Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2025 5:21 am Post subject: Cold hard truth...there was no way the Lakers were winning a ring this season
1. Rookie coach. While I like JJ, he hasn't learned the craft of coaching postseason ball yet. It takes some heartbreak to learn what needs to be learned. I'm in the minority here, but I honestly think the Laker roster is built quite well; a mixture of shooters and defenders, ball handlers, an athletic center, and a couple of super stars. No roster will be built perfectly. Not realistic in today's NBA. The problem is JJ failed to use his players correctly. He's also quite stubborn and doesn't adjust in-game very well. A first round exit is very likely now, and the # 1 reason I have is due to JJ's poor coaching. Good news, he'll adjust for next season. He's learning from all this.
2. Luka. Luka Doncic's arrival will prove fruitful in years to come (assuming he stays), but we obtained him late, by luck, and there was no way to incorporate him so quickly. Luka and the Lakers have done a remarkable job in getting him integrated, but to go from a Lebron led team to a Luka led team, on the fly, and to lose a significant player like AD, then still expect said team to win a Ring with a rookie head coach is just not realistic. The West is full of established teams who have their chemistry set. We are not one of those teams yet. And still, we were the #3 seed. That's impressive. So we build on that. But we simply couldn't expect our good fortune in getting Luka to translate so quickly into winning a Ring. The pain of this pending 1st round exit will gel these guys, and Luka will come out with a purpose for next season.
3. AR and our role players. AR made leaps and bounds this season, but he's not ready for the big-stage (post season) yet. While he's not playing badly, he's no where near where he was during the season. Assuming the Lakers keep him, he'll learn from this 1st round exit and come back stronger. His offense is sound, if he can come back next season with the defensive mindset of an Alex Caruso, he'll be invaluable. The role he ascended to was too big this season to expect him to contribute to a run for a Ring, but next season, I think he'll get there. Same for the role players. The Laker bench and the roll players need to go through a few wars to fully understand their expectations out there, their tendencies under pressure, and they need a seasoned JJ Redick to help them understand their expectations and utilize them the right way. This Lakers team just needs time to be ready. This year was too soon.
4. Other teams are just better. While I don't think the Wolves are a better team than the Lakers, there are teams in the post season that are just closer in composition and mindset to winning a ring than the Lakers are. The Thunder, Clippers, and Nuggets were going to be too difficult in the West. Even the Warriors are more seasoned and ready than the Lakers. Celts and Cavs, maybe even the Knicks, would be hard to get passed. It was just too tough a year; competition is strong in the NBA this season. Lakers just don't have what other teams have right now.
So, although this 1st round exit will hurt, Laker fans shouldn't feel too down. Next season will be different. But this season, if you look at it objectively, there was really no chance for the Lakers to win a Ring.
The cold hard truth is that the supporting cast isn't talented enough to compete. AR and Rui have too many limitations that stop them from being top role players on a championship team. They did the same thing last season too. They just don't have enough athleticism to keep up their regular season play in the playoffs. And, it's further exposed on defense.
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2025 6:04 am Post subject: Re: Cold hard truth...there was no way the Lakers were winning a ring this season
troy wrote:
1. Rookie coach. While I like JJ, he hasn't learned the craft of coaching postseason ball yet. It takes some heartbreak to learn what needs to be learned. I'm in the minority here, but I honestly think the Laker roster is built quite well; a mixture of shooters and defenders, ball handlers, an athletic center, and a couple of super stars. No roster will be built perfectly. Not realistic in today's NBA. The problem is JJ failed to use his players correctly. He's also quite stubborn and doesn't adjust in-game very well. A first round exit is very likely now, and the # 1 reason I have is due to JJ's poor coaching. Good news, he'll adjust for next season. He's learning from all this.
2. Luka. Luka Doncic's arrival will prove fruitful in years to come (assuming he stays), but we obtained him late, by luck, and there was no way to incorporate him so quickly. Luka and the Lakers have done a remarkable job in getting him integrated, but to go from a Lebron led team to a Luka led team, on the fly, and to lose a significant player like AD, then still expect said team to win a Ring with a rookie head coach is just not realistic. The West is full of established teams who have their chemistry set. We are not one of those teams yet. And still, we were the #3 seed. That's impressive. So we build on that. But we simply couldn't expect our good fortune in getting Luka to translate so quickly into winning a Ring. The pain of this pending 1st round exit will gel these guys, and Luka will come out with a purpose for next season.
3. AR and our role players. AR made leaps and bounds this season, but he's not ready for the big-stage (post season) yet. While he's not playing badly, he's no where near where he was during the season. Assuming the Lakers keep him, he'll learn from this 1st round exit and come back stronger. His offense is sound, if he can come back next season with the defensive mindset of an Alex Caruso, he'll be invaluable. The role he ascended to was too big this season to expect him to contribute to a run for a Ring, but next season, I think he'll get there. Same for the role players. The Laker bench and the roll players need to go through a few wars to fully understand their expectations out there, their tendencies under pressure, and they need a seasoned JJ Redick to help them understand their expectations and utilize them the right way. This Lakers team just needs time to be ready. This year was too soon.
4. Other teams are just better. While I don't think the Wolves are a better team than the Lakers, there are teams in the post season that are just closer in composition and mindset to winning a ring than the Lakers are. The Thunder, Clippers, and Nuggets were going to be too difficult in the West. Even the Warriors are more seasoned and ready than the Lakers. Celts and Cavs, maybe even the Knicks, would be hard to get passed. It was just too tough a year; competition is strong in the NBA this season. Lakers just don't have what other teams have right now.
So, although this 1st round exit will hurt, Laker fans shouldn't feel too down. Next season will be different. But this season, if you look at it objectively, there was really no chance for the Lakers to win a Ring.
The Lakers look like they aren’t competing for a championship this season because the GM didn’t add a starting center after trading the starting center, forcing the team to play a 3rd string center as the starter and having that 3rd string center as the only one playable center on the roster when that 3rd string center himself is barely playable in the playoffs.
It’s really not much more than that. _________________ 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?
We very obviously need rim protection and rebounding. That's been the biggest problem. Some more athleticism on the wing would help too.
I'm afraid Reeves will always struggle some in the playoffs because of the physicality. His game is all finesse, and he doesn't get the same foul calls as he does in the regular season.
When the trade for Luka went through and we rescinded the Mark Williams trade, you had to know it was a long shot for this team to win this year. I don’t get why anyone thought we were going to win it all without a legit center rotation and a real bench. That’s the biggest issue with this team. Vincent and Vanderbilt are poor scorers who hang their hat on defense, and you can’t rely on that to produce points off the bench. Jaxson Hayes is a second string center at best, and on a real contender, probably a third stringer. He’s not starting center material for a serious team.
If Rob fixes these two problems, I’m confident this team can turn into a legit contender for years to come. We also need some LeBron insurance. He’s not getting any healthier, and if he goes down with an injury during the season, we’ll need someone who can match, or even exceed, his production. I know AR can fit that role in some ways, but I’m worried he’ll never become the defender we need. Even at 40 years old, LeBron is still a much better defender than Austin will probably ever be.
I've always though Hayes has the potential to be a rim protector. He has the mindset, just not the skill set. JJ has to develop him into playing that role. And yes, we need one more center, but not many out there that will allow us to keep who we currently have. I'd hate to see AR go. I think there's tremendous upside to his game, but everyone says package him and Rui for a center. I don't want to see that.
When the trade for Luka went through and we rescinded the Mark Williams trade, you had to know it was a long shot for this team to win this year. I don’t get why anyone thought we were going to win it all without a legit center rotation and a real bench. That’s the biggest issue with this team. Vincent and Vanderbilt are poor scorers who hang their hat on defense, and you can’t rely on that to produce points off the bench. Jaxson Hayes is a second string center at best, and on a real contender, probably a third stringer. He’s not starting center material for a serious team.
If Rob fixes these two problems, I’m confident this team can turn into a legit contender for years to come. We also need some LeBron insurance. He’s not getting any healthier, and if he goes down with an injury during the season, we’ll need someone who can match, or even exceed, his production. I know AR can fit that role in some ways, but I’m worried he’ll never become the defender we need. Even at 40 years old, LeBron is still a much better defender than Austin will probably ever be.
^^^The take above is one of the most reasonably sound I’ve seen amid the turmoil of what we’re witnessing. The team over performed imo during the regular season and it created the illusion that they were closer to a ship competitor on the court than they appeared logically on paper. What we are seeing now is actually how it looks like it should have been playing out all along. I don’t know how Hayes seemed like a starter or how the team defense improved after the trade but it didn’t seem sustainable to me even then. I expected…pessimistically even tho hoping it would surprisingly turn out differently…what I’m seeing now all along. The only question appeared to be when?
Based on recent play I think Vincent is ok as his lack of productivity appears to be more of a result of the team’s game plan limiting his role and minutes. Vando and Hayes however looks like their role and minutes need to be limited. I’d like to see Vando/Kleber/filler/Picks/LBJ-discount used for a starting C, and starting SG…preferably capable of playing some as back up SF too…while keeping Hayes/LBJ/Rui/DFS/AR/Luka/Gabe. _________________ 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 Mon Apr 28, 2025 7:57 am; edited 10 times in total
I was telling people this long before the postseason started. Luka went from Lively and Gafford to Hayes and a bunch of SFs manning that spot. Reddick is trying to be like D'Antoni without the genius of D'Antoni, and he was never successful at winning a ring. _________________ Yi Jianlian Fanboy. Respect The Chair.
Starting anew. I'm retiring my main.
You cant just say all AR has to do is come back with the mentality of Caruso lol. Thats like saying all Jemison has to do is come back with the mentality of Dwight. (bleep) dont work like that.
I think the media hyping us up as favorites in the West was always ridiculous but we still should not be getting 4-1'd in the first round. That is a failure no matter how you slice it if you have Luka and Lebron on the team. Just as embarrassing as losing 4-1 to Denver last year.
As others have said, we have no real playable center. And it's showing up big time against the Wolves. I wish we had converted Jemison just to be able to give him a shot.
I would dump Hayes this summer if we can get a better backup.
I've known this since the Pau Gasol trade. You need at least a full season to get it all together.
That team lost in the NBA Finals 4-2 against the team looked at as the undisputed best team at the time. This team lost to a team that's ultimately not a top tier contender in the first round.
BIG, BIG difference.
The Lakers can't afford to waste time hoping increased chemistry does the job like they did in 2023, when that team also wasn't any close to a ring.
And, there's even more pressure not to have another disappointing exit because they still have to convince Luka to re-sign.
This team doesn't have the talent. It's easy to see that. AR and Rui showed similar limitations last year against DEN. And, AR has gotten shakier since that initial 2023 run when team have been allowed to play physical defense on him and has been targeted on defense himself.
Teams have taken advantage of fundamental weaknesses of theirs that they're not going to be able to do anything about.
NO, NO, NO on staying mostly still and hoping increased chemistry is enough. The Lakers were suckered into that in 2023 and 23/24 was a wasted season.
I've known this since the Pau Gasol trade. You need at least a full season to get it all together.
That team lost in the NBA Finals 4-2 against the team looked at as the undisputed best team at the time. This team lost to a team that's ultimately not a top tier contender in the first round.
BIG, BIG difference.
The Lakers can't afford to waste time hoping increased chemistry does the job like they did in 2023, when that team also wasn't any close to a ring.
And, there's even more pressure not to have another disappointing exit because they still have to convince Luka to re-sign.
This team doesn't have the talent. It's easy to see that. AR and Rui showed similar limitations last year against DEN. And, AR has gotten shakier since that initial 2023 run when team have been allowed to play physical defense on him and has been targeted on defense himself.
Teams have taken advantage of fundamental weaknesses of theirs that they're not going to be able to do anything about.
NO, NO, NO on staying mostly still and hoping increased chemistry is enough. The Lakers were suckered into that in 2023 and 23/24 was a wasted season.
That team also had a HOF coach in Phil Jackson along with Kobe still early in his prime years.
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2025 2:34 pm Post subject: Re: Cold hard truth...there was no way the Lakers were winning a ring this season
Hanging from Rafters wrote:
troy wrote:
1. Rookie coach. While I like JJ, he hasn't learned the craft of coaching postseason ball yet. It takes some heartbreak to learn what needs to be learned. I'm in the minority here, but I honestly think the Laker roster is built quite well; a mixture of shooters and defenders, ball handlers, an athletic center, and a couple of super stars. No roster will be built perfectly. Not realistic in today's NBA. The problem is JJ failed to use his players correctly. He's also quite stubborn and doesn't adjust in-game very well. A first round exit is very likely now, and the # 1 reason I have is due to JJ's poor coaching. Good news, he'll adjust for next season. He's learning from all this.
2. Luka. Luka Doncic's arrival will prove fruitful in years to come (assuming he stays), but we obtained him late, by luck, and there was no way to incorporate him so quickly. Luka and the Lakers have done a remarkable job in getting him integrated, but to go from a Lebron led team to a Luka led team, on the fly, and to lose a significant player like AD, then still expect said team to win a Ring with a rookie head coach is just not realistic. The West is full of established teams who have their chemistry set. We are not one of those teams yet. And still, we were the #3 seed. That's impressive. So we build on that. But we simply couldn't expect our good fortune in getting Luka to translate so quickly into winning a Ring. The pain of this pending 1st round exit will gel these guys, and Luka will come out with a purpose for next season.
3. AR and our role players. AR made leaps and bounds this season, but he's not ready for the big-stage (post season) yet. While he's not playing badly, he's no where near where he was during the season. Assuming the Lakers keep him, he'll learn from this 1st round exit and come back stronger. His offense is sound, if he can come back next season with the defensive mindset of an Alex Caruso, he'll be invaluable. The role he ascended to was too big this season to expect him to contribute to a run for a Ring, but next season, I think he'll get there. Same for the role players. The Laker bench and the roll players need to go through a few wars to fully understand their expectations out there, their tendencies under pressure, and they need a seasoned JJ Redick to help them understand their expectations and utilize them the right way. This Lakers team just needs time to be ready. This year was too soon.
4. Other teams are just better. While I don't think the Wolves are a better team than the Lakers, there are teams in the post season that are just closer in composition and mindset to winning a ring than the Lakers are. The Thunder, Clippers, and Nuggets were going to be too difficult in the West. Even the Warriors are more seasoned and ready than the Lakers. Celts and Cavs, maybe even the Knicks, would be hard to get passed. It was just too tough a year; competition is strong in the NBA this season. Lakers just don't have what other teams have right now.
So, although this 1st round exit will hurt, Laker fans shouldn't feel too down. Next season will be different. But this season, if you look at it objectively, there was really no chance for the Lakers to win a Ring.
The Lakers look like they aren’t competing for a championship this season because the GM didn’t add a starting center after trading the starting center, forcing the team to play a 3rd string center as the starter and having that 3rd string center as the only one playable center on the roster when that 3rd string center himself is barely playable in the playoffs.
It’s really not much more than that.
I give RP credit for acting quickly and decisively to obtain Williams, a starting level center, only to rescind the trade after the medicals were in. There was no way he'd know a player's condition without the medicals, and the pickings for starter level 5's was and still is extremely thin.
Hence, the initial overpay. Now, let's see what he does with time and a few resources at his disposal.
Joined: 26 Oct 2005 Posts: 2132 Location: Jack's Crib
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2025 2:52 pm Post subject: Re: Cold hard truth...there was no way the Lakers were winning a ring this season
troy wrote:
1. Rookie coach. While I like JJ, he hasn't learned the craft of coaching postseason ball yet. It takes some heartbreak to learn what needs to be learned. I'm in the minority here, but I honestly think the Laker roster is built quite well; a mixture of shooters and defenders, ball handlers, an athletic center, and a couple of super stars. No roster will be built perfectly. Not realistic in today's NBA. The problem is JJ failed to use his players correctly. He's also quite stubborn and doesn't adjust in-game very well. A first round exit is very likely now, and the # 1 reason I have is due to JJ's poor coaching. Good news, he'll adjust for next season. He's learning from all this.
2. Luka. Luka Doncic's arrival will prove fruitful in years to come (assuming he stays), but we obtained him late, by luck, and there was no way to incorporate him so quickly. Luka and the Lakers have done a remarkable job in getting him integrated, but to go from a Lebron led team to a Luka led team, on the fly, and to lose a significant player like AD, then still expect said team to win a Ring with a rookie head coach is just not realistic. The West is full of established teams who have their chemistry set. We are not one of those teams yet. And still, we were the #3 seed. That's impressive. So we build on that. But we simply couldn't expect our good fortune in getting Luka to translate so quickly into winning a Ring. The pain of this pending 1st round exit will gel these guys, and Luka will come out with a purpose for next season.
3. AR and our role players. AR made leaps and bounds this season, but he's not ready for the big-stage (post season) yet. While he's not playing badly, he's no where near where he was during the season. Assuming the Lakers keep him, he'll learn from this 1st round exit and come back stronger. His offense is sound, if he can come back next season with the defensive mindset of an Alex Caruso, he'll be invaluable. The role he ascended to was too big this season to expect him to contribute to a run for a Ring, but next season, I think he'll get there. Same for the role players. The Laker bench and the roll players need to go through a few wars to fully understand their expectations out there, their tendencies under pressure, and they need a seasoned JJ Redick to help them understand their expectations and utilize them the right way. This Lakers team just needs time to be ready. This year was too soon.
4. Other teams are just better. While I don't think the Wolves are a better team than the Lakers, there are teams in the post season that are just closer in composition and mindset to winning a ring than the Lakers are. The Thunder, Clippers, and Nuggets were going to be too difficult in the West. Even the Warriors are more seasoned and ready than the Lakers. Celts and Cavs, maybe even the Knicks, would be hard to get passed. It was just too tough a year; competition is strong in the NBA this season. Lakers just don't have what other teams have right now.
So, although this 1st round exit will hurt, Laker fans shouldn't feel too down. Next season will be different. But this season, if you look at it objectively, there was really no chance for the Lakers to win a Ring.
Dude, you should be embarrassed to create a post like this when we’re down 3-1! Are you a diehard fan, critic or Monday morning QB. I personally take objection with so called fans as you. Do you work for ESPN or just an attention hater who knows after the fact. Turn in your purple & gold badge dude! 🤨👎😡 _________________ My Laker squad.
Mr. Clutch, Nixon, Eddie, Nick, Magic, Kareem,
Silk, Cooper, AC, Worthy, Horry, Shaq, Kobe.
HC: Riley
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2025 2:55 pm Post subject: Re: Cold hard truth...there was no way the Lakers were winning a ring this season
LAKERMIKE2 wrote:
troy wrote:
1. Rookie coach. While I like JJ, he hasn't learned the craft of coaching postseason ball yet. It takes some heartbreak to learn what needs to be learned. I'm in the minority here, but I honestly think the Laker roster is built quite well; a mixture of shooters and defenders, ball handlers, an athletic center, and a couple of super stars. No roster will be built perfectly. Not realistic in today's NBA. The problem is JJ failed to use his players correctly. He's also quite stubborn and doesn't adjust in-game very well. A first round exit is very likely now, and the # 1 reason I have is due to JJ's poor coaching. Good news, he'll adjust for next season. He's learning from all this.
2. Luka. Luka Doncic's arrival will prove fruitful in years to come (assuming he stays), but we obtained him late, by luck, and there was no way to incorporate him so quickly. Luka and the Lakers have done a remarkable job in getting him integrated, but to go from a Lebron led team to a Luka led team, on the fly, and to lose a significant player like AD, then still expect said team to win a Ring with a rookie head coach is just not realistic. The West is full of established teams who have their chemistry set. We are not one of those teams yet. And still, we were the #3 seed. That's impressive. So we build on that. But we simply couldn't expect our good fortune in getting Luka to translate so quickly into winning a Ring. The pain of this pending 1st round exit will gel these guys, and Luka will come out with a purpose for next season.
3. AR and our role players. AR made leaps and bounds this season, but he's not ready for the big-stage (post season) yet. While he's not playing badly, he's no where near where he was during the season. Assuming the Lakers keep him, he'll learn from this 1st round exit and come back stronger. His offense is sound, if he can come back next season with the defensive mindset of an Alex Caruso, he'll be invaluable. The role he ascended to was too big this season to expect him to contribute to a run for a Ring, but next season, I think he'll get there. Same for the role players. The Laker bench and the roll players need to go through a few wars to fully understand their expectations out there, their tendencies under pressure, and they need a seasoned JJ Redick to help them understand their expectations and utilize them the right way. This Lakers team just needs time to be ready. This year was too soon.
4. Other teams are just better. While I don't think the Wolves are a better team than the Lakers, there are teams in the post season that are just closer in composition and mindset to winning a ring than the Lakers are. The Thunder, Clippers, and Nuggets were going to be too difficult in the West. Even the Warriors are more seasoned and ready than the Lakers. Celts and Cavs, maybe even the Knicks, would be hard to get passed. It was just too tough a year; competition is strong in the NBA this season. Lakers just don't have what other teams have right now.
So, although this 1st round exit will hurt, Laker fans shouldn't feel too down. Next season will be different. But this season, if you look at it objectively, there was really no chance for the Lakers to win a Ring.
Dude, you should be embarrassed to create a post like this when we’re down 3-1! Are you a diehard fan, critic or Monday morning QB. I personally take objection with so called fans as you. Do you work for ESPN or just an attention hater who knows after the fact. Turn in your purple & gold badge dude! 🤨👎😡
Lakers haven't played a quality game yet. Not sure how that changes for 3 wins in a row. Hope to high heaven we come back, but chances are solidly against that.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 37959 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2025 3:18 pm Post subject:
mykolbeta wrote:
I've known this since the Pau Gasol trade. You need at least a full season to get it all together.
And even then it’s rare. Championship teams have been playing together for years before they finally won. The bubble Lakers and Kawhi Raptors were the exception.
Tatum/Brown Celtics since 2017
Jokic Nuggets were a WCF team even three years earlier
Warriors core together since 2013
Giannis Bucks _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 8961 Location: Santa Monica
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2025 6:56 pm Post subject:
The core is there for us, but we need to make a move or two to truly become a championship-caliber team.
This roster isn't complete yet, and we may have to trade Hachimura or even Reaves to finish it. We need more speed. We need to commit to playing up-tempo or fast-break basketball. Minnesota has been making us play slowdown, smashmouth basketball, and we don't have the personnel to play that way.
Besides, others in this thread pointed out how you can't remake your roster at midseason and win it all. We didn't come into this season thinking world championship, and that alone hurts our chances of winning it because the mindset just isn't there. _________________ Lakers 49ers Chargers Dodgers
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