Lakers Blow it With Thibs

[DPG21920]

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To suggest it would’ve been an easy choice to choose the Lakers over the Timberwolves for Thibodeau is naïve, but make no mistake: It would’ve been a choice for him. Thibodeau uses his USA Basketball coaching job to build relationships with the best players in the world, potential free agents including Kevin Durant and James Harden, Russell Westbrook and, yes, LeBron James, too.

LaMarcus Aldridge was dying for the Lakers to blow him away in a free-agent presentation on July 1 and left the room deflated over the parade of marketing and partnership suits that sold him on the residual impacts of playing for the Lakers. Had that been a Tom Thibodeau basketball presentation to Aldridge, there are those who believe Aldridge would’ve been swayed to sign there.

[Raven]

honestly, he wouldn't have signed, lakers have no future.

[tonight...you]

What exactly were the Lakers going to "sell" to LMA on the basketball side last offseason?
That organization had no choice but to sell on the Michael Bay commercials and branding and such.

There was no way they could have "blown him away" in a presentation if he was focused on their on-court plans. They knew they were still in the final death throes of their rotting carcass Kobe and couldn't make a plan til he decided to leave for good.
They had NOTHING to sell him on the basketball side so they didn't even try.

And then that ended up embarrassing them, in the end. Lol.

[Seventyniner]

I'm not sure I buy the idea of Minnesota being a big free agent destination now, Thibs's ties with USA basketball or not.

And I highly doubt Aldridge is regretting his decision now. He might not have known that the Spurs could be a 67-win team with him, but he damn sure knew that the Lakers would still be in the lottery even if he signed there.

[djohn2oo8]

Christ, what do they have to debate on Byron scott about?

[DMC]

Lakers could be looking at being a farm for the rest of the NBA for a while. They can sell season tickets for quite a while based solely on their name and location. They don't need to win anything. Eventually it will wear thin but by then they should have a playoff appearance.

[LkrFan]

Yeah, that sucks. He's in a good situation though.

[RsxPiimp]

He's a helluva defensive coach but Thib's has some ugly warts in his resume. His offense pretty much consists of ISO plays if we're being honest. Thibs would be great for a team like the Wolves. They have the right pieces that fits his platform. The Lakers, not so much. I still think the extension of Scott is a PR move in a sense where the Lakers doesn't want to give a direct impression to other coaches that "We don't look at your best interests. IE Putting a sock in Byron's mouth while they pull the strings on top to supervise Kobe's farewell tour.



Buss has no directive but I'm willing to give him a fair shake, he's being compared to Doc which was an impossible standard who also benefited at a much different free agent market. Historical hindsight draws JR a failure but prior to 48 (which was still a great business move, mind you) Buss was batting at a pretty good rate in terms of personnel moves. His make or break year is this summer and this summer alone. I'll hold any judgment till then.

[djohn2oo8]

He's a helluva defensive coach but Thib's has some ugly warts in his resume. His offense pretty much consists of ISO plays if we're being honest. Thibs would be great for a team like the Wolves. They have the right pieces that fits his platform. The Lakers, not so much. I still think the extension of Scott is a PR move in a sense where the Lakers doesn't want to give a direct impression to other coaches that "We don't look at your best interests. IE Putting a sock in Byron's mouth while they pull the strings on top to supervise Kobe's farewell tour.



Buss has no directive but I'm willing to give him a fair shake, he's being compared to Doc which was an impossible standard who also benefited at a much different free agent market. Historical hindsight draws JR a failure but prior to 48 (which was still a great business move, mind you) Buss was batting at a pretty good rate in terms of personnel moves. His make or break year is this summer and this summer alone. I'll hold any judgment till then.

Fair enough. Though Byron likes to throw guys under the bus alot. And thats not good for young guys. Lakers should have fired him already.

[whitemamba]

not mad , happy for thibs. Bright future for him in minny.

[Killakobe81]

Lol no way was TT coming here ...
Sucks depending on who we end uo with we didnt make it a "choice"... but why would a defensive guru choose us over a team that features Rubio, Wiggins and KAT over Clarkson, Randle and Druss?

[djohn2oo8]

Lol no way was TT coming here ...
Sicks depending on whi we end uo with we didnt nake it a "choice"... but why would a defensive guru choose us over a team that features Rubio, Wiggins and KAT over Clarkson, Randle and Druss?

Total control. He believed that he could turn the Lakers around and could attract players to LA.

[Killakobe81]

Total control. He believed that he could turn the Lakers around and could attract players to LA.

I believe if she met me, Nathalie Emmanuel would quit hollywood to bare my children ... it doesnt make it so.

i know we all hail woj. and it sounds like many of you are buying heavy in to TT ...
But Mannix reported TT crossed us off his own list because of the lack of total control.
Fuck him if he wants that.
He has no skins on the wall for that.
He is a great defensive mind ...no doubt about it.

But he also runs players in to the grounds and has a track record of butting heads with management. His offense not very impressive either.

I know it's easy for casuals to get caught up in a name ...but I dont think TT was the answer for the Lakers.
Minny was the right choice for him as well.

I prefer Lakers look for Brad stevens 2.0 but who knows they may keep Byron.

[ambchang]

I believe if she met me, Nathalie Emmanuel would quit hollywood to bare my children ... it doesnt make it so.

i know we all hail woj. and it sounds like many of you are buying heavy in to TT ...
But Mannix reported TT crossed us off his own list because of the lack of total control.
Fuck him if he wants that.
He has no skins on the wall for that.
He is a great defensive mind ...no doubt about it.

But he also runs players in to the grounds and has a track record of butting heads with management. His offense not very impressive either.

I know it's easy for casuals to get caught up in a name ...but I dont think TT was the answer for the Lakers.
Minny was the right choice for him as well.

I prefer Lakers look for Brad stevens 2.0 but who knows they may keep Byron.

Sadly for you, it's more about the coach. You can have the best coach in the game, you can have Pop and Rick Carlisle, but if your ownership doesn't provide the support and empower your coach, it all leads to nothing.

Look at how Divac backed Cousins instead of Karl on disciplinary issues. You think Cousins will check his head after that? He now KNOWS he runs the franchise, and no amount of tough discipline from the coach will do a thing, because he knew that if he butt heads with the coach, no matter how right the coach is, he will get his way because management will override the coach's decision, and even get rid of the coach.

Lakers are now all about making a profit. If the empowerment of Kobe shooting all he wants to get ratings isn't enough, then the 60 point game and the Mamba Out T-Shirts should wake you up. Sure, it's business, and there is no point in winning and losing money, but to so blatantly go out, ignore the fans, ignore the future, and just make as much money as you can at the moment is embarrassing, especially for a storied franchise like the Lakers. They are now turning into the Leafs of the NHL, or the Knicks West, they KNOW they don't have to win to make huge profits, so why even try? They are like a player who slacks off after getting a huge contract.

[Killakobe81]

Karl is overrated.
I hate Byron but lack of support is not his main issue ...
He has constantly berated his players via the press has led the two worst seasons in Lakers history and he us not yet fired.
Sure i get Kobe hijacked the season but he did nothing to rein him at all ...or Lou Williams.

[K...]

See though, there's no reasons they couldn't bring the show and bring player development. this year. They just don't believe in player development and that's kind of what they have to do with draft players.

Imagine if they trotted out the TOSB freak crew and never let Russel, randall, and Clarkson hang out with the sociopaths. Imagine if they hired a young respected coach for the D-league or lead ass (Becky obv) as a tell that Byron was a dead man walking (like Lue and Blatt). FA would know that the KOBE drama would have an end. Now, they've wasted a year on the rebuild and are on the clock. If they want players how can they tell them that KOBE is still not a ghost in the building?

If they got rid of KOBES servant coach, and servant players they could sell a blank slate to quality role players to help flesh out a real team. They absolutely could become a phoenix - Portland level team with little effort and luck. Then at that point just wait for the starts to arrive. I guess we'll see who the release from that team this summer.

[Raven]

Lol no way was TT coming here ...
Sucks depending on who we end uo with we didnt make it a "choice"... but why would a defensive guru choose us over a team that features Rubio, Wiggins and KAT over Clarkson, Randle and Druss?
probably dieng is better than the whole lakers core :lol

[ambchang]

Karl is overrated.

Not saying Karl was 100% right, but him trying to instill that discipline with the Kings roster was right, but then management killed everything, and actually sent a strong message that players can do whatever they want if they are good enough.


I hate Byron but lack of support is not his main issue ...
He has constantly berated his players via the press has led the two worst seasons in Lakers history and he us not yet fired.
Sure i get Kobe hijacked the season but he did nothing to rein him at all ...or Lou Williams.

Which is the problem. What Scott did SHOULD have been reigned in by management, either by directly talking to him, or even threatening to fire /actually firing him. The fact that it wasn't done, to me, either means management is in approval of his actions, or Scott was merely a puppet that was ordered to carry out management's plan.

The Lakers locker room seems to be crazy, the issues and mistrust that came out from the recording incident made it even worse, and Scott, as the coach and supposed mentor for this young and immature squad, gets a huge part of that blame.

Besides, what has Kobe, the supposedly wise elder statesman who is about passing things on, done?