magic and Luke back in November. She should have told Magic to make a "Luke is our coach" statement himself.

There was even a statement from the Lakers that there have been no discussions about Luke's job, which again, was largely ignored because it didn't come from Magic. Assuming it's Lebron that wants Luke out, the Lakers should have done what Pat Riley did in Lebron's 1st season in Miami. Riley told him that Spo was the coach and he needed to stfu. Lebron then shut up and bought in. The Lakers should have done the same.

Best thing for the Lakers going forward, imo, is to learn from the mistakes they made this year, figure out who's going to be part of the future and start preparing to put a better product on the floor next season.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

ESPN's Jeff Van Gundy said that the Lakers should look into trading LeBron

 

[Retroram52]

Your next to last paragraph TJF12 is a cue as to why Magic has let LeBron run the show. Too much of Magic the player is involved in his dealings with players and I am sure he is learning. If Magic wants to regain a modicum of team control and he wants to keep Luke, he needs to have a face-to-face with LeBron ASAP otherwise this team will be doomed for the foreseeable future.

 

[trojanfan12]

lol

Lakers last night...

Shot nearly 50% from the field

Made 4 more 2 point field goals than the Celtics

Made 4 more free throws than the Celtics (not a typo)

Were even in total rebounds

Had 2 more offensive rebounds

Had 1 less foul

Had 1 less turnover

But were outshot 14 to 5 from 3 and lost...

 

[shopson67]

lol

Lakers last night...

Shot nearly 50% from the field

Made 4 more 2 point field goals than the Celtics

Made 4 more free throws than the Celtics (not a typo)

Were even in total rebounds

Had 2 more offensive rebounds

Had 1 less foul

Had 1 less turnover

But were outshot 14 to 5 from 3 and lost...

...and those 3s were almost exclusively from the backcourt (11 from Kyrie, Smart and Rozier), and my guess is that if you watch the film, most would be Rondo's responsibility, either directly or on a switch. He tends to collapse into the paint, then fails to get back out to the shooter (and often doesn't try), or gets lost on a pick (and doesn't fight around it).

 

[Retroram52]

This team is now in a bad way. Chemistry is gone and players are just showing-up for a pay check. I believe this may have been one of Magic's many blunders for the 2018-2019 season.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/luke-w...sign-brook-lopez-julius-randle-203905663.html

 

[Retroram52]

WTH? Why not try anybody. Maybe Magic is attempting to recoup some lost PR with this feel-good story.

Lakers Sign Andre Ingram | Los Angeles Lakers

 

[tomodach10]

Kick rondo to curb offseason

Rumor: Kemba Walker 'more likely to leave' as free agent

 

[DJ]

Andre Ingram signed a 10 day contract with the Lakers.

 

[DJ]

Wagner has been playing well the last few games....

 

[DJ]

No Zach Lavine tonight.

 

[DJ]

Need a win tonight just to keep the team up....

 

[DJ]

Everyone has some blame for how this season has gone but, imo, they aren't as bleak as some think.

Folks have to remember, it's the Lakers, so everything gets blown up into a huge story, even if it isn't necessarily that huge.

The biggest problem this year has been injury. Prior to losing Lebron and Rondo on literally the same day, they were the #4 seed in the West, were considered to be "ahead of schedule and had good chemistry. These are the games missed so far:

Lebron 18 games, Rondo 34 games, Lonzo 19 games (and out for the season), Ingram 14 games (and out for the season), Kuz 6 games, Hart 3 games (hasn't been healthy for several weeks).

That's a lot to overcome for any team. But especially a team made up of 1 star, a bunch of kids and a bunch of 1 year players on "make good" deals.

The next biggest problem was the AD debacle:

I don't know if Lebron panicked or got bored or what, but he and Rich Paul apparently thought they could bully the Pels into trading AD. They were wrong and it blew up in theirs and the Lakers faces. It destroyed the chemistry the team had as the 1 year guys checked out and the kids no longer trust Lebron.

As for blame:

You can't really blame anyone for injuries. They happen. The Lakers aren't the first team to have a season ruined, at least in part, by injuries and they won't be the last.

Lebron, Rich Paul and Klutch get a big chunk of the blame because the AD trade attempt should never have been made public. Making it public embarrassed the Pels and pissed them off. The Pels then decided that they'd rather embarrass the Lakers back and did so.

I am of the opinion that had they handled the whole thing quietly, there's a good chance that AD would be a Laker right now and for a lot less than their reported final offer of what? Half the team?

Magic and Pelinka share some of the blame because of their inexperience. When the AD debacle started to spin out of control, they didn't know how to stop it. I think that may be part of why, when all of the rumors and quotes were happening at that time, nothing was actually coming from the Lakers. They were all coming from Klutch and the Pels.

Jeanie shares a small part of the blame too, imo. She should have tried to keep Mitch in an advisory role for Magic and Pelinka. I think that if Mitch were involved, the AD thing either never goes public or it's dealt with right away.

She also shouldn't have allowed the constant speculation re: Luke's job to continue. She backed him with a "Luke is our coach" statement. But it was largely ignored because everyone was focused on some alleged "loud meeting" between Magic and Luke back in November. She should have told Magic to make a "Luke is our coach" statement himself.

There was even a statement from the Lakers that there have been no discussions about Luke's job, which again, was largely ignored because it didn't come from Magic. Assuming it's Lebron that wants Luke out, the Lakers should have done what Pat Riley did in Lebron's 1st season in Miami. Riley told him that Spo was the coach and he needed to stfu. Lebron then shut up and bought in. The Lakers should have done the same.

Best thing for the Lakers going forward, imo, is to learn from the mistakes they made this year, figure out who's going to be part of the future and start preparing to put a better product on the floor next season.

TJ12 with the epic WackWiggity post.

@ChiefsLakers67

 

[DJ]

James has averaged 30.5ppg, 9.5apg, and 8.5rpg the last 2 games.


Yeah, he's mailing it in.....right?

 

[DJ]

And we're losing....

 

[DJ]

The Lakers trail, 40-32.