Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2025 12:11 pm Post subject: How do you rate Lakers time with AD/Lebron?
A) Great they won a ring
B) Ok, they did what was the least I expected
C) Fail
For me personally it's B. I still fault Pelinka, but I feel we had 2 of the best players in the league and hell of a balanced team, didn't do enough with them.
When I think back to Kobe/Pau having 3 Finals and 2 rings. 1 ring 1 WCF seems a little underwhelming. I feel AD was a special talent and we shoud have gotten more out of the AD/Lebron era. Great trade for AD as it has led first to the 2020 title and now Luka, i just feel we did a mediocre job with building a team around them.
The Covid season shortened the rest of AD and he was hurt in 2021 and hurt again in the playoffs , that hustled us to the brick trade and the dark 2 years, but they recovered pretty well given the circumstances
In terms of how I felt about the team we had, I feel great. I think we could have won another championship with better health. I think some of the roster decisions outside of AD/Lebron haven't been good.
In terms of what I think about what we achieved I think somewhere between okay and great.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 37042 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2025 12:28 pm Post subject:
Subpar but not a failure. I was expecting AD to be remembered as a Laker legend with multiple rings. Instead we got one fluke ring, one fluke WC appearance, and either lost in the first round or missed the playoffs the rest of the time.
I was mad that we would have to completely rebuild and tank for years after LeBron retired and AD declined, but this Luka trade just solved it. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Just to be clear, I rate the AD trade even BETTER/Great than I did when it happened or after the title. Not only has Lonzo Ball/Ingram/FRP led us to AD/title it then has led us to Luka, the guy that should be the next franchise player.
When I rate the AD/Bron era as just ok, I don't rate the AD trade the same. I think because AD was in his athletic prime and we had so many trade assets and pieces at the time of the first title in fall 2020, to end up with only 1 run to the Finals and title to me was a little short. That's not because of AD or Lebron, moreso the management and fortunes.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 37042 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2025 12:39 pm Post subject:
wolfpaclaker wrote:
Just to be clear, I rate the AD trade even BETTER/Great than I did when it happened or after the title. Not only has Lonzo Ball/Ingram/FRP led us to AD/title it then has led us to Luka, the guy that should be the next franchise player.
When I rate the AD/Bron era as just ok, I don't rate the AD trade the same. I think because AD was in his athletic prime and we had so many trade assets and pieces at the time of the first title in fall 2020, to end up with only 1 run to the Finals and title to me was a little short. That's not because of AD or Lebron, moreso the management and fortunes.
Yeah, because suddenly the trade goes from Ingram/Ball/Hart/Garland /first rounders + swaps for AD and one ring before having to rebuild to:
Five year rental of AD (one ring) and Luka Doncic _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Just to be clear, I rate the AD trade even BETTER/Great than I did when it happened or after the title. Not only has Lonzo Ball/Ingram/FRP led us to AD/title it then has led us to Luka, the guy that should be the next franchise player.
When I rate the AD/Bron era as just ok, I don't rate the AD trade the same. I think because AD was in his athletic prime and we had so many trade assets and pieces at the time of the first title in fall 2020, to end up with only 1 run to the Finals and title to me was a little short. That's not because of AD or Lebron, moreso the management and fortunes.
Yeah, because suddenly the trade goes from Ingram/Ball/Hart/Garland /first rounders + swaps for AD and one ring before having to rebuild to:
Five year rental of AD (one ring) and Luka Doncic
It's just a whole new level of trade. The whole argument about AD from the fans that didn't like the trade is all the young guys we gave up and that AD is not a franchise #1 guy. That AD only got us 1 title.
Well, now that turned into a franchise guy that can be with the Lakers 6-8 more years. So the trade was a longterm one. You salvaged the Lebron era with a title and you also now have a piece/franchise guy post Lebron.
I'll just say TBH I was more high on the AD trade in 2019 than I am on the Luka trade in 2025 even though Luka is a MVP level player. I don't feel we're closer to a title but felt that way when we traded for AD in 2019. If you follow what I mean. I felt the moment we traded for AD we went from lottery to a legit threat. With this move, I feel we're in the same boat. A top 4-6 team that Pelinka has to make a few other moves to get into contention.
Wolfpac, I feel like we know this is a big thing that just happened because you actually made a poll. You're known around here as a vet who always makes insightful posts, and I feel like you've never made a poll.
Wolfpac, I feel like we know this is a big thing that just happened because you actually made a poll. You're known around here as a vet who always makes insightful posts, and I feel like you've never made a poll.
Milestone moment in LG.
Ha, thanks. You're right! I don't think I've ever done a poll. Always leave those for Candy Canes. Was surprised no one had asked this, yet.
Joined: 17 Sep 2008 Posts: 21677 Location: In a white room, with black curtains near the station
Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2025 2:23 pm Post subject:
We had a pretty solid core we'd spent years building, the minimum expectation was to win at least 1 title with LeBron James coming in and us sending all that young talent out to get AD.
The way it's clearly laid out in the OP, it's gotta be B.
The Lakers met expectations. If we walked away with no titles all those years of tanking and gathering lotto pick after lotto pick would have been for nothing. You don't give all of that away and mortgage long term contention without expecting at least 1 title in return.
Good enough. We got a title out of it so it’s more than ok. Pelinka was trying to fix something that ain’t broken and further exacerbated it with Westbrook saga. But we are moving on.
They had some good memories. After the 2020 title there were too many roster and coaching changes. Could never accomplish more than hovering around .500 and fighting for play-in position and meaningless NBA Cup. _________________ Lakers. Built different.
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