[:: LAKERS 2014 THREAD | POLL: Who Should Coach Next Year? ::]

[mosk33toe]

He has no rim protectors, or anyone I would trust to make a defensive rotation..the best defender on the team is who I ask?

If you want to argue he'll never be a head coach of an elite defensive team, sure. But give him a couple of defensive players (Kurt Thomas, Raja Bell, Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert) and the team will at least be middle of the pack.

It's when he's stuck with sloths (last year's Lakers) or a group of band-aids (this year's Lakers and his first two years with the Knicks) then yeah, they will be horrendous on defense. But hey guess what, so will every other coach in the league.

He had Dwight Howard, arguably the best rim protector in the league. Now people will say but MDA had like the best second half record in the League, but honestly did you think even when healthy they had a chance to compete for a title last year?

I will not completely buy into this whole "he doesn't have the players to play defense" these are NBA players who are athletic, this is the most athletic team we've had in a while, you can't get them to play a little defense?!

Bazemore, Wes, X, Meeks, Sacre, Brooks, Hill you telling me these guys can't play defense at all. I'm not talking about lock down defense, but like not giving up 120+ every game defense? There has to be something else wrong..

 

[100027]

He had Dwight Howard, arguably the best rim protector in the league. Now people will say but MDA had like the best second half record in the League, but honestly did you think even when healthy they had a chance to compete for a title last year?

I will not completely buy into this whole "he doesn't have the players to play defense" these are NBA players who are athletic, this is the most athletic team we've had in a while, you can't get them to play a little defense?!

Bazemore, Wes, X, Meeks, Sacre, Brooks, Hill you telling me these guys can't play defense at all. I'm not talking about lock down defense, but like not giving up 120+ every game defense? There has to be something else wrong..

Serious?  Dwight was a shell of himself that year in L.A.,largely because of back issues I think.

 

[grandtheftbike]

i remember the night before, kobe hit a big shot against the rockets

thought he did the same thing vs the spurs but..

 

[mosk33toe]

Serious?  Dwight was a shell of himself that year in L.A.,largely because of back issues I think.

Even so he was still dominant defensively. I understand we don't have the best roster, I UNDERSTAND THAT, but there is no discipline on defense right now. But let's just blame these players...

 

[CHAOSE57]

Kings W

 

[rck3sactown]

Kings W

Hopefully this means @Essential1   won't move the Kings

phew 

 

[sea manup]

 

Serious?  Dwight was a shell of himself that year in L.A.,largely because of back issues I think.

Even so he was still dominant defensively. I understand we don't have the best roster, I UNDERSTAND THAT, but there is no discipline on defense right now. But let's just blame these players...

other teams shot better when dwight was on the floor than off, he wasnt dominant last year at all

 

[CP1708]

So Nash, Kobe, Ron and Pau's old, slow moving selves didn't lead the league in defense next to Dwight?????

I'm shocked.


As for now, Baze been here 3 weeks.
Hill, DNP forever
X, missed like a month.
Wes and Sacre have been our best defenders, which should be a huuuuuuuuuuuge hint folks.
Farmar has done well, 30 missed games.
Blake is effective, missed 6 weeks.


So, why can't allllll these players, in their first year together, play elite defense??????


These are real questions?

 

[licensed to ball]

Yes that is exactly what the questions are.

Why can't these NBDL players play elite nba defense?!

 

[had pants]

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

So Kobe is now taking public shots at Jim and Jeanie?

Cool. This is for all of you who thought Jim wasn't the problem. YOU did this to us, YOU!!!!!


*softly weeps*

 

[kal-el-8]

It's gonna be really funny when k love and Kevin Durant to to new York now instead of la because they believe in Phil Jackson and not Jim buss.

No one is gonna believe in this idiot.


He's absolutely ruined this storied franchise in one year



*waits for essential to defend Mitch and Jim like usual*

 

[essential1]

So Kobe is now taking public shots at Jim and Jeanie?

Cool. This is for all of you who thought Jim wasn't the problem. YOU did this to us, YOU!!!!!


*softly weeps*

He's not the problem..


Yes he and Mitch were stupid not to start at 2 year / $30mil for Kobe. And meet Kobe in the middle. But it still isn't a debilitating contract.


But he's not the problem. Hell there isn't anybody who is a real problem.


When will people realize that Murphy's Law is an actual thing, and not just the Debut Album of St. Louis rapper Murphy Lee.


He ruined the franchise Jesus some of you need to go out and live some form of life.


But because you guys can't have any semblance of patience, you must have all your cake, eat it immediately. And demand more cake.


Just go read Ben Rosales timeline. That's the case for it.

 

[CP1708]

Rosales is good, but he's ignoring plenty.

He even said they "should" have flipped Pau early but its hindsight to say now, uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh folks was sayin dump the **** outta him months ago.

And while I certainly agree that the rec projects of Wes, X, Marshall etc are nice, those are any time, any place moves that can be made.

Giving 50 mil to a broken down old dude completely wastes those projects in terms of future brightness, ya know?

I'm sorry, but you can't spend a ton of resources on a 38 year old PG, lose your franchise Center, then give 48.5 million to a broken former franchise player, while not flipping your lone 33 year old asset for the 3rd year in a row, and then say "well, we discovered 4-5 really good role guys" to make up for the 4 more important players.

I'm sorry, but no. You don't win by building 7-12 first. They are important, no question, but they don't excuse the bigger, more important missteps.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Just listening to some of those clips from Kobe's press conference you can tell him and Jim Buss don't get along at all.

 

[senorroboto2k5]

I got to the part of the Showtime book that describes the Forum Club in detail. "A lot of players tell you they couldn't concentrate, they wanted the game to end so bad and go upstairs." - Wes Matthews Sr

 

[jab step]

A random hypothetical thought that I had read on another forum went something like this,

"Do you actually think Amare, under let's say someone like Pop, would end up a poor defender, which he is labeled as now. Don't you think all those defensive lapses would result in benchings, extra practice, etc. He would've actually been held accountable." 

Hey I'm not saying this is my opinion, but it's food for thought. Even Pop wouldn't bench the number 1 pick with the talent Amare had back in the day, but it is an interesting way to look at D'antoni as a coach I suppose. 

Would just like to state once again, think he's a great basketball mind, just don't think he's Laker material. Think he's outta here this off-season though. 

 

[mrdieselfuel09]

Why won't you ask that in the NBA thread?


Oh wait you already did....


Knucklehead.

 

[akajae]

struggle trolls

your team loses and all you can think about is the last place Lakers??

doing it wrong.

 

[essential1]

The longer the story of Phil Jackson going to the front office of the New York Knicks drags out, the more it seems Jackson is either trying to extract more money and power from them or parlay his flirtation into a job with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The cards are now on the table in this NBA thriller, rife with secrecy, manipulation, power plays and intrigue involving the most successful coach in league history and two of the league's flagship franchises — one far more successful than the other. Until recently, that is.

Although a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that Jackson has an agreement in principle to become the Knicks' team president, some of the most powerful men in Laker Land spent much of Wednesday attempting to pull off the seemingly-impossible: come hell or high water, as Lakers star Kobe Bryant likes to say, they want Jackson back. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal is not yet done.

written 2 hours ago for USA Today Sports..


Although it is Sam Amick... But

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...rk-knicks-front-office-future-return/6344719/


I think Phil's demands are excessive, but I kind of want it to happen because it would be hilarious.

 

[00david00]

just saw that on twitter

hire the man

 

[rck3sactown]

@Essential1  

you not an Amick fan?

 

[essential1]

@Essential1
 

you not an Amick fan?

I think he's alright, good writer. But the rumors end isn't his strong suit.


But as I think about it, it certainly is a plausible story. Because of Kobe's press conference. An unhappy Kobe always forces moves.


Chances Jeanie withholds the box as negotiation tool

 

[mrdieselfuel09]

Waking up to find out that Phil is back with thr Lakers...that'll be hilarious

 

[pmatic]

He has no rim protectors, or anyone I would trust to make a defensive rotation..the best defender on the team is who I ask?

If you want to argue he'll never be a head coach of an elite defensive team, sure. But give him a couple of defensive players (Kurt Thomas, Raja Bell, Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert) and the team will at least be middle of the pack.

It's when he's stuck with sloths (last year's Lakers) or a group of band-aids (this year's Lakers and his first two years with the Knicks) then yeah, they will be horrendous on defense. But hey guess what, so will every other coach in the league.

He had Dwight Howard, arguably the best rim protector in the league. Now people will say but MDA had like the best second half record in the League, but honestly did you think even when healthy they had a chance to compete for a title last year?

I will not completely buy into this whole "he doesn't have the players to play defense" these are NBA players who are athletic, this is the most athletic team we've had in a while, you can't get them to play a little defense?!

Bazemore, Wes, X, Meeks, Sacre, Brooks, Hill you telling me these guys can't play defense at all. I'm not talking about lock down defense, but like not giving up 120+ every game defense? There has to be something else wrong..

Like 100027 said, Dwight wasn't really Dwight (and understandably so). Hell, he's in Houston right now and isn't where he was when he was in Orlando.

And yes, after watching the Lakers the first month or two I knew they weren't going to compete because they were too top heavy (no depth), lacked speed/athleticism and didn't play defense besides Dwight who was recovering from back surgery. And the other teams in the West were really, really good.

Bazemore has been in LA for like three weeks, Wes is serviceable defensively (decent looking girl in a group of ugly girls), X missed like two months and is okay at best, Meeks gives effort but doesn't have the lateral quickness, Sacre has size but meh, Brooks STINKS on defense and Hill is a very good rebounder but not necessarily a good defender to me.

So yeah, is D'Antoni to blame for the ugly defensive numbers? Yeah, but so is the roster that is held together by ****.