"Athletically, we're struggling. Especially against the younger teams." - Mike D'

[midnightpulp]

This is what I've telling Lakers fans since the season started. The grind-it-out, feed the post, rebounds=rings philosophy that won them their two most recent championships got put down like Old Yeller once Miami formed their superteam.

To succeed in the new NBA, you need athletes and depth. The most effective offenses are built around slashing and running and shooting, while Tom Thibodeau style help defenses, which demand quickness and footspeed, are en-vogue. Lakers can sign all the 7 foot, defensive players of the year they want and it still won't cure their defensive woes. They are slow. Very, very slow. D'Antoni appears to have fixed the Lakers offense at times, but ultimately, they're not built to run it with any sort of consistency. And he knows it.

If Jamison can prove to be reliable, the best thing for the Lakers might just be to move Gasol for some athletic wings. I simply can't see this old, plodding team stopping the Spurs, OKC, Clippers, etc. They'll have to get sick hot from 3 to make any kind of playoff run.

[ElNono]

You know mid, I know you mean well, and I somewhat agree with what you're saying, but getting younger isn't going to matter much as long as Hack-a-Dwight is a viable option and somebody tells the snitch he has to play both ends of the floor.

Mike is just deflecting from the obvious with statements like that, IMO.

[midnightpulp]

And related to this point is why Popovich was so reluctant to pursue that second big all those years and why he rarely plays Tim and Tiago together. He saw the change coming before all of us, and if he did sign some slowfooted lop like Rasho (who proved to be effective back then), no way the Spurs have the run they did last year.

Yes, I too clamored for a twin tower all those years, but given how the NBA has evolved, I finally understand, Greggory.

[Koolaid_Man]

This is what I've telling Lakers fans since the season started. The grind-it-out, feed the post, rebounds=rings philosophy that won them their two most recent championships got put down like Old Yeller once Miami formed their superteam.

To succeed in the new NBA, you need athletes and depth. The most effective offenses are built around slashing and running and shooting, while Tom Thibodeau style help defenses, which demand quickness and footspeed, are en-vogue. Lakers can sign all the 7 foot, defensive players of the year they want and it still won't cure their defensive woes. They are slow. Very, very slow. D'Antoni appears to have fixed the Lakers offense at times, but ultimately, they're not built to run it with any sort of consistency. And he knows it.

If Jamison can prove to be reliable, the best thing for the Lakers might just be to move Gasol for some athletic wings. I simply can't see this old, plodding team stopping the Spurs, OKC, Clippers, etc. They'll have to get sick hot from 3 to make any kind of playoff run.

stop sucking dick mid...we'll be fine...just a tweak here and there will do...

[irishock]

If Jameer Nelson and Arron Afflalo took a shit on the Lakers tonight, how will the Lakers perimeter defense look like when Nash comes back?

[midnightpulp]

stop sucking dick mid...we'll be fine...just a tweak here and there will do...

No you won't. Your shit team is fundamentally flawed.

[UZER]

stop sucking dick mid...we'll be fine...just a tweak here and there will do...

Kobe don't tweak...Kobe does Kobe team be damned.

[NRHector]

If Jameer Nelson and Arron Afflalo took a shit on the Lakers tonight, how will the Lakers perimeter defense look like when Nash comes back?

they won't have any perimeter defense

[midnightpulp]

If Jameer Nelson and Arron Afflalo took a shit on the Lakers tonight, how will the Lakers perimeter defense look like when Nash comes back?

And the seriously sad thing is Kirby will still probably get an All-Defensive team nod.

The guy can't stop anybody, but that won't stop the media from their cocksucking.

[DAF86]

This is what I've telling Lakers fans since the season started. The grind-it-out, feed the post, rebounds=rings philosophy that won them their two most recent championships got put down like Old Yeller once Miami formed their superteam.

To succeed in the new NBA, you need athletes and depth. The most effective offenses are built around slashing and running and shooting, while Tom Thibodeau style help defenses, which demand quickness and footspeed, are en-vogue. Lakers can sign all the 7 foot, defensive players of the year they want and it still won't cure their defensive woes. They are slow. Very, very slow. D'Antoni appears to have fixed the Lakers offense at times, but ultimately, they're not built to run it with any sort of consistency. And he knows it.

If Jamison can prove to be reliable, the best thing for the Lakers might just be to move Gasol for some athletic wings. I simply can't see this old, plodding team stopping the Spurs, OKC, Clippers, etc. They'll have to get sick hot from 3 to make any kind of playoff run.

Gasol for Manu, Neal and Bonner.

Yeah, they might not win a lot of athleticism but they will win some much needed three point shooting and depth.

I think this is a very fair trade for both teams.

[Sean Cagney]

stop sucking dick mid...we'll be fine...just a tweak here and there will do...

You won't be fine, you won't win shit this year.

[Clipper Nation]

stop sucking dick mid...we'll be fine...just a tweak here and there will do...

What tweaks are you going to make? Can't tweak the age of your stars, tbh....

[HI-FI]

What tweaks are you going to make? Can't tweak the age of your stars, tbh....

Stern will probably step in one more time, in his final act of grace towards LA, and hook Food Stamps up with his 4th iteration of All Stars.

[Trainwreck2100]

Sounds like they could use some nights off

[racm]

Stern will probably step in one more time, in his final act of grace towards LA, and hook Food Stamps up with his 4th iteration of All Stars.

And they still don't reach .500 because Kirby will demand his to get his 30 point games.

[Koolaid_Man]

What tweaks are you going to make? Can't tweak the age of your stars, tbh....

we just got a new coach...and ever since we've had him we've been playing with no point guard...our first string point is out and so is our back-up pg..we're basically manning the ship with private Duhon...Dwight still isn't 100% and it shows...Kobe is once again having to facilitate...and Pau....Pau's usefulness much like Odom has run it's course...he can't defend the pick -n-roll doesn't rotate on D and has broken jumper..Pau is finished...and now we'll build him up and unload him soon...we'll package Blake and Duhon (attractive expirings) for Calderon...we'll then move Pau for Josh Smith...we'll also sign Raja Bell and Kenyon Martin to help the bench...

we're looking at:

Kobe / Meeks /Bell
Dwight / Hill
Smith / Jamison
Nash/Calderon
MWP/ K-Mart

[midnightpulp]

Kobe / Meeks /Bell
Dwight / Hill
Smith / Jamison
Nash/Calderon
MWP/ K-Mart

1st round exit.

[racm]

Josh Smith? He of the chucking many long 2s?

Oh man, a career ~23% 3PT shooter...

[Splits]

we just got a new coach...and ever since we've had him we've been playing with no point guard...our first string point is out and so is our back-up pg..we're basically manning the ship with private Duhon...Dwight still isn't 100% and it shows...Kobe is once again having to facilitate...and Pau....Pau's usefulness much like Odom has run it's course...he can't defend the pick -n-roll doesn't rotate on D and has broken jumper..Pau is finished...and now we'll build him up and unload him soon...we'll package Blake and Duhon (attractive expirings) for Calderon...we'll then move Pau for Josh Smith...we'll also sign Raja Bell and Kenyon Martin to help the bench...

we're looking at:

Kobe / Meeks /Bell
Dwight / Hill
Smith / Jamison
Nash/Calderon
MWP/ K-Mart

Oh, just a couple of tweaks. I see. lol desperate much?

[ElNono]

trading for Calderon :lmao

This is probably on par with getting excited at the prospect of Baron Davis joining the Lakeshow :lol

[racm]

Calderon? The Lakers need DEFENSIVE help on the perimeter, really. :lmao

[AaronY]

On the bright side, Josh Smith won't mind taking all those midrange jumpers Pau complains about having to take in this offense. On the down side Smith's like the worst midrange jumpshooter in the NBA

[BillMc]

And the seriously sad thing is Kirby will still probably get an All-Defensive team nod.

The guy can't stop anybody, but that won't stop the media from their cocksucking.

This. How he keeps getting All-Defensive team is beyond me.

[Bynumite]

I don't expect a 34 year old Kobe to play heavy minutes every game and play elite D, while being the number 1 offensive option and still handle point guard duties in Nash's absence.

But his defense has been subpar for awhile now, i don't know if he does it because he doesn't respect the player his guarding, to save energy etc. But i know he can play better defense than the one he's exhibiting right now.

[Latarian Milton]

Calderon? The Lakers need DEFENSIVE help on the perimeter, really. :lmao
calderon wouldn't be a bad fit for the lakers imho especially when nash is not likely to return until all-star break. defense never has a pinch of significance in _'Antonie's system imho, they just need a PG capable of passing the ball n making the play so kobe can come back focusing on scoring which he's best at.

[Latarian Milton]

I don't expect a 34 year old Kobe to play heavy minutes every game and play elite D, while being the number 1 offensive option and still handle point guard duties in Nash's absence.

But his defense has been subpar for awhile now, i don't know if he does it because he doesn't respect the player his guarding, to save energy etc. But i know he can play better defense than the one he's exhibiting right now.
you'll probably see the elite D back with him when shit really matters. he's been taking the duties of two positions on his own shoulder with piece of shit like duhon playing alongside him on the backcourt, and it's obvious he doesn't have much energy to use at the defensive end especially in recent games when he been playing with flu.

dude will play good D in some certain games but don't expect him to play it on a consistent basis tbh. _'Antonie's team may have 2 defensive liabilities out of the 5 and still win games against the lower half of playoff teams, it just doesn't work against elite teams like thunder and spurs. lakers will probably finish somewhere between 3rd to 7th depending on how soon nash is gonna return, and conference finals will be the ceiling for this team imho

[Killakobe81]

I respect the Spurs but recent history tells me they can be had come playoffs and I never worry about dem Clips. Okc and Miami we can't beat with this roster ...

[Killakobe81]

This. I saw him lick down Mayo up close (though Artest guarded him too). He also checked Wade effectively but got torched by Harden (last year). Team is slow ebanks beds to play some and we need a.faster pf. Too bad a younger Odom type isn't available

[Killakobe81]

1st round exit.

You should recognize one, how many have yall had the past 5 seasons ... Two?

[Raven]

laker FO and fans simply lack basketball knowledge, they keep thinking that a 10 on offense and a 0 on defense equals a 5-5 but it does not. Howard can't do shit as long as the laker backcourt can't stop anybody since it becomes a +1 for the hacking team at the worst case scenario.. The team is horribly built and it was obvious from the start, unfortunately some just couldn't see it.

[midnightpulp]

You should recognize one, how many have yall had the past 5 seasons ... Two?

Yep. As many as the Lakers had in the past 8 seasons. Cept we didn't miss the playoffs.

See, I can cherry pick years, as well.

[Killakobe81]

Yep. As many as the Lakers had in the past 8 seasons. Cept we didn't miss the playoffs.

See, I can cherry pick years, as well.

Just asking again you are the expert ...