Has the Lakers offseason been a bust? | NBA | SPEAK

Has the Lakers offseason been a bust? | NBA | SPEAK

my favorite conversation we’re about to have the Lakers off season remember they missed out on the coach to the left of your screen in Dan Hurley and they hired the coach with no coaching experience on the right of your screen JJ reick has never coached an NBA game at any level in his life well not only did you miss out on the coaching at first well then you go on and you draft LeBron’s Sun the 55th overall pick obviously he should be easy to identify Ronnie James Jr a high school Phenom at USC obviously he had a heart condition average four points and three assists he gets drafted by the Lakers okay that was questionable but then as you move on and you progress throughout the rest of the off season Klay Thompson a five time allar four time NBA champion the Lakers could have used him and they wanted him Klay Thompson chooses to go to the Dallas Mavericks instead so as you stare at crypto Arena you see the tumble weeds because no players are walking in it’s just Bare Bones in crypto nothing of Promise in sight so many people ask questions about the Lakers off season but the most important question I will ask to the Brilliant Minds to the left and right of me is this Joy Taylor has LeBron James and the Lakers off seon been a bust no I don’t think so I think it’s gone like I thought it would I mean what’s been the timeline they fired Darin ham okay so they hired a coach that LeBron and AD are happy with that check expected that LeBron resigned they drafted bronnie they weren’t really in the bidding fr any of these other big free agents and they didn’t get them I I don’t know that it’s a bus because it’s completely checked the expectations that I had for La I think getting Klay Thompson would have been an incredible boost but Klay Thompson has a say in this obviously and that wasn’t his preference so it’s not like the conversations weren’t had and he chose to go to the Mavs that’s a better situation for him he feels it would have been nice to see him play alongside LeBron James we know how LeBron is with Shooters but overall when you look at the position that the Lakers are in financially when you look at what they can do with trades when you look at what the conversation was heading into the off season and after they fired Darin ham I think the Lakers have done everything that I expected them to do so I if you if you look at what the expectations were and thought that that was going to be a negative offseason then I guess you could consider that to be a bus but I don’t think the Lakers are are in a bad situation I think they could be in a better situation but outside of running into the Nuggets which they is have some unfortunate luck doing I think they would have had a more successful postseason and I don’t expect them to compete for a championship at this point because of what they have on their roster I think they’re a competitive team I think LeBron is still playing at a high level ad is still playing at a high level and they are a team that will go into the next year with a bit of chemistry maybe that will help and a new new regime so I just don’t look at it as a bus I just I disagree and I want to ask you some questions because when I look at this Lakers team right you are right ad is still playing a high level LeBron is still obviously playing at a high level right you get two draft picks um that’s it so when we look at the West right the two the the three top teams in the west this is any guess you would say the Nuggets you would go the Mavs you go Minnesota and I say the Thunder that’s four so we just named four teams so if you how can it not be a bust when all them teams majority of them got better right they got better and some of them was already good like the Nuggets where when we look at the roster for the Lakers you always say you can’t win with this roster you can’t go super far with this roster so why got to make no moves though LeBron James said listen guys I will not get a Max cont Contra I will save some money for y’all to go out there and get some help because we all know they need help they need some shooting they need some more defense and maybe one more solid role player they didn’t get none of that so LeBron said okay y don’t get nobody I’m gonna get my max deal that’s what he did two years for right so my thing is it has to be a bust off season because LeBron James and Lakers is all about championships the reason why our Lakers fans were so mad about this year’s playoff run not because they got they they lost to the nuggets and only won one game no it’s because the Celtics they won a championship right it was TI right now the Celtics have the lead I talking about the banners so it has to be a bust for Lakers because they didn’t do nothing better to improve this roster yes you had a new rookie coach right he’s a rookie coach even though he has some veteran coaches on his staff he he ain’t out there out there shooting no threes or or blocking no shots so make a rookie job easier what we got to do get better players this roster is not good enough to win a championship I don’t think the roster was good enough to win a championship but I don’t think it was good enough to win a championship last year that’s think the DAR ham was the reason why saying offse some trade some sign something I I think it’s a bust but I think it’s a bust because it’s a bust for the Lakers because it’s a success for LeBron LeBron’s primary objective is no longer winning championships it’s not winning championships because if his primary objective was to win a championship I don’t know that JJ reck would be the head coach if his primary objective was to win a championship I don’t know that he would be playing for the Lakers if his primary objective was to win a championship I don’t know the Brony James would be on the team so I don’t think LeBron’s primary objective is to win a championship I think the Lakers and LeBron James have two different goals LeBron’s primary goal was to play with his son he did everything within his power to play with his son and he did and I’m happy for LeBron for doing that because I’m a LeBron James fan I’m not necessarily a Lakers fan now if you’re a Lakers fan you should have your concerns because the Lakers and LeBron are serving two completely different Masters they serving two completely different gods the Lakers are serving the god of winning LeBron James is serving the god of playing with bronnie James and having a coach who he knows well and putting in his own position of power so for LeBron James the off Seas was a wild success and shout out to LeBron for doing that but for the Lakers you didn’t get better you didn’t get the coach you wanted your roster didn’t proven the nature that you wanted and like shady already said all the teams that were already better than you has continued to get better than you so how could the Lakers off season be a success I don’t think it’s been a success I think it’s been a bust but for LeBron James his offseason has been one of the most miraculous things we’ve ever seen in Pro how can you say that though before slick goes how can you sit here and say that that LeBron James ain’t trying to win a championship because he because he signed his son in a second round JJ reading more importantly to me if you’re trying to win a championship first and foremost when’s the last time we saw a rookie head coach like walk into a situation like the Lakers situation and win a championship I don’t know shady I don’t know the last time we saw a rookie at coach I know we saw Steve Nash and what Steve Nash did with Brooklyn so everything else stays the same and they have they have Scott Brooks as the head coach instead of I don’t like Scott Brooks either coach okay is there a coach yeah like I would felt better about making a decision that you know at least has proven track record like I would have felt better about going all in on Dan Hurley you you you suggested an offer that he could refuse Danley might not be able to coach in the NBA he might not but at least you have at least you have a better opportunity at knowing whether or not he could because he has a resume no no he definitely has he definitely has a resume and JJ doesn’t correct but he has a resume in a different sport he does JJ has a resume in no sport correct I agree I agree like like Dan Hurley is more qualified 100% I agree but there’s no knowing that danur would be successful as an NBA coach just because of that I’m not and this is not really like I’m not positioning Dan Hurley or JJ reic but my question is is there a person other than Eric spola who again is unavailable right that could take this roster to the finals or win a championship I don’t know that there is but what I do know is this and this quote it haunts me because I I was it was my linebacker coach my rookie in the National Football League Rick Min and he said e if you make too many exceptions you’ll never be exceptional and joy you brought up a phenomenal word you said I do know that Dan Hurley is more qualified how many times this offseason have the Lakers passed up on more qualified individuals bronnie James was not more qualified than other picks JJ re was not more qualified than other coaches so if you continue to make decisions to pass up on those that are more qualified for whatever reason then you’re not going to qualify for an NBA title if you keep making those decisions so I agree I don’t know if there’s a coach outside of a pop or outside of a spoler or outside of outside of a cerr you know I don’t know if there is one that could do it but I just don’t I can’t even act like the Lakers are trying to do it because they keep passing up on more qualified individuals for one reason or another I like all of that but here’s the reason that I would say it’s not a bust is because I can’t point to any one move they could have made that would have definitively changed where they are we can talk about all the players that they were interested in or all the coaches that they were interested in but I can’t look at any of them and say you know what if they got that guy if they got this thing if they made this move they would now be Championship contenders and we’ve we’ve become so unrealistic when it comes to the Lakers and what the front office is supposed to do they have reworked this roster at least three times significantly over the last 5 years and as a result they won a championship in the bubble and they went to the Western Conference finals and four out of the last five years they have been in the playoffs so this idea that somehow that they are underachieving in some massive way and if they’re not competing for a championship every year then something is wrong and I’ll go to this this is the heart of it because we don’t want it we keep thinking okay they got ad and LeBron and so why can’t they get the rest of it together to win a championship well let’s let’s just run down just in the Western Conference just the western conference let’s run down the top Duos of the top teams in the Western Conference Nicola yic and Jamal Murray are you taking LeBron and AD over those two I’m not are you taking them over Luca donic and Kye at this point are you taking them over Anthony Edwards and Carl Anthony towns absolutely at this point yeah I don’t car that’s one all right Shay gilis Alexander and ched holgren yeah uh not me Kevin Durant and and and Devin Booker yeah I I would say that one I could make a case the other ones in terms of where they are and what I can put around them and then let’s look at the numbers outside of KD and Booker LeBron and AD are making the most money so are they playing to the level where however you look at it you would say at the very least they are the second best duo in the Western and we’re just talking about the western conference right right never mind all the teams in there never mind the Boston Celtics or the Milwaukee Bucks or any of the Duos in the Eastern Conference because we are talking championships so this is where like to me the heart of it is your Duo is no longer the best duo in the Western Conference so this idea that if I just put the right pieces around them they’re going to get me there is not realistic when you think about the price and the level of play from your Superstar combo right well LeBron did say right Hey listen I will take less money to get certain players here he did say that right so before this this number going take a little bit I don’t know what number you know what number he’s going to take I don’t know what number he’s going to take I just know what he said right it’s like M can say I he said second thing is but even that wouldn’t necessarily give them the wherewithal it was it was a convenient thing to say it makes it look like you’re being magnanimous I I I don’t know I know what the king said you know what I’m saying I know what he said I’m G respect what he said second thing is you’re showing like duels that’s that’s cool cuz that does matter but like like what made the Nuggets special yeah obviously them two Mary and but the team though right the team KN each other chemistry Michael Porter Jun should the thre like all these different things you talk about the Timberwolves right Mike Colley has so much of um um influence on that type of Team like I can name of different players so you talking about the two dudes I’m not going to do that I’m talking about the whole team the Lakers if they went to the West Conference Finals with a year ago right and then this year they they lost the Nuggets again went to playoffs but all they needed is like a a certain amount of players right maybe one or two guys to help out whoever it may be the Lakers yeah the Lakers they just need one or two that’s what I feel like yeah I mean that’s where iagree I think I don’t think they’re one piece away I’m not even okay so I hear what you’re saying but let’s just look about what they did so they did go to West Conference Finals they did do that right I don’t know who expected that they got smacked though however it goes they went so if you’re good enough to go there to the West Conference Finals it’s only what two teams that means you’re the two one of the best teams in the west right two of them okay next thing is like yo if you can get there we need a piece or two to get to the next level that’s all I’m saying for the last 5 years it’s been a piece or two and theyve got got those that piece or two you can’t do that in infinitum like at some point you run out of resources if we look at the West so I look at the Mavs the Mavs are a good team a lot of some some talent but when they made the trades they made got the players they need it right where did they go y okay oh but that’s what the Lakers did two years ago hold on but but why stop though cuz they didn’t stop because it’s oh wait did they stop the share the the uh the um the the Thunder they didn’t stop they making moves they make well of course they are on so my thing is if you do this sh and check cost you $45 million that’s half of what LeBron and I’m getting somewhere I’m getting somewhere just follow me okay so the Nuggets not the nuggets the um see you messing me up now hold on the Thunder okay so they did get better right look at where they where they come from right each year they getting better and better and better next year they going to have a real serious team they got a real big now what were they prior hold on the previous four years the Mavs another team even though they lost and all that type of stuff I hope Luka comes back with some defense some more effort right a little healthier better shape but now they going to make some moves now they got clay out there so when PJ was was missing them threes Dereck Jones missing them threes that’s wide open we got clay here though we got him that’s gave him some money come on over they got better yeah so if every team in the west is getting better slick yeah why you think the Lakers can get better because for the last four years they’ve been getting better for the last four years they’ve been making all the moves that you see Dallas and Oklahoma City making but at some point you just you run out of you run out of real estate like you sold off all your best what you say job finished job not finished come on subscribe here to get the latest from speak and go watch a few segments from our other shows on FS1

After failing to acquire Dan Hurley and Klay Thompson, the Los Angeles Lakers enter the 2024/25 with the same core plus the addition of Bronny James and Dalton Knecht. Emmanuel Acho, Joy Taylor, Ric Bucher, and LeSean McCoy ask if the Lakers’ offseason has been a bust or not.

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The revamped SPEAK takes over the airwaves with Emmanuel Acho, LeSean McCoy and Joy Taylor covering the day’s hottest topics in sports and offering their unfiltered takes.

Has the Lakers offseason been a bust? | NBA | SPEAK

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