This team also really fits the coach and when he has his kind of players he's usually able to get them to overachieve. I like that these players all seem to be pumped to be here. No more sullen vets on final contract years. AR is chomping at the bit to prove himself and we know Gallo wants to be great. Felt feels free to be who he really is and realize his full potential.

We still have questions and all but one C are super green and untested. I still think this team can get as high as 5th seed in the East.

smackeddog wrote:Please tell me how the current Lakers team built through the draft? Kobe doesn't count- he was a mid first round pick that was traded for Vlade Divac. Was that Detroit team built through your tanking- draft strategy? Fair enough the Spurs did it, but how rare is a Tim Duncan calibre of player?

you're kidding me right?... Kobe Bryant was a #13 lottery pick & they got him in a draft night trade for a player they had also drafted in Vlade Divac... the Hornets selected him for the Lakers... that's like saying Toney Douglas or Nate Robinson didn't qualify as Knick draft picks because we "traded" for them on draft night too... the Lakers also drafted Andrew Bynum, Derek Fisher, Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar & Sasha Vujacic, all who have played a role in helping them win their past 2 championships... yes, the Lakers got some of their main supporting players Gasol, Odom & Artest via trade & free agency... no one said those avenues are not to be explored in building a team, but many would agree that championship rosters are built by drafting good players & amassing young assets that then get parlayed into star talent, either through development or by using them as trade chips.

the Pistons are also a good example of using all 3 strategies to form their championship squad... they got Chauncey Billups via free agency... they got Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace & Chucky Atkins via trade by parlaying a player they picked in the draft in Grant Hill & another player they had previously traded for in Jerry Stackhouse, who they in turn got for Theo Ratliff, a player they drafted... they got Tayshaun Prince via the draft... they got Rasheed Wallace by trading for him using draft picks

as for the Spurs, they almost completely built their championship squads through the draft... Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu G, all players they selected with their draft picks... yes, there were some key role players like Robert Horry & Bruce Bowen they got via free agency too... no one said free agency was not to be explored in putting together a championship roster, but the point is to make good use of your draft picks & not squander them away for cap space on the hope that you can possibly sign someone months down the road... that was a strategy doomed to failure.

please name me 1 team that has ever built a championship team almost exclusively through free agency... i'll save you some time, there are none... that's why so many of us had a big problem with going all in this summer for free agent signings... it's unprecedented... the Miami Heat are trying to do what no one else has done before, & that is to win championships mainly through free agency, & even they got 1 of their main stars via the draft.

subzero0 wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:I thought the long term plan was to burn everything to the ground

If by "burn everything to the ground" you mean "trade away our assets for picks" then yes.

Here is a plan I suggested in another thread.

NYKBocker wrote:Need to blow this **** up. Unfortunately, Melo is the only desirable asset we have. No one will touch Amare without a sweetener or even Chandler. Shump can be viewed now as damaged goods. JR is JR. Felton is just not that good.

Melo needs a 2nd superstar to play with him to be successful.

I would send do this trade with Cleveland which would pair Melo with Kyrie Irving and they have their Bosh type player in Varejao which would play well with Melo.

Melo for Speights, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, Alonzo Gee, CLE 1st round pick 3rd overall, both CLE 2nd round picks 31st and 33rd overall.

Why would CLE do this? This will leave CLE with a 1st round pick 19th overall so they still have some yoot coming in. They now will have a big 3 in Melo, Irving and Varejao that will actually work well together. They will also have some cap to sign a very good big in the mold of Al Jefferson or Paul Milsap. This roster will actually put them in the playoffs.

Why do we do this? We get their 1st round pick overall. We get 2 young lottery players in Waiters and Thompson. We get 2 early 2nd round picks. We get yoothier right away.

I would not re-sign anybody from our current roster except for Copeland. Including Pablo. I would let JR walk if he exercises his option.

I would then try to see if Lakers would take Amare and Shump for Gasol. Amare is more MDA's player and maybe they can have a Suns revival in LaLa land. Amare and Nash have the same length in contract. Gasol contract is 1 year shorter than Amare. Also, imagine Shump and the Black Mamba terrorizing the other teams backcourt with defense?

I would also try to get rid Camby. Maybe send him to ORL for TurkeyGlue's expiring contract. Camby and Felton for TurkeyGlue.

Now for the draft. I am not a college basketball guy so I will defer to BRIGGS scouting on this. I really like his reports and he has been more right than wrong in most cases.

For the 1st round pick 3rd overall, I am looking the PG spot or a big center. Looking at BRIGGS Top 10 NBA prospects, Alen Len and CJ McCollum caught my eye. Our need for a PG weighs heavily and If CJ's comparison is Steph Curry then I am picking CJ McCollum.

For our own 24th pick I am looking for a SF. GIANNIS ADETOKUNBO. This kid will be a sleeper.

For the 31st pick, 1st pick in the 2nd round, I will select the BRIGGS favorite. Nate Wolters. He is not projected in the 1st round so he might be available in the 2nd round.

For the 33rd pick, I am looking for a SG with very good shooting skills. Allen Crabbe. NBADraft.net compares him to Hubbert Davis.

Roster would look like this.

C- Chandler/Speights
PF- Gasol/Thompson
SF- Copeland/ADETOKUNBO/Novak/TurkeyGlue
SG- Waiters/Gee/Crabbe
PF- McCollum/Wolters/Kidd

You have 2 young guards in Waiters and McCollum that can shoot. SF will be by committee until Adetokunbo is ready. Chandler and Gasol will protect the paint.

Boom!

EDIT: Fire Woody and sign JVG.