Mike, how do you fix it?

 
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cinimod
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:36 pm    Post subject: Mike, how do you fix it?

This is somewhat based around the draft, but move this and retitle this if you must...

I enjoy your opinions, you seem to be a realist and a good evaluator of talent...

Anybody can feel free to respond though...

See, the thing is that I don't like the team, I'm not convinced we have a "future" in Bynum, and with his rookie contract, even if you were to trade him for a GOOD player, you have to include Kwame or Odom to match contracts...I'm losing hope man...

What would you do to fix the Lakers?

I guess what we have to work with is:

1. no cap space

2. all tradeable contracts

3. MLE (Lets assume Buss uses it)

4. Vet minimums

5. 15th pick 2007

What would you like to see done? How do we improve this roster?
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Mike@LG
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:30 pm    Post subject:

There is no one specific answer. Rebuilding is a gradual process where opportunities come and go. The best GMs not only take advantage of good opportunities, but create them as well. There is risk involved, but playing it safe didn't win ANY team championships.

How do I fix it? Get contacts through agents of key PFs that seem disgruntled with their team. Right now, 3 players come up. Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal, and Pau Gasol.

Lots of things have to work in order for a trade for any of these players to follow through.

Because the Lakers are so far over the cap and the team has so much invested in current team contracts and the roster, the best way out right now is trade. If we wait until capspace, Kobe is peak to late peak. By the time everyone gets the triangle, he's past prime. We can't always expect that elite level defense anymore at that stage, especially when the best defenders who are laterally quick, explosive, and fast, rely on physical defense and smart positioning. See Pippen, MJ, and Harper far past prime.

The biggest priority is for the Lakers to get the stud bigman. It cuold be any of the players, KG, O'Neal, and Gasol. Different situations warrant different players through trade, especially with contract negotiations, but I am one of the fans that appreciates Bynum, but am unwilling to risk a championship window during Bryant's peak while waiting.

Basically an LO trade. Walton must be resigned and the Lakers should pay him. I don't care about the luxury tax if Dr.Buss wants championships. If that was the case, he really wouldn't have afforded Radmanovic to a long term MLE, especially when the Laker franchise should look to the long term of team salary. Can't tell me they didn't see that coming. If they didn't, Kupchak should be fired yesterday.

Player names like Boozer have arisen before, and I have wanted him through trade. Unfortunately now, Utah is up and coming all over again and Boozer is starting to shine as that #1/#2 post option. A shame, talk about a strong low/high post player and rebounder...

Big priority is Mihm's status. If he can still play at a very high level pre-injury, resign him. If not, save the money to resign Walton/Parker.

Priority 1 is all about that bigman trade. If we keep Kwame, that's fine by me. We'll need the man defense.

If LO and Bynum go, I want KG. If KG is attained, I want Ivey or Blake at the veteran min. if possible, with the MLE spent on Varejao, PJ Brown, Magloire (I think his stock dropped dramatically at Portland), or vet. min. Mutombo and MLE Charlie Bell, Mo Williams, with Eddie Jones and Kapono back in LA at the vet. min. as well. Of course, KG has to really ask for trade. I doubt Dr. Buss would have a problem resigning KG at big $ figures anyway, considering KG's work ethic in contrast to Shaq.

If it's O'Neal and Tinsley, for Odom and Kwame, I want MLE Magloire/Milicic; vet. min. Mutombo, Ivey, EJ, Kapono.

If it's Gasol for Odom and Bynum, throw MLE at Magliore, Brown, Varejao and vet. min. Mutombo, Ivey, EJ, Kapono.

Most Laker fans wouldn't be happy about the trades because they think of things such as "equal value" in the trade. The big picture is the Finals and not "equal value." A smart GM uses the available resources left to acquire talented players that balance out offense AND defense. The following list of players do so.

If the following did happen, there'd be an abundant amount of trade bait leftover, as well as a roster filled with youth, veterans, athleticism, defensive ability, and balanced talent.

Ideal AND Optimistic Rosters would look something like:

Kwame/Mutombo
KG/Turiaf/Cook
Walton/Radmanovic
Kobe Bryant/Evans
Parker/Farmar/Sasha/Ivey

Or

Magloire/Kwame
J O'Neal/Turiaf (assuming Cook leaves to Indy as well)
Walton/Radmanovic
Bryant/Evans
Tinsley/Farmar/Sasha

Or

Kwame/Mutombo
Gasol/Turiaf/Cook
Walton/Radmanovic
Bryant/Evans
Mo Williams/Parker/Farmar/Vujacic

And imagine, players like Kapono,Posey, and EJ weren't picked up.

Royal Ivey ............ 10/3/04 3 $1.95 million '07
P.J. Brown ............ 7/16/03 4 $34 million '07
Anderson Varejao ...... 8/19/04 3 $2.6 million '07
Steve Blake ........... 9/28/05 2 ??? '07
Dikembe Mutombo ....... 8/26/05 2 ??? '07
Eddie Jones ........... 2/1/07 1 minimum '07
Jason Kapono .......... 10/3/05 2 ??? '07
James Posey ........... 7/23/03 4 $22,618,200 '07
Charlie Bell .......... 8/18/05 2 $1.4 million '07
Maurice Williams ...... 8/21/04 3 $5.3 million '07
Darko Milicic ......... 9/12/03 4 $16,815,062 rc '07
Jamaal Magloire ....... 7/18/00,10/29/03 4+3 $4,871,131+$20.25mill '07

http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/contracts

Now I'm not entirely clear about whose contracts are restricted or not BUT, with the above listed rosters, I'm far more confident about making the WCF and not being that far away from Finals contention, even with the uneven knowledge of the triangle offense.

The key is, the core AllStar PF and SG would be there. The rest should be shooters, defensive players, post play, playmakers. The FA list absolutely fills that bill.

All of that being said, that leaves the draft, in which case, BPAs regardless of position fit the bill. The Lakers would have good offensive balance and defensive ability and the drafted players, if anything, would just add depth.

Of course, though, I'd like to move up in the draft with a trade of all 3 picks + Cook for an expiring contract and a mid-teens 1st rounder.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:49 pm    Post subject:

Mo Williams would be great for this team, walking triple double which is amazing for his size, but he may be underrated by fans but not NBA GM'S so i see him getting a bobby simmons type of deal. He and luke on the same team would be incredible alongside kobe an KG, JO, or Gasol. I wouldnt be suprised if the lakers get one of these big players in the offseason, especially if they go out easy in the first round. Unfortunately Mike, im not a mitch fan in terms of getting a bid deal done, so i think the lakers best bet will be through the draft. Draft a couple real good players and make a trade for a big because bynum is the x factor right now for a trade, and his value is on potential, and i dont know if mchale, west, or walsh will accept on deal based on potential over results and signs of all star potential which i dont feel bynum has done yet.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:05 am    Post subject:

Bynum has plenty of hype. The key being that he's had a few big games, age 19, and he's still on the rookie contract. It's precisely why GMs pracatically insist on attaining Bynum.

Flip side to this is the Lakers have a commitment to Bynum. Andrew is going to get Kareem's tutelage anymore if he's out of LA. That'd harm his upside and growth as a player, tremendously.

That'd help for the Lakers if he wasn't a Laker...
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:11 am    Post subject:

Mike,he has shown flashes of being a good player, but so have alot of players who turn out to be decent at best. Thats why i think he needs to show clear signs of improvement like a monta ellis, or Biedrins who you can tell wont be just average;and i think teams wonder what you said in terms of what would happen to his development without kareem, especially if they are giving up a franchise big because i assume lamar would be in that deal, and he will probably end up bolting after his contract is up. The real question with bynum to me, is ia at his current rate of progress can he be a franchise player, because this is clearly a choice as dumb as it might sound of kobe vs bynum.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:17 am    Post subject:

^In the eyes of other GMs, that's enough. That's why he's always the player GMs want in trade.

Biedrins took longer to get to the point where he's at.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 12:07 pm    Post subject:

I just hope that those GM'S include mchale, walsh and west because those are the ones that are gonna have to fall for the hype because a team like chicago could offer nocioni, tyrus thomas (who by the way is improving faster than i imagined and looks like shawn marion minus the points but plus the rebounds and blocks) and a 1st round pick, and that would be better than what the lakers would offer unless like i said they fall for the hype around bynum to package him with odom.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:24 pm    Post subject:

We should trade Bynum for good value before GMs realize he ain't all that. And they'll figure that out by mid-next year.
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