****OFFICIAL FRONT OFFICE DISCUSSION & CRITIQUE THREAD****

[LAKERMIKE2]

Since 1970 this Lakers franchise has hit an all time low point, in my 40+ years of following this team. I haven’t seen this teams roster be this bad since Kareem was acquired in that huge deal sending Junior Bridgeman, Dave Myers, Elmore Smith & another player for a young super star who was about 26 years old. At that time we filled our roster with an old players such as Lucious Allen, Don Chaney, Cazzie Russell & a drafted rookie Don Ford as starters. You all remember the rest & it was history in the making with new ownership & some great deals that brought us Magic & James.

We always had the opportunity to improve this team because we always had players we could move & an owner with the passion & desire to win! Now his son takes over & we are in disarray. I have NEVER ever seen a team with no coach before or after a draft, while trying to sign free agents (don’t wanna hear bout the super stars opinion of who cause Mitch keeps saying Kobe was never given that opportunity), going into summer league with no system, etc. Who in the world is gonna sign with us when they don’t know who’s going to coach them? We don’t even have more than 4 players signed to fill a starting line up, unheard of.

Face it, Lebron was never gonna sign here nor Melo for what it’s worth. I had so much confidence that we would acquire K. Love & or Irving after their rookie contracts or that group instead of all these rumors which are completely absurd of getting players who are already 30 years old & doing it all over again in 4 or 5 years. Haven’t they learned their lesson on acquiring older players or BUILDING a team like the Spurs, Suns, Raptors or OKC. I’d rather have 7 players making 7-8 mill a year instead of what they have done signing a once great player coming off a achilles injury who is 34 & has much mileage on his legs & body or sign another super star for another 22 mill & still not have the pieces to make the playoffs. We all know they over paid Kobe, he certainly isn’t worth 25 mill anymore & they could have given him 20 mill & either he takes it or walks!

Kobe has been great, but I’m a Laker fan far before & after. He is all about Kobe since his early days, the Piston Finals loss & since he forced Shaq out. The days of him isolating & hogging the ball were over 3 years ago, that’s why management should’ve known, even more with latest injury. I’m a fond believer in you don’t pay a player for the past you pay them for what you think they can contribute now & in future.

The Lakers have NO plan, I firmly believe that. Jimmy Buss is gonna Frank McCourt this team into the ground, Mitch’s hands are tied & he’s gotta be stressed out. This team, city & fans would be better off with new ownership! We are in a sad pathetic state right now, no room for improvement & players like Nash can’t be traded cause of age & contract.

I tell my son every week, stop getting your hopes up because they won’t show any improvement or get any better until Kobe is gone. They must rebuild this team not add huge salaries & old age to it. My years of knowing this team & years of cheers & jeers have taught me to not get over excited about this situation & according to these unbelievable rumors, hopes & threads are immune to emotion unless it is finalized.

I would like us to be respectable & sign players who play hard & understand the all around game. I thought the Meeks, Young’s, Johnson’s would do well here, but the last two coaches have ruined any young players ability to sustain production. I would love to see Jordan Hill come back & be given a chance to play 30 minutes a game if the training staff is sure his body is up to it, we need more competitive players not selfish players.

Melo nor Bron was considering LA, many posts & concerns are obvious. I would like this team to move on & hire a coach immediately & get involved with the free agents that are NOT table scraps, because once again I believe that’s what were gonna end up with if they don’t start acting instead of pretending & creating their own fantasy team. Why is this so hard for everyone to understand?

I am so disappointed in ownership for this false conception & misleading of the fans, we are the laughing stock of the league right now. I just saw the Celtics make a trade for a decent player in Marcus Thornton, but we don’t have the pieces to even pull off a trade such as that because we have NO trad-able pieces, yes Pau should have been traded two years ago. I’d much rather be in the position of having a young super star at age 26 like Kareem & build a team, than add on older players. Like I said I really don’t see anything good in the next 2 or 3 years until Kobe’s is gone or retired & Nash are gone! Don't hold your breathe all, but I am not to optimistic about next two or three years. By saying that, it could be 3 or 4 years before Lakers basketball is relevant again. I certainly hope management proves me wrong?
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My Laker squad.
Mr. Clutch, Nixon, Eddie, Nick, Magic, Kareem,
Silk, Cooper, AC, Worthy, Horry, Shaq, Kobe.
HC: Riley

[theunknownknight]

Blame the California state government and its insane tax rates and cost of living imposed on the people.

Max Contracts in LA <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Max Contracts everywhere else.

[22]

would you like some cheese to go with that whine?



Sorry my French teacher in HS always said that when we complained and I've been waiting years to use it.

Tough nuggs!

Just 4 years ago we were fresh off of a championship. Give it time. We'll be back

[Liam_x7]

Good read

I could rant for days on Jim Buss and the entire Ownership including Jeanie but whats the point, It comes to a point where theres only so much "Ranting" you can do

Bottom line, Its their own fault, They got themselves into this mess they can get themselves out

Im holding reservation on Ownership till after FA but by that time my opinion will probably be already set
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Lakers
Falcons

[K2]

Randy Pfund, Doug Christie, Elden Campbell, A. Peeler, and Sedale Threatt approve.

[LakerEric]

It's getting frustrating. Still holding out hope.

[PepsiShine]

[lalakersfan88]

so, if the lakers are at an all time low, it can only go up right? that's the bright side of the lakers prospect.


what goes up must come down. the spurs will eventually fall down. the celtics have fell down. the lakers routinely have climb back up faster than other teams.

so, i'm in no way shape or form worried about the lakers. people are just impatience.

[PostMalone24]

This is a joke yeah?

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[RCS926]

[City_Dawg]

Get a dog.
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*sighs*

!...

[City_Dawg]

Get a dog.
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*sighs*

!...

[ForumBlueFrank]

Put it in the contract crying thread, because that's all this is.

[K0BEE 2.0]

[ringfinger]

[pooh108159]

i don't agree and have been a fan since the late 70's and feel that the nba star player has no respect for true nba history. it is so grotest now that stars with no rings either want the max or want to be on a super team to win rings. Its crazy to me that the players don't respect the lakers legacy and it shows more ways than one. lebron was never coming here and i don't want him either. now all the talk is he going to cleveland, u damn right he is going to join another super team in irving and love who the cleveland is going after and will get. like i said cleveland is no charity case and we are seeing what gilbert and jordan were up to when they hated on the paul trade which is funny cause one team has had 3 1# picks and another is able to give gordan hayward a max deal with a 15% trade kicker while having the #9 pick in this years draft. the reality is this even at 36 as long as kobe gets help i believe we will win. its funny how unappreciated kobe is by damn near winning a 3pt with 1 allstar and role players but time and time again its kobe fault like we aint won in 20 yrs. melo camp thinks by taking the max and if they fail, they will force a trade. hello like in 2-3 yrs no one will want that salary. give me lance, monroe, sign and trade pau for picks and see if u can work something out with phx for bledsoe and we will be alright. mitch and JIM BUSS got us howard and paul until DAVID STERN IN ALL MY YEARS WATCHING THE NBA VETOED A TRADE. i don't think people understand how that has set us back which is not an excuse but truth!

[ahaider]

I honestly don't mind the past couple down years. Lakers fans have this absurd sense of egotism and nepotism. The superiority complex gets annoying real quick.

It's always good to get knocked down. It keeps the franchise motivated to excel and exceed. I'm not mad they chased Carmelo + Lebron. I'm really glad they did. Ultimately, I think Kobe's contract did them in.

It's only a matter of time though, the Lakers will be back soon. They made a great selection in Randle. Their pitches to Lebron + Melo didn't fall on deaf ears, if Kobe was still a FA we probably could have signed both those guys. But that's moot and irrelevant.

The struggle we've had since Dr. Buss's passing will only make the next championship that match sweeter. Tying the Celtics and ultimately surpassing their ring count will be incredibly sweet. It'll be a reminder to the East coast biased ESPN. (Although the ESPN LA Sportscenter broadcast is a lot more Laker friendly/better/bearable)

Ultimately, I think our franchise will learn from this and become better. We need to learn to respect our rivals more. Clearly, teams have gotten better in terms of the way they run their organizations but none are us. I look forward to next year and the future with great optimism. We will be back
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Author of James Harden and the Strip Club


"The key to good decision making is not knowledge. It is understanding. We are swimming in the former. We are desperately lacking in the latter." - Malcom Gladwell

[LakerCity]

Ayyo....im not reading that

[JoJo Dancer]

[laker4life]

[Yoki24]

lol people still believe that garbage about Kobe forcing Shaq out.

[dabask11]

[mugwump]

Heh, someone hopes this all will turn out okay? Well it won't for Lakers' fans. Maybe it will work out okay for the rest of the league that is howling in laughter about the Lakers.

I have one question that no one has answered:

Who's plan was it to load up the team last season with one year scrub contracts in order to open up plenty of cap room for LBJ, Melo, Love, or any other free agent this summer?

Was that Jimbo's plan? Or was it Mitch's plan?

Because that plan has failed.

Otherwise, there is exactly ONE asset on the Lakers right now and his name is Kobe Bryant. He's one of the biggest stars in the NBA. Of course you pay him. Jeanie told Jim and Mitch that whatever they need to win again, they have. Money is no object. So Kobe's contract is not the issue here. The issue is the Basketball Operations that is killing this team.
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"At the end of the day, you are what your record says that you are." --Mitch Kupchak

[LAKERMIKE2]

The Lakers need to take a deep breathe, regroup & be more realistic on whom they can sign & improve this team, but like I said they need to hire a coach a.s.a.p. cause they let Hollins get away & seem to be relying on Scott to be there no matter how long they wait? I mean they are sitting back, which I can never remember instead taking action & being the organization we are use too.
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My Laker squad.
Mr. Clutch, Nixon, Eddie, Nick, Magic, Kareem,
Silk, Cooper, AC, Worthy, Horry, Shaq, Kobe.
HC: Riley

[Vancouver Fan]