Magic Johnson as a General Manager

It's not just Boston that has thrown him under the bus. Most NBA personalities (ex-players, media, talking heads) have said the same thing. And for those guys to throw a guy like KI under the bus, that is telling. Doesn't mean he isn't a good player, but dude can kill chemistry like no other.
Click to expand...

Exactly. It's not a surprise that the media trashed him. Talking heads always look for a scapegoat to blame when teams don't live up to expectations. The surprising part is that his team hasn't stepped up to defend him. Somehow Marcus Smart is the only one with any sense. Boston deserves to lose one of the game's best players.
 
WTSooner said:
Klay isn't going to LA. That dude is staying in GS, probably even moreso since I expect KD to move on. Butler wouldn't help much. Dude is overrated. Kemba would be solid, but unless you are trading for Davis (thus moving Ball), what is the point?
Click to expand...

I've said on here I expect GSW to offer Klay the max (regardless of what KD does), and if they do so, he'll sign on the dotted line immediately. That's not the point I was making. I'm saying that the Lakers can miss on the first wave of free agents (Kawhi, KD, Kyrie) and still be fine with the second wave (Kemba, Butler, Klay). Shoot, they might even be fine getting somebody in the third wave.

As has been mentioned several times, the Lakers were 15-9 to start the year and in 4th place when Lebron went down. Maybe they sustain that, maybe they don't, but it showed that they're a playoff-caliber team when healthy. Yes, Lebron will decline, but Ingram, Ball, and Kuzma will be improving. Simply signing Butler and drafting a guy like Garland would put this team in borderline contention if KD leaves GS. Certainly not the favorites, but not some "pointless" team. If the Lakers are so good that Butler wouldn't help, then you must either think the Lakers are loaded, or just have an absurdly low opinion about him.
 
Eielson said:
I've said on here I expect GSW to offer Klay the max (regardless of what KD does), and if they do so, he'll sign on the dotted line immediately. That's not the point I was making. I'm saying that the Lakers can miss on the first wave of free agents (Kawhi, KD, Kyrie) and still be fine with the second wave (Kemba, Butler, Klay). Shoot, they might even be fine getting somebody in the third wave.

As has been mentioned several times, the Lakers were 15-9 to start the year and in 4th place when Lebron went down. Maybe they sustain that, maybe they don't, but it showed that they're a playoff-caliber team when healthy. Yes, Lebron will decline, but Ingram, Ball, and Kuzma will be improving. Simply signing Butler and drafting a guy like Garland would put this team in borderline contention if KD leaves GS. Certainly not the favorites, but not some "pointless" team. If the Lakers are so good that Butler wouldn't help, then you must either think the Lakers are loaded, or just have an absurdly low opinion about him.
Click to expand...

24 games is a pretty small sample to suggest the Lakers would have been okay. Scheduling differences could have factored into that. The Lakers were 6-9 against playoff teams in there first 25 games.

I'm seem some homer fans, but good grief. You are literally higher on the Lakers' current position than anybody I've heard from recently, and that probably includes their own team and management. Organization has been junk recently, and missed the playoffs this year, and you can't find anything negative to say about them? Odd.
 
Eielson said:
Exactly. It's not a surprise that the media trashed him. Talking heads always look for a scapegoat to blame when teams don't live up to expectations. The surprising part is that his team hasn't stepped up to defend him. Somehow Marcus Smart is the only one with any sense. Boston deserves to lose one of the game's best players.
Click to expand...

Or maybe they are sick of him. Boston has a better record of the past two seasons in games KI didn't play, vs games he did. That is pretty telling.
 
The Lakers' won 59% of their first 34 games with Lebron.

That would have put them, winning % wise for the season, almost dead even with the 6/7/8 teams in the West.

They also didn't have a very good winning percentage once he came back. Too many factors to read too much into that, but it's no guarantee they wouldn't have fallen off even had James stayed healthy.
 
WTSooner said:
The Lakers' won 59% of their first 34 games with Lebron.

That would have put them, winning % wise for the season, almost dead even with the 6/7/8 teams in the West.
Click to expand...

Cool. So a playoff caliber team, which is exactly what I said. Adding an all-star guard of Butler's caliber and a top 5 pick seems like it would solidify their position.
 
WTSooner said:
I'm seem some homer fans, but good grief. You are literally higher on the Lakers' current position than anybody I've heard from recently, and that probably includes their own team and management. Organization has been junk recently, and missed the playoffs this year, and you can't find anything negative to say about them? Odd.
Click to expand...

You lost your right to call anybody a homer when you claimed Hayward and his disaster of a contract was a valuable trade piece.
 
https://sports.yahoo.com/report-pelicans-owner-gayle-benson-153115371.html

LOL if true. I know, I know, it's easy to say that now but if the Lakers' really do have the best offer, what then? It's also being reported that Boston wants Davis even if Kyrie leaves. To what degree, and even if no promises of an extension? Who knows. But I love that NO doesn't want to trade Davis to LA after the tampering and leaking of trade details.
 
The Pelicans leaked trade details to screw with the Lakers. I don't know why you keep insisting the Lakers leaked information about their entire team being on the block.
 
Eielson said:
The Pelicans leaked trade details to screw with the Lakers. I don't know why you keep insisting the Lakers leaked information about their entire team being on the block.
Click to expand...

lol, what? Why would NO be upset with the Lakers, and refusing to trade with them? Google it. Every story that comes up pretty much suggests the Lakers leaked it. I'm not making that up.

https://hiphopwired.com/802841/source-says-it-was-the-lakers-who-leaked-anthony-davis-trade-talk/

http://amicohoops.net/pelicans-source-lakers-quickly-leaked-info-on-davis-trade-talks/

https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/pelica...akers-because-of-leaks-report-news.72038.html

I haven't seen much of anything, "scorced", suggesting the Pelicans leaked it. Talk about not making any sense.
 
WTSooner said:
lol, what? Why would NO be upset with the Lakers, and refusing to trade with them? Google it.
Click to expand...

They're upset because AD demanded a trade to LA, and they think LA is the reason he wants out. It's pretty straightforward. While LA likely played a role, the real reason AD wants out is because it's a piss-poor franchise that has wasted nearly a decade of his career. It's easier to find a scapegoat than accept responsibility.

The supposed offer LA made giving up their entire roster/picks/taking back salary was never even made. I have fairly good sources on that, and Buss herself called it fake news. I can't confirm that the Pelicans leaked it -- that's just a guess. It may well have been a fake source not coming from either side. I can only confirm that the Lakers didn't leak a trade that they didn't even offer.

What motivation could the Lakers possibly have to leak that information? If they were leaking information, it would have been that their young core of players were NOT involved in a trade. The Lakers had every reason for privacy, and the Pelicans had none.
 
He will always be one of my few favorites, but I wish at this point Magic would just shut up and move on.....
 
Magic keeps trying to justify himself, but in doing so he just further proves to everybody he was never capable of the job. I thought that Jeannie brought in Pelinka to be the brains and Magic to be the face. I'm still holding out hope that's the case, and the fact that LA hasn't replaced him lends some credibility to that, but I'm worried that Jeannie may have actually brought Magic in for his brain. That's a scary thought.

LA won't have Magic to put the finishing touches on a Kawhi pitch (or Kyrie/whoever else), but the overall IQ of those in the room making major decisions for the Lakers has made a considerable jump
 
Last edited:
Eielson said:
Magic keeps trying to justify himself, but in doing so he just further proves to everybody he was never capable of the job. I thought that Jeannie brought in Pelinka to be the brains and Magic to be the face. I'm still holding out hope that's the case, and the fact that LA hasn't replaced him lends some credibility to that, but I'm worried that Jeannie may have actually brought Magic in for his brain. That's a scary thought.

LA won't have Magic to put the finishing touches on a Kawhi pitch (or Kyrie/whoever else), but the overall IQ of those in the room making major decisions for the Lakers has made a considerable jump
Click to expand...

I agree.
 
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26821790/lakers-20-failed-reboot-nba-crown-jewel

lol

I will say this though, in the outside chance that Kawhi Leonard ends up on the Lakers next season, he is probably the one guy that could transform that team/roster/culture and actually make some noise in terms of being a championship contender. Given all facets of the game, I'm not so sure Leonard isn't the best player in the NBA currently.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Scrimmage Reports Anyone?
Replies
1
Views
205
TEvans4Three
TEvans4Three
jackson_supersooner
Taking 7 year old boy to first game
2
Replies
23
Views
607
SoonerBounce13
SoonerBounce13
S
#8 OU vs #13 Duke 3:30pm 11/27
2 3
Replies
43
Views
1K
Soonercuda
S
BoulderSooner
OU signs 3 Players
2 3 4
Replies
69
Views
3K
CoachTalk
CoachTalk
C
Play at the Rim
Replies
2
Views
547
BoulderSooner
BoulderSooner
Back
Top