This article is right on: 5-point plan for fixing the Lakers

[magicmanfan]

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basket...971,full.story

I think this plan is right on the money!!

[gts]

Not sure how on point he is about everything but it's been clear since last summer that they were rebuilding. Seems it just took that writer longer to catch on

You don't sign that many players to one year contracts (a few non guaranteed) if you're trying to make some noise in the playoffs

This season was always a bridge to get them into the next two off seasons when they had some room to operate

[dd24]

I agree with a lot of the article. I do think they need to get something in return for Gasol and I believe they can get another first round pick. I think there are some nice pieces on the roster if they were coming off the bench rather than being starters on this team. I don't think anybody wants them to waste their cap space on players who could possibly get overpaid and not win championships for a team. I think a lot of us also want 'antoni out.

[bladefd]

I don't disagree with any of those points.

For those too lazy to read the article, here's the 5 points:

1) lose games to get high draft pick
2) trade gasol for picks/salary dump
3) fire d'antoni
4) re-sign Nick Young, Jodie Meeks & Steve Blake from this season to long term deals, dump the others including Nash
5) wait extra year for Love. Continue rebuild into next season too


I believe 1, 2 & 3 are absolutely essential. 4 is not essential because Young/Meeks/Blake are replaceable through free agency, and 5 depends entirely on who we can draft this year and whether Melo/Lebron are available.

[longtime lurker]

Any plan that involves resigning Nick Young, Blake and Meeks is doomed to fail. I like the guys enough but there's no point having them clog up the salary cap when we could wait a year for Nash to expire and have over 30 million to throw @ Love and another impact player.

[tamaraw08]

I don't disagree with any of those points.

For those too lazy to read the article, here's the 5 points:

1) lose games to get high draft pick
2) trade gasol for picks/salary dump
3) fire d'antoni
4) re-sign Nick Young, Jodie Meeks & Steve Blake from this season to long term deals, dump the others including Nash
5) wait extra year for Love. Continue rebuild into next season too


I believe 1, 2 & 3 are absolutely essential. 4 is not essential because Young/Meeks/Blake are replaceable through free agency, and 5 depends entirely on who we can draft this year and whether Melo/Lebron are available.

i probably missed reading it, But i don't remember Bolch stating that they should sign them to "long term deals".
Im probably in the minority here bec I like those guys to stick around too but I undestand that the recent CBA/trend is to NOT sign role players to long term deals.
Meeks I think has been pretty good this season but if teams offer him like 6 mil/3 years, I would offer him 3-4 mil/1 year with a team option for the 2nd year, in essense offering more but with less commitment.
Same with Blake and Young, overpay them but just for 1 year with 2nd year team options.

[dd24]

I'd like to keep them too, but of course at the right price. I think Young would be great off of the bench in a 6th man role. He's really stepped up this year. He's having a good enough season he's probably playing himself into a contract bigger than what the Lakers might offer though.

[bladefd]

i probably missed reading it, But i don't remember Bolch stating that they should sign them to "long term deals".
Im probably in the minority here bec I like those guys to stick around too but I undestand that the recent CBA/trend is to NOT sign role players to long term deals.

He is probably talking about a deal for couple years. I doubt those 3 will take discounts for a one-year deal. They will want multiple years if they do take discounts.

[DKLaker]

Management....meaning Jimmy Buss, has no clue as to what is going on.
There is no plan in place and I don't see this getting much better anytime soon.
Big market TV deal......below small market talent

[longtime lurker]

Management....meaning Jimmy Buss, has no clue as to what is going on.
There is no plan in place and I don't see this getting much better anytime soon.
Big market TV deal......below small market talent

The team is trying to suck enough to get a high draft pick then.......

I really don't think they've planned this properly at all. If you're going into full tank mode then you need to trade for as many assets and draft picks as possible. Also fire D'Antoni if you want any chance of a landing a free agent. I think they're expecting a Magic situation where they'll just luck into a franchise changing draft pick.

[magicmanfan]

Management....meaning Jimmy Buss, has no clue as to what is going on.
There is no plan in place and I don't see this getting much better anytime soon.
Big market TV deal......below small market talent

Not sure I can see their plan either, but it does look like they are
trying to create showtime again.... A year ago, they had very poor
3-pt shooting, they brought in a lot of 3-pt shooters this year (Young,
Farmar, Johnson, Kelly). Nash was supposed lead all this.....

Injuries have killed us this year so it's hard to see the direction they
want to go.....

IF they keep DiAntoni, then I think this is their plan.

But can Jim Buss and Mitch get the right players for this system?
Doug Collins says in order to play small ball, your guys need to be
able to rebound.... Who do we have that runs the break, shoots
3s and is a good rebounder?

The only player I can come up with is KB. and he's hurt!!!

So we have a ways to go to fufill this dream....

[dd24]

You can't recreate the showtime teams in today's game. The CBA is much different now. You can't just go out and get the best players because you're willing to pay for them. They could say showtime, but it would really be just a marketing gimmick. 'antoni is as good as gone anyway.

[DKLaker]

Not sure I can see their plan either, but it does look like they are
trying to create showtime again.... A year ago, they had very poor
3-pt shooting, they brought in a lot of 3-pt shooters this year (Young,
Farmar, Johnson, Kelly). Nash was supposed lead all this.....

Injuries have killed us this year so it's hard to see the direction they
want to go.....

IF they keep DiAntoni, then I think this is their plan.

But can Jim Buss and Mitch get the right players for this system?
Doug Collins says in order to play small ball, your guys need to be
able to rebound.... Who do we have that runs the break, shoots
3s and is a good rebounder?

The only player I can come up with is KB. and he's hurt!!!

So we have a ways to go to fufill this dream....

'Antoni is not capable of winning anything, his style is garbage and it's not only getting players who can shoot, run and rebound, you have to be able to teach rebounding and when to crash and who is getting back on defense.......speaking of "D", our terrible coach is clueless when it comes to the subject.......show me an NBA team that won with no defense.

[kkinchen]

I say.

1. Fire D'Antoni
2. buyout Nash
3. waive Kelly
3. Draft Montrezl Harrell or Julius Randle (whichever is available)
4. Sing Ariza, Varejao and Gortat

That leaves us with a roster of:

pg: Farmar/Henry/Marshall
sg: Bryant/Meeks/Bazemore
sf: Ariza/Young/Johnson
pf:Varejao/Hill/(Harrell or Randle)
C: Gasol/Gortat/Sacre

That is a roster that can defend and rebound. In other words, a championship caliber team.

[dd24]

I say.

1. Fire D'Antoni
2. buyout Nash
3. waive Kelly
3. Draft Montrezl Harrell or Julius Randle (whichever is available)
4. Sing Ariza, Varejao and Gortat

That leaves us with a roster of:

pg: Farmar/Henry/Marshall
sg: Bryant/Meeks/Bazemore
sf: Ariza/Young/Johnson
pf:Varejao/Hill/(Harrell or Randle)
C: Gasol/Gortat/Sacre

That is a roster that can defend and rebound. In other words, a championship caliber team.

I don't think that's a championship caliber team. I think it would possibly miss the playoffs. I also don't understand waiving Kelly. Regardless of who's system is in place I think a stretch 4 is a part of today's game. Kelly has actually played decent as a rookie. I think he can be a role player in the NBA. Come off the bench and hit a few threes. Maybe play 10-15 minutes here and there depending on the matchups. He's going to be cheap so may as well keep the cheap labor.