The 2015-16 Los Angeles Lakers thread

D-Dogg

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I am sure DDogg is like many of the Lakers fans I've seen today on facebook praising Kobe's game last night and his one big dunk over a defender.

Me? I'm like - We LOST by 20 points. Who cares what Kobe did? SMH.

I have no misconception about what this season is about. Going in I thought the had a 30 game ceiling. Not gonna happen. Lottery top 3 would be phenomenal. Kobe off the books next season, a young core and hopefully no more Byron. I want to see Kobe not look like a grandpa, Russell/randle/clarkson keep getting experience and...well, that's about the end of the realistic expectations. Winning games?? Only against the Celtics do I even care this year.
 
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D-Dogg

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lol... the sun finally shines on the dog's ass for three games in three seasons and you've got the meme all ready to go!

Yeah, googling memes is serious business that I've been meticulously planning for years. Or, it was a brief flash of irony that once you moaned about his bad play that he put up some respectable numbers
 

sunsfan88

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Is that worth $25 million? I don't think so. Not even close. He single-handedly killed the franchise for several years. What an accomplishment. :rolleyes:

I think the new Buss owner gave Kobe that money not for his play but more so for ticket sales. I think more fans come in to see Kobe than they would any other player on that team. Yes, even broken down, washed up Kobe.

Lakers have been going on a downhill slope ever since Jerry Buss passed away. It's easy now to see who was the real architect behind those great Laker teams.
 

Hoop Head

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Would it surprise anyone if Kobe didn't retire and decides to come back next season after they whiff on all the top FA's in the offseason again? I could see it happening, easily, of course it would be on a huge contract like his latest extension. Lakers fans would all stand up for him until opening day and then bash him like they are now, doing so primarily away from other Lakers fans.
 

bankybruce

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In one of my fantasy leagues someone dropped right before he started playing well. I am happy with him for that.
 

Cheesebeef

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credit where credit's due... Kobe's balled a little better lately, even turning back the clock for an entire game or two.
 

Cheesebeef

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Byron Scott is still a massive idiot.

Russell looks good in spite of him.

seriously... I was about to say there's not a more clueless coach in the league... and then remembered Horny's coaching the Suns.
 

MaoTosiFanClub

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seriously... I was about to say there's not a more clueless coach in the league... and then remembered Horny's coaching the Suns.

It's really unbelievable that in an era where there is very clear evidence that upgrading coaching and scheme can increase a team's win total by 15 games that organizations still ride out poor coaches.
 

sunsfan88

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In one of my fantasy leagues someone dropped right before he started playing well. I am happy with him for that.

He was drafted in like the 3rd round by some die hard Laker fan in our league, we weren't complaining though :p
 

sunsfan88

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Los Angeles Lakers Willing to Sacrifice Youth Movement In Order to Celebrate Outgoing Kobe Bryant

LOS ANGELES -- For much of the 2015-16 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have been trying to balance the development of their younger players while also celebrating Kobe Bryant, who is retiring after his 20th campaign in the NBA.

Although the season isn't over, the Lakers sit at 8-28, and general manager Mitch Kupchak told ESPN that this season is about Bryant.

Any plans to more frequently feature their younger core are on hold until he is gone.

"Under normal circumstances [in a season like this], at some point, you would probably concentrate on just developing all your young players," Kupchak told ESPN on Tuesday. "But we can't do that right now.

"This [season] is really a justified farewell to perhaps the best player in franchise history. And, God-willing, he's going to want to play every game and he's going to want to play a lot of minutes in every game, because that's just the way he is.

"And as long as that continues, which it should, then that's 30-35 minutes that you might give to a young player that you can't. How do you get a feel for your team going forward when you know that your best player is not going to be there next year? So it's really hard to go forward until he's no longer here.


"That's not a bad thing. I'm not saying it's a bad thing at all. It's something that I think is a good thing. In some regards, there's a silver lining. Our younger players can make mistakes, and it can kind of go under the radar because Kobe garnishes so much attention. Every game, it's about Kobe. Even when he doesn't play, it's about Kobe. So in a lot of regards, there's a silver lining that our guys can develop under the radar and maybe make a mistake or make two mistakes and it not be a big deal."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/1...movement-order-celebrate-outgoing-kobe-bryant
Lol so Kupchak is basically admitting that the Lakers are prioritizing Kobe's farewell over developing their young high lotto talent like Randle and Russel...
 

bankybruce

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D'Angelo Russell benched for 'trying to take over'

After the loss, Scott explained why he benched the team's promising 19-year-old -- and the answer seemed a bit harsher than usual, which is saying something considering the harsh criticism Scott has given Russell all season.

"I saw the last couple minutes that he was in that he was really trying to take over the game, and that's not him yet," Scott said. "I want the ball to move a little bit. I thought it stuck with him. He tried to make the big shots and things like that. I understand that, but to me, that's not him right now."

In other words, this is Kobe's team, even when not playing. KNOW YOUR ROLE KID!
 

Cheesebeef

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went to the game a couple nights ago where Dirk beat 'em with a buzzer beater. But the best part of the game was meeting two Kobe fans who flew out from PORTUGAL to see Kobe play... only for him to bail on the game 30 minutes before tip.

Kobe fans... love 'em to death.
 

D-Dogg

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That totally sucks. Poor dudes. But they got to see living legend Byron scott make some of his patented bad decisions though.

Right now he's trying to find a loophole that allows him to bench Russell for the rising stars challenge game during all star weekend, citing "ain't got time for confidence, pay your dues."
 

Cheesebeef

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That totally sucks. Poor dudes. But they got to see living legend Byron scott make some of his patented bad decisions though.

Right now he's trying to find a loophole that allows him to bench Russell for the rising stars challenge game during all star weekend, citing "ain't got time for confidence, pay your dues."

WTF is Byron Scott doing with that team? Trying to prove to the rest of the NBA that no one should ever hire him again?
 

D-Dogg

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WTF is Byron Scott doing with that team? Trying to prove to the rest of the NBA that no one should ever hire him again?

I truly have no freaking idea. It is baffling. He is atrocious, and the WORST possible person for a bunch of young guys. Blows my mind, and frankly, he's ****ting all over my memories of Showtime.
 

Hoop Head

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How many bad coaches have the Lakers had in row? Everyone since Phil stepped down has been labeled a disaster by their fanbase. At what point does anyone else get the blame for just having a bad team? I'll admit that their coaches haven't been great but they can only be at fault for so much.
 

D-Dogg

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How many bad coaches have the Lakers had in row? Everyone since Phil stepped down has been labeled a disaster by their fanbase. At what point does anyone else get the blame for just having a bad team? I'll admit that their coaches haven't been great but they can only be at fault for so much.

These two year wonders, all that were fired while under contract (IIRC)

Mike Brown
D'Antoni
Byron Scott

Dantan had some talent, but it was all broken, and not the roster to run his system. That's pretty much the only coach on there. MB and BS are horrid.
 
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