Laker Fan is freaking out!!!

[ndjmc]

I am spying on the boards they have and it is getting UGLY!!!

BEHOLD!!

From Laker Fan.....
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jordan rules on barbosa?
I believe that the only way to stop the blur is to shake him up.

In other words, FOUL HIM HARD.

Any better ideas?
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I'm no quitter but this series seems over to me.

The Lakers had to compensate for their lack of talent with perfect tactics, execution, effort and hustle.

Now, I just don't think they have that mental edge and knowing how they're not a strong team mentally, I don't really see a turnaround.

This is a high or low type of a team. They're all about confidence. Currently they have none. Should be easy for the Suns to close it out.

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My concern about the off-season is that nothing significant will happen and that Laker management will again try to sell us on the fact that we are one step away from being "elite" which we all know is a bunch of BS!

I almost dread the off-season... similar to how we felt when the Lakers did no deal at the trading deadline this season.


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All this losing and embarrasment will force the Lakers to make some moves, hopefully they blow up the team, get rid of Odom, get a 2nd option and quality role players. It all can be done.

- Kobe now saw what it's like to be on his own, like complete uknown, like a freaking rolling stone. He scored a lot of points, made a name for himself individually and now should be 100 % focused on winning and nothing else.
I think that's at least one good thing about these losing years.
After this, Kobe will be 100 % commited to winning.


So what do you think? I personally want this to be an interesting summer.
Every night I log online I want to read about a potential Lakers trade and signing.
That's how active they got to be.

Finally, let's hope this joke of a team gets blown up.

 

[abomb]

You are going to find fans like this on every team's board. Hell, Suns fans have been like that here, even during the last two seasons.

 

[ndjmc]

You are going to find fans like this on every team's board. Hell, Suns fans have been like that here, even during the last two seasons.

Yeah I know....But I am really enjoying it this time......sigh......sadistic, I know....

 

[azirish]

In game 1 the Suns came out tight and it took them a while to get in gear. They didn't really get their act together until the fourth quarter. But Phil and the Lakers went into the game thinking the REAL Suns were the team they played in the first three quarters or the lackluster team they saw a few weeks ago.

Perhaps that's what made the Suns Clark Kent to Superman costume swtich all the more overwhelming to the Lakers. Suns fans have seen the the A Game Suns just often enough to know it is not a fluke, but the Lakers had not. You could tell by their body language they were beaten by the second quarter.

 

[TucsonDevil]

I agree with those Fans... If I were the Lakers management, I would trade every single person (except #24) for a solid #2 man... then get a bunch of scrappers, desperate to make the team.

All Kobe needs is a second 'almost' All-Star that doesn't mind him dominating the ball. They can play the two man game and do it well. KG seems like a logical choice, but I would go after a 'Zach Randolph' or a 'Carlos Boozer' if I were the Lakers. Kobe and Zach, with potential guys like Farmer and Walton could make some good noise in the West. Clearly, Kobe, Lamar and Kwame don't get along on or off the court. Lamar and Bynum have trade value, and Kwame has some... package them together for just one big man. How about sending Lamar and Bynum to the Knicks for Channing Frye (to me he is the same as Lamar without the ego, so he wouldn't care if Kobe dominated the ball) and David Lee (who would give them some energy and toughness down low). I think Lamar would thrive in LA with Marbury, and Bynum gives them a good backup to Eddie Curry. I don't know if the salaries work, since I don't follow it that closely, but you get my drift.

I wonder if Isiah Thomas would be dumb enough to give them Eddie Curry and David Lee for Lamar, Bynum, and Kwame....? Isiah has made worse decisions.

 

[elindholm]

I wonder if Isiah Thomas would be dumb enough to give them Eddie Curry and David Lee for Lamar, Bynum, and Kwame....?

Not a chance. Curry is his prized possession. If he trades Curry away, he's admitting that he got bent over in the Bulls trade.

I could see the Lakers making a play for Jermaine O'Neal. The Pacers are going nowhere and their salary situation is a disaster. If the Lakers can provide the Pacers with some salary relief -- say, Odom, Brown, Cook and Turiaf for O'Neal and Dunleavy -- I think they could work something out.

 

[TucsonDevil]

Not a chance. Curry is his prized possession. If he trades Curry away, he's admitting that he got bent over in the Bulls trade.

I could see the Lakers making a play for Jermaine O'Neal. The Pacers are going nowhere and their salary situation is a disaster. If the Lakers can provide the Pacers with some salary relief -- say, Odom, Brown, Cook and Turiaf for O'Neal and Dunleavy -- I think they could work something out.

Jermaine O'Neal could be that missing piece. Good call. I don't think anything is above and beyond Isiah... except good, solid decision making.

 

[D-Dogg]

Those fans aren't freaking out...they are being realistic.

 

[azirish]

As the Laker fans keep reminding us, their guys are not healthy. This is always a problem for any GM because you don't know if the guy will return to 100% and you have a hard time trading damaged goods.

The Lakers really need a healthy Odom and Brown to compete. There are a lot of doubts about their games, but without them the Lakers have serious problems.

As it stands, I cannot see the Lakers trading Bynum. He's got more "upside" than any other Laker. If he becomes a domiant center, the Lakers have a chance of becoming a very good team. Until them, they are fairely limited. Vujacic and Farmar have some trade value, but are quite unlikely to get moved considering Smush is almost certainly gone.

In general, the Lakers don't seem to have enough trading pieces to make a big upgrade. As it is, they have a lot of issues just keeping guys they have including free agents: Luke Walton, Ronnie Turiaf, Smush Parker, and Chris Mihm.

Trading Odom is hard because he's the Laker's second biggest scorer and is inconsistent. Brown is very limited on offense and has not overcome a poor rep from the Wizzards. Rad Man is grossly overpaid and coming off an injury. Cook's lack of defensive toughness really hurts his trade value, so while I think he'll get traded I don't think he'll get the Lakers much. Any or all could be traded, but it will be very hard to get much for them.

Drafting at #19 the Lakers should get someone who can contribute, but it's hard to see them getting a real impact player that late.

It is hard to see how the Lakers can make a dramatic improvement with the roster they have, but even harder to see how they are going to change it much without going through total rebuilding.

 

[D-Dogg]

As the Laker fans keep reminding us, their guys are not healthy. This is always a problem for any GM because you don't know if the guy will return to 100% and you have a hard time trading damaged goods.

The Lakers really need a healthy Odom and Brown to compete. There are a lot of doubts about their games, but without them the Lakers have serious problems.

As it stands, I cannot see the Lakers trading Bynum. He's got more "upside" than any other Laker. If he becomes a domiant center, the Lakers have a chance of becoming a very good team. Until them, they are fairely limited. Vujacic and Farmar have some trade value, but are quite unlikely to get moved considering Smush is almost certainly gone.

In general, the Lakers don't seem to have enough trading pieces to make a big upgrade. As it is, they have a lot of issues just keeping guys they have including free agents: Luke Walton, Ronnie Turiaf, Smush Parker, and Chris Mihm.

Trading Odom is hard because he's the Laker's second biggest scorer and is inconsistent. Brown is very limited on offense and has not overcome a poor rep from the Wizzards. Rad Man is grossly overpaid and coming off an injury.

Cook's lack of defensive toughness really hurts his trade value, so while I think he'll get traded I don't think he'll get the Lakers much.

Drafting at #19 the Lakers should get someone who can contribute, but it's hard to see them getting a real impact player that late.

Ronny isn't a FA...they picked him up IIRC. Luke they will try to keep. They may try and S&T mihm. Kwame is an 8 mil expiring contract, and that's his trade attraction. Lamar is a contract asset as well as a talent tease. VladRad is an MLE guy, not too worried there. Farmar is going nowhere. The Lakers are likely to trade their picks for veteran players...that's the skuttle at the moment.

It will be a wholesale shakeup of the roster, but they have the pieces to do it.

 

[azirish]

Ronny isn't a FA...they picked him up IIRC. Luke they will try to keep. They may try and S&T mihm. Kwame is an 8 mil expiring contract, and that's his trade attraction. Lamar is a contract asset as well as a talent tease. VladRad is an MLE guy, not too worried there. Farmar is going nowhere. The Lakers are likely to trade their picks for veteran players...that's the skuttle at the moment.

It will be a wholesale shakeup of the roster, but they have the pieces to do it.

Neither HoopsHype nor Patricia's Contracts show Turiaf with an extension. http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/contracts.

My point on Odom is that I don't think they will trade him.

Kwame's value as an expiring contract is almost certainly greater than his on court value, but it is hard to get outstanding players through salary dumps.

 

[D-Dogg]

Neither HoopsHype nor Patricia's Contracts show Turiaf with an extension. http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/contracts.

My point on Odom is that I don't think they will trade him.

Kwame's value as an expiring contract is almost certainly greater than his on court value, but it is hard to get outstanding players through salary dumps.

Kwame would be required in a KG deal, just for the enormous KG salary of what, 20 some million?

I remember reading somewhere that because of the medical thing, Turiaf has a year that isn't reflected out there. At any rate, they'll try to keep him and his energy.

 

[ndjmc]

Those fans aren't freaking out...they are being realistic.

No, They are jumping ship. All rats do when the ship goes down.

 

[abomb]

Kwame would be required in a KG deal, just for the enormous KG salary of what, 20 some million?

$22M next year and $24 in his player-option year.

 

[D-Dogg]

No, They are jumping ship. All rats do when the ship goes down.

Where do you see that? I see them talking about blowing the team up and ways to improve because they know this series is over.

Sorry, but Suns fans can't talk about "jumping ship" because I've been to Suns games where their attendance sucked. Amare's first year even. Arizona has extremely fairweather fans.

 

[HooverDam]

Where do you see that? I see them talking about blowing the team up and ways to improve because they know this series is over.

Sorry, but Suns fans can't talk about "jumping ship" because I've been to Suns games where their attendance sucked. Amare's first year even. Arizona has extremely fairweather fans.

Both Phoenix and LA have fairly fairweather fans due to their large populations of people who weren't raised there. LA is a bit older of an area now and is more well established, so it doesn't deal w/ this problem quite as much (plus its HUGE). So many people move to Phoenix and keep their allegiances to their midwestern teams, its tough for the local teams to grab a foothold. As more people like myself (born and raised here) come about, I think we'll see better, more loyal fans.

I'd say currently the Suns and ASU football are probably the most loved Valley teams, because theyve been around the longest and people have had the chance to follow them for a long while and grow up w/ them.

 

[ndjmc]

Where do you see that? I see them talking about blowing the team up and ways to improve because they know this series is over.

Sorry, but Suns fans can't talk about "jumping ship" because I've been to Suns games where their attendance sucked. Amare's first year even. Arizona has extremely fairweather fans.

Well in theory the series is over.....The Suns are playing well and the Lakers don't have the firepower to run with them. But, it is not out of the realm of possibility that they could still pull it off. Not probable, but maybe.......

As far as the "fair-weather" status of the Phoenix fans are concerned, is this even a topic that could be contested? That is like saying Phoenix gets hot in the summer.....we know already.

 

[D-Dogg]

Neither HoopsHype nor Patricia's Contracts show Turiaf with an extension. http://www.eskimo.com/~pbender/contracts.

Yes, Turiaf is a Laker next year, not a FA. Most of the sites out there have this wrong. SI has it right:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/salaries/lakers.html


When we voided his first contract for medical reasons, then resigned him, we also picked up an option on the signing that has flown under the radar. He isn't a FA next year, but will be the following year.