**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins

[Lizakers]

Questionable decision after questionable decision

Add THT to that list. Yikes.

But Rob’s job is safe I guess. Vogel will take all the blame in a few weeks when he’s fired.

 

[pmatic]

A loss tomorrow and they're out of the 10 seed.

 

[DLF]

A loss tomorrow and they're out of the 10 seed.

God willing

 

[tupac003]

A loss tomorrow and they're out of the 10 seed.

Burn it down.

 

[Lizakers]

Damn. Like the 92 riots up in here.

 

[noblekane]

I dont care what yall say i still rather see this team in the playoffs.

would make jeanie lose money having to cut someone to keep gabriel on the roster.

 

[Lizakers]

She’ll lose more missing out on extra home games.

 

[Brosizzlew30.23]

"Through the 2019-20 season, they established a championship identity based on impenetrable size and rim protection"

Funny how so many so-called Lakers and NBA fans on NT were laughing at me in 2019-2020 when I kept saying REPEATEDLY how big of an advantage the Lakers had by using Dwight and Javale next to AD? Yup, those same people who said 10-12 min of Javale and 10-12 min of Dwight didn't mean much to our overall success. LMAO.

How's that small ball lineup doing for the Lakers now eh? Or how about AD playing center? Lol, only thing that did was get him banged up even more and look at what happened, AD at the 5 caused him to get even more hurt LOL

I will repeat once again: AD ain't no damn center and LAL CERTAINLY WON'T WIN JACK SH** IN THIS LEAGUE UNLESS THEY HAVE CAPABLE AND EXPERIENCED BIGS IN THEIR LINEUP WHO ACTUALLY KNOW JOW TO PLAY DEFENSE LIKE MCGEE.

Look at PHX, MIL, PHI, DEN, heck even GSW is now stacked with size and length with a much improved Looney, a rising Kuminga, the all-dependable Draymond Green, the stretch big Bjelica, Toscano-Anderson, and Wiseman.

"No Bigs = No Rings"

Can someone please put that **** on a gotdamn T-Shirt for me

 

[CP1708]

Look at PHX, MIL, PHI, DEN, heck even GSW is now stacked with size and length with a much improved Looney, a rising Kuminga, the all-dependable Draymond Green, the stretch big Bjelica, Toscano-Anderson, and Wiseman.

Phx, no rings.
Bucks, what big got them their ring last year?
Philly, no rings.
Denver, no rings.
GSW, Steph, Klay, KD and miniature Dray.

Relax on the bigs stuff. Or pull better data at least.

 

[CP1708]

I mean........

Screwing up the THT 2 yr vs 3 yr contract, then doing it AGAIN with Reaves.

And the guy that will get fired had nothing to do with any of this.

 

[Brosizzlew30.23]

Phx, no rings.
Bucks, what big got them their ring last year?
Philly, no rings.
Denver, no rings.
GSW, Steph, Klay, KD and miniature Dray.

Relax on the bigs stuff. Or pull better data at least.

Lol, I don't need to entertain that bro and you know it.

Last few champs:
Mil
LAL
TOR

all had numerous bigs and tons of length.

heck even GSW had Bogut, Pachulia, Ezeli, McGee all playing very important defensive roles. You think GSW wins chips with Trez Harrell or Muscala instead of McGee and Bogut? Lol

Let's not act like GIANNIS, PORTIS, AMD LOPEZ we're not a helluva trio that beat AYTON and whatever other big PHX had to spell Ayton last year.

Why do you think PHX loaded up on bigs this year?

Why do you think MIL ADDED Ibaka?

Why is it that BOSTON promoted R. WILLIAMS as a starter and reacquired Theis to back him up and wala BOS is now first in the East and ballin. A year and a half ago I was telling Celtics fans on the NBA thread that R.Williams would be an impact big for their squad within a year. Look how he balling now.

Eye Test > Stats. Always.

 

[CP1708]

Yea, you're just naming tall guys now.

All teams have random 7 footers. Yay.

 

[darthska]

Cotdammit, C CP1708 , all these years and I never knew you felt like bigs are unnecessary.

Centers & starting pitchers are lost on so many armchair QBs. Some people think that all it takes is hitters & SGs.

Nah. Bron & AD played great in 2020, but you take out Javale & Dwight... stop laughing, I'm serious... take them off the roster and put 2 middle-of-the-pack guards for their same salary on the roster, and we're not even in the Finals.

-foe

 

[CP1708]

Why is it that BOSTON promoted R. WILLIAMS as a starter

Well.....he's started every game he's played this year. And when I think of the run Boston is on, I certainly skip over Tatum and Brown to get to their shiny new Kendrick Perkins. You've really found somethin I think.....

 

[darthska]

Just finished the 2nd episode of Winning Time.

Dr. Buss It wasn't here to play NO games.

-foe

 

[Brosizzlew30.23]

Yea, you're just naming tall guys now.

All teams have random 7 footers. Yay.

Lol @ "Random 7 footers"

If teams could win chips with random 7 footers, then I'm sure Milwaukee would've found a way to get Muscala and Zubac for much less money than Lopez, Portis, and Ibaka right?

I mean, look what happened to the Lakers when they randomly decided Harrell and Gasol were better than Javale and Dwight last year lol

 

[CP1708]

Cotdammit, C CP1708 , all these years and I never knew you felt like bigs are unnecessary.

Centers & starting pitchers are lost on so many armchair QBs. Some people think that all it takes is hitters & SGs.

Nah. Bron & AD played great in 2020, but you take out Javale & Dwight... stop laughing, I'm serious... take them off the roster and put 2 middle-of-the-pack guards for their same salary on the roster, and we're not even in the Finals.

-foe

Relax. Not what I said. Not even close.

Dude threw Andrew Bogut at me. I'm not tryna listen to that bull****

Yes, Javale. Rings. After Steph, Klay, KD, Dray, Iggy, Livingston, Javale was very fundamental in their success.......

Bron, AD, Green, Kuz, Caruso, KCP, Javale was right there.......9 minutes a game

The 6 DNP's in the Finals really got us over the top. But whatev. Tall folks over actual facts.

 

[darthska]

Not what I said. Not even close.

Your words aren't even close to saying that Javale has minimal value? Because...

Yes, Javale. Rings. After Steph, Klay, KD, Dray, Iggy, Livingston, Javale was very fundamental in their success.......

Bron, AD, Green, Kuz, Caruso, KCP, Javale was right there.......9 minutes a game

The 6 DNP's in the Finals really got us over the top. But whatev. Tall folks over actual facts.

... those words right there are very close to 'Javale has minimal value.'

It's late and I don't have time to go into a lengthy detail about how important even 9 minutes from a meh center used properly can be.

Those fast Suns teams, backup rim protection, there was Amare at the rim, then who? Diaw was a stretch, seldom locking down the paint. Tim Thomas... ... I wish he would have stayed around the rim because then he wouldn't be hitting 3s. Who was the backup rim protection for even 9 stupid, insignificant minutes?

-foe

 

[Brosizzlew30.23]

"they will never get it"

 

[CP1708]

"No Bigs = No Rings"

See this darthska ?

See where Javale was literally on the Lakers, DNP'd the entire Finals and we won the chip?

Or his "importance" to the Warriors success, ya know, after their Top 8 rotational guys.

The Bucks won because of Giannis, and Middleton, and the missing piece they added.....Jrue Holiday.

The Suns quite literally had the best big in the series and lost 4 straight.

Bron's Heat
Bron's Cavs
Bron's Lakers

Bosh, Love, AD type bigs. Not actual full time Centers.

MJ Bulls had 21 feet of crap. Remember that line? But they had 7 footers.

heck even GSW had Bogut, Pachulia, Ezeli, McGee

Sounds a lot like Will Purdue, Bill Wennington and Bill Cartwright.

2003 Spurs, Tim Duncan. Yessir.

2014 Spurs, Kawhi, Parker, Manu and old *** Duncan playin 28 minutes a night. Dunc hadn't been seen since 2008, suddenly Kawhi shows up and "he's back".

You need Great players, period. Be it little guys like CP3/Booker, wings like Bron/Durant, freaks like Giannis, Jokic or Embiid. Elite players, not defined positions.
Bron can play 1-5
AD 4-5
Steph 1-2
KD 2-3-4 (even occasional 5)
Giannis 3-4-5
Kawhi 2-3-4

3&D is hit 3's and defend.

"Bigs" can be anyone from Draymond (6-5) to Embiid. Bobby Portis ( ) KLove, Claxton, Bam etc.

You can win without Bigs. Been done several times, as I have outlined. Only one team has won without Elites, the 04 Pistons.

 

[brownmamba]

just get into the play in and we good

 

[brownmamba]

no AD,,,,no chance for us in the playoffs

 

[Brosizzlew30.23]

04 Pistons were LOADED with size and elite bigs, enough to disrupt Shaq and Medvedenko LOL. Had Horace and Mailman been 100% healthy, Lakers probably win the series.

Don't tell me DET with All-Stars Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace, the lengthy Tayshaun Prince PLUS former All-Stars Memo Okhur and Antonio McDyess, PLUS Elden Campbell and Big Corliss Williamson weren't built to complement Chauncey and Rip so they could win it all.

Don't tell me the Lakers acquisition of Mychal Thompson and his 10 min a game wasn't done so LAL could counter all that size from the Celtics and Bad Boys of DET.

If having Impact Bigs didn't matter then how come Sir Charles, Oliver Miller, Tom Chambers, and Mark West wasn't enough to beat Cartwright, Grant, Levingston, Williams, Kukoc, and Stacey King even though PHX had All-Stars Kevin Johnson and Dan Majerle plus Ced Ceballos, Danny Ainge, and Richard Dumas, all scorers deluxe?

It's cause Chicago's Bigs were Better. Nonetheless they still needed impact bigs cause you take Cartwright and Grant away from the Bulls and replace them with scrubs like Keith Closs and Matt Fish and MJ don't three peat.

If you can win titles "going small" then how come in two separate playoff series Nash, Amare, Matrix, Diaw, Bell, Barbosa, Jalen Rose, James Jones, Kurt Thomas, Joe Johnson, Quentin Richardson and D'Antoni - a team that, btw, would win 60 games in today's NBA - could never beat Duncan, Horry, Nesterovic, Nazr Mohhamed, Malik Rose, Matt Bonner, and Oberto in the playoffs? Let's not act like Timmy was averaging 40 against PHX and didn't need the help of his bigs.

And after all Amare, Marion, and Nash were just as big a Big 3 as Tim, Manu,and Tony STATISTICALLY SPEAKING. Isn't it?

But which team had more bigs and thus could play more physical and protect the paint, grab key rebounds, win the positioning battle inside, etc etc.

There's a reason, after winning the title and after failing to win the title, that MIL added Ibaka after trying out Cousins, and PHX added McGee and Biyombo so they can help Ayton be more physical and throw bigger bodies at Giannis when they meet in the Finals rematch.

As great as Embiid and Jokic are, they won't win it all cause they don't have enough Javale's, Lopez's, Portis's, and Ibaka's on their roster to help them out. It's the same reason the Lakers won't win another chip until they get AD some legitimate help inside.

Last year, "the Suns quite literally had the best big in the series" according to some folks, but why didn't they win? Well, here's hoping the additions of McGee and Biyombo and the subtractions of Saric and Kaminsky will yield better results.

Seeing that PHX beefed up, what was Milwaukee's response? Let's go ahead and bring in ex-champ Serge Ibaka to help Giannis.

When you watch NBA basketball for 40 plus years, there is ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR on ALL Championship teams going back 50-plus years and it definitely ain't "you can win going small, you can win without solid bigs."

In fact, you don't even need an elite big or elite Center to win it all, as long as the team's supporting cast has enough impact bigs aka impact players with SIZE AND LENGTH, guys with experience, to support the star guards or star forwards in order to make the team a defensive force come playoff time.

See: Chicago Bulls dynasty. See: Detroit Pistons 88-91 and 04. See: Toronto Raptors 2018. See GSW dynasty.

See: 88 Lakers with a 39-40-year old way past his prime Jabbar but still had Worthy, Green, Rambis, Thompson, and of course Magic and his 9 rebs per game. You surround Magic and old *** Kareem with mediocre/scrub bigs like Stanley Roberts, Mel Turpin, Dwayne Schintzius, and Brad Sellers instead of Green, Thompson, and Rambis you think they go back to back in 87-88? lol

Even the back to back Olajuwon Rockets needed the length and defense of Otis Thorpe, Chucky Brown, Robert Horry, Carl Herrera plus stretch big Chilcutt to contend with all those bigs the Knicks had and then have to deal with Shaq and Grant the following year. As we know, Shaq had no other bigs but Grant to help him that's why he lost. Shaq had Tree Rollins, Jeff Turner, and Anthony Avent...no wonder Olajuwon and co swept them lol

I can go on and on and on.....

 

[had pants]

 

[tupac003]

For those that want us to make the play in...

Why?

The problems we have had all year are not gonna change...even with AD back.

When AD has player we still gave up a ton of offensive rebounds, still blew leads and still played horrible defense.

None of that is changing this year.

What's the difference between not making the play in or losing to the pelicans?