What should the Lakers do this offseason?

[kingfish]

This is what I think

 

- Farmar/Brown/Ammo/Powell leave.

 

- Go after Steve Blake

 

- Sign Tmac for vets min

 

- Sign Bell for vets min

 

Blake/Fisher/Sasha

Kobe/Bell

Artest/Tmac/Walton

Gasol/Odom/

Bynum/Mbenga

Edited June 23, 2010 by kingfish

[Check my Stats]

I can't believe people actually still want Fisher gone after how good he was in the playoffs

 

Just retain all the players you have now, get a better backup SF/SG and that is it.

[kingfish]

I can't believe people actually still want Fisher gone after how good he was in the playoffs

 

Just retain all the players you have now, get a better backup SF/SG and that is it.

I dont want him gone ....?

 

I just want another point guard so we can effectively reduce Fishers minutes during the regular season. I would still want Fish out there in the last few minutes of any crunch time game.

[Guest STL10]

Bring back Phil.

 

Sign Rafer Alston for veteran min.

 

Sign Tracy McGrady for veteran min.

 

Sign Raja Bell for veteran min.

 

Sign Brian Skinner for veteran min.

 

Sign Steve Blake for MLE

 

Re-Sign Fisher.

 

Let Farmar, Brown, Powell, and Morrison walk.

Edited June 23, 2010 by STL10

[Cleveland's Finest]

LA needs a backup big man. Brad Miller perhaps? Haywood but I think he wants to start.

 

LA also need a backup guard such as Raja Bell.

 

Finally, they need a youthful wing. Maybe a Travis Outlaw? I think he's a FA

[Sky]

Big appetites around here but not much reality with Buss wanting to cut payroll. They keep Fisher, probably around 3. Shannon leaves if he gets more money or a longer deal. Farmar is gone. DJ and Powell likely gone. The picks make the club and that just leaves three roster slots. Crittenton at vet min at 1. Raja Bell at 2/3. And a vet min big, preferably a center. That's it.

 

B-b-b-but that means the 1's are Fisher, Critt and Sasha, that sucks! Yup. Welcome to Buss' world. They're only going to carry five guards. They have no intention of using the full MLE. In likelihood they will only spend two vet min contracts, one on Critt, one on a big. Only one free agent will be signed for more than vet min. That's Raja in the clubhouse. Bell or Blake not both, and if one of the fa's is Critt that makes it Raja. Buss is expected to go cheap we need to calibrate our expectations accordingly.

[Poe]

First thing they absolutely must get Phil Jackson back. IMO, coaching is a very underrated aspect in sports. Phil needs to come back if they are to succeed in a three-peat.

 

Second, address the PG situation. See if they can work on a sign-and-trade for Raymond Felton. If that does not work out, then look to sign Steve Blake if no team is willing to pay him more than the MLE. After that, check on the availability of Shaun Livingston and Dorell Wright. Both are risks, but the upside could be extremely beneficial. -Bottom line, they need to replace Fisher's starting spot at point guard with a player that can defend, shoot, and handle the basketball. Fisher can continue his role as a jumpshooter off the bench.

 

Third, they need more depth, preferably at the center and wing positions. Through free agency, look into veteran wings that are likely to sign for a cheap price like Raja Bell, Michael Finley, Rasual Butler, and Jerry Stackhouse, and look into veteran bigs like Theo Ratliff, Nazr Mohammed, and Ben Wallace.

 

Fourth, execute the Bynum-Bosh deal. Yes, Pau and Bynum's combined length is a huge weapon for the Lakers, but Bynum has proved to be too injury prone to trust for an entire year. He barely made it through the playoffs, and without him, the Lakers would most likely have lost the 7 game series to Boston. Getting an all star, NON injury-prone PF in Bosh secures their contention for years.

Edited June 25, 2010 by Poe

[The Artesticle]

Big appetites around here but not much reality with Buss wanting to cut payroll. They keep Fisher, probably around 3. Shannon leaves if he gets more money or a longer deal. Farmar is gone. DJ and Powell likely gone. The picks make the club and that just leaves three roster slots. Crittenton at vet min at 1. Raja Bell at 2/3. And a vet min big, preferably a center. That's it.

 

B-b-b-but that means the 1's are Fisher, Critt and Sasha, that sucks! Yup. Welcome to Buss' world. They're only going to carry five guards. They have no intention of using the full MLE. In likelihood they will only spend two vet min contracts, one on Critt, one on a big. Only one free agent will be signed for more than vet min. That's Raja in the clubhouse. Bell or Blake not both, and if one of the fa's is Critt that makes it Raja. Buss is expected to go cheap we need to calibrate our expectations accordingly.

In Sasha's exit interview, he mentioned playing point guard next year, so I'm guessing we will see him there at some point next season.

 

pg: Fisher, Critt, Sasha

sg: Kobe, Bell

sf: Artest, Walton, Ebanks

pf: Gasol, Odom, Caracter

c: Bynum, vet

 

Sky, do you, or anybody know if Raja Bell has the ability to play point guard in our offense? He could fit in as the Ron Harper of 2010.

[Real Deal]

Bell wouldn't want to play the point. Phoenix asked him to try it out when Barbosa was bouncing off the walls, but he stated a couple of times that it just wasn't the position for him. Plus, he's not quick enough to defend at the position, nor can he make any sort of a post entry pass. Turnover city if he's asked to bring the ball up the court and initiate the offense.

 

Those claims that the Lakers don't want (or need) a true point guard...that's all BS. It would be nice to have one. The triangle requires five willing and able-bodied passers, and it's not a must that we have a pure point...but we would benefit from it.

 

Blake would be fantastic, since Hinrich is most likely out of the question (due to the trade and us saving money).

[Multi-Billionaire]

Allen Iverson is looking for a job guys.

 

I think Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown give the PG position a lot of offensive dimensions. Farmar is quick and fast, Shannon is athletic and power and can hit big shots sometimes/ shots that spark the Lakers too. I think losing these two will hurt.

 

Of course, losing Phil Jackson would be huge... even if you guys retain all players from this champs team, without Phil and with some other coach very good, say someone like Jeff Van Gundy... you guys will not be the same team. I will even say as far as you guys might not repeat. Then everyone will know what I'm claiming Denver is not the same team without George Karl is true.

[Real Deal]

We weren't supposed to repeat this season, actually...we were supposed to be an entirely different team, and all of that good stuff. Heard it all before.

 

Losing Farmar and Brown means nothing. Farmar is a horrible defensive player, dude has no lateral quickness and loses his man more than imagined. Brown is suddenly more into becoming the next Human Highlight Reel, attempting difficult, contested shots and trying to put out that one monster play that he never converts...not to mention his defense has taken a hit, also.

 

Farmar belongs in New York, running back and forth for D'Antoni. Shannon Brown should probably go with him.

 

Our main concerns are playing defense at the point, making more of our open jumpers, and rebounding (maintaining our rebounding advantages). Farmar and Brown do nothing for us, and that's why our bench was sitting in the bottom five all year in scoring, and why they blew double-digit leads within minutes.

[Newman]

The top priority is to bring back Phil Jackson. Equally important is to get a PG who can play D and shoot the J. Nothing too big to ask for, just requires some money. Anything else is a bonus.

[Multi-Billionaire]

We weren't supposed to repeat this season, actually...we were supposed to be an entirely different team, and all of that good stuff. Heard it all before.

 

Losing Farmar and Brown means nothing. Farmar is a horrible defensive player, dude has no lateral quickness and loses his man more than imagined. Brown is suddenly more into becoming the next Human Highlight Reel, attempting difficult, contested shots and trying to put out that one monster play that he never converts...not to mention his defense has taken a hit, also.

 

Farmar belongs in New York, running back and forth for D'Antoni. Shannon Brown should probably go with him.

 

Our main concerns are playing defense at the point, making more of our open jumpers, and rebounding (maintaining our rebounding advantages). Farmar and Brown do nothing for us, and that's why our bench was sitting in the bottom five all year in scoring, and why they blew double-digit leads within minutes.

 

Farmar and Brown can hit those 3s when they swing the ball.

 

Are you suggesting the Lakers will be fine if Phil leaves? Say it so I can quote it

[Real Deal]

Farmar and Brown can hit those 3s when they swing the ball.

 

Are you suggesting the Lakers will be fine if Phil leaves? Say it so I can quote it

Farmar and Brown would rather create their own shot against an NBA elite defensive player. Neither of them know what teamwork is...can't even swing the ball when they are in the game.

 

I never said anything about us being fine if Phil leaves, but it's not like we'd miss the playoffs.

[Multi-Billionaire]

Lakers can still use his quickness, e.g. when he abused Michael Finley for buckets Lakers desperately needed in that game and of all the open shots I see Farmar and Brown take, they knock down a good percentage of them.

 

Sure, with Kobe and Pau you can bring a rookie coach to replace Phil and they will still reach playoffs. But my point is they most likely won't repeat whereas with Phil they have a good chance of going 3-Peat in the 2010-11 season. And winning a championship and only making the playoffs is definitely different.

 

 

I'm changing my question to: are you suggesting Phil staying or going won't make a difference to the Lakers next season? Because I remember distinctly you said Nuggets' flaming out in the first round had little to nothing to do with George Karl... I just wanna know where your stance is regarding this "coach makes/ makes no difference to a team's success" subject.

[The Artesticle]

Phil is one of the best coaches of all time. Of course if he leaves our chances to repeat will diminish, especially if we replace him with a rookie coach in Brian Scott, or bring in someone like Byron Scott who will implement an entirely different system. We'll still be contenders though, and at the end of the day, anything can happen. But obviously our chances are best with Phil.

 

As for Farmar and Brown? Both scrubs, won't miss either.

[Real Deal]

I'm changing my question to: are you suggesting Phil staying or going won't make a difference to the Lakers next season? Because I remember distinctly you said Nuggets' flaming out in the first round had little to nothing to do with George Karl... I just wanna know where your stance is regarding this "coach makes/ makes no difference to a team's success" subject.

I never said that about Karl. I stated that missing Karl was part of the reason they lost in the first round...but that they wouldn't have defeated the Lakers either way, and I figured that was pretty obvious.

 

And of course, losing Phil makes a difference...but I'm not going to say it means we don't three-peat next season.

[Flight]

I'd have to say right now the Lakers are favorites to 3 peat, but let's say Chicago has an opening day lineup of:

 

Rose

Salmons? Deng?

James

Bosh

Noah

 

(something like that, but two big names plus the core)

 

 

Do you feel like the Lakers are still favorites, or would take a back seat to a LeBron, other big name FA, and Rose lineup?

[Flight]

And to stay on topic, I think apart from Jackson, the PG issue is easily the biggest concern if I were a Lakers fan. Fisher is nothing but clutch, but for 82 games that doesn't do much, and he's getting old.

[Sky]

Artesticle - Raja doesn't have the handles for 1. He's a decent passer they can try him at 1 a la Harper but Harp had more skills to play that position.

[kingfish]

Artesticle - Raja doesn't have the handles for 1. He's a decent passer they can try him at 1 a la Harper but Harp had more skills to play that position.

1 or the 2 are pretty much interchangeable in the tri am I right?

 

Not really sure though.

[Real Deal]

1 or the 2 are pretty much interchangeable in the tri am I right?

 

Not really sure though.

Not exactly, because your point does a lot of cutting to and through to the corners after bringing the ball up. You can't really say two positions on the floor are interchangeable in the offense because you're literally forming a triangle on the court, and the three strong-side positions go to players with different roles.

 

I mean, you don't want a post player and two spot-up shooters forming the triangle.

 

Sort of hard to explain without a bunch of diagrams.

[Poe]

First thing they absolutely must get Phil Jackson back. IMO, coaching is a very underrated aspect in sports. Phil needs to come back if they are to succeed in a three-peat.

 

Check.

 

Second, address the PG situation. See if they can work on a sign-and-trade for Raymond Felton. If that does not work out, then look to sign Steve Blake if no team is willing to pay him more than the MLE. After that, check on the availability of Shaun Livingston and Dorell Wright. Both are risks, but the upside could be extremely beneficial. -Bottom line, they need to replace Fisher's starting spot at point guard with a player that can defend, shoot, and handle the basketball. Fisher can continue his role as a jumpshooter off the bench.

 

Check.

 

Third, they need more depth, preferably at the center and wing positions. Through free agency, look into veteran wings that are likely to sign for a cheap price like Raja Bell, Michael Finley, Rasual Butler, and Jerry Stackhouse, and look into veteran bigs like Theo Ratliff, Nazr Mohammed, and Ben Wallace.

 

Mike Miller? Raja Bell?

 

Fourth, execute the Bynum-Bosh deal. Yes, Pau and Bynum's combined length is a huge weapon for the Lakers, but Bynum has proved to be too injury prone to trust for an entire year. He barely made it through the playoffs, and without him, the Lakers would most likely have lost the 7 game series to Boston. Getting an all star, NON injury-prone PF in Bosh secures their contention for years.

 

Sounds like Bosh has an "80%" chance of going to the Heat, according to the Miami Herald. Lakers better get a move on that remaining 20%.

Edited July 3, 2010 by Poe

[Gorilla Dog]

Fisher will be back with the Lakers for 2-3 years, $8-12 million. Shannon Brown can still come back if the price is right. 3 years, $9-11 million. Dacos might be back for the vet. minimum.

 

Mitch will offer Raja Bell the remainder of the MLE for 2-3 years or the vet min.

 

PG. Fisher, Blake,

SG. Kobe, Sasha, Brown

SF. Artest, Bell, Luke, Ebanks

PF. Gasol, Odom

C. Bynum, Mbenga, Caracter

 

The Lakers got two steals in the 2nd round. Ebanks can be a contributor in a couple of years, when he improves his offense and he played extremely well against Wall and other top PG's at the camp.

 

Caracter outplayed Oden at the ABCD camp and the kid has quick feet. He's like a big baby clone.

[Erick Blasco]

The Lakers don't have the cap room or the MLE to sign Miller now that Blake is on board.