Scapegoats are usually necessary when an exec's job security is shaky or expectations for the season are high..neither of which is really the case in this instance. You could make a case for the expectation side of things, but they just wanted to make the playoffs ( still well within reach) and LeBron's injury has obviously impacted that goal the most. And making the playoffs is a low bar for this franchise, last 5 years be damned. No, Luke just sucks. Maybe one day down the line, with some seasoning, he'll be better or more suited for a HC job. The dust up between Luke/Javale/Beasley/Lance was reportedly over rotations and playing time. I've been wanting to fight Luke over his shitty rotations for a couple years myself so I'd really like to congratulate the fellas. 1st time ever hearing of this sort of thing from any of those 3 players, as far as having to be separated so they don't whip a HC's ass. Sort of thing that happens when a coach isn't well respected or is just a lame duck, should just put Luke out of his misery now. He's not the new FO's guy anyway, everybody knows that or should at least. Even if Luke had done an OK job, they're going to want to make their own hire sooner than later. Should just go ahead and hire Kidd, I imagine he'd be fine with his guy Shaw as his top lieutenant..fire everybody else, all the little Arizona guys can be excused. Slap a staff together when AD lands..hell, go get Monty Williams who coached AD in NO. Just load up.
Also, young players don't win NBA championships..or should I say young cores. Been watching the NBA for about 40 years and the only team with a young core that came close to winning it all was OKC in 2012, and Miami cracked them in 5 games, gentlemen's sweep. And that OKC young core obviously had 3 future MVPs/HOFs. Young Magic led a veteran core..young Kobe led a veteran core. So as much as I like the young Kuz, Zo, and Ingram to a lesser extent - core - it's going to be at least 3 years before they're ready to win. That's what history tells us and that's just that. Both Zo and Ingram will be pushing 25 before they're really ready to win big in this league and that's being generous and just assuming they'll stay healthy and get better..which I really shouldn't assume that Zo will stay healthy at all right now, or that Ingram will get better given all the questions about his motor and toughness. I'll give Ingram this much..@21yrs old, his hard numbers are better than 21yo Paul George's, 21yo Bradley Beal's, and 24yo Jimmy Butler's. He's producing more than they were. But anyway, if they have to go, they have to go. Kuz is closer to the target age. AD is fresh out of the oven, cooled and ready
Lance wasn't apart of it, was actually Josh Hart, because Stephenson shouldn't have any reason to complain over minutes since he has been playing far too much
Yeah I saw that. Shams' reporting. Glad Lance wasn't a part of it and hope they don't trade him. Hart, they can trade today. Hopefully he can slide into Zu's spot in the trade or go to DET for Bullock. A billion Harts out there. Not a lot of true 7'1" guys with soft hands and post skills that knock down their FTs
Yeah no punch thrown at Kerr, I'll concur. However... "Green is losing his holy mind. Inside the visitors locker room, he's hollering "I am not a robot!" at Kerr. When Kerr tells him to sit down, Green screams, "Motherf---er, come sit me down!" When he goes after Kerr, his teammates, including Curry and Thompson, step in to stave off disaster." But one helluva dispute with him charging Kerr and having to be pulled off by Thompson and Curry
And this is what you expect from a Draymond. Also, Kerr is overrated. Draymond makes sure he knows that at least a couple times a season. Where do you think Kerr handing over the white board and letting them call their own plays originated?
Hart really only does a couple things much better than Svi. I've watched Svi enough to feel like, if given more playing time, he would be a fine defensive player. Maybe not to Hart's level, but solid enough. But I don't know if Svi will ever finish at the basket as strong as Hart or rebound the way Hart does. Other than that..Svi is more athletic than Hart, a better shooter, better ball handler, better passer. Hart can go. Tired of watching him get called for traveling 2 or 3 times a game on simple high school level pump fake and drive plays.
of all the guys mentioned in THE trade its zubac i want to keep most at this point i want to keep kuzma as well but it seems like he has to be in the deal
Didn't even realize Julius has a player option for next season at around $9M..taking him back is too much of a gamble with their cap space. There's likely bad blood between Julius' agent and the LAL FO anyway over how it went down with Paul George..both represented by the same guy. No Julius and no Solomon Hill. If they're adamant that LAL take on future salary like Hill's, they get less assets in return for AD because LAL will need those assets to rid themselves of Hill in the summer. NO just needs to ride it out with Hill, they can afford to, they aren't doing shit anytime soon anyway. Mirotic coming back, all good. Expiring and a shooter at the 4, decent addition if that's how NO maybe wants to get another 1st rd pick added to the offer. NO can then take that 1st rd pick and attach it to Hill to get him moved, do that on their own time. Or Elfrid Payton comes back if both Rondo and Zo are in the deal. Also expiring. This thing can get done if NO is reasonable. I go Zo + Kuz + Ingram + Hart + KCP + Beasley + '19 1st + '21 1st That's if there's a Mirotic/1st swap. KCP can actually go in this scenario, Mirotic has nearly a $19M cap hold, so LAL would still be golden for another max slot in the summer. LAL can replace Hart and KCP with Wes Matthews and Bullock.
Lakers get: AD, Nikola Mirotic, Darren Collison, Bogdan Bogdanovic Pelicans get: Kuzma, Lonzo, Zubac, Hart, Bonga, Beasley, Rondo, KCP, 2 first round picks Pacers get: Jrue Holiday, Javale McGee, Solomon Hill Rondo gets cut and comes back to the Lakers. PG: Rondo, Collison, Caruso SG: Ingram, Lance SF: Bogdan, Svi PG: LeBron, Wagner C : Davis, Mirotic, Chandler
Where is Mirotic coming from? I doubt NO would send an expiring contract back to us. Everything I have red is they want to send back a "bad" contract, IE Moore or Randall. For that to happen the team needs to be decimated, Rondo/Ingram/Stevenson/Beasley/Hart/Zubac/Wagner for Davis and Randall. For NO this would create a surplus of players and 5 would need to be cut. For the Lakers, the would be a bit thin, but it is doable: C - McGee/Chandler PF - AD / Randall/Williams SF - Bron / Kuzma SG - KCP / Mykhailiuk/Caruso PG - Ball/Bonga This, of course, does not take into account any draft picks of which I assume there will be at least one. I suppose MGT could swap 1st picks for 2nd round picks.....but im not sure how that works.
You missed the point. If LAL is standing firm on sending one 1st round pick, maybe they would add another 1st if NO were to throw Mirotic into the deal. Mirotic is a solid player, possesses qualities that LAL could use..solid 3pt shooter, 84% @ the free throw line, and a better defender than he's given credit for. Was also really good in the playoffs last season. I haven't the slightest idea why you're proposing trades without Kuzma involved.
Top news on twitter is saying the deal is done, but I don't trust the source.. An article went up on Arizona Sports which stated that Ball was traded to the Suns, but the story has since been deleted. And one author on reddit, who claims to have family tied to the television industry working on the Ball Family documentary, states a deal has been reached and it could be linked with Anthony Davis. "He says they've already told Lonzo, and they're already in the process of moving the documentary to Phoenix," the post read. "Believe me or not - it's be all over the news either in a couple of hours or in a day (Whenever they decide to release the info to the public)." RyVerified account@JustRyCole 20m20 minutes ago If that Lakers, Suns, Pelicans trade is real...
no one mentioning mebrons "load management" bullshit so he's going to sit out games until he gets what he wants what a great influence on a young team the guy is a certified selfish pos
