OT: LOL at LAL

[OrangeDW]

Laker haters, enjoy it while you can. Because the greatest franchise in professional sports will retool and be competing for championships within a few years, like they always do.

A 7-8 seed a few times over the life of the franchise is about as bad as it gets for the Lakers, and I think you all know this so I dont blame you for getting your shots in while you can!

 

[moqui]

Laker haters, enjoy it while you can. Because the greatest franchise in professional sports will retool and be competing for championships within a few years, like they always do.

A 7-8 seed a few times over the life of the franchise is about as bad as it gets for the Lakers, and I think you all know this so I dont blame you for getting your shots in while you can!

it's not the 1980s. Jerry West ain't walking through that door . . . Jerry Buss ain't walking through that door . . .

 

[baggerbob]

Ownership of pro sports, when the original leaves or dies, it takes years to get back to where you were. The Yankees when George 1st took over , then suspension finally Jeter, now his sons have no idea what their doing. If it can happen to the Yankees in a money is no object, in the NBA with the restrictive cap it could be a while.

 

[OrangeDW]

it's not the 1980s. Jerry West ain't walking through that door . . . Jerry Buss ain't walking through that door . . .

They've won 5 championships since the 80s ended...more than most franchises have won in their history.

West had nothing to do with retooling the team into a back to back champ, after the Shaq era ended.

They will sign Lebron, or Paul or Irving or someone like that, or somehow get in position to draft or acquire the next young superstar.

 

[OrangeDW]

Ownership of pro sports, when the original leaves or dies, it takes years to get back to where you were. The Yankees when George 1st took over , then suspension finally Jeter, now his sons have no idea what their doing. If it can happen to the Yankees in a money is no object, in the NBA with the restrictive cap it could be a while.

The Lakers are better than the Yankees. If the Lakers take a 15 year dip and let the Clippers take over the city, the way the Yankees did with the Mets in the 80s, then I'll reconsider.

And in all seriousness, I think in a sport like basketball, the marketing opportunities that are there for a Laker superstar are bigger than those for a baseball player. The NBA markets stars way bigger and better than baseball does. Whether that's good or not depends on your viewpoint, but that's the way it is as far as I see it, and it's a huge advantage for the Lakers. Not to mention, just getting one superstar makes a much bigger difference in basketball than it does in baseball.

The Lakers could easily be in great position to sign a major superstar in two years...and if they're able to get themselves in that position and all things being equal, does anyone really see someone else beating the Lakers out for a major free agent star?

 

[moqui]

West had nothing to do with retooling the team into a back to back champ, after the Shaq era ended.

West had everything to do with it . . . without West, there is no Kobe in purple and gold, and without Kobe, the Chris Wallace salary dump doesn't bring a single title to LA.

The further away Kupchak gets from West's long shadow, the worse he performs. If Dr. Buss was running the show, I would give validity to your wishful thinking. But he's gone and his children aren't in his league (although his daughter did marry well and that might be the one thing that saves them).

 

[OrangeDW]

West had everything to do with it . . . without West, there is no Kobe in purple and gold, and without Kobe, the Chris Wallace salary dump doesn't bring a single title to LA.

The further away Kupchak gets from West's long shadow, the worse he performs. If Dr. Buss was running the show, I would give validity to your wishful thinking. But he's gone and his children aren't in his league (although his daughter did marry well and that might be the one thing that saves them).

Kobe was there when Smush Parker and Kwame Brown were starting too. Obviously Kobe was the rock, and West made the shrewd move to get him.

Your inability to give credit for the Gasol trade and Bynum draft pick are a little odd though. Many criticized the Bynum pick, and it turned out to be a great pick as he helped win two titles. And not that they "won" that trade, but even getting Odom in the Shaq deal was a good move as he was a very good and valuable player in LA who was a perfect fit for his role on those titles teams. Now, you better get someone good for Shaq...and he did. And not just someone good, but someone that was versatile and unselfish enough to play the roles he did in LA.

 

[kirbivore]

Ownership of pro sports, when the original leaves or dies, it takes years to get back to where you were. The Yankees when George 1st took over , then suspension finally Jeter, now his sons have no idea what their doing. If it can happen to the Yankees in a money is no object, in the NBA with the restrictive cap it could be a while.

George getting suspended was the best thing that could have happened to the Yankees in the early 90's. He was forced out of the way and allowed Gene Michael to do his job.