Westbrook to Lakers

2,420 Views | 21 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by 89Bear
hanky1
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Boom it's over.

Greatest team ever assembled.
01Bear
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hanky1 said:

Boom it's over.

Greatest team ever assembled.

Not just yet. There's no outside shooting. The Lakers need to pick up some 3-and-D players, first. They also need a stretch 5 (a la Brook Lopez) since AD doesn't like playing the 5.
Bobodeluxe
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This will be three years in a row for the Greatest Team Ever Assembled.
SFCityBear
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hanky1 said:

Boom it's over.

Greatest team ever assembled.
Not quite. A bunch of great individuals don't always make a great team.

Wake me up when the Lakers get close to 11 NBA championships in 13 years (Boston Celtics 1957-1969)
SFCityBear
75bear
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I grew up in LA, and am a big Lakers fan. But I'd be surprised if the Lakers win the championship next season.

Westbrook and Lebron are aging stars who will have to stay healthy - not a guarantee. And Westbrook's game can be a bit maddening at times.

I see this trade as not quite a desperate move, but a clear sign the Lakers organization knew they couldn't realistically compete for a title next year in a loaded Western Conference, and were left with this Westbrook option as the best of a not ideal few possible moves with what assets they had.

So I don't blame the Lakers for making the move, but I'm skeptical it will result in the Larry O'Brien.
75bear
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SFCityBear said:

hanky1 said:

Boom it's over.

Greatest team ever assembled.
Not quite. A bunch of great individuals don't always make a great team.

Wake me up when the Lakers get close to 11 NBA championships in 13 years (Boston Celtics 1957-1969)

Wake me up when the NBA has only 10 teams in the league.
joe amos yaks
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. . . still waiting . . .
concernedparent
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75bear said:

SFCityBear said:

hanky1 said:

Boom it's over.

Greatest team ever assembled.
Not quite. A bunch of great individuals don't always make a great team.

Wake me up when the Lakers get close to 11 NBA championships in 13 years (Boston Celtics 1957-1969)

Wake me up when the NBA has only 10 teams in the league.
Also wake me up when the NBA isn't a billion dollar international business where players are scouted and professionally trained from a young age.
BearoutEast67
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This was a terrible trade. Westbrook needs the ball in his hands and is a subpar 3 shooter. The only worse (avoided) trade was when folks were talking about going for Carmelo Anthony to pair with Lebron. While Kuzma never reached his full potential and kept those brain farts on offense, I liked the play of Harrell and Caldwell-Pope this past year. Lakers should have gone for a shooter like Buddy Hield.
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01Bear
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BearoutEast67 said:

This was a terrible trade. Westbrook needs the ball in his hands and is a subpar 3 shooter. The only worse (avoided) trade was when folks were talking about going for Carmelo Anthony to pair with Lebron. While Kuzma never reached his full potential and kept those brain farts on offense, I liked the play of Harrell and Caldwell-Pope this past year. Lakers should have gone for a shooter like Buddy Hield.

While Buddy Hield would've provided outside shooting, he would've also been a defensive liability. I'm not sure that's the right play when there are still 3 and D players out there. Of course, the biggest problem for the Lakers will be the salary cap. With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook's contracts, the Lakers have used up pretty much the entirety of their cap space. They'll need to find some 3 and D players who are willing to take the veteran's minimum and the mid-level exception.
HoopDreams
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Good take

I've never liked Westbrooke nor Carmelo

Neither play makes those around him better and their teams are not successful as a result

BearoutEast67 said:

This was a terrible trade. Westbrook needs the ball in his hands and is a subpar 3 shooter. The only worse (avoided) trade was when folks were talking about going for Carmelo Anthony to pair with Lebron. While Kuzma never reached his full potential and kept those brain farts on offense, I liked the play of Harrell and Caldwell-Pope this past year. Lakers should have gone for a shooter like Buddy Hield.
SFCityBear
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75bear said:

SFCityBear said:

hanky1 said:

Boom it's over.

Greatest team ever assembled.
Not quite. A bunch of great individuals don't always make a great team.

Wake me up when the Lakers get close to 11 NBA championships in 13 years (Boston Celtics 1957-1969)

Wake me up when the NBA has only 10 teams in the league.
If today's players are the best who ever played the game, then we shouldn't have to make excuses for them, should we?

SFCityBear
89Bear
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HoopDreams said:

Good take

I've never liked Westbrooke nor Carmelo

Neither play makes those around him better and their teams are not successful as a result

BearoutEast67 said:

This was a terrible trade. Westbrook needs the ball in his hands and is a subpar 3 shooter. The only worse (avoided) trade was when folks were talking about going for Carmelo Anthony to pair with Lebron. While Kuzma never reached his full potential and kept those brain farts on offense, I liked the play of Harrell and Caldwell-Pope this past year. Lakers should have gone for a shooter like Buddy Hield.

I have not liked either one as well. At least with Carmelo he came through for Team USA.
01Bear
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89Bear said:

HoopDreams said:

Good take

I've never liked Westbrooke nor Carmelo

Neither play makes those around him better and their teams are not successful as a result

BearoutEast67 said:

This was a terrible trade. Westbrook needs the ball in his hands and is a subpar 3 shooter. The only worse (avoided) trade was when folks were talking about going for Carmelo Anthony to pair with Lebron. While Kuzma never reached his full potential and kept those brain farts on offense, I liked the play of Harrell and Caldwell-Pope this past year. Lakers should have gone for a shooter like Buddy Hield.

I have not liked either one as well. At least with Carmelo he came through for Team USA.

Westbrook strikes me as the kind of player that if Cal had, Cal fans would love. In many ways, he seems like a more talented/accomplished Jorge Gutierrez (but at the NBA level).
ColoradoBear
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Looking forward to the introduction of a second live ball on the court to facilitate a Lakers vs Nets NBA Finals.
Big C
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Lebron must've not only okayed this, but pushed for it.

But I'm not sure why, except for maybe he thinks it's still a few years ago.
89Bear
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Big C said:


Lebron must've not only okayed this, but pushed for it.

But I'm not sure why, except for maybe he thinks it's still a few years ago.
I was thinking about this as well. Lebron must have had info on this trade and the Hield trade possibility. He must have liked this one best, as I doubt management would go against his wishes.
philbert
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https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/russell-westbrook-met-with-lebron-james-anthony-davis-weeks-ago-to-discuss-playing-for-lakers-per-report/
75bear
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89Bear said:

Big C said:


Lebron must've not only okayed this, but pushed for it.

But I'm not sure why, except for maybe he thinks it's still a few years ago.
I was thinking about this as well. Lebron must have had info on this trade and the Hield trade possibility. He must have liked this one best, as I doubt management would go against his wishes.

Of course Lebron had knowledge and approved the Westbrook transaction. But Lakers management has ultimate sign off, so all parties must have liked the trade.
01Bear
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As of today's latest developments, the Lakers have fielded a pretty good team, if it were still 2012!
oski003
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Agree that James and Westbrook are past their primes with LBJ being one of the greatest players of all time.
However, here are some facts

Lebron James last won NBA MVP in 2013. He won NBA Finals MVP when the Lakers won the World Championship in 2020.

Russell Westbrook last won NBA MVP in 2017. (Curry last won his the year before and is older than Westbrook)

Anthony Davis is still in his 20's and in his prime, although he has had some injuries the last couple years.
BearoutEast67
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BearoutEast67 said:

This was a terrible trade. Westbrook needs the ball in his hands and is a subpar 3 shooter. The only worse (avoided) trade was when folks were talking about going for Carmelo Anthony to pair with Lebron. While Kuzma never reached his full potential and kept those brain farts on offense, I liked the play of Harrell and Caldwell-Pope this past year. Lakers should have gone for a shooter like Buddy Hield.

Well, now the Lakers just signed Melo. It'll be a nice gathering of old friends, but good luck playing a full four quarters.
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89Bear
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BearoutEast67 said:

BearoutEast67 said:

This was a terrible trade. Westbrook needs the ball in his hands and is a subpar 3 shooter. The only worse (avoided) trade was when folks were talking about going for Carmelo Anthony to pair with Lebron. While Kuzma never reached his full potential and kept those brain farts on offense, I liked the play of Harrell and Caldwell-Pope this past year. Lakers should have gone for a shooter like Buddy Hield.

Well, now the Lakers just signed Melo. It'll be a nice gathering of old friends, but good luck playing a full four quarters.

Probably will take just 1 dominant quarter to win, most of the time.
Dominate the 3rd, rest most of the 4th. Easy...
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