Where would the Lakers be if Lebron didn't choose to come here?
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lakersfever714
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 10:49 am    Post subject: Where would the Lakers be if Lebron didn't choose to come here?

I want to remind everyone of the fragility of our brief success. Be grateful for our most recent championship and never take anything for granted. I still remember the six years of being irrelevant and it was still painful. If Lebron didn't choose LA, no way AD would have come here. We would be still be balling with Ball and Ingram and possibly fighting for that lottery pick.

Since our current FO wasn't responsible for Lebron coming here, (we all know now why he came to LA) this FO still hasn't done anything that's impressive. I think they're still as incompetent as ever. Better than the Jim and Mitch era but not by much. Who is the Jerry West of the Lakers FO? Who is the one guy you go to and ask "Is this dude any good or would he be a good fit for the team?"
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 10:51 am    Post subject:

On Tankathon.com.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 10:52 am    Post subject:

Oh this is gonna be a blood bath.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 10:53 am    Post subject:

yinoma2001 wrote:
On Tankathon.com.

Cade Cunningham is a future top five player in the NBA. Now the Lakers only have a 4.5% chance of moving up to #1, but the lottery gods have to smile on us sometime, right?
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lakersfever714
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:01 am    Post subject:

PenG_ wrote:
Oh this is gonna be a blood bath.


I just want to highlight the root of our problems and hopefully see changes. Jeanie and Rob still haven't done anything impressive. They've just got Lebron for free and they were gifted with a championship. I want to see our franchise make moves like drafting Mann at number 48 or Mitchell at 15 or trade for someone like Tucker. Something that really makes you pause and say "wow, that's a good move."

Which of the signing/trade this season impresses you?
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Last edited by lakersfever714 on Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:02 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:01 am    Post subject:

They would be the Clippers

No Klutch, means Aaron Mintz (bastard) would have his guys here. Dangelo Russell, Julius Randle, Paul George, etc. I doubt they trade the youth, they would build around Paul George. Anthony Davis would probably be in Boston
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:03 am    Post subject:

Now is where we start to pay the price for some of the missteps - overpay in the AD trade, horrible Zubac deal, letting Randle and Lopez walk for zero - little stuff like that matters now when the cupboard is bare.

Lebron will still be good but you need more support to cover his aging, and having some extra stuff would have really gone a long way towards building a long term contender.
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epic_
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:05 am    Post subject:

Lotto city.
But we got LeBron, so things are swell.

Where would the Lakers have been if they didn't get Shaq and Kobe?

Where would the Lakers have been if they didn't get Magic?

Why ask why?
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LakesGnrLake
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:05 am    Post subject:

Knowing this will turn into a "how would we be if we never traded our young guys" thread I will say 6-10th seed fighting for a playoff spot. Maybe knock someone out in the first but second round exit.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:06 am    Post subject:

pelinka and vogel would have us in the right direction.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:24 pm    Post subject:

If you knew you would win a NBA Championship one year almost guaranteeeeeeed.....

What would you give up?
Win Trophy but next year miss the playoffs but still be in contention for a title the year after?

What is the number? 20 teams have a Chip

AD/Bron tied the Franchise with the Celtics... thats HUGE
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defense
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:26 pm    Post subject:

No AD
No Legramps

sad situation
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:26 pm    Post subject:

We be starting a petition to hang that 1st rd playoff banner.

LOL
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:29 pm    Post subject:

lakersfever714 wrote:
PenG_ wrote:
Oh this is gonna be a blood bath.


I just want to highlight the root of our problems and hopefully see changes. Jeanie and Rob still haven't done anything impressive. They've just got Lebron for free and they were gifted with a championship. I want to see our franchise make moves like drafting Mann at number 48 or Mitchell at 15 or trade for someone like Tucker. Something that really makes you pause and say "wow, that's a good move."

Which of the signing/trade this season impresses you?


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:30 pm    Post subject:

defense wrote:
No AD
No Legramps

sad situation




went from LeCramps to LeGramps...

poor fella

LeAbuelo ??
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:46 pm    Post subject:

Maybe I’m too much an optimist (delusional ) but I think it could have been intriguing as hell to see where that path would have taken the Lakers.

The young core ( including Hunter or Garland) , draft picks and likely a free agent or two that would have been willing to take the money and show some patience. And that is not saying a trade of a one or two core players could not have brought in some much needed vet leadership.

Also have to wonder how far back decisions would have changed if a different track was taken? Still Ball? Are we including the Nance/ Clarkson trade? Russell? Contract dumps like Zubac/ Bryant/ Wagner/Svi?

I use the Suns as an example. Tons of young talent and transformed into a contender with vet additions of Paul and Crowder. Patience.

The Championship makes the James path the right choice. But the lingering effects will be felt for at least a couple more years. Last year was amazing, but I am not as certain as others that a path taken without James would have left the team as a lottery team without hope.

The talent was there. The drafts were collecting multiple players and assets. Would the Lakers be any different the the Suns or Hawks? IMO they would be in that comparison discussion.
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BLF2145
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 3:02 pm    Post subject:

Hard to say because health plays a huge factor. But looking at something like:

PG: Ball
SG:
SF: Ingram
PF: Randle
C:

Unknowns. How big is the Laker image still. So LBJ does not come but does that mean we missed on every other major FA and being to sign two to max slots if not more because of cap situations with rookie deals? IE year we got LBJ, say we got PG instead? Or 19 we get Butler or a big like Nikola.

Sorry but a team with:

PG: Ball
SG: PG
SF: Ingram
PF: assume Randle left for bigger deal so MLE type
C: Nikola

Bench: multiple draft picks, Zubac, Bryant (Thomas), and fill in gaps is easily a top 6 in the west and likely have draft capital and young core players to continue to build with.

No championship yet but I think brighter future than what we have now. As I see no was LBJ remains a full season kind of guy going forward or we know AD won’t be.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 3:04 pm    Post subject:

There's a chance PG and Kawhi end up here on a roster similar to what the Clippers have.. like with one to three of our young core still intact.

There's also a chance we'd be capped out on our younger players, who weren't able to get us into the playoffs and we've now become the team just outside the top 10 of the lottery in no mans land.

Very easy decision when you look at what actually happened. In some ways, LeBron and Klutch rescued Jeanie and gave her a life line... which she's made great use and taken full advantage of.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 4:08 pm    Post subject: Re: Where would the Lakers be if Lebron didn't choose to come here?

lakersfever714 wrote:
I want to remind everyone of the fragility of our brief success. Be grateful for our most recent championship and never take anything for granted. I still remember the six years of being irrelevant and it was still painful. If Lebron didn't choose LA, no way AD would have come here. We would be still be balling with Ball and Ingram and possibly fighting for that lottery pick.


People like to pretend their guess at these alternative realities are slam-dunk, no-way-to-argue-against-it scenarios.

While I find your guess plausible, I can imagine many other and contradictory scenarios that are equally plausible.

I don't know if AD or some other superstar would have come here without Lebron, but I find those scenarios as plausible as your guess.



lakersfever714 wrote:
Since our current FO wasn't responsible for Lebron coming here, (we all know now why he came to LA) this FO still hasn't done anything that's impressive. I think they're still as incompetent as ever. Better than the Jim and Mitch era but not by much. Who is the Jerry West of the Lakers FO? Who is the one guy you go to and ask "Is this dude any good or would he be a good fit for the team?"


I can't say the FO has made any moves that blew me away. That said, they did put a team around AD and Lebron that won a ring, so I am not just going to categorically say they deserve no credit for the achievement.
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LakerSD
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 4:22 pm    Post subject:

It would have been different for sure. Maybe built more organically lol.

Current situation is get all of Klutch clients together.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 4:30 pm    Post subject: Re: Where would the Lakers be if Lebron didn't choose to come here?

lakersfever714 wrote:
I want to remind everyone of the fragility of our brief success. Be grateful for our most recent championship and never take anything for granted. I still remember the six years of being irrelevant and it was still painful. If Lebron didn't choose LA, no way AD would have come here. We would be still be balling with Ball and Ingram and possibly fighting for that lottery pick.

Since our current FO wasn't responsible for Lebron coming here, (we all know now why he came to LA) this FO still hasn't done anything that's impressive. I think they're still as incompetent as ever. Better than the Jim and Mitch era but not by much. Who is the Jerry West of the Lakers FO? Who is the one guy you go to and ask "Is this dude any good or would he be a good fit for the team?"


If LeBron didn't come, we'd have been the LA team trying to swing for Kawhi and George instead of the Clippers, and like them we'd be in the lotto if we didn't accomplish it.

To be honest we'd probably have made the move to bring DLO back before the Warriors did. if they did that we'd have.

PG: Ball
SG: Russell
SF: Ingram
PF: Randle
C: Bryant


If Randle, Ingram and Ball progress the way they have, then you have the leap Thomas Bryant made, we'd be a solid team, probably make the Playoffs, but we likely wouldn't be a threat for a Championship yet. Then again I think we'd match up well against the Suns currently with that roster so who knows. LeBron would likely be in Philly or Cleveland still then. Or he may have gone to the Clippers and we'd have gotten Kawhi instead. So many variables tbh.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 4:45 pm    Post subject:

LakerSD wrote:
It would have been different for sure. Maybe built more organically lol.

Current situation is get all of Klutch clients together.

fortunately klutch clients are some of the best.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 8:26 pm    Post subject:

We are in a position where we were begging Dennis Schroder to sign for anywhere between 21 and 25 million.

This topic keeps getting recycled and the usual suspects keep saying the exact same thing over and over so I will do the same.

Love LBJ the player.

Don't care for LBJ the GM.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 8:35 pm    Post subject:

I guess I can understand wanting to build a team "organically" with draft picks, but none of the guys the Lakers had drafted in the lottery over those down years are franchise players that you can build a championship team around.

Ingram, Lonzo, D'Lo, Randle, Clarkson are no Devin Booker, Trae Young, or Luka Doncic. It's nice to win Most Improved Player or 6th man of the year, but Booker and Doncic could potentially win league MVP during their careers. Can't see that happening with any of those Laker picks.

It's easy to say, "Look at the Suns, Hawks, and Mavs" when they drafted legit (at least potential) superstar cornerstones to their franchises in the draft.

The Lakers did not do that.

If you gave me two options between 1) "Trust the process" or 2) Give me two of the top ten players in the NBA, I'm taking door #2 every time.
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 8:43 pm    Post subject:

We would be struggling to make the playoffs in a year Kobe tragically died instead of winning the championship.
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