NBA 2K13: Why did the Lakers disappoint?

[turty11]

Quote: Originally Posted by Melbournelad

But do we have 3 million? I have a feeling we are really close to the hard cap limit. Unless we amnestied someone like Metta.

why amnesty there is an early termination clause in his contract but i think its on his end to do it

[Melbournelad]

Quote: Originally Posted by turty11

why amnesty there is an early termination clause in his contract but i think its on his end to do it

Yeah as you said lol it is a player option not a team option. Most players probably wouldn't but maybe Metta is unselfish enough to give up that 7 million and possibly sign a 3 year, 4 million per year deal.

[turty11]

Quote: Originally Posted by Melbournelad

Yeah as you said lol it is a player option not a team option. Most players probably wouldn't but maybe Metta is unselfish enough to give up that 7 million and possibly sign a 3 year, 4 million per year deal.

nah thatt guys taking the 7mil he wont get much more than 2m a year outside of that, he is terrible

[Eaglerock562]

Yeah, the only way Metta opts out of his final year is if he just wakes up and doesn't take his meds to start the day off right. Hell, if the Lakers wanted to, why not offer Lamar Odom a 1 year veteran minimum to come back, lord knows he just might be so glad to be back in a laker uniform that he breaks out of this two year disappearing act.


The Lakers are salary cap/luxury tax hit situation is looking like this. This is the new system for the luxury tax hit below.


Amount over threshold | Standard Tax | Repeat offender Tax
$5 million or less | $1.50 | $2.50
$5 mil - $10 mil | $1.75 | $2.75
$10 mil - $15 mil | $2.50 | $3.50
$15 mil - $20 mil | $3.25 | $4.25


So for example, a team that is $8 million over the threshold will pay $1.50 for each of it's first $5 million over the threshold and $1.75 per dollar for the remaining $3 million.


Here's where it gets worse. Teams above the apron can't use their Bi-annual exception.


Teams above the apron can't receive a player in a sign-and-trade transaction.


Teams above the apron can't use their full Mid-level exception, but rather they are given the Mini-Mid-level exception, instead of 5 years, they can only offer 3 years.


The Lakers are not the only team that is going to feel this. The Knicks, Heat, Nets, Celtics, Bulls are the other teams that are over the threshold, with the Celtics being a mere $1.3 million over, so they can easily get below it.

[Melbournelad]

Quote: Originally Posted by Eaglerock562

Yeah, the only way Metta opts out of his final year is if he just wakes up and doesn't take his meds to start the day off right. Hell, if the Lakers wanted to, why not offer Lamar Odom a 1 year veteran minimum to come back, lord knows he just might be so glad to be back in a laker uniform that he breaks out of this two year disappearing act. The Lakers are salary cap/luxury tax hit situation is looking like this. This is the new system for the luxury tax hit below. Amount over threshold | Standard Tax | Repeat offender Tax $5 million or less | $1.50 | $2.50 $5 mil - $10 mil | $1.75 | $2.75 $10 mil - $15 mil | $2.50 | $3.50 $15 mil - $20 mil | $3.25 | $4.25 So for example, a team that is $8 million over the threshold will pay $1.50 for each of it's first $5 million over the threshold and $1.75 per dollar for the remaining $3 million. Here's where it gets worse. Teams above the apron can't use their Bi-annual exception. Teams above the apron can't receive a player in a sign-and-trade transaction. Teams above the apron can't use their full Mid-level exception, but rather they are given the Mini-Mid-level exception, instead of 5 years, they can only offer 3 years. The Lakers are not the only team that is going to feel this. The Knicks, Heat, Nets, Celtics, Bulls are the other teams that are over the threshold, with the Celtics being a mere $1.3 million over, so they can easily get below it.

Now that Lamar Odom idea I definitely agree with. It's only been two years since he was voted the best reserve in the whole league. I think he could have a rejuvenated year with us. Take Jamisons minutes if he retires, with hill as a quality backup center.

[turty11]

Quote: Originally Posted by Melbournelad

Now that Lamar Odom idea I definitely agree with. It's only been two years since he was voted the best reserve in the whole league. I think he could have a rejuvenated year with us. Take Jamisons minutes if he retires, with hill as a quality backup center.

not if no D antoni is still coaching.

lamar needs to retire hes done

[Melbournelad]

Yeah I doubt he would be used well if D'antoni is still coach, however if we brought in a new coach I think he still has a good year or two left. Dont et the stats deceive you he was playing better for the clippers.

[Eaglerock562]

Lakers management has already made it very clear to D'Antoni following his exit interview that they are on Kobe Bryant's side and do indeed plan on staying with the main core group next season once Howard is re-signed.


It was made clear to D'Antoni that he is to coach this team to the strengths of the players that the team has (which means slow ball that resulted in a 29-12 record the last 41 games of the season). They've also told D'Antoni something that every fan, radio and basketball analyst has screamed about since his hire and that is he is to find a defensive specialist coach (Gentry, McMillan) to operate and coach the defensive end, but there is one name that is not being mentioned and I for one think that the Lakers should be more then interested in bringing him back into the organization and he will have instant respect and credibility with the organization and with the players (especially Kobe and Howard) and that man is....Michael Cooper.


Cooper, who re-signed from his head coaching position at USC, has coached in the WNBA and led the Los Angeles Sparks to back-to-back championships, he was also an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets and filled in as their head coach for George Karl back when Karl was undergoing cancer treatment. Cooper, is one of the all-time best defenders of his era and is a former Defensive Player of the Year (1986-87 season) and has was a member of the Lakers 5 championship teams in the 80's.


So, Lakers management has already made it clear to D'Antoni that his choices are (1) get with the program or (2) quit. Now the 29-12 record the last 41 games of the regular season is kind of a flawed statistic being that the original starting five dubbed "the all-star group" was 0-7 in the 7 games they started together this past season and during that 29-12 time frame was mostly when Gasol was out with his injury and then Nash went down again with his injury followed by Metta and then Kobe, but besides the record it was the way they played during that time frame that the organization hinders on. It was because they had established an identity of how they were going to play so by doing that, players roles were made clearer and established.


Now the Lakers biggest obstacle working against them this off season is the limitations they have due to their salary cap positioning. Re-signing Howard since they have his bird rights means the starting five along with Blake and Hill and Meeks are under contract. Earl Clark has already told the Lakers that he is extremely grateful for them giving him the opportunity to play and showcase his abilities and he is more then willing to give them a home town discount as a free agent, so look for the Lakers to most likely use their mini-mid level exception (which they will still have) on Clark. Most likely they will either use all of it on him or 75% of it on him. That would mean the Lakers have 9 players under contract for next season.


With the draft coming up and the Lakers having only their second round selection, management needs to focus on a group of players that scouts and others have placed as possible second round picks in their selection area and they need to draft a player that can be used in spot minutes during games to give the core guys a few minutes more rest. This draft pick is without a doubt a VERY IMPORTANT piece. That would make it ten players under contract.


Management can then during free agency try to lure and convince free agents to sign one year deals with a chance to compete for a championship. Minimum deals are all the Lakers can offer this off season so you gotta do your homework and who knows you might be able to find a diamond in the rough or at least a player or two that can step in and contribute not in a big way, but to the overall goal that small contribution could end paying off big in the end.


This is an area of the organization the Jim Buss needs to either re-hire the basketball minds that the organization let go last year during the lockout (Ronnie Lester, assistant general manager) comes to mind first, or let his sister, Jeanne oversee this part of the organization because Jeanne, like her father would surround herself with great basketball minds who know the game. It's a safe bet that even Jerry Buss, when he purchased the Lakers, he wasn't a basketball historian, he didn't act like he knew and had all the answers, he surrounded himself with some of the greatest basketball minds that have played and lived and they in return advised him on who to sign, who to trade for, who to draft, and that equals 10 championships since 1979 when he bought the team. Jim Buss for his own sake should follow his fathers career guideline and do that same thing, but for reason I'm still not sold on Jim Buss's ego being the one major bump in the road that can't be shot down. I think his ego is just to massive that he would be that stubborn and hard headed. He's already proven that his two major organization moves that he signed off on weren't panning out and that was Andrew Bynum and Mike Brown. So without he saying he's made mistakes, he's showed everyone with trading Bynum and firing Brown that he's made mistakes, but not admitting and taking ownership of them shows that is ego won't let him.