I truly don't think people understand that other NBA GMs watched Pelnka get a private negotiating window for Luka and then back out of a completed deal that included an unprotected first-round pick after a failed physical. It changes how teams approach negotiations.
This is something I'm wondering about. If Claxton could have been had for free, why didn't the Lakers do it? The contract is descending and he's a perfectly serviceable starter. Do they have something else in mind at center?
The Lakers reportedly believe people exaggerate the defensive issues of a Luka Dončić–Austin Reaves backcourt, per @DanWoikeSports
“Provided the Lakers address other needs on the wing and at the rim, defensive concerns about a Dončić-and-Reaves pairing are overstated, one team source said. Reaves was also one of the most important voices inside the Lakers’ locker room a season ago, his leadership developing year over year.”
(Via https://t.co/GlwZkBicNG)
The realization for me is, if you want to create a closing 5 for a contender, the entire front line has to be 2 way, and not just at an average level.
Shooting only goes so far, but if it's tied to shot creation (to get 30+ to 40+pts) then it's a role player contract at best.
Pattern Recognition is also the form of intelligence that causes the most stress.
You will see things that others do not.
You'll feel crazy.
Things will be *so obvious* to you, and others will just deny it.
Rob Pelinka on the Lakers’ season and direction moving forward:
Doesn’t take a genius to “deconstruct” this roster and identify team needs..😤
Via (@SpectrumSN)
we are just too damn cool as a society
a small pocket of loud people will call this corny when it’s truly needed in the game
reminds me of the story of magic saying kareem told him they got 81 more games left after winning their first game his rookie season
joy is needed in the regular season
@pickuphoop@Obolatcan24 I can buy Watson being available in a S&T deal where Denver would rather get something back for him rather than burn resources to dump guys to keep him but the way Ainge has been acting, Kessler is not a realistic option.
My team employs a prime Luka Doncic, an ascending Austin Reaves and a still very good LeBron James and our only move was swapping Gabe Vincent for Lucas Kennard, im in chill-mode for the rest of the season #ZeroExpectations
This video explains the Lakers season in a nutshell.... a great example of why they won't make it out the first round if they don't do something significant at the deadline.
You cannot argue with MAGA. They demand evidence, then call your sources biased. You provide primary sources, they claim they're doctored. You show them video, they say it's out of context. You give them context, they say you're cherry-picking. This isn't debate. This is a systematic refusal to allow reality to intrude on mythology. You're not arguing facts. You're arguing whether facts exist.