☆Official Kobe Bryant Thread: #Ko8e24

[$LakerGold]

It feels like 2005 again. We're gonna have to go through some Kwame Brown's & Smushie's. Although, Shaq was my favoritte player back then .. So yall know how it is. lol

#rebuild!!!!!!!!

[$LakerGold]

I think in about a year or so, they're going to fire MDA. Ideal roster would be something similar to 09 w/ Ariza. We'll be stuck with Beasley if that ever happens. Just saying.

[BallsOut]

Barkley is right. It's over. Shut Kobe down for the year. It is time to rebuild..

1) Lets just build for next season with a mid-range draft pick. 8th seed and first-round exit does not help because you get crap draft pick and still lose. You want to miss playoffs.

2) I would try to trade Gasol before February also. I don't know who I would get for Gasol, but it has to be a potential star in their 20s.

3) We already have some young pieces that will be great off the bench next year (mainly Young, Farmar, Henry, Meeks, Hill - others are expendable). I would re-sign them over the summer.

4) Nash's days are over. Trade him or use the stretch provision

Fk Meeks. Dude is just in a contract year. He still reverts to making those bone headed plays he's been doing all of last year. Can't run a 3 on 2 fast break properly, gets stuffed a lot when he drives and just gives you the look after every foul he commits. I can't stand this guy. He's just thriving now as a volume shooter. He's not getting his shots when Kobe comes back so I think he's definitely expendable.

[Lakers_Kobe_Fan]

Barkley is right. It's over. Shut Kobe down for the year. It is time to rebuild..

1) Lets just build for next season with a mid-range draft pick. 8th seed and first-round exit does not help because you get crap draft pick and still lose. You want to miss playoffs.

2) I would try to trade Gasol before February also. I don't know who I would get for Gasol, but it has to be a potential star in their 20s.

3) We already have some young pieces that will be great off the bench next year (mainly Young, Farmar, Henry, Meeks, Hill - others are expendable). I would re-sign them over the summer.

4) Nash's days are over. Trade him or use the stretch provision

Nobody is touching Steve Nash... He is just stealing money from lakers... Retire already.. I know i know...nash is hardworking good guy...blah blah blah but he has to go....

Trade gasol & his lazy no defense/no rebounding ass to somebody...i am ready to take Larry Sanders from the bucks & hid 11mil contract...

Kobe did what he had to....got fat contract.... Let him sell tickets while we rebuild the right way....

Trade everybody on this roster to get a pick in next yrs draft...Jhill....wes Johnson..X henry...blake

Only keep farmar & Nick young... Have a fire sell otherwise

[$LakerGold]

Thread merged.

[Lakers91]

I think in about a year or so, they're going to fire MDA. Ideal roster would be something similar to 09 w/ Ariza. We'll be stuck with Beasley if that ever happens. Just saying.

I'm worried if they do at the trajectory of the coaching decisions, Mike Brown I was skeptical of and still am, think his offense for drawing up plays for bigmen can be okay but it's basically on Irving pretty much like a wave haha give to Irving and everyone else spread like the plague and let him do what he wants, D'Antoni's I'm hyper critical of and not to mention as Ive posted otherwise I can't stand him despite not having met him, I'm worried with the past skipping of Adelman, Shaw, Jackson potentially again who will be the next coach, I've said before I'd like Hollins, would that be a good move I think it would, he likes using the big men maybe it wouldn't work only having Gasol as a consistent big man threat it wouldn't be ideal but I think he could work well with the current roster but that's just me. I think if they are going to get rid of D'Antoni it will be at the end of this season bring in a new coach so he can have a full preseason otherwise will be for the 3 years, if they want to get Melo they must get rid of him, Melo will not sign with D'Antoni at the helm and with the way the Knicks are playing and reading between the lines he's a possibility/could be tempted. I don't think you could shut down Kobe he would almost refuse to stay down in my opinion, he would miss the game too much I reckon being out for so many months even no training would have had him so angry and frustrated let alone him being able to play and being told he can't, I think he should for awhile only play 20 minutes maximum, 15-20 I think for a fair few games back anything more is going to be overloading with the current injury and the achilles from last year and it's flowing effects on the rest of the lower leg.

[DKLaker]

I understand trading Hill since it seems to me that MDA don't want to play him long mins anyway but I just don't understand why they should blow the team up for the sake of doing it.
I like some pieces that can help the team's cause for the next few years.
Yes, Blake is getting old but I think they can develop the other players.
Hire a shooting coach for Wesley Johnson. Meeks is fine as a back up SG IMO, SAME with Farmar and Henry. They are not great players but good enough role players.
Having some fine young athletes are good too, but why let go of guys who can help too.

Again.....to trade Hill would mean you are committing to 'Antoni beyond this season. It would be idiotic to trade him and then hire a coach who would love to have him/ know how to use him. What a failure that would be...right?
(BTW idiotic meaning management, not in any way referring to any of us)

[Lakers_Kobe_Fan]

OMG, sorry for hitting a nerve "Kobe-FAN"
I was just asking to validate the answer.
Chicago won atleast 55 games when MJ left the first time. Does that mean he is not a great player?
Well ofcourse Lakers wouldn't have won 5 rings without Kobe. I felt the year 2001, Kobe should have won the MVP esp when he almost single-handedly dominated the Spurs in San Antonio. The problem was when they to the finals, Shaq would dominate the weaker centers of the East, hence, he wins the finals MVPs.

U forgot the mosg important part their tam: lakers 1st then Kobe fan..

Stats r ok for the geeks @ESPN.. Henry abbortion, the grizz vp.. & all of the stat junkies... But if u have watched basketball long enough u can tell bb stats carry wieght but not to chips...
I guess a coach like dklaker would agree with me on this 1

[Fedor - Laker]

When will you idiots realize that Kobe was extended so he can put asses on the seats.

You think people will pay to see Gasol play merry go round and Meeks as a starter

[longtime lurker]

Lakers don't need to sit Kobe for the season if he can play he should be on the court. What they need to do is let him take 8 weeks off to get into playing shape then cap his minutes at 25 and give him games off. No reason Kobe should be playing over 35 minutes when the Lakers are ridiculously deep on the wings.

[Lakers91]

Although this could and I suspect will be merged with the Kobe return thread I kind of just wanted to create a thread (sorry if this isn't worth it's own thread, so mods will probably merge it lol) , after reading a number of sports articles I thought I would create a thread to get the opinion from supporters/fans of the Lakers and Kobe fans irrelevant of the contract status whether you agree disagree or whatever, this is more so do people believe Kobe Bryant will ever be the dominant superstar on court player again?

There is obviously a case that he will, that he the year before doing his achilles he was in great form with some of his best stats FG % wise, scoring wise and assists wise (career high in assists average at 6 I believe), that his mindset mentality and sheer desire of will is superior to most in sports with his sheer will and determination and self belief. Bryant also seemed very confident although as he always is on his return he said he felt like he could still do everything he once could before his injury, he's probably one of the most endured players in sports in terms of both avoiding injuries in the past prior to his achilles and also the amount of minutes without missing that much time and also having the ability to play through a number of injuries he could have easily have taken time off for. Kobe's game though has not always relied on explosiveness his first step has always been deadly but he does have a great mid range jumper and can be a good 3 point shooter and as a guard has a solid post game against other guards and he has shown he can adapt, so maybe it will not effect him as much as others who rely on explosiveness/athleticism more. His superstardom if you asked him didn't end with his achilles injury and I'm sure he'd tell you he will be back stronger than ever if someone asked because of the mindset he has.

On the flip side of the coin (yes this will be a long thread or post ) the argument he will return to form seems more so based on Kobe Bryants will and determination not on factual evidence, Kobe saying that only an idiot would bet against him that is not factual evidence, it is not logic it is sheer will and strength of mind that most say he will be back to his dominant best. The only player to have successfully came back in the NBA (I can think of other sport examples non NBA but will stick to the NBA for now) that have came back successfully would be the main example of Nique Wilkins he still wasn't quite the same either, Kobe had already logged 17 years of mileage or so before the injury, he is not only in age at 35 but also in the amount of years played straight out of high school quite old. In his return it showed that he was very rusty which is clearly to be expected but he certainly did not look as quick and his first step was not nearly as effective, was this just rust or is that first quick step and ability to go past defenders gone? Is the fact that Kobe is special, Kobe is Kobe just more blind loyalty from us Laker fans and Kobe fans also that he will return to being dominant rather than if it had been anyone but Kobe?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3178860/

Apologies for the long post but I thought if I was going to post something like this I might as well go the whole way, I think I've posted both sides of the argument and would like to ask what others think? I'm generally a more logical and analytical person and I think Kobe could come good but I don't think he will ever be as good as he once was and I don't think he will be a superstar again, logic>faith and although Kobe has stronger faith than anyone I can't just ignore the logic of the situation and write off an achilles injury and now a leg injury just on him being Kobe I'm sorry. What does everyone else think both after his return and now a new injury? Feel free to refute or however you like or will this is of course just my personal opinion and wanting to get other peoples views.

[tamaraw08]

Again.....to trade Hill would mean you are committing to 'Antoni beyond this season. It would be idiotic to trade him and then hire a coach who would love to have him/ know how to use him. What a failure that would be...right?
(BTW idiotic meaning management, not in any way referring to any of us)

But you, DD24 and other posters here are so loud and adamant that this season is meaningless etc and the coming draft is LOADED with talent.
I like to keep Hill, I actually would love for him to play about 30 mins or more, but if DD24 and you are right about the incoming rookies..these guys will have rookie contracts, you also can use that 3.5 mil Hill is getting to sign cheap FAs.

[DKLaker]

But you, DD24 and other posters here are so loud and adamant that this season is meaningless etc and the coming draft is LOADED with talent.
I like to keep Hill, I actually would love for him to play about 30 mins or more, but if DD24 and you are right about the incoming rookies..these guys will have rookie contracts, you also can use that 3.5 mil Hill is getting to sign cheap FAs.

Hill's value goes well beyond his $$$, he hustles, and with the right coach who believes in hustle and defense, he could be a positive influence on young players.....and old players. (Hell, if any of you follow baseball, look at how the all-out hustle every play of Yasiel Puig sparked the Dodgers.) You seriously need that on any team....are your Cheap Free Agents going to provide that???

[$LakerGold]

It's great to have young promising prospects from the draft, but Jordan Hill has already proven his capability. If someone was to get traded, I think it shouldn't be Jordan Hill. If he is just coached the right way & play big minutes, I think he can be a 10/10 type of player.


^We will see a lot of this (red boxed), if played more than 30 minutes.

Take the gamble by trading/signing someone else, but don't include him in it. Pringles is just really stubborn. I'm really starting to hate him as a coach. I will be really baffled if Jim Buss gives in to making this team around Pringles's system.

[gts]

You can't play Hill tons of minutes he wears down and gets injured. Look at games played. he has one season you could say was a full season at 72 games and that season he averaged 15 mpg.

His games played in a season are 47, 72, 39, and 29 this season... His injury report is a mile long for a guy whose never logged major minutes. and very rarely as a starter.

Hip surgery last year, ankle issues sore knees early on... get the minutes you can get out of him by using him when you need him and not playing him when he doesn't match up well.

He's a hustle player which is great but broken down hustle players are no good to anybody, they just take up space