Laker Report: They Have to Be Trying to Improve, Right?
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emplay
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:15 am    Post subject:

Expect is a strong word - no.

Hope - yes.
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dino
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:37 am    Post subject:

i can imagine none of the teams want to help the lakers out and all that and i realize a lot of press has come out basically conceding a quiet trade deadline for the lakers...still...its fairly difficult to swallow this team going on without even a little tinkering...

but just as kupchak just let divac's contract go for nothing, i can imagine him just sitting on our expiring k's...

sad...
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pask
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:15 am    Post subject:

A Mad Chinaman wrote:
Mike@LG wrote:
Quote:
You mean like KG in Minnosota or Pierce in Boston?

Fans assume it takes loads of time to build a championship contender. I disagree. The late 90s Laker roster was more talented than the 2000 teams. It took PJ all of 1 year to get there.

When Magic Johnson got drafted, it took all of 1 year to see championship glory. I don't think it takes as much time; but rather the amount of time is dependent on the timing, situations, and moves that are or aren't made.

Example, if we simply drafted better from 2000-2004, how much time would it take the Lakers to get championship level? Do you think we'd have to wait so long to be an eighth seed team? Think we would've made the Finals last year?

I think GMs like Joe Dumars and Kiki Vandeweghe understand timing.


When Magic came to the Lakers, Kareem was there and they got James Worthy as the #1 draft choice had a "little" (hehehe) with starting that dynasty. Some of it was luck and/or being prepared for a fortunate opening.

With Jerry West at the helm (2000-2004), we had the best G.M. in the business. For awhile Kiki was being blasted at Denver and if Shaq/Kobe could have gotten along with each other - nobody would care who Joe Dumars is? If Portland didn't flame-out, the Lakers probably would not have won their 1st championship and . . . . .

Circumstances, changes, unpredictable trades, injuries, etc. are all random elements to putting together a championship team.

We're 1 and/or 2 players away from being a championship caliber team.



We even got Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes and a few other players. And we were lucky enough (i think there wasn´t any salary cap in place by that time) to get Bob McAdoo and in the 2n half of the 80´s Mychal Thompson.

In the 90's we had talent, but we changed unstable and inconsistent talent (Van Exel, Eddie Jones) for a solid third scorer like Rice. And we have very solid all around players loke Fox or Horry.

I´m with Mad Chinaman that we´re a couple of players away. Change Paul Pierce for Odom, and get some solid help at guard, and we´re settled for a few years, with a little tinkering from time to time.
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pask
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:00 am    Post subject:

By the way, I´m tired of Mitch haters and people who don´t believe in this organization.

This is the winningnest club in the NBA. Lakers are a synomim for success.

Dr. Buss is clearly comitted to this team and to winning. His family is comitted. And they are running the team and the organization as a family. Phil is family. Mitch is family. Former players have become members of the family with prominent roles in the organization.

So Mitch does not decide alone. Decissions are made as a family. If Mitch trades is a family decission. If not, it´s also a family decission.

If the Lakers trade it will be for pushing the team towars championships rings. If not, it will be because they think that no trade is avalaible to put the team over the top.

The goal of the Lakers FAMILY is not to have a team in the playoffs each and every year. This is the goal for the Jazz, the Blazers, the Pacers ....
our goal is a RING. A dinasty. Consistent success . So they won´t panic over half season struggles.

So RELAX. If a trade falls through it will help the team get over the top. If there´s no trade, it´s not because they don´t care, it´s because the LAKER FAMILY is comitted to long term winning, and not to playoff appearences.

So just be patient, LAKER FAMILY, and we´ll get back to succes sooner than later.
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targetman
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:04 am    Post subject:

I really doubt that teams won't trade with us because they don't want to help the Lakers. I think they don't trade with us because we don't want to part with the players they want, like Odom, and they don't want the players that we want to part with, like Devean.
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wolfpaclaker
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:53 am    Post subject:

I hope a trade happens so most of the whiners will be in and then have no other choice but to SHUT the (bleep) up
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KAMILLION
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:55 am    Post subject:

I love how most of the people on here are willing to throw away the Lakers entire future for a chance to get a little better today. The Lakers Organization is here to win championships not just to make the Playoffs. It's year two of rebuilding, the Lakers need to make prudent moves not desperate ones. If we went out and traded for every player that is on the block, our team would look like the Knicks. The Lakers would be stuck with mediocre talent and inflated salaries with no chance for success. No one on here wants that.

Get used to it. It's going to take some time. Let Dr. Buss do it the right way because I love parades.
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bounty
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:58 am    Post subject:

wolfpaclaker wrote:
I hope a trade happens so most of the whiners will be in and then have no other choice but to SHUT the (bleep) up

Unless its a trade to get the production and quality of Kwame right? I mean alot of production changed hands in that transaction, however none of it seemed to be in our direction
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lakers1969
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:18 am    Post subject:

I do believe in LAKER family. They are rebuilding for a dynasty. It doesn't matter if we don't make a play-off, what matter is the ring and parade. Hopefully we could have a dynasty soon, it would bring excitement to my wife and kids. That's right, wife and kids. My family are die-hard Laker fan and recruting my relatives.

I started in 1969 with my Dad and I have seen the ups and downs so be patient. We are not wasting Kobe's prime. A year or two we might get the ring again.

Eventhough we as fans would like the team to win all the time but patience is the key.
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tgf5
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:25 am    Post subject:

Honestly I would put Kobe is untouchable. Of course trading guys like Bynum would be unlikely, but you have to look at all offers.
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Mailman04
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:48 am    Post subject:

No team makes a trade to help the other team. That old crap about no one will trade with the Lakers because they don't want to help them out is crazy. A team trades a player to the Lakers or any team because that team's GM has sold them on the idea that the trade will help both teams. New Orleans didn't trade Baron to help Golden State nor did LA trade Shaq to help Miami. The most sickening thing I have heard from Mitch is that LA won't trade for a G even though one is needed because Aaron McKie will be back soon. Aaron McKie wasn't helping this team before he was hurt, why would he help them now? No, for the second straight year Mitch has wasted the MLE. If this team stands pat it is because Mitch isn't doing his job, not because someone didn't want to help the Lakers. Kobe wasn't traded to the Lakers to help them.
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A Mad Chinaman
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:59 am    Post subject:

bounty wrote:
Unless its a trade to get the production and quality of Kwame right? I mean alot of production changed hands in that transaction, however none of it seemed to be in our direction


Kwame was a calculated gamble that might still produce results. He has the physique and has shown flashes of what he can do in previous games. Even with the Lakers, he has shown some flashese while having the excellent support/teaching/discipline/coaches that Buss has put in place to help him continue his development.

Don't think that he will be as great as Jermaine O'Neal, but he is nowhere near the disaster of "The Candy Man'/Benoit Benjamin-type players. How long before Jermaine O'Neal developed into his present status of one of NBA's better players?!?! PLUS - he is learning "The Triangle" and we all know that having immense brainpower is not one of his better skills?!?!?

If Kwame can do the following:
Rebound
Presence around the paint
Aggressive around the basket - meaning DUNK THE BALL

The Lakers would be very happy
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Mailman04
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:31 pm    Post subject:

A MAD CHINAMAN, I don't disagree with your post about Kwame, too early to write him off. However, I do have to ask myself if they basically want Kwame to be a Rodman type (Phil's words, not yours) then why didn't they keep Caron and Chucky and just add Reggie Evans with the MLE. Seems this team would have been better that way.
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A Mad Chinaman
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:57 pm    Post subject:

Didn't keep Chucky because he played no defense - which is worse than Smush and Sasha, though he does provide some offense. Given that this season's mantra was defense (of which I agree it should), this was a relatively easy decision. Even when Chucky became available again, the Lakers weren't interested.

Traded Caron because they had to give up something of value and he made the most sense because of the following:
** It was going to be expensive to keep him
** Where would he play since the plan was for Kobe to play the "3"
** His defense was not his strong suit so he couldn't play in a Scottie Pippen-type role

Reggie Evens is a technical foul waiting to happen. Even with Seattle needing "bigs" (even more than the Lakers), he hasn't been getting any PT and they even obtained Chris Wilcox to get some presence in the paint. PLUS, he is a short PF - ala Elton Brand with none of Elton's talent/skills
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dino
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:51 pm    Post subject:

am sure that on at least several occassions teams may have hesitated/didn't trade with the lakers because of some lingering resentment over all the success the franchise has experienced...didn't mchale nix a trade that would have gotten them eddie jones and elden campbell a few years back because he didn't want to help the lakers out? i mean, sure, he's an ex-celtic and all that but it shows you how much more difficult kupchak's position is relative to other gm's (although i remember reading somewhere that rambis thought this not to be true)...

and am unsure if wolf was referring to my post when he commented on "whiners" but i assure you that i am anything but a bandwagon-impatient-teenager with no regard or knowledge of laker history...can't a fan express his feelings on the current state of the team just this once and not be instantly branded a "whiner?" sure it takes time to build a contender...that an an inordinate amount of luck...but you all have to admit, mitch has not drafted well (whether it's jackson's fault or not) and the mle's have just been used in very suspicious ways...kupchak really is no west but i did expect a little more from him...

it was not easy watching this team losing in the playoffs and finals in the 80's, was not easy seeing them after magic left (although getting peeler, van exel and eddie jones in relative succession helped a lot and wasn't sedale threatt just a great pick-up?) and it was tough watching them lose games in spite of having what, at the time, was arguably one of the greatest tandems to lace them up...

its never easy to watch your favorite team struggle to this extent and at this level and have to hold on to very little in terms of hope when you think about how soon this proud franchise starts to get its legs under it again...at least, after magic left, you could see west making moves trying to address the team's deficiencies and problems...that and it really felt as if he was in control and it was simply a matter of time before things got better...this in in spite of benoit benjamin coming in and sam perkins going out in favor of doug christie...
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dino
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:53 pm    Post subject:

and as far as "believing" in the lakers? i think, if you tool a poll on this, you'd find a lot of people here "believe" in the lakers...they just have trouble "believing" so strongly seeing that it isn't jerry west sitting in the gm chair anymore...
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A Mad Chinaman
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:41 pm    Post subject:

dino wrote:
kupchak really is no west but i did expect a little more from him...

Jerry West, the best in the business, still had bad draft choices and trades while with the Lakers. This is evident during his tenure at Memphis which demonstrates how hard it is to put together a championship team.

If Shaq would have maintain some iota of integrity - considering that he "strongly" suggested to bring in PJ that lead to the departure of West - we might still be counting more rings. But that is the past. Having a player like Kobe who really wants to be a great basketball player, not one by mistake (Shaq) is a good place to start - despite our turmoils to reach the top of the mountain again
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angel
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:54 am    Post subject:

I believe they are making an effort to improve the team.
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