Why we took Russell

[Puckleberry_finn]

There is a plan in place. And I don't think it involves cousins. I believe we are gonna offer the Max to Aldridge. Aldridge, Randle, Kobe, Clarkson, Russel. That way we don't give up our young talent. We rebuild while being a contender for the playoffs.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

There is a plan in place. And I don't think it involves cousins. I believe we are gonna offer the Max to Aldridge. Aldridge, Randle, Kobe, Clarkson, Russel. That way we don't give up our young talent. We rebuild while being a contender for the playoffs.

The problem with getting Cousins is the Lakers would have had to give up way to much - Sacramento wanted Randle, Clarkson and the 1st round draft pick - that would put the Lakers with nothing. The price was just way to steep considering it took them two years to get those three players. I think the Lakers have several big men that they want to chase and they will likely sign Rondo on a one year deal which gives the Lakers new point guard to get developed. Aldridge might prefer the Spurs but would really be a great player and lets not forget that the Lakers might still go for Goran Dragic

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

The problem with getting Cousins is the Lakers would have had to give up way to much - Sacramento wanted Randle, Clarkson and the 1st round draft pick - that would put the Lakers with nothing. The price was just way to steep considering it took them two years to get those three players. I think the Lakers have several big men that they want to chase and they will likely sign Rondo on a one year deal which gives the Lakers new point guard to get developed. Aldridge might prefer the Spurs but would really be a great player and lets not forget that the Lakers might still go for Goran Dragic

Doubt it now that they went for Russell. They'll be going hard for a big in FA now

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Doubt it now that they went for Russell. They'll be going hard for a big in FA now

I would have liked to had Okafor, but If we could get another Magic Johnson, and then sign Aldridge, the Lakers might get to do some gloating - ya know?

 

[lakersrule]

Yeah don't see the Lakers wasting cap space on Dragic or Rondo now

 

[tomodach10]

And when we wiff on the free agents again...

 

[lakersrule]

And when we wiff on the free agents again...

And what happens if we don't?

 

[Louie26]

And when we wiff on the free agents again...

Jesus you're negative!!

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Yeah because the Lakers are known to always do bad in free agency

 

[trojanfan12]

Got a couple of "nattering naybobs of negativity" up in hurr.

 

[Retroram52]

I was in the Okafor/Towns/Russel camp. He's beginning to grow on me and from what I have seen so far, this guy might indeed be the best player of the draft but we shall see.

 

[Louie26]

I was in the Okafor/Towns/Russel camp. He's beginning to grow on me and from what I have seen so far, this guy might indeed be the best player of the draft but we shall see.

According to Bilas, (who thinks we should've taken Okafor), Russell is the best all around player in the draft.

 

[Retroram52]

According to Bilas, (who thinks we should've taken Okafor), Russell is the best all around player in the draft.

I totally agree and many others are stating the same. I hope he stays healthy and we may a backcourt like that of the Dubs in a year or two.

 

[Kold]

And when we wiff on the free agents again...

IF we whiff...we try again next year as that will argubaly be the biggest FA class in history. Something is gonna break our way. I've felt this way ever since we lost Dwight, and I feel that way even more so, given the recent developments.

 

[Retroram52]

Some of the pundits are ragging on Kupchack and B. Scott for turning their backs on Okafor and taking Russell stating that Russell is a streaky shooter and they passed on a pretty solid, consistent big man in Okafor. Our biggest problem is not necessarily height in the paint but defense in the paint. We can now work on that.

Our other problem was we had pieces and patchwork in our backcourt without a true point guard. Now we have filled that void and we can proceed onward to the next piece to fill just like GS did. What these pundits keep ignoring is the league is changing away from a dominant big to sharp-shooting backcourts. We moved in that direction last evening.

WE can now move toward completing the piece of finding a big that can play D and shoot. Aldridge may be that guy. If not, then we can add a piece next year. This is the Logo model that has worked everywhere he has gone. We are following that model and we will be back and the rebuilding pretty much completed. Russell was a good step in the right direction.

 

[tomodach10]

IF we whiff...we try again next year as that will argubaly be the biggest FA class in history. Something is gonna break our way. I've felt this way ever since we lost Dwight, and I feel that way even more so, given the recent developments.

How do you feel now???

 

[Kold]

How do you feel now???

I have not wavered one bit. Russell, Clarkson, and Randle is a good nucleus, and with Kobe's contract coming off the books, we'll be able to offer 3 max contracts in future years

 

[Retroram52]

This need to have a team go after players who are supposedly deserving of such large sums of money is generating a hysteria with max contracts that has become commonplace. Many, not all, of the FAs asking for max contracts often do not have a skill-set and associated accomplishments that are consistent enough to merit one.

Granted, rich owners who continue to reward players who are not truly in that category based on their historical and verifiable performance drive this nonsense and players are to blame to take that kind of offered money. We, the fans and all the ancillary folks involved in sports journalism create and maintain this hysteria by buying into this subtle thinking.

If the Lakers continue to collect and develop young, talented players filling in the gaps they have, there will be no need for a max contract player, now or in the future. Case in point, the Dubs this year. GS is trying to move a player or two for cap reasons and re-sign some of their own, but they are relatively silent in the FA market at least from a point of acquiring players. They are self-contained and they just got done winning a championship.

I think this max contract business is highly overrated and it certainly doesn't guarantee a championship.

 

[wildturkey]

This need to have a team go after players who are supposedly deserving of such large sums of money is generating a hysteria with max contracts that has become commonplace. Many, not all, of the FAs asking for max contracts often do not have a skill-set and associated accomplishments that are consistent enough to merit one.

Granted, rich owners who continue to reward players who are not truly in that category based on their historical and verifiable performance drive this nonsense and players are to blame to take that kind of offered money. We, the fans and all the ancillary folks involved in sports journalism create and maintain this hysteria by buying into this subtle thinking.

If the Lakers continue to collect and develop young, talented players filling in the gaps they have, there will be no need for a max contract player, now or in the future. Case in point, the Dubs this year. GS is trying to move a player or two for cap reasons and re-sign some of their own, but they are relatively silent in the FA market at least from a point of acquiring players. They are self-contained and they just got done winning a championship.

I think this max contract business is highly overrated and it certainly doesn't guarantee a championship.

None of this is nonsense. That's how the NBA salary structure works. It's all been bargained in the CBA. The players have a guaranteed share of revenue that has to be paid no matter what. I think you're forgetting that not all maxes are equal. Max contracts are a percentage of the salary cap and are determined by years served. The longer you've played, the higher percentage of the cap you can get. So Greg Monroe's max is like 25% but Lebron James would be over 30% (numbers not precise, just an example). So then you do the math and see that Monroe actual salary figures are reasonable for a player of his caliber. But its common for folks just to hear "max" and think they're all the same. Your example has some flaws too. GS is capped out. That's the reason they're silent on the market, not they are being frugal. They can't do anything on the open market other than sign their own players until they get under the cap (minus mid-level exceptions,etc) They gave near maxes to Thompson and Green and when Curry is due, he's getting maxed. The only reason he isn't already is because he had ankle issues that clouded his future when he signed his rookie contract extension.

 

[shopson67]

Unfortunately, the Lakers are still chasing these top guys and losing out on a lot of other talent that could bolster the team AND add young talent. Lakers have been so preoccupied with LMA, Jordan, and Monroe that they've missed out on dozens of other players already. I was hoping they could snag Thomas Robinson as a cheap reclamation project, but they missed out there.

Maybe they strike some gold in the RFA portion of free agency, but that is an even bigger crapshoot. I'm not sure Harris is worth a max offer, but that is what it will take (and the Magic may still match, especially since they missed on Millsap). I would like to see the Lakers throw a max offer at KJ McDaniels (maybe even a poison pill type, which he is eligible for). Max would start at about the MLE. The poison pill won't be as effective given the upcoming cap increases, but of the players remaining, he's one of the more enticing ones.

There are a few names that can be had for cap space dumps (Lee, Hibbert). This would be similar to the Lin deal last year; Lakers take on salary dump players that actually fill a need with the cap space they couldn't find FA takers for, and possibly pick up draft pick compensation in the process. Lee and Hibbert are about $15M each, so it would be one or the other, and both are on the last year of their contracts. Both would actually fill needs on the current Lakers team (Lee as backup PF behind Randle and a vet presence, Hibbert as starting center) and are worthwhile pursuits should free agency continue to not bear fruit for the Lakers.

Lakers could really use some vet leadership at PG, SF, and the frontcourt. Not necessarily starters, but rotational guys that can help these kids along in the right direction.

Lakers will still need to add at least one max type player in the future I believe though. As talented as these kids may be, you need star power in LA. The ideal would be to sneak into the playoffs this season to show the team is on the right path, then use that jump in the cap plus Kobe's money to really become serious contenders.