Los Angeles Lakers Off-Season Thread

[Basel]

Discuss anything and everything about this upcoming off-season. Is everybody available for trade except Kobe? Is Mike Brown one and done? Do we finally address our bench problems? Going to be very interesting to see what happens with this team going forward. I think there will be major changes ahead.

[Luke]

Hopefully we add a couple of bench players that don't suck.

I wouldn't be surprised if Mike Brown was gone after the year. If he is I hope we actually get a competent replacement rather than some nobody.

It would not surprise me in the least if Pau was dealt for depth.

[JoeyJoJo]

Bynum for Howard.

Pau for Deng and Korver.

Trade exception for Paul Millsap.

Amnesty Blake, sign Dragic.


Starting lineup: Dragic, Kobe, Deng, Millsap, Howard.
Bench: Sessions, MWP, Korver, filler.





Note: This assumes other teams are stupid.

[King Sancho Fantastic]

I think Mike Brown deserves a full season of coaching this squad with a proper training camp. Although I wouldnt mind him adding an offensive coordinator. I thought Messina was supposed to be this euro offensive guru.

[RollWithEm]

The major question on Pau: who wants him?

He's not young anymore. He has proven that he cannot be assertive when surrounded by a dominant low post center and a perimeter scorer. He's guaranteed over $38 mil over the next two years, so it probably has to be at least a fringe contender.

What would the Lakers be looking for in return? General athleticism, an infusion of youth, and ideally some future prospects for life after Kobe. I see a few possible destinations.

Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia

Here are my proposals.

Philly: Iggy, Thad, and the 15th overall for Pau and MWP's contract

Houston: Kevin Martin and Luis Scola for Pau

Atlanta: Josh, Marvin, 23rd overall for Pau and MWP's contract

I think these deals are in the ballpark for Pau's current value.

[King Sancho Fantastic]

Already hearing rumors. Nash, Dwight, etc.

[King Sancho Fantastic]

Dammit... I just realized that Kobe is playing in the Olympics. No rest. SMH.

[Wilt_The_Stilt]

The question is whether Kobe is good enough to be leading us to more championships. I think he needs another star or a crazy good supporting cast. We almost had it in Paul and if it was up to me we would have traded Pau/Bynum for Dwight + filler but we weren't offering that and Dwight wasn't interested.

Pau is probably gone like I've been saying. He makes too much money under the new CBA without the production to back it up.

Artest or Blake will probably be amnestied. Our bench is terrible so I'm not going to be upset if most of them leave.

Sessions turned out to be a disappointment as he had problems fitting with Kobe, though the coaching staff telling him to slow down didn't help. Either way he is a fringe starter and not worth a huge contract.

[King Sancho Fantastic]

There in lies the rub. We're probably going to be coming into next season with a completely different looking roster with the exception of a few pieces. Which means all the progress Mike Brown made this year will have to start again with a mix of new players.

[Mohamed17]

They better not touch Bynum.

Get rid of Brown, that's my first wish. Then try to get whatever we can for Gasol.

[Basel]

Metta World Peace Exit Interview

- On still believing the Lakers should be playing: “Definitely underachieved. We’re the best team in the NBA, lost in five, we should be up 3-2 playing tomorrow. But the better team (OKC) that took advantage of the moment, of their time, seized it and they grabbed it and held onto it. We gotta find a way to hold onto our moments.”

- On next season, while describing his slow start: “I gotta come back just how I left off. I was playing at a high level and need to be able to stay there. The lockout hurt me a lot, because last season going into the playoffs I had a nerve issue in my back … once the lockout happened I wasn’t able to address it so all I could do was rest. It took me 2-3 months to get in shape. I was hitting the front of the rim a lot at the beginning of the season, but as I got in shape, shots started to go right. I started to get a lot of dunks … that was only because I was in shape.”

- Metta says that several of the Lakers need to trust themselves more and not depend on Kobe so much. “Mitch brought you here for a reason,” as he put it. He said it can be difficult to play with Kobe while thinking about his greatness and legacy, that teammates – not himself – had a problem being assertive knowing that Kobe was there. He has a good point, but it can be a chicken and egg argument. Is that lack of aggression at times because Kobe is extra aggressive? For World Peace, at least, that stopped being an issue; he didn’t just stand and watch Kobe try to win games like he may have in his first season. Think Game 7 of the Finals vs. Boston for a good example. He was never afraid to shoot or create a play, make or miss.

- World Peace on Mike Brown: “It was a new regime … a drastic change. It took a bit getting used to.” But World Peace said it wasn’t the coaching staff’s fault that guys missed shots, turned the ball over and the like in – for example – Game 2 and Game 4, when they led big late. “Mike didn’t come in out of shape” … then he reconsidered, and said, laughingly, “wait he did come in out of shape … he’s a fat#&@.”

- Metta kept returning to the theme that the Lakers had plenty of talent, but couldn’t find a way to channel it properly when it counted. He likes to discuss the inside dominance that Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum possess, discussing – for example – how they controlled the tempo of Game 2 against the Thunder by playing at that pace, but lamented that they couldn’t do it more consistently. Throughout the season, MWP would often say the Lakers couldn’t be beaten if they played at the pace of Bynum and Gasol, but that became easier said than done against teams like Denver and Oklahoma City.

- On his loyalty to the Lakers: “The Lakers did a lot for me. I like it here. The Lakers did nothing but great things for me; I got a championship here, something I always wanted. I don’t really talk about myself, just what can make the team better, whatever is in the best interest of the Lakers.”

- World Peace wasn’t sure if he’d be able to find his dominance again, but credited Dr. Judy Seto, the team’s physical therapist, for figuring out what was wrong with him and getting him back to what he was physically. That excited him greatly, and has him eager for next season. He also cited the work of the team’s strength coach, Tim DiFrancesco.

http://blog.lakers.com/lakers/2012/0...xit-interview/

[Basel]

Ramon Sessions Exit Interview

- Sessions described how it was a dream come true for him to be put in this situation, that he learned a lot from his first playoff experience and first time on a team with a winning record, which he called a “dream come true.” Of course, he was disappointed that it ended when it did, calling it “too soon.” There’s an unfulfilled feeling there, but Sessions was generally thrilled to have the chance to be a Laker.

- Next season? Sessions has a player option for next season that he’ll need to decide whether to pick up by June 20: “Definitely hope to be here. Hopefully everything works out … we’ll just see what happens. I haven’t thought about it yet, the season just got over. I’ll take some time to reflect.” Sessions denied reports about him either picking up or waiving his player option year, and said he simply had yet to make a decision.

- On what will go into his decision: “Tomorrow is not promised. It’s not something I’m weighing everything on, because I was fortunate to get one deal, and financially is not an issue, so I’m definitely going to look at how can I become a complete player, one of the top guards in the league, the best situation, the best winning experience. I just want to win, there’s no secret about it.”

- On if the Lakers is the right fit for him: “I think so. With my game maturing more, with me being able to knock down that (jump) shot. I know I can make it work … in my career I always played with the ball in my hand, but this summer I’ll work at playing off the ball more and making that better.”

- He plans on working on every aspect of his game in the offseason, including spot-up shooting, ball-handling and the like, but more specifically on the types of shots he knows he’d get playing with the Lakers. Sessions thinks that he can fit in with L.A. however they’re playing, whether slowing it down or speeding it up. He’d really be helped by a training camp and practices to determine what to do, where to do it and when to do so. He’d like to become better at knowing the personnel and how to run the team, which was more difficult due to such a lack of time he had in the purple and gold.

- On if his shooting struggles in the playoffs had to do with trying to get the ball to the bigs or Kobe more and not being in a rhythm: “It’s tough to figure out, because the offense changes a little more than in the regular season, but there were still shots that I was getting that I’d knock down if I got them tomorrow,” he said. “Sometimes they just don’t go in, that’s how basketball goes sometimes.”

- Sessions felt like the Lakers simply needed to be consistent for 48 minutes, which was a problem all season and in the playoffs, and lamented letting “some slip away” against Oklahoma City. “We played a great 46 minutes of basketball” in Game 2, he said, and 42 minutes in Game 4. That’ll hurt in the offseason.

- On what needs to improve defensively: “Just sticking my nose in there a little more on the weak side. A lot of little things. When you’re on teams that are rebuilding, defense is not the most important thing, so you don’t really see the little things. But when you’re playing with a championship team like the Lakers, those little things – like a box out or chasing the guard all the way through, things you can get away with on a rebuilding team – are big when you’re trying to win a championship.

- Sessions and his dog Sesh will return to Atlanta for the offseason as he makes his decision and works on his game.

http://blog.lakers.com/lakers/2012/0...amon-sessions/

[Basel]

Jordan Hill Exit Interview

On what Mitch Kupchak and Mike Brown had to say about the free-agent-to-be big man: “My productivity and how I changed the game when I’m in the game. Good things. They just want me to continue to do what I’m doing … obviously I’m a free agent right now, and I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I just have to keep working.”

On if he’d like to come back? “Yeah, I mean it’s one of if not the best organizations in the league and I had a great time in the short time I was here. The staff, the players, everybody … I enjoyed it.” Hill said the Lakers were definitely a good fit for him, but implied that what he’s especially good at – like rebounding – can be used on any team.

- When asked about Mike Brown, Hill said it was clear that the coach “Just wanted to win.” He also recalled the time that Brown called him at 2 a.m. after the team was blown out in San Antonio on April 20: “I was definitely surprised. We talked a little bit, and he said we need more rebounding and energy, and I just stayed ready. The next game against Oklahoma City I just did what I had to do, and kept going with it.” Hill grabbed 15 rebounds with his 14 points in that double OT Lakers victory, delivering what Brown asked for and more.

- On playing with Bynum and Gasol: “They’re definitely hard workers, man. Like me they want to win and get better. Definitely two great All-Stars, it was a blast playing along with them. That’s why I definitely didn’t try to concentrate on scoring, because that’s what they do, so I tried to get an offensive rebound and pass out so they’d get a chance to score. I love offensive rebounding, that’s one way to get my points. But I just want to do things to help my team win, work hard on the floor and hopefully get a championship one day.”

On playing with Kobe: “I never thought that would happen to me, playing alongside one of the greatest. People would think he’d be a different guy because of who he is, but Kobe’s just like one of us. Have fun, smile, laugh, jokes – it was crazy seeing all that. But when it’s time for the game, that’s what he’s about.”

- Hill let out a deep sigh when thinking about all the struggles he’s been through in his life, overcoming the odds by making NBA roster. “I just have to keep my head up high.” Hill’s done a lot of moving, has had to learn a lot of systems, but he understand that things happen in the business. He wants to “find a home.”

http://blog.lakers.com/lakers/2012/0...xit-interview/

[Basel]

Troy Murphy Exit Interview

On his season as a whole: “I enjoyed playing here. Unfortunately it ended sooner than we’d expected. I’m going to take some time off and collect my thoughts and see what the future has in store … It was an honor to play here. So much history, great fans, great players and every year you know you’re going to be playing for a championship. It’s a real honor.”

On having to stay ready. “It was tough being in and out of the rotation, but when my number was called, I tried to go out there and do what the coaches asked of me, and stay ready for when they called.”

On staying healthy: “It was huge for me to be able to be healthy the entire time after (being hurt last season) was tough, so I feel good about that.”

- Murphy explained that the offense was designed to utilized the size advantage the Lakers had, and that no team in the league had better bigs. His role was basically to space the floor for either Bynum or Gasol, and rebound the ball on the other end. But more specifically, Murphy got into how the league is in terms of “stretch 4′s” like himself, and how Gasol essentially had to play out of position and sacrifice much of his game: “The way our I think it’s based on the personnel. You look at a team like San Antonio that was a low post dominating team for many years, and as Tim Duncan has gotten older they’re relying more on the 3-point shot, so they have a guy like Matt Bonner space the floor for them.”

And that, said Murphy, is why not having camp or much time to practice was difficult for the Lakers: “I think that’s where the abbreviated season was a detriment to us, trying to figure out with those three guys that can each post up and command a double team where to put those guys. That’s a hard thing. Other teams have been together know where guys are going to go and how to play off each other.”

- More specifically on Gasol: “I think Pau is a different kind of animal because most guys that are stretch fours are as good as Pau is in the post. You might think Pau is better in the post than he is as a stretch four. He can command a double team and is effective in both areas, so you don’t really want to take that away from him as much. It’s a tough thing for him to try and balance out when to play inside and when to be that stretch guy because he has the ability to do both.”

And finally, what stood about about playing with Kobe: He makes some impossibly difficult shots every game. His basketball IQ is by far greater than anybody I’ve ever played with. He understands where the defense is coming from, where he’s going to be open, and that was very impressive just observing that situation. He makes it easier for guys because he gets double-teamed … he’s just a great player.

http://blog.lakers.com/lakers/2012/0...xit-interview/

[Basel]

Devin Ebanks Exit Interview

On his meeting with Mitch Kupchak and Mike Brown: “They had a lot of good things to say. They liked the way I played to start the season, and when I was thrown back out there. I got a lot of encouraging things (said) up there and it’s going to motivate me to work harder and come back ready for next season.”

On if he thinks he’ll be a Laker next season: “That’s something we still have to work out, me and my agent have to speak about it with Mitch, but I’d definitely love to stay here in L.A. and continue my career here.” Ebanks said it’ll be a process for each side to figure it all out, as he’ll both listen to the Lakers and also see if other teams are interested. Ebanks said he felt that the Lakers were “pretty interested” in him.

On getting some more opportunity this season: “This was my first year getting time on the court, so there were a lot of things I learned out there and a lot of things I improved upon. If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready, and if my number is called, (I was) ready to perform.”

- Ebanks saw time at both the 2 and the 3 this season filling in for injured/suspended Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace, but he could also play some stretch 4 in the future depending on how his game develops. If he develops some additional strength, he does have the length to have success at that position. “I believe so … that’s going to come with me working on my body and being able to bang and stretch out as well, it’s just one of the facets of my game I need to work on this summer.”

- Ebanks will spend most of his offseason working out at the team’s facility, he said, though that might depend on what happens in his conversations with Kupchak.

http://blog.lakers.com/lakers/2012/0...xit-interview/