How does kobe effect the Lakers ability to bring in the next great HOF player(s)?
He helps our chances of landing a "big fish" more than he hurts our chances.
17%
[ 8 ]
He hurts our chances of landing a "big fish" more than he helps our chances.
53%
[ 24 ]
Neither. Kobe has no effect on whether top tier players come to the lakers.
28%
[ 13 ]
Total Votes : 45
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kikanga Retired Number
Joined: 15 Sep 2012 Posts: 29277 Location: La La Land
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 1:31 pm Post subject: Is Kobe a help or a hindrance in terms of bringing in the next great HOF laker player
I've heard many times on LG that Kobe is the reason why we won't be contending for a title in the next 2 years. Some people believe we have to wait until Kobe's gone until we get another top tier free agent. I'm not to sure about that premise.
Right now, Kobe is the only asset on the court the lakers have that would attract a top-tier player (even with his current salary). I think when Kobe's gone the lakers will be less likely to land a top tier player.
Of course star players in the NBA want big salaries (and Kobe's annual 20 mill hurts that), but they can get that on alot of teams in the league. That's why they're star players. In my opinion the second priority top tier players have is they want to win. And to win they need to play with other talented players (thats why tandems and "big 3's" are in Cleveland, Clippers, OKC, San Antonio, Chicago, GS, Houston, Portland, etc). With the exception of Kobe this roster is average. Last year, the same could be said about Pau (who is now gone).
By the time Kobe's gone the lakers have to hope Randle, Lin, and/or Clarkson have taken major leaps forward. Otherwise, what happened this offseason will be the norm. Look at the teams I listed in the previous paragraph. All of them had an allstar they drafted (if not 2). Harden is the exception, but he proved his talent in Houston years before Dwight went there (which is my point). Wade was in Miami, that's a big reason why Bosh and Lebron came. Same can be said about Kyrie and Cleveland this offseason.
Heritage franchise is nice. So is a winning history. Not to mention financial and career opportunities off the floor in a great city (LA). Those things almost sold Melo on coming here...but almost doesn't count.
Behind money, top-tier stars want to win... so they can make more money (did I just make your head explode? lol).
But seriously, based on what I've seen, you need a "super team" to win a chip in the 2014 NBA. And at least 1 star players needs to be on the roster heading into that offseason for it to work.
This is why some Laker fans shouldn't be waiting for the grass to be greener when Kobe leaves. Just my 2¢.
I want to get LG's pulse on the topic. So please vote. _________________ "Every hurt is a lesson, and every lesson makes you better”
Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 8287 Location: Oxnard, Ca.
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 1:52 pm Post subject:
Kobe no longer has an effect either way, Lakers management is the biggest reason for an UFA not coming to the Lakers. No one IMO wants to play for Jim Buss. _________________ .....
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ALTHOUGH HE STANDS 6 FEET 2 INCHES, JIM BUSS ATTENDED JOCKEY SCHOOL WHEN HE WAS 20.
Kobe himself doesn't really prevent us from putting together a contender. Sure, some players don't want to play with him, but many might.
I think the poll is poorly worded. It's not Kobe, it's the fact he makes 40% of the cap needed to put a team around him. That needs to be much lower at his point of his career because at that share of the pie, yes, it is prohibitive and not ideal.
Kobe himself doesn't really prevent us from putting together a contender. Sure, some players don't want to play with him, but many might.
I think the poll is poorly worded. It's not Kobe, it's the fact he makes 40% of the cap needed to put a team around him. That needs to be much lower at his point of his career because at that share of the pie, yes, it is prohibitive and not ideal.
The only reason the Lakers couldn't sign anybody is because they were unwilling to commit to longer term deals with other quality FAs that were out there. Instead, they'd like to keep their precious cap flexibility and replicate this year's FA debacle all over again next year.
Kobe makes a convenient scapegoat for that, but it wasn't Kobe that handed over a two year, $18 million contract to Jordan Hill.
Kobe no longer has an effect either way, Lakers management is the biggest reason for an UFA not coming to the Lakers. No one IMO wants to play for Jim Buss.
Kobe himself doesn't really prevent us from putting together a contender. Sure, some players don't want to play with him, but many might.
I think the poll is poorly worded. It's not Kobe, it's the fact he makes 40% of the cap needed to put a team around him. That needs to be much lower at his point of his career because at that share of the pie, yes, it is prohibitive and not ideal.
The only reason the Lakers couldn't sign anybody is because they were unwilling to commit to longer term deals with other quality FAs that were out there. Instead, they'd like to keep their precious cap flexibility and replicate this year's FA debacle all over again next year.
Kobe makes a convenient scapegoat for that, but it wasn't Kobe that handed over a two year, $18 million contract to Jordan Hill.
Right. And part of that was the uncertainty around how they're going to be able to put a contending team together and part of that uncertainty lies with a particularly massive contract.
Again, I'm not going to say Kobe's fault or Kobe this or that.
But a $24M contract that was offered in order to put butts in seats, is a hindrance to putting together a quality squad. That was the concern from the very beginning and we're seeing it now as well.
The Jordan Hill thing was long after we knew we could no longer construct such squad but why didn't you mention the second year team option on it? Forgot? Or intentional?
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 144461 Location: The Gold Coast
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 3:47 pm Post subject:
The last two years we had space to sign a FA we ended up trading for Lin and re-signing Hill, and signing Shaq. _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023.
I think in some ways Kobe does hinder the chance. It is Kobe's team and under Kobe's rules bottom line. Anyone wanting to play for the Lakers knows there's only one alpha dog. So until Kobe is gone there will be some free agents that will be apprehensive about coming to LA.
Kobe being here hurts the chances of landing a big star. Great career and legacy, but he still wants to be the main guy at his age. Everyone saw what the Yankees team went through with Jeter his last year, players aren't going to want to deal with that distraction in Kobe's last year.
A star wanting to win will probably not want to join with a top dog already on that squad. The Lebron experience was an anomaly, not the rule. That said, Kobe's presence as well as his legacy will be easier to sell to a young free agent than say, how Boston treated Pierce and Allen on their way out.
Duncan and Dirk's salaries do open doors for help on the team. Lakers FO and Kobe did what's best for Kobe. But a Kobe solo team is something we already saw when he was younger and that's not winning anything in the NBA.
Last edited by deal on Fri Oct 17, 2014 6:49 pm; edited 1 time in total
Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 8287 Location: Oxnard, Ca.
Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 10:24 am Post subject:
JoJo Dancer wrote:
Voices wrote:
Kobe no longer has an effect either way, Lakers management is the biggest reason for an UFA not coming to the Lakers. No one IMO wants to play for Jim Buss.
Its this and we don't have an attractive roster
Agree. _________________ .....
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ALTHOUGH HE STANDS 6 FEET 2 INCHES, JIM BUSS ATTENDED JOCKEY SCHOOL WHEN HE WAS 20.
Voted yes, he is a hindrance. He's just one of the problems though.
A lot of great players have chosen not to play with him. Obv he's had a great career but he's a demanding, ball-dominator and that didn't go over too well with Shaq, Dwight, Glen Rice, Bynum etc. More passive personalities like Pau and Odom put up with it but most big-time free agents will say "heck no" to playing with someone who has so much power within the organization to do whatever he wants. The head coach is even in his back pocket now.
Kobe hurts our chances. Dwight Howard made that very clear. If Melo signed with us, I'd say he helps, but the truth is, Melo didn't, and a reason for that likely is that there is just one ball, and its not big enough for two volume shooters.
Playing for Jim Buss has nothing to do with an FA potentially coming. Just because some fans in LG nerd rage over Jim Buss doesn't mean NBA players view ownership in a light as fans do. It's roster, coaching, location, market, team brand, and then maybe VERY far down, something else, and then below that who the owner is.
Don't believe me? See all the Clippers players and coaches who played and worked for Sterling over decades. _________________ ... I don't think that's Jack in those pictures ...
Any player who wouldn't want to be here because of Kobe is not a player I want on this team. Kobe's contract definitely hurts our cap but the front office is whose job it is to negotiate contracts and acquire talent. So this is on them. _________________ Lakers, today. Lakers, tomorrow. Lakers, forever.
Any player who wouldn't want to be here because of Kobe is not a player I want on this team. Kobe's contract definitely hurts our cap but the front office is whose job it is to negotiate contracts and acquire talent. So this is on them.
So you wouldn't want Shaq in his prime on this team? How about Dwight in the playoffs last year averaging 26 and 14 and 3 blocks? I'd take that over Jordan Hill and Ed Davis.
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