Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 37747 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2025 3:19 pm Post subject:
wolfpaclaker wrote:
Kobe trashed the owner and asked them to trade Bynum for an old Jason Kidd. Even the greats make bad GM decisions at times. Kobe would have traded BOTH Lamar Odom in his prime and Bynum for Jermaine O'Neal who 2 years after broke down as an athlete. Mitch talked to both teams, and wanted both Kidd/JO, but had the understanding that the trades were bad negotiations for the Lakers.
It's the FO who makes the final calls on those things. The negotiation is not done by the franchise players.
Even if Bron wanted Westbrook, it doesn't mean he's a good GM you listen to. Then even if you trade for WB, doesn't mean it HAD to be bad a deal/situation post trade. If what we gave up, was more in line with us staying deep post trade, re-signing Caruso etc. we could have been a playoff team the following year.
What killed it was what we gave up. 2 FRPs, Kuzma, KCP and letting Caruso walk. Lebron and AD and KLUTCH did not negotiate that ridiculous trade. Rob Pelinka did.
Easily if the team was able to keep KCP out of the deal, re-sign Caruso. The situation isn't nearly as bad. By not re-signing/extending Dennis (who they gave a pick up for) Pelinka HAD to throw in KCP to make the deal work for salaries. Easily the deal could have been done with Dennis instead had the extension/deal been worked out. In which case post trade you have WB/KCP/Caruso/Reaves as your guard core. Sure WB was never going to win a title here but the deal didn't need to be that bad/1 sided. That was 100% on Pelinka. By simply extending Dennis when we traded a pick for him, we would have had salary to use in the WB deal. Then we'd mantain a solid guard core in Reaves/Caruso/KCP post-Westbrook trade. Probably could have seen out the 2 years of WB without needing to throw in the 2027 FRP to get rid of him.
Of course hindsight is always 20-20, it's just that since it's being brought up that Lebron is the one that wanted WB, it's fair to also have a look at what a GM should/could have been doing in that situation. Easily as I said, the deal could have been done without KCP had Dennis been given an extension (which was another mistake, you don't trade a FRP for a player you don't know will extend).
I wonder what would have happened if we had traded Bynum for Kidd though.
We still make the Pau trade, and maybe Kupchak keeps Marc Gasol. Having Kidd maybe wins us the finals in 2008. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
^
As I've stated with the AD/Luka moves, he's great at getting Lebron (who decided years in advance before Pelinka that he was coming to retire in LA) a co-star in his prime/peak ahead of him. He deserves credit for that.
However the amount of bad deals greatly outweighs the 2 great deals he made. You cannot hide behind that you traded for elite players. The Suns also traded for an elite player, and it's been awful for them. The Nets traded/signed elite players. You have to roster construct and win titles, that is the Laker standard. We don't celebrate having elite player/HOF's in their prime. Lakers standards are title or bust.
In the end though with this Luka move he has earned a clean slate probably for a few years. He has a number assets to use to get at least a very good core, and he has Lebron still playing at an all-star near MVP level. So he can construct a title here and prove himself and doubters wrong. Plus, to give him some credit, maybe even this year's team can make a title run. Then an argument can be made, they already had enough to win now and he constructed it.
My point is that his bad deals were largely made in his first few years and under the influence of Klutch. Ultimately it's on him but it's difficult to deny that Klutch wasn't a factor. At some point, he's become more empowered and lately (even before the Luka deal), he's hit on a few singles/doubles though I think the proposed Mark Williams deal was an overpay and unnecessary risk. I think he's trending in the right direction but only time will tell of course. _________________ Luxury Tax/FA Spreadsheet (Save to your Google Drive to edit)
I disagree about Klutch, because Klutch and him were at his tightest when they had a core that won a title - the most balanced core that they ever had in the post-Mitch Kupchak era. It's the one time where Rob really valued each position/role on the roster, as opposed to building either a guard heavy or wing heavy roster that had to play gimmick lineups to win. Even then, his first aim was to star chase with Kawhi. Once that failed he actually built a really solid foundation and I gave him a lot of credit.
Klutch when it's convenient, are ignored. When it's not, they are blamed. They are like a safety crutch for Pelinka, as is the head coach. Vogel won him a title, yet he dismantles his team. He blames it on him. Then, he blames Ham who just a year prior Jeanie lauded as the coach and right leader. Now we're seeing fans even defend his moves, because he landed Luka. My point made, he's easily gotten 3 more years here. If things don't end up with #18, we'll quickly see the blame shift to Lebron's age, then Redick's coaching ability as a playoff winner. Pelinka always finds way to escape the heat.
Any GM would have pursued Kawhi; I'm not totally sure why he gets flack for that. Hindsight is 20/20. Otherwise, KCP, Trez, Nunn, Walker, and THT were all favors to Klutch and other than KCP came at significant opportunity cost. If you recall, the sentiment with KCP to start that championship season was largely negative. Accordingly, AB a shorter player who was signed for less, initially started over him. Of course, KCP eventually found his groove and the rest his history. And while Rob should obviously be held accountable for the Russ move, he also doesn't do it without Lebron and AD meddling. And he went from giving away picks to valuing picks to the point of criticism from Lebron and fans. Ultimately, I think you and I just disagree on the lens through which his first few years should be judged. He's made more good deals than bad deals of late and the Klutch favors (Reddish getting two guaranteed years, drafting Bronny) have come with significantly less opportunity cost though Vanderbilt's contract isn't looking so hot right now. Otherwise, I don't disagree that he's got a little of bit of Littlefinger (sorry if you don't get the GoT reference) in him and that he really has no excuses moving forward (even if he may find them). If he does something like sign GTJ to any significant portion of the MLE then he clearly hasn't learned his lesson. _________________ Luxury Tax/FA Spreadsheet (Save to your Google Drive to edit)
I disagree about Klutch, because Klutch and him were at his tightest when they had a core that won a title - the most balanced core that they ever had in the post-Mitch Kupchak era. It's the one time where Rob really valued each position/role on the roster, as opposed to building either a guard heavy or wing heavy roster that had to play gimmick lineups to win. Even then, his first aim was to star chase with Kawhi. Once that failed he actually built a really solid foundation and I gave him a lot of credit.
Klutch when it's convenient, are ignored. When it's not, they are blamed. They are like a safety crutch for Pelinka, as is the head coach. Vogel won him a title, yet he dismantles his team. He blames it on him. Then, he blames Ham who just a year prior Jeanie lauded as the coach and right leader. Now we're seeing fans even defend his moves, because he landed Luka. My point made, he's easily gotten 3 more years here. If things don't end up with #18, we'll quickly see the blame shift to Lebron's age, then Redick's coaching ability as a playoff winner. Pelinka always finds way to escape the heat.
That ship roster was about as gimmicky of a line up as can be imagined with no starting PG…LBJ at PG was an gimmick…and starting an outcasted player that had been out of the league at C.
I agree with the rest. I’m with you on the Rob criticism. He should be on the hot seat now like he should have been on the hot seat after the Westbrook debacle but like then some inexplicably give him a pass. Rob actually got an extension for that failure as fans/Jeanie refused to place on him, nor did he acknowledge any, personal accountability for that ineptitude. Presumably the pass was given then with scapegoats WB/Vogel taking the heat and now the pass is given due to the euphoria of getting Luka.
It’s ok to be happy about getting Luka but demand more from Rob because that is what we want, not a repeat of only a partially completed job like he’s done previously with AD. Luka is a means to an end, not the goal itself, and that end goal is competing for a ship with a complete roster. We want to be one of the favorites expecting a ship as opposed to a second tier competitor just hoping we can upset a top tier team for a ship. Getting a C looks like it would have fixed that. It was obvious that it was needed and for whatever reason Rob failed at that even tho he should have been shopping for a C for a couple years. It would be different if C’s were on the roster but a red flag alarm bell should have been glaring on Rob’s GM radar that he should not go into the post season with LBJ/AR/Luka having only Hayes on the roster as a playable C.
If Rob doesn’t frack up…that’s what I’m concerned about, past performance is the most reliable indicator of future performance…a ship run with Luka like he did with AD I’d be pleasantly surprised. Fan pressure to demand more may help to tip the scale but celebrating like he’s completed the job at this point may lead to the same type complacency we saw before.
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not running the ship squad back,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not bringing back Schro/Drummomd,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance bringing WB back instead of Turner/Heild,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not getting a back up C, WCF loss,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not bringing back Schro/back up C,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not getting a C at deadline, 1stRd loss
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not getting a back up C in the offseason,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not getting a C at the deadline this year,
Rob needs to feel pressure from the fanbase to do better to not repeat it. _________________ When reasonably possible, I expect the Lakers to go after a ship like it can’t be denied. I haven’t seen a completely committed effort by the GM for the last 2 off seasons nor the last 2 trade deadlines. What is going on?
That ship roster was about as gimmicky of a line up as can be imagined with no starting PG…LBJ at PG was an gimmick…and starting an outcasted player that had been out of the league at C.
Disagree, Rajon Rondo is one of the best PG's of his generation and a pure PG if there is one. The fact is Rondo started for the team the previous year in many games when Ball was out. Vogel came in with a plan to build a team that was a defensive powerhouse and needed elite defending.
RR - considering his ablity to lead a second unit, he was ideal for taking control of that unit. While Lebron/AD also needed more floor spacing.
Really this is about balance. No one would ever accuse you of being an idiot if you called Lebron a PG on offense. Now call Lebron or Rui a Center? Or DFS? That's a gimmick lineup. As I said many times, in today's NBA anything is possibe, but I feel the team is at it's best when Luka has a strong physical big who can set screens for him and also roll hard to the basket. Then there's also defense, where you get some size vs teams that have size.
Small ball works in today's league, it's just that you better hope your stars go off in that scenario, in a way that's just insane offense. We saw that vs OKC we couldn't miss a 3. I just don't know if it's the right tactics to win a title.
I disagree about Klutch, because Klutch and him were at his tightest when they had a core that won a title - the most balanced core that they ever had in the post-Mitch Kupchak era. It's the one time where Rob really valued each position/role on the roster, as opposed to building either a guard heavy or wing heavy roster that had to play gimmick lineups to win. Even then, his first aim was to star chase with Kawhi. Once that failed he actually built a really solid foundation and I gave him a lot of credit.
Klutch when it's convenient, are ignored. When it's not, they are blamed. They are like a safety crutch for Pelinka, as is the head coach. Vogel won him a title, yet he dismantles his team. He blames it on him. Then, he blames Ham who just a year prior Jeanie lauded as the coach and right leader. Now we're seeing fans even defend his moves, because he landed Luka. My point made, he's easily gotten 3 more years here. If things don't end up with #18, we'll quickly see the blame shift to Lebron's age, then Redick's coaching ability as a playoff winner. Pelinka always finds way to escape the heat.
That ship roster was about as gimmicky of a line up as can be imagined with no starting PG…LBJ at PG was an gimmick…and starting an outcasted player that had been out of the league at C.
I agree with the rest. I’m with you on the Rob criticism. He should be on the hot seat now like he should have been on the hot seat after the Westbrook debacle but like then some inexplicably give him a pass. Rob actually got an extension for that failure as fans/Jeanie refused to place on him, nor did he acknowledge any, personal accountability for that ineptitude. Presumably the pass was given then with scapegoats WB/Vogel taking the heat and now the pass is given due to the euphoria of getting Luka.
It’s ok to be happy about getting Luka but demand more from Rob because that is what we want, not a repeat of only a partially completed job like he’s done previously with AD. Luka is a means to an end, not the goal itself, and that end goal is competing for a ship with a complete roster. We want to be one of the favorites expecting a ship as opposed to a second tier competitor just hoping we can upset a top tier team for a ship. Getting a C looks like it would have fixed that. It was obvious that it was needed and for whatever reason Rob failed at that even tho he should have been shopping for a C for a couple years. It would be different if C’s were on the roster but a red flag alarm bell should have been glaring on Rob’s GM radar that he should not go into the post season with LBJ/AR/Luka having only Hayes on the roster as a playable C.
If Rob doesn’t frack up…that’s what I’m concerned about, past performance is the most reliable indicator of future performance…a ship run with Luka like he did with AD I’d be pleasantly surprised. Fan pressure to demand more may help to tip the scale but celebrating like he’s completed the job at this point may lead to the same type complacency we saw before.
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not running the ship squad back,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not bringing back Schro/Drummomd,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance bringing WB back instead of Turner/Heild,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not getting a back up C, WCF loss,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not bringing back Schro/back up C,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not getting a C at deadline, 1stRd loss
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not getting a back up C in the offseason,
Rob may have wasted a ship chance not getting a C at the deadline this year,
Rob needs to feel pressure from the fanbase to do better to not repeat it.
So let me get this straight. Rob shouldn't get credit for 2019-2020 squad because it was gimmicky and not really championship-caliber. He should be discredited for the 2020-2021 squad because we lost a ship chance for not bringing back the gimmicky 2019-2020 squad that wasn't really championship-caliber in the first place. And he should be discredited for the 2021-2022 squad because we lost a ship chance for not bringing back the 2020-2021 squad which was inferior to the gimmicky 2019-2020 squad that wasn't really championship-caliber in the first place.
I get what you're ultimately saying; they got progressively worse. Just pointing out the flaw in how some of your arguments are structured. I agree that Rob made some pretty bad moves (both in fore- and hindsight). Scroll back in the thread and you'll see that I very critical of the way Rob managed the order of operations in the AD trade. But I also see improvement as Klutch's influence has started to wane. Is it a coincidence? Who knows and at this point who cares. I'm just hoping the trend continues. And I certainly don't buy the argument that Rob hasn't been trying because of lack of pressure from the fans. I just think he's been incompetent and maybe deferential but that there are positive signs moving forward. _________________ Luxury Tax/FA Spreadsheet (Save to your Google Drive to edit)
^
If you're looping me in with that, that'd be wrong, because I gave/always give him a ton of credit for moves like Danny Green, KCP, Caruso, Dwight, McGee, Rondo etc. The roster had 2-way guys and balance, size, floor spacing. I know many didn't like the brand of basketball, but it won and got the job done.
He has it in him to do it, it's just that he usually seems to prefer to focus on individual guard/wing talent over roster balance. At one point in 2021-22 we had like 5 PGs on the roster including Isiah Thomas. Pretty sad.
He's done real solid with DFS / DLO swap. We just need more of those sort of moves, IMO. Maybe I'm wrong though and we win 18 this year. With talent like Luka and if Lebron plays at his best, way Reaves is thriving as a 3rd option, anything is possible. I'll give him credit that he can attain elite stars. That's a big part of the job, it's just not the ONLY part.
Last edited by wolfpaclaker on Tue Apr 08, 2025 11:24 am; edited 1 time in total
That ship roster was about as gimmicky of a line up as can be imagined with no starting PG…LBJ at PG was an gimmick…and starting an outcasted player that had been out of the league at C.
Disagree, Rajon Rondo is one of the best PG's of his generation and a pure PG if there is one. The fact is Rondo started for the team the previous year in many games when Ball was out. Vogel came in with a plan to build a team that was a defensive powerhouse and needed elite defending.
RR - considering his ablity to lead a second unit, he was ideal for taking control of that unit. While Lebron/AD also needed more floor spacing.
Really this is about balance. No one would ever accuse you of being an idiot if you called Lebron a PG on offense. Now call Lebron or Rui a Center? Or DFS? That's a gimmick lineup. As I said many times, in today's NBA anything is possibe, but I feel the team is at it's best when Luka has a strong physical big who can set screens for him and also roll hard to the basket. Then there's also defense, where you get some size vs teams that have size.
Small ball works in today's league, it's just that you better hope your stars go off in that scenario, in a way that's just insane offense. We saw that vs OKC we couldn't miss a 3. I just don't know if it's the right tactics to win a title.
It can be argured that Rondo could have been, or perhaps even should have been, but he wasn’t the starting PG. He looked washed before and after the Lakers, as did Dwight. I don’t know how Rob/Vogel/LBJ squeezed a ship out of those two but it was a gimmick, as was moving LBJ to full time PG. I’m glad it worked out!!!
I preferred to bring back Rondo/Dwight…as back ups to upgrades…but I wasn’t as upset as some on the dismantling of that ship roster because I didn’t see it as being able to replicate or sustain their success. It was a gimmick that worked but had to be pivoted away from…Rondo significantly relied on as the only legitimate PG on the roster, Dwight relied on as a starter, LBJ relied on as the full time PG…if another ship was expected. _________________ When reasonably possible, I expect the Lakers to go after a ship like it can’t be denied. I haven’t seen a completely committed effort by the GM for the last 2 off seasons nor the last 2 trade deadlines. What is going on?
Last edited by Hanging from Rafters on Tue Apr 08, 2025 11:25 am; edited 1 time in total
Definitely not you Wolf. Calling that lineup gimmicky is definitely a new wrinkle to the argument. _________________ Luxury Tax/FA Spreadsheet (Save to your Google Drive to edit)
That ship roster was about as gimmicky of a line up as can be imagined with no starting PG…LBJ at PG was an gimmick…and starting an outcasted player that had been out of the league at C.
Disagree, Rajon Rondo is one of the best PG's of his generation and a pure PG if there is one. The fact is Rondo started for the team the previous year in many games when Ball was out. Vogel came in with a plan to build a team that was a defensive powerhouse and needed elite defending.
RR - considering his ablity to lead a second unit, he was ideal for taking control of that unit. While Lebron/AD also needed more floor spacing.
Really this is about balance. No one would ever accuse you of being an idiot if you called Lebron a PG on offense. Now call Lebron or Rui a Center? Or DFS? That's a gimmick lineup. As I said many times, in today's NBA anything is possibe, but I feel the team is at it's best when Luka has a strong physical big who can set screens for him and also roll hard to the basket. Then there's also defense, where you get some size vs teams that have size.
Small ball works in today's league, it's just that you better hope your stars go off in that scenario, in a way that's just insane offense. We saw that vs OKC we couldn't miss a 3. I just don't know if it's the right tactics to win a title.
It can be argured that Rondo could have been, or perhaps even should have been, but he wasn’t the starting PG. He looked washed before and after the Lakers, as did Dwight. I don’t know how Rob/Vogel/LBJ squeezed a ship out of those two but it was a gimmick, as was moving LBJ to full time PG. I’m glad it worked out!!!
I preferred to bring back Rondo/Dwight…as back ups to upgrades…but I wasn’t as upset as some on the dismantling of that ship roster because I didn’t see it as being able to replicate or sustain their success. It was a gimmick that worked but had to be pivoted away from…Rondo significantly relied on as the only legitimate PG on the roster, Dwight relied on as a starter, LBJ relied on as the full time PG…if another ship was expected.
OK now I'm confused. Because you pretty much said the exact opposite a few posts back. _________________ Luxury Tax/FA Spreadsheet (Save to your Google Drive to edit)
Definitely not you Wolf. Calling that lineup gimmicky is definitely a new wrinkle to the argument.
LBJ listed as PG was a gimmick…I understand how there are different opinions but…that alone should imo qualify it lol! The fact that it wasn’t expected as the initial plan, had never been done before, and has never been used again, puts it in the gimmick category. Even if disagreed with…for goodness sake…the reasoning should at least be evident.
Rondo had an amazing career but had been bounced around as useless prior to coming to the Lakers and Dwight had been out of the league entirely. It was a gimmick to me. I’ve explained why and I think it makes sense. Every thing that makes sense to me won’t be agreed with and that’s cool, but I don’t understand how it isn’t recognized as gimmicky. Two players…Rondo/Dwight…that didn’t perform just prior, and didn’t perform right after, the ship and a star playing out of position never before and never after, looks like a gimmick to me! I almost never agree with Rob, but it looks like he agreed with it as well by recognizing it wasn’t sustainable and immediately tried something else lol!
Hey, just thought of something, maybe the word gimmick is throwing it off. What if we just substitute the word “unconventional”? It’s what I mean by “gimmick”. _________________ When reasonably possible, I expect the Lakers to go after a ship like it can’t be denied. I haven’t seen a completely committed effort by the GM for the last 2 off seasons nor the last 2 trade deadlines. What is going on?
Last edited by Hanging from Rafters on Tue Apr 08, 2025 11:40 am; edited 1 time in total
I think you're fixating on arbitrary labels without regarding Lebron's career trajectory and skillset. There's a reason he's been compared more to Magic and Kobe has been compared more to MJ. Lebron won a championship with Kyrie but he also won two with Mario Chalmers as the "starting PG". _________________ Luxury Tax/FA Spreadsheet (Save to your Google Drive to edit)
I think you're fixating on arbitrary labels without regarding Lebron's career trajectory and skillset. There's a reason he's been compared more to Magic and Kobe has been compared more to MJ. Lebron won a championship with Kyrie but he also won two with Mario Chalmers as the "starting PG".
Maybe you’re right, I am fixating on the roster designation and possibly too much, I’ll own that. Is it possible that you’re ignoring it too much? Could that be something you would consider?
Many players control the offense from other positions, Jokic is a “point” Center, as is Sabonis and there are/have been others. None of them however had their official position designation changed to PG like what was done that season with LBJ and that fixation is why I categorized it as a gimmick. Earlier I changed from using “gimmick” to calling it “unconventional”, would that terminology put us on the same page? _________________ When reasonably possible, I expect the Lakers to go after a ship like it can’t be denied. I haven’t seen a completely committed effort by the GM for the last 2 off seasons nor the last 2 trade deadlines. What is going on?
I don't mind the term whichever one you use...but I just wouldn't be holding it against any GM for constructing a roster based around putting the ball primarily in the hands of your best playmaker. And I certainly wouldn't say they won the championship in spite of that. _________________ Luxury Tax/FA Spreadsheet (Save to your Google Drive to edit)
I don't mind the term whichever one you use...but I just wouldn't be holding it against any GM for constructing a roster based around putting the ball primarily in the hands of your best playmaker. And I certainly wouldn't say they won the championship in spite of that.
Yea, that’s my stance. That the GM didn’t build a ship roster, it was the players and the coaches that made it work despite the deficiencies the GM left. The build by the GM relied on players that didn’t perform adequately during the previous multiple seasons before they were added and they actually didn’t perform afterwards either. It was an anomaly for them to step up that one season for a ship when they didn’t show it before or after.
It was “unconventional” to have two players contribute to a ship didn’t give an indication that they could do that both before and after they actually did contribute, and unconventional to change the player position designation. I think the GM knew it wasn’t sustainable and that’s why he changed it the next season. _________________ When reasonably possible, I expect the Lakers to go after a ship like it can’t be denied. I haven’t seen a completely committed effort by the GM for the last 2 off seasons nor the last 2 trade deadlines. What is going on?
Well I would say it was unusual that they lost a starting guard to the bubble and a rotation center to a torn ACL before the season even began. But they had guys step in and step up. Sounds like good roster construction to me. Again, I don't understand the rationale of holding it against the GM. Also, Playoff Rondo had long been a thing. It wasn't surprising at all that Rondo stepped up. Want to give credit to the players and coaches? Fine. Want to hold it against the GM that brought them on board? Odd IMO. _________________ Luxury Tax/FA Spreadsheet (Save to your Google Drive to edit)
It defies logic to discredit a GM for constructing a championship team. That's why the argument gets increasingly more ridiculous the more you try to defend it. If your starting point is "I hate Rob" you're just going to search frantically for reasons to support that stance no matter how asinine they are. _________________ It was reminiscent of one of those Most Interesting Man in the World advertisements: "I don't always shoot 6-for-28 from the field, but when I do, I become the youngest player in league history to score 28,000 career points."
Well I would say it was unusual that they lost a starting guard to the bubble and a rotation center to a torn ACL before the season even began. But they had guys step in and step up. Sounds like good roster construction to me. Again, I don't understand the rationale of holding it against the GM. Also, Playoff Rondo had long been a thing. It wasn't surprising at all that Rondo stepped up. Want to give credit to the players and coaches? Fine. Want to hold it against the GM that brought them on board? Odd IMO.
That roster had a lot of size, guard skills (can't ignore DEFENSIVE guard skills), big wing/forward like Kuz/Dudz, a balance of youth/vets and elite stars. That roster is what gives me some faith that Pelinka will do it again. That and the move to swap DLO/DFS. We need more of those DLO/DFS type of swaps this offseason.
Thing that concerns me is that despite having a lot of success, Pelinka just never build another roster like that. Now he has to build a completely different roster around Luka, but balance will be the key. If he attains roster and talent balance, Luka will be able to lead them to a title during his prime, IMO.
I would argue he tried to achieve that balance with the 2020-2021 roster. Schro had just come off a career year from 3P% playing alongside a ball-dominant guard (CP3). The combination of POA defense, 3P shooting, and ball-handling seemed great in theory. Wes was a great acquisition that just didn't work out for some reason; he went on to start for the Bucks and did a solid job guarding Tatum in the playoffs. The idea of Marc Gasol as a defensive floor-spacer wasn't bad. I thought he was passable as evidenced by our record before Lebron got hurt and the ongoing sentiment by many that we would have beat the Suns with AD healthy. The biggest whiff from strictly a roster construction standpoint was clearly Trez and letting Dwight walk. Imagine Portis and Burks that year instead of Trez. It's also clear that THT was a wasted investment that I feel contributed to Wes not working out. Obviously any balance was then obliterated by the Russ trade and immediate follow-up moves which we're still reeling from.
Otherwise, if nothing else that DLO/DFS swap also represented a locker room culture shift. I don't feel we have any locker-room question marks at this point. Rui still has his space-cadet moments though as does DK although you can excuse him for being a rookie. But bottom line, Rob's got enough collective talent and assets to build a legit contender...the clock is ticking. _________________ Luxury Tax/FA Spreadsheet (Save to your Google Drive to edit)
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