Was passing on Tatum the biggest draft blunder in the history of the Lakers?
yes
43%
[ 14 ]
no
56%
[ 18 ]
Total Votes : 32
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non-player zealot Franchise Player
Joined: 05 Nov 2007 Posts: 21365
Posted: Thu May 19, 2022 2:04 am Post subject:
Mike McGee one pick ahead of Larry Nance, Sr in 81 stunk pretty bad. Only difference is that you could argue it's harder to estimate later picks than it is to estimate early ones. But then again, in the last dozen plus drafts, that hasn't been the case. Draft now is a total crapshoot for the most part. I don't think they should've taken Lonzo because of his broke ass shot and his stupid ass dad. I thought his passing, at least, was supposed to be Kidd level from what I was told. I didn't buy that one, but I at least thought he was supposed to be a good passer. He was no better than any average point in that regard, imo. Rarely showed any 2-steps-ahead intuition like Kidd or Magic. To comp him to them is a joke. Of course, Earv did that at the introduction. "Lonzo, leave me some records, don't go breakin ALL my assist records, AH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HAH!..." Standard Earvperbole.
I didn't think D'Lo Russell was any better than Lonzo on the whole, however.
They didn't draft Tatum because they also got tricked into thinking that Kuzma was gonna pan out at 3. Kuz even had one of his best games against Tater in year 1. _________________ GOAT MAGIC REEL SEDALE TRIBUTE EDDIE DONX!
Mike McGee one pick ahead of Larry Nance, Sr in 81 stunk pretty bad. Only difference is that you could argue it's harder to estimate later picks than it is to estimate early ones. But then again, in the last dozen plus drafts, that hasn't been the case. Draft now is a total crapshoot for the most part. I don't think they should've taken Lonzo because of his broke ass shot and his stupid ass dad. I thought his passing, at least, was supposed to be Kidd level from what I was told. I didn't buy that one, but I at least thought he was supposed to be a good passer. He was no better than any average point in that regard, imo. Rarely showed any 2-steps-ahead intuition like Kidd or Magic. To comp him to them is a joke. Of course, Earv did that at the introduction. "Lonzo, leave me some records, don't go breakin ALL my assist records, AH-HEH-HEH-HEH-HAH!..." Standard Earvperbole.
I didn't think D'Lo Russell was any better than Lonzo on the whole, however.
They didn't draft Tatum because they also got tricked into thinking that Kuzma was gonna pan out at 3. Kuz even had one of his best games against Tater in year 1.
Oh this one was fireable bad (stupid Westhead) especially since Jerry West wanted Nance and got overruled - high efficiency mid range shooter who was an excellent defender. Not to mention loved to run the floor and was a quiet player who would fit perfectly with Showtime. Awesome with the Suns and got even better with the Cavs once the Cavs were smart enough to realize that Nance best position was always power forward.
Kidd comp though is unfair as early J-Kidd was not even on par with Nick Van Exel - Dallas Kidd was one player Van Exel routinely torched. J-Kidd's big problem though was that he was one of the worst shooters in the league and was the main reason he wasnt a Laker when the Lakers were offered Kidd for Van Exel.
And in the EC, you swap any of those players for Tatum and there is no chance in hell that the Nets, Bucks or Heat would have been better. Tatum was just fortunate to be on the better team.
If Middleton was playing it would have been Bucks in 5.
But again this is why you absolutely count and cherish every championship. Too many variables to conclude that a team is a 10 year contender with multiple rings on the horizon. _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 144584 Location: The Gold Coast
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 8:40 am Post subject:
Car54 wrote:
No because he would have been traded for AD
And 5 years in we would have traded away the better player. No wonder we are a team that canโt even make the playoffs. _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023.
Tatum definitely a top 20 player in the league today.
He was first team all NBA this season.
No doubt he can play, but I have also been super impressed with Jaylen Brown....he is very good at finishing plays going to the basket, a tough defender and can get his own shot. _________________ Love, Laker Lanny
And 5 years in we would have traded away the better player. No wonder we are a team that canโt even make the playoffs.
With no future in sight.
Where do you get this no future in sight reasoning? LBJ pokey re ups at most 1 year or leaves after his final season. 2 max slots if they keep AD plus most of 7 picks in the next 8 years. _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Tatum definitely a top 20 player in the league today.
He was first team all NBA this season.
No doubt he can play, but I have also been super impressed with Jaylen Brown....he is very good at finishing plays going to the basket, a tough defender and can get his own shot.
Yea he was 1st team. But accounting for everyone that was hurt, he's in the top 20 for sure. Arguments can be made he's in the top 10, but you gotta account for the following guys that could have been voted 1st team if they were healthy.
Lebron
AD
Kawhi
KD
PG?
Dame?
Side: is Harden done being a top 10 player? _________________ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ #18!!!
Tatum definitely a top 20 player in the league today.
He was first team all NBA this season.
No doubt he can play, but I have also been super impressed with Jaylen Brown....he is very good at finishing plays going to the basket, a tough defender and can get his own shot.
Yea he was 1st team. But accounting for everyone that was hurt, he's in the top 20 for sure. Arguments can be made he's in the top 10, but you gotta account for the following guys that could have been voted 1st team if they were healthy.
Lebron
AD
Kawhi
KD
PG?
Dame?
Side: is Harden done being a top 10 player?
Harden is a mystery. How committed is he going to be this off-season will tell the story. That dude can still get a bucket and still capable of playing at a high level
Tatum is by virtue of the all NBA technically top 5. Heโs probably a top 7 player but I donโt have a problem putting him top 5. _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 36150 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -โฅโฅโฅโฅโฅBerkeley, CA
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 1:51 pm Post subject:
How do you guys rank Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Ingram?
Jaylen Brown was taken #3 in the same draft as Ingram. We could have had the Tatum/Brown duo. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
IF we had Tatum, BI, Kuz, and Hart the year LeBron signed + another max amount worth of cap space, no way in hell they would've traded them for AD. I understand why people say that but Tatum was taking to LeBron just weeks before that and presumably he would have shown out the same way as a Laker. LeBron/BI/Tatum would've been great enough for an WCF push if healthy and at that point, LeBron and Lakers more than likely go one more contracts til AD became unrestricted FA.
I could be dead wrong but I just think JT showed enough to be either untouchable or enough of a building block by himself to go for AD. Hindsight is 20/20 but imagine had they waited til AD was a FA and then added him to that core.
Anyway, Tatum is quickly becoming my favorite player and wish we had seen that he and BI could've flourished into together. Good lord.
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