Lakers in the News 2/13/14 - 2/15/14: Kupchak: "No blaming Steve Nash" vs Mark Medina "Lakers’ investment in Steve Nash pays almost no dividends"

 
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:26 am    Post subject: Lakers in the News 2/13/14 - 2/15/14: Kupchak: "No blaming Steve Nash" vs Mark Medina "Lakers’ investment in Steve Nash pays almost no dividends"

Quote:
Oklahoma City Thunder (42-12) at Los Angeles Lakers (18-34), 10:30 p.m. (ET)
February 13
BY SPORTS NETWORK
The Sports Network

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to go into the All- Star break on a three-game winning streak Thursday night when they visit the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Thunder beat the New York Knicks at home on Sunday, then took out the Trail Blazers in Portland on Tuesday. The win at Portland halted a two-game road slide.

Kevin Durant had 36 points and 10 rebounds as Oklahoma City claimed a 98-95 win over Portland. The Thunder now own a five-game lead over Portland for first place in the Northwest division.

Reggie Jackson scored 17 points with six rebounds and five assists while Jeremy Lamb added 19 points and five rebounds for the Thunder, who have won four of their last five.

"We had a group full of competitors. We competed. That's what we're about," said Thunder head coach Scott Brooks. "We've always been that way. We don't like to lose. We have a locker room that cares just like Portland. That's a group that competes also."

The Thunder escaped Portland with the victory as LaMarcus Aldridge had an open look, but missed. OKC will head into the break with the best record in the West and Durant and Brooks will go to New Orleans for All-Star festivities.

The Thunder will play their first six games at home after the break, including a rematch against the Miami Heat on Feb. 20, the first game back.


Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2014/02/13/4820591/oklahoma-city-thunder-42-12-at.html#storylink=cpy


Last edited by Cha*n on Mon Feb 17, 2014 9:26 am; edited 6 times in total
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:27 am    Post subject:

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Thunder, Lakers close down first half

Published February 13, 2014Sports Network

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to go into the All- Star break on a three-game winning streak Thursday night when they visit the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Thunder beat the New York Knicks at home on Sunday, then took out the Trail Blazers in Portland on Tuesday. The win at Portland halted a two-game road slide.

Kevin Durant had 36 points and 10 rebounds as Oklahoma City claimed a 98-95 win over Portland. The Thunder now own a five-game lead over Portland for first place in the Northwest division.

Reggie Jackson scored 17 points with six rebounds and five assists while Jeremy Lamb added 19 points and five rebounds for the Thunder, who have won four of their last five.

"We had a group full of competitors. We competed. That's what we're about," said Thunder head coach Scott Brooks. "We've always been that way. We don't like to lose. We have a locker room that cares just like Portland. That's a group that competes also."


http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2014/02/13/thunder-lakers-close-down-first-half/
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:29 am    Post subject:

Quote:
Preview: Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Thunder forward Kevin Durant steals the ball from Lakers guard Nick Young during a game in Oklahoma City. (Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press / December 13, 2013)
By Eric Pincus
February 13, 2014, 6:00 a.m.

The Lakers (18-34) play one final game before this weekend's All-Star break, hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder (42-12) on Thursday night at Staples Center.

Oklahoma City has the best overall record in the NBA, despite star guard Russell Westbrook missing 28 games with a knee injury.

Kevin Durant has dominated the league, scoring 31.2 points with 7.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists a game.

The Lakers have floundered, struggling to play through multiple injuries. They'll play the Thunder without Steve Nash (nerve root irritation), Kobe Bryant (knee), Pau Gasol (groin), Jordan Farmar (hamstring), Nick Young (knee), Jodie Meeks (ankle) and Xavier Henry (knee).

Key matchup

The Lakers will try to slow Durant with Wesley Johnson initially but Shawne Williams and Ryan Kelly will also get a try.

The team doesn't have much depth at small forward, or at guard in general.

Chris Kaman has become the team's primary scorer. The Lakers can't match Durant (and probably can't even slow him much), but it would help if Kaman chipped in the 26 points he's averaged over the last two games.

X-factor

Reggie Jackson has emerged as a steady scorer for the Thunder, averaging 13.6 points a game this season.



http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-oklahoma-city-thunder-20140213,0,6849068.story#ixzz2tEc5FYrC
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:13 pm    Post subject:

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The Forum: Steve Nash

Ramona Shelburne and Arash Markazi debate whether it's time for Steve Nash to retire.

The Forum: Steve Nash

Ramona Shelburne and Arash Markazi debate whether it's time for Steve Nash to retire.

LOS ANGELES -- Steve Nash was halfway home Wednesday afternoon when he got word that some of the reporters who cover the Lakers were asking to speak with him.

There wasn't much for him to say, other than to reflect on his latest injury setback. But sometimes it doesn't matter what you say, as long as you're there to say it.

So Nash drove back to the Lakers' practice facility to take questions.

There's nothing remarkable about that other than the fact that you can't imagine just about any other professional athlete doing it.

He came back to take questions from local media he's barely had time to get to know in his two years in Los Angeles, except when he's been talking about the career-threatening nerve irritation he's struggled to overcome or the team's wildly dysfunctional chemistry last season.

It's one thing for Kobe Bryant to stand in front of his locker and tearfully answer questions the night he tore his Achilles. This Kobe's town. His franchise, his fans.

Nash has little equity here. Little connection to Lakers fans. No real responsibility to communicate with them as the face of a franchise normally would. Heck, with half the town urging him to retire, you couldn't blame if he never wanted to talk at all.

But there he was, getting in his car and driving back. Because ... ?

More than once in the last few years Nash has asked himself why.


http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/10449859/los-angeles-lakers-guard-steve-nash-continues-work-get-back-game
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:17 pm    Post subject:

Kendall Marshall: Will Start Thursday

Posted on February 13, 2014 at 11:05 AM

Marshall will start at the point Thursday against the Thunder, the Los Angeles Times reports.

http://news.rotowire.com/Kendall-Marshall-googid193363-spnba.htm
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 9:57 pm    Post subject:

Lakers - Thunder Box score and video's

http://www.nba.com/games/20140213/OKCLAL/gameinfo.html
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:00 pm    Post subject:

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Recap: Thunder 107, Lakers 103
By The Sports Xchange
POSTED: 12:35 AM CST Feb 14, 2014 UPDATED: 12:35 AM CST Feb 14, 2014


Thunder 107, Lakers 103: Kevin Durant scored 19 of his 43 points in the fourth quarter to help visiting Oklahoma City rally past Los Angeles, which set a dubious franchise mark with its seventh consecutive home loss.Durant went 12-of-12 from the free-throw line and also had 12 rebounds, seven assists and three steals for the Thunder, who enter the All-Star break with 15 wins in 17 games and owners of the NBA's best record (43-12). Reggie Jackson added 16 points for Oklahoma City, which never led until just before the midway point of the final quarter.Chris Kaman had 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and Wesley Johnson also scored 19 for the Lakers, who have lost 22 of their last 27 games. Shawne Williams had 15 points and nine rebounds and Kendall Marshall contributed 14 points and 17 assists.The Thunder never led until Durant's driving layup with 6:18 remaining as part of an 8-0 surge that gave Oklahoma City a 92-87 advantage with 5:45 to go. Kaman missed a free throw that could have tied the game with 22.5 seconds left before Derek Fisher and Durant each hit made two free throws to help the Thunder a seal it.The Lakers led 54-45 at halftime and increased the lead to 15 later in the quarter before Oklahoma City showed signs of life with the final five points of the stanza. Ryan Kelly hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter to give Los Angeles an 85-72 lead before the Thunder rolled off the next 12 points to pull within one with 8:08 to play and eventually tied the game at 87 on Fisher's 3-pointer.GAME NOTEBOOK: The 40-point outing was the eighth of the season for Durant, who has scored 30 or more points 33 times. … The Lakers were without PG Steve Nash (back, hamstring) and had only eight healthy players. … Oklahoma City made its last 18 free throws and was 21-of-24 overall, while Los Angeles was just 13-of-22.


http://www.kspr.com/sports/Recap-Thunder-107-Lakers-103/21051914_24479130
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 8:28 am    Post subject:

Quote:
Kupchak insists Lakers won't tank, gives D'Antoni vote of confidence

The Lakers are likely headed for a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft, but General Manager Mitch Kupchak said the team will not be tanking to improve the Lakers' chance of getting a high first-round draft pick. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times / November 15, 2012)
By Mike Bresnahan
February 13, 2014, 9:09 p.m.

The Lakers won't try to lose games to improve their draft position, General Manager Mitch Kupchak said Thursday.

"Winning is never a bad thing," he said. "If you try to manipulate the draft, I'm not a karma guy, but if you try to manipulate this thing, it never works out the way you think it's going to work out.

"You're better off doing what you know is the right thing to do and whatever happens happened for the right reason. And that’s our approach."

The Lakers (18-34) had the NBA's fifth-worst record before playing Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Despite their record, Kupchak gave a vote of confidence to Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni, just as he did on other occasions this season.

"Under very trying circumstances, I think he's done a great job," Kupchak said. "Our players continue to play as hard as possible and compete in every game.

"After games, if we do lose, their heads go down and they're upset. There's no music playing, there's no guys walking out of the locker room with a hop in their step. It bothers them to lose."

Kupchak declined to second-guess the ill-fated Steve Nash trade with Phoenix in July 2012, saying he would "absolutely" have done it 10 times out of 10.

"No regrets," Kupchak said. "You have to recognize where you are as a franchise. We felt we had a two-year window, maybe three, to go for a championship, and that's what we did.

"Looking back on it, which nobody can do, that's a different story. But at the time, we knew exactly what we were doing."



http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-mitch-kupchak-insists-lakers-wont-tank-gives-dantoni-vote-of-confidence-20140213,0,855040.story#ixzz2tJit6PRA
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 8:32 am    Post subject:

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Kevin Durant, Thunder send Lakers to record 7th straight home loss

Associated Press

Thunder Come Back Late To Beat Lakers

SportsCenter Highlight of the Night: Kevin Durant scored 43 points to lead the Thunder past the Lakers 107-103.
Tags: NBA, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant
VIDEO PLAYLIST
Bulls Charge Past Nets
LOS ANGELES -- For three quarters, the Los Angeles Lakers tempted the sellout crowd at Staples Center into believing they would pull off one of the most improbable upsets of the NBA season.

Then Kevin Durant took over and the Lakers got sloppy with the ball, turning it into just another loss in a season full of them for coach Mike D'Antoni's undermanned squad.

Durant scored 19 of his 43 points in the fourth quarter, and the Oklahoma City Thunder sent the Lakers to a record-setting seventh straight home loss with a 107-103 victory Thursday night.

More Thunder-Lakers Coverage
Kevin Durant has been making it look easier in leading the Thunder to the best record in the NBA while Russell Westbrook recovers, but that doesn't mean it has been easy, Ramona Shelburne writes. Dime

The Lakers will return from four days off after the All-Star break, but will there be anything worth coming back to? This always will be known as a cursed season, Dave McMenamin writes. Blog

• Rapid Reaction
• Lakers Blog | ESPN Los Angeles

"The easy thing to do is look at it like we didn't have the proper focus. But I'm not going to go there -- because when you play against an NBA team that's prideful like the Lakers, they're going to have a good game," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said.

The Thunder have a 1 1/2-game lead on Indiana for the NBA's best record. Their 43-12 mark equals the best start in the franchise's 47-year history, set by the 1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics.

Oklahoma City is 20-7 without second-leading scorer Russell Westbrook, who hasn't played since getting a triple-double Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden. Westbrook is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.


http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489664
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 8:34 am    Post subject:

Quote:
Kevin Durant scores 19 in the 4th quarter, finishes with 43-12-7 as Thunder come back to beat Lakers (Video)
By Dan Devine
22 minutes ago
Ball Don't Lie

Feb 13, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) goes up for a dunk against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at the Staples Center. (Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)
For the better part of three quarters in Thursday's West Coast nightcap, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked like they had already left for this weekend's All-Star break. The Thunder's vaunted defense, which headed into Thursday ranked among the NBA's five-best teams in points allowed per possession, opponents' field goal percentage and opponents' 3-point accuracy — had allowed the woeful, injury-wracked and scuffling Los Angeles Lakers to shoot 51.5 percent from the floor, go 8 for 18 from 3-point land, and take a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter behind a balanced attack (six Lakers had nine or more points) led by point guard Kendall Marshall, who'd dropped 15 dimes (including some hellacious bounce passes) against two turnovers in 32 minutes of work. Here's how bad it was: Even Kevin Durant seemed out of sorts, and I didn't think that could even happen anymore.


http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/kevin-durant-scores-19-in-the-4th-quarter--finishes-with-43-12-7-as-thunder-come-back-to-beat-lakers--video-164631617.html
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 8:37 am    Post subject:

Quote:
Five observations from the Thunder's 107-103 win in Los Angeles
By Anthony Slater Published: February 14, 2014


Here are five observations from the Thunder’s 107-103 win in Los Angeles on Thursday night:

1. KD closes it out - A fitting final act to Kevin Durant’s masterpiece of a first half. Through three quarters, he wasn’t good, going 9-of-22 from the field, 0-of-8 from three and committing six sloppy turnovers. “I was out of it, man, I was out of it,” Durant said. But he rendered those first 36 minutes moot with a dominant, game-changing fourth quarter. Durant started it off his first three, a 27-foot bomb which sparked a 20-2 Thunder run over the next six minutes. And he closed the game with a pair of clutch free throws, giving him 19 of his game-high 43 points in the fourth quarter. Defensively, the Thunder collectively cranked up the energy, limiting the Lakers to a ton of low percentage looks. But offensively, the comeback was all about Kevin Durant. Making plays for himself and making plays for others. A final line of 43-12-7. A vacation to New Orleans well-earned.

2. Energy problems - Kendall Marshall played well (14 points, 17 assists) and the Lakers were pesky, but the reason this game was competitive had more to do with OKC’s lack of energy from the tip. Minds elsewhere. Worried about their All-Star break plans. Whatever you want to attribute it to, they didn’t have it. You could just tell. And so could Scott Brooks, who made a telling substitution mid-way through the third quarter. With his team in need of an energy boost, he inserted rookie Andre Roberson. And it worked.


http://newsok.com/five-observations-from-the-thunders-107-103-win-in-los-angeles/article/3933643
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 8:41 am    Post subject:

Quote:
Los Angeles Lakers rumors: GM talks possible trades, has 'No regrets' after acquiring Steve Nash
By Mike Smollins | Feb 14, 2014 09:04 AM EST
TAGS:steve nash, los angeles lakers

Los Angeles Lakers GM has no regrets in acquiring oft-injured 40-year-old PG Steve Nash. (Photo : Reuters)
Steve Nash has only played in 60 of the 135 games the Los Angeles Lakers have played since they acquired him, but general manager Mitch Kupchak has no regrets about landing the former two-time MVP award winning point guard despite his lack of appearances in games. The general manager also said they could be looking to make moves to improve before the trade deadline on Feb. 20.

"No regrets," Kupchak said before the Lakers lost 107-103 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. "You have to recognize where you are as a franchise and we felt we had a two-year window, maybe three, to go for a championship and that's what we did. Looking back on it, which nobody can do, that's a different story. But at the time, we knew exactly what we were doing."

Nash, 40, missed Thursday night's game due to nerve root irritation in his back and hamstrings stemming from a collision with Kirk Hinrich of the Chicago Bulls, but he hasn't ruled out a return to the court following the All-Star break.

"I feel terrible for him, I really do," Kupchak said of Nash via ESPN. "Nobody expected him to break his leg in the second game and it's been one thing after another since then. Some players would sulk and kind of get depressed and say, 'Well, I'm 38 years old -- or whatever it is -- and maybe it wasn't meant to be.' But this guy has worked harder than anybody to get back and I just feel terrible for him, I really do."


http://www.sportsworldnews.com/articles/9500/20140214/los-angeles-lakers-rumors-gm-talks-possible-trades-has-no-regrets-after-acquiring-steve-nash.htm
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 8:49 am    Post subject:

Quote:
'My preference would be to stay,' Pau Gasol says of Lakers
Gasol acknowledges all the trade rumors ahead of deadline and that it's difficult with the Lakers' poor performance. 'But it's still my team,' he says, adding he doesn't take the talk personally.

By Mike Bresnahan
February 13, 2014, 9:36 p.m.

Pau Gasol was traded to Houston a few years ago, or so the Lakers thought.

Since then, he's been subjected to more trade rumors than can be counted on two hands.

But for some reason, he wants to remain with the franchise through next Thursday's trade deadline.

Also

Photos: Lakers vs. Thunder

Lakers can't stop themselves from falling

Kevin Durant is helping himself as he helps Oklahoma City Thunder

Lakers' Xavier Henry out four more weeks

Lakers' Steve Nash confronts age-old issue: His body's breaking down

"My preference would be to stay," Gasol said Thursday. "That's what I've been saying all year, though the circumstances are difficult right now for our team and nobody's too happy. But it's still my team and I still want to be here."

He even feels wanted by them, as ludicrous as it sounds.

"Otherwise I wouldn't be here," he said. "The team would have pulled the trigger with prior opportunities that I'm sure had been on the table. I feel like the team appreciates me. It's just a tough moment, I think, as far as the franchise losses. That always is going to stir things up and you've got to look at options and possibilities to get better as a team, a franchise.

"I don't take it personal. I appreciate that a lot of teams have showed a lot of interest in me and believe in my abilities to make them better and help them be a better team."

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak declined to give a percentage on Gasol's chances of staying with the team, though he acknowledged an absence of urgent trade talks.

"Going into the weekend, it's pretty quiet right now," Kupchak said Thursday.

The Phoenix Suns broke off trade talks for Gasol last week after thinking the Lakers' asking price was too steep.


http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-fyi-20140214,0,5292406.story#ixzz2tJoP3WqL
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 9:19 am    Post subject:

Quote:
Lakers GM: No blaming Steve Nash
Updated: February 14, 2014, 12:21 PM ET
By Dave McMenamin | ESPNLosAngeles.com


The Forum: Steve Nash

Ramona Shelburne and Arash Markazi debate whether it's time for Steve Nash to retire.
Tags: Steve Nash
NEXT VIDEO
Thunder Come Back Late To Beat Lakers
LOS ANGELES -- Despite Steve Nash appearing in just 60 of the Lakers' 135 games since L.A. acquired the aging point guard in July 2012, general manager Mitch Kupchak said he would not change a thing about how the team pursued the two-time league MVP.

"No regrets," Kupchak said before the Lakers played the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. "You have to recognize where you are as a franchise and we felt we had a two-year window, maybe three, to go for a championship and that's what we did.

More on ESPN.com
As Steve Nash approaches the finish line to his career, the Lakers guard is out to prove that he's more than just a salary cap number, Bill Simmons writes. Story

• Shelburne: Nash keeps fighting
• Lakers Blog | ESPN Los Angeles

"Looking back on it, which nobody can do, that's a different story. But at the time, we knew exactly what we were doing."

Nash, who missed Thursday's game because of nerve root irritation in his back and hamstrings stemming from a collision with Chicago's Kirk Hinrich over the weekend, told reporters that he is not giving up on the season and hopes to play after the All-Star break.

"I feel terrible for him, I really do," Kupchak said of the 40-year-old Nash. "Nobody expected him to break his leg in the second game and it's been one thing after another since then.

"Some players would sulk and kind of get depressed and say, 'Well, I'm 38 years old -- or whatever it is -- and maybe it wasn't meant to be.' But this guy has worked harder than anybody to get back and I just feel terrible for him, I really do.

"Someone who's had that kind of career, that's worked that hard, that came here to win a championship, something that's eluded him for years. But those things are out of his control and they're out of our control."


http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/10454601/no-regrets-los-angeles-lakers-steve-nash-gm-mitch-kupchak-says
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 5:14 pm    Post subject:

2/15/14 - This is the slowest day in Lakers or NBA news. that I can remember for some time. Just wanted everyone to know I'm still on the job.

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PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 5:57 pm    Post subject:

So espn la is basically the lakers pr department.
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 6:39 pm    Post subject:

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Lakers’ investment in Steve Nash pays almost no dividends

By Mark Medina, Los Angeles Daily News

No reason existed for Steve Nash to stay at the Lakers’ facility.

The nerve irritation surrounding his back and hamstrings became too painful for Nash to do anything on the basketball court. The Lakers lacked so many healthy bodies they couldn’t hold a practice, anyway. Nash drove to his Manhattan Beach residence, the only destination that seems certain during an otherwise unpredictable journey.

Nash then learned reporters wanted to talk to him. He drove back to the Lakers’ headquarters in El Segundo and addressed depressing topics surrounding his 1 1/2 seasons here with the Lakers.

His arrival in the 2012 offseason spawned hopes of adding his first NBA championship to an extensive resume as one of the best points guard of this past generation. Instead, the Lakers have struggled while Nash has appeared in only 60 of the team’s 135 games amid uncertainty he can overcome the persistent nerve damage that plagues the 40-year-old’s body.

“Life rarely goes as planned. I didn’t think it was a guarantee of anything happening here. I just thought it was a great opportunity to play for a great franchise,” said Nash, who expressed hope he can heal enough during NBA All-Star weekend to return when the Lakers (18-35) host the Houston Rockets (36-17) on Wednesday at Staples Center. “Everyone faces ups and downs in their life.

“You have to embrace the difficult times.”


http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20140215/lakers-investment-in-steve-nash-pays-almost-no-dividends
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 9:21 pm    Post subject:

Mitch is getting paid to tell some really baldfaced lies these days.
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:13 pm    Post subject:

kray28_ wrote:
Mitch is getting paid to tell some really baldfaced lies these days.


Were you the lone voice of opposition when all the moves went down? We were all happy. There were even people here who said Nash/Howard/Pau is much better than CP3/Howard.

Now Jim Buss is a moron and Mitch is telling lies? Things didn't work out, but Mitch was right when he said hindsight is a different story. But at that time, they were the correct moves.
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 11:05 pm    Post subject:

Runway8 wrote:
kray28_ wrote:
Mitch is getting paid to tell some really baldfaced lies these days.


Were you the lone voice of opposition when all the moves went down? We were all happy. There were even people here who said Nash/Howard/Pau is much better than CP3/Howard.

Now Jim Buss is a moron and Mitch is telling lies? Things didn't work out, but Mitch was right when he said hindsight is a different story. But at that time, they were the correct moves.


I didn't like the Nash trade at all and said so. It wasn't just me though, others pointed out his age, his three year deal and the cost in picks to get him.

The lie though is the utterly idiotic claim that there are "no regrets" in getting Nash. That's just laughable.
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 5:35 am    Post subject:

Runway8 wrote:
kray28_ wrote:
Mitch is getting paid to tell some really baldfaced lies these days.


Were you the lone voice of opposition when all the moves went down? We were all happy. There were even people here who said Nash/Howard/Pau is much better than CP3/Howard.

Now Jim Buss is a moron and Mitch is telling lies? Things didn't work out, but Mitch was right when he said hindsight is a different story. But at that time, they were the correct moves.


He wasnt the lone voice, because I was right there with him. Two first rounders for a 37 year old PG was stupid at the time and will be stupid in the future. I repeat, it will be stupid in the future, do not make that trade again. Period Point Blank. Now people want to say "WE WERE ALL HAPPY" because that statement absolves "WE" from being wrong. How could everyone get it wrong? Right? Well "we" did get it wrong.

To some of us, 2 first rounders (one of which will very likely be a lottery pick next year), for any 37 year old PG is just wrong on principle. That trade should NEVER be made. So please stop using the narrative that "we were all happy". Yes, the split on that trade might have been overwhelming in favor, but 80% of America wanted the war in Iraq also.

And please stop saying who couldve known we would be so bad. Some of us knew Dwight Howard didnt want to play with Kobe and under DAntoni. Some of us knew Steve Nash was on his way out, simply because he was 37 years old. Some of us knew that Kobe isnt Superman and any time now his body might very well begin to fail. Some of us knew Metta was on a serious decline. Stop acting like there werent indicators. There were.

We keep chasing big names. Like with the argument of trading the potential #5 for Kyrie. I want Kyrie, but not when the only spot that looks good for us for the next 10 years is Kendall Marshall. YOu dont trade the #5 for another PG, you get a position you need. But a lot of people here only see a name. We made a stupid trade for Nash because of his name when all indicators say a 37 year old PG with back problems is not long in this league.
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LoyalLakerfan44
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 9:40 am    Post subject:

King beef wrote:
Runway8 wrote:
kray28_ wrote:
Mitch is getting paid to tell some really baldfaced lies these days.


Were you the lone voice of opposition when all the moves went down? We were all happy. There were even people here who said Nash/Howard/Pau is much better than CP3/Howard.

Now Jim Buss is a moron and Mitch is telling lies? Things didn't work out, but Mitch was right when he said hindsight is a different story. But at that time, they were the correct moves.


He wasnt the lone voice, because I was right there with him. Two first rounders for a 37 year old PG was stupid at the time and will be stupid in the future. I repeat, it will be stupid in the future, do not make that trade again. Period Point Blank. Now people want to say "WE WERE ALL HAPPY" because that statement absolves "WE" from being wrong. How could everyone get it wrong? Right? Well "we" did get it wrong.

To some of us, 2 first rounders (one of which will very likely be a lottery pick next year), for any 37 year old PG is just wrong on principle. That trade should NEVER be made. So please stop using the narrative that "we were all happy". Yes, the split on that trade might have been overwhelming in favor, but 80% of America wanted the war in Iraq also.

And please stop saying who couldve known we would be so bad. Some of us knew Dwight Howard didnt want to play with Kobe and under DAntoni. Some of us knew Steve Nash was on his way out, simply because he was 37 years old. Some of us knew that Kobe isnt Superman and any time now his body might very well begin to fail. Some of us knew Metta was on a serious decline. Stop acting like there werent indicators. There were.

We keep chasing big names. Like with the argument of trading the potential #5 for Kyrie. I want Kyrie, but not when the only spot that looks good for us for the next 10 years is Kendall Marshall. YOu dont trade the #5 for another PG, you get a position you need. But a lot of people here only see a name. We made a stupid trade for Nash because of his name when all indicators say a 37 year old PG with back problems is not long in this league.

There was an article awhile back about how gm's fall in love with star players names and forget to ask the right questions. Many examples in sports where old stars are given a lot of money, or traded for high assets and then they flop. Look at Pujols and the angels as another example. We a fans did the same, thinking Nash as the guy that did all of those great things in Phoenix but forgot about his mileage, and the possibility that an injury at that age could end it all. Mitch took a chance and payed the price. They have taken a chance with Kobe I hope it doesn't haunt them too.
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