₦airaland Forum

Khanben:
DeRozan was only going to work as a sign and trade. The major reason that deal and the one for Lowry did not work was the GMs fixation with THT. Now what is THT doing? absolutely nothing.

Kuzma and KCP were always going to be the key pieces in any trade for DeRozan. Isn't that what we gave for Westbrook?

DeeMain:
If they had traded for Derozan, who was available for far less, they would have still had enough to make other good trades and retain valuable role players like Caruso and all of this will not have happened. Acquiring Brodie came at too high a cost prompting management to fill up the roster with any available FA who would accept the minimum and most of them happened to be ring-chasing aged veterans.

It's like you're not even aware of what the DeRozan situation was then. The only way we could have traded for him was a sign and trade (assuming SA was willing to do that. And why would they?), and doing that would have hard capped us. And he wasn't going to take a MLE from us to put us within cap

donlittle25:
Philly has been to the EC finals, DENVER has been to the Western conference finals with two of the top youngest players in the game not including MPJ(Always Injured), Suns just went to the conference finals, and JAZZ with Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

I like these achievements o. Dem make sense die. I'd take any of them over a championship

Lol. People mentioning how the Suns are doing well with CP3 and a young core, how the Grizzlies are doing well with pieces they drafted, how the Warriors are coping well post KD, how the Heat are resurging recently, how the Cavs are doing fine post LeBron. Help me ask them how many championships these teams have won in the time period. Lol. We always want to talk about how the Lakers have done poorly by mortgaging their future, how they sought quick success rather than having patience in developing their drafts. Lol. They fail to mention the championship they won as a result of all that. There are 30 teams in this league, and if the Lakers are only able to win one championship in 30 years then that's still on par.

We like to judge the Lakers differently. A team that just won a championship 2 years ago. Talking about they mortgaged their future. Even if we don't win a championship until we're able to get good drafts in 2026, we're good. The Celtics haven't won a championship since 2008, and yet we're receiving moral lessons by a fan on how to win championships . It took us 8 years to win post Shaq, and 10 to win after that. Lol. If we don't win within the next 6-8 years, or at least if we are not competitive, then you can raise the alarm. I would do that AD trade again if given the opportunity. It turned into a championship, nothing else matters.

Imagine the Lakers led by Ingram, Ball and Kuzma. Lol. First round exit

AD was playing 60 games a season when the Lakers gave heaven and earth for him. And it turned into a championship. Just saying.

Khanben:
Again with the false narrative, lottery picks mean nothing, there are more lottery picks who have fall into the bust, and under achievers bracket than they have been lottery picks who have validated their drafts status. When you sign a 34 as a FA, you either have players who from their first season have shown they are ready to win now or you trade whatever you have to maximize the late prime of your FA. If the Lakers had not made the trade they would not only have not won, but right now they will not even be in contention. Does a team of lebron, Ingram and Ball beat any of the top 4 team in the east of even the suns and GSW as constructed. The answer is an emphatic NO.

PS: They laker have only traded their picks up until 2026.

The way people are referring to the Lakers like they're Portland or Charlotte that no free agent would want to go. Lol. If we can't do it via the draft well do it via free agency or trade. AD is with us until 2024. 2025 if he decides to use his player option. We can still get good pieces or a star player if we decide to trade. At the end of next year, which is at the end of LeBron and Russ' contracts, we'd have 80m+ in cap space. I'm sure there'll be a new generation talent that would want to take that money and either play with AD or someone else. Drafts are not the be all and end all.

Coulda woulda shoulda.

LeBron told Curry "move out the way if you don't want to break this record" and bang!!!

Stephen A no get shame sha. When he adds Shawn Kemp on the list of people MJ had to play against in his days, you just know desperation has set in. Kemp was nice, but I can bring forward one person who didn't even make the all-star this year and that dude would be better than Kemp talent wise. Dwight Howard in his prime years was a far better basketballer than Kemp, but you wouldn't even hear anyone mention Dwight among the people LeBron had to play against. The gulf in talent between MJ's era and LeBron's era is seismic. And the thing is MJ was not on their level, so no one could stop him. But we can't say that about LeBron. A lot of dudes in LeBron's era are/were on LeBron's level talent wise or at least very close to him. This is not to shade MJ o, but put him in this era and he'd be happy to be a top 10 player in the league.

I could put up a DeRozan compilation of this season alone and we'd mistake him for MJ

birdman:
There are very few nba players that I cant bring myself to like. Normally its blockheads like the Morris brothers. But Klay hasnt done anything particularly egregious. I just no like d guy. I even like CP3 with his wahala. I have forgiven Harden, and I will tolerate Westbrick while holding my nose. But Klay just rubs me the wrong way everytime. And Im not even sure why

Lol. No let them come for you for here o

Klay Thompson see Lakers e begin charge. Oya see Clippers na. Smh

In the space of less than 2 years, Los Angeles has gotten the NBA Championship, World Series and Superbowl. LA rules California and America.

Meanwhile, let me congratulate the GOAT for passing Kareem for the most points in NBA history. I'm hearing he did it in 182 fewer games. That's criminal. As Nick Wright put it, Kareem was averaging 11 points per game when he set the record, LeBron on the other hand could win scoring champion while breaking it. Let that sink in. GREATNESS

birdman:
Shaq said highly placed sources in the Lakers org want the Suns rather than Warriors in the first round if it comes to that.

Lol. We'll get blown out in all 4 games. See what they did to Giannis the other night. And CP3 is playing MVP basketball right now, Point God ish. I no want abeg.

An uncharacteristically off shooting night from LeBron. I'll say he's the major reason we lost this game. Other than that, this was a good game of basketball. I'll say it again, I'll take my chances against this Warriors team in the playoffs...that's if we even make it to the playoffs

birdman:
Lol. Which men? AD and Westbrook? Lakers gotta be feeling depressed there was no trade before the deadline. For sure, this is the greatest challenge Lebron has ever faced. If h e were younger, maybe they power through. Lets see sha

Lol. Not Lakers o. There are just 2 or 3 teams in the east I can say are genuine contenders. Bucks and Sixers now. The Nets can maybe push too and the Heat are dark horses. But anyone of them that makes it to the finals is falling to the Suns.

Afromentalist:
I actually believe the Nets got this trade by a large margin, though Phily also solved their problem. In a way issa Win Win, but the nets are bigger winners.

Simmons will be expected only to defend and a bit of ball handling (when Kai is not there) which is absolutely what he does best. (External) shooting won't be so much required of him, especially down the strech with KD, Kai or even Curry.

Harden and Embiid might work, but it is less certain. No one really knows where harden is physically and both are ball dominant. Still, it looks good on paper and perhaps it shall in real life.

It's like you people have forgotten what Simmons looked like last year, especially in the playoffs. There'll be times you'll feel sorry that he can't shoot. That thing disrupts the offense massively. I have Westbrook so I know. And he's going to play big minutes. And Drummond. No comments. He was in my team last year. I know him. Seth is the only guy I trust, but they already have Mills so what does it matter?

birdman:
The trades this year have been very strategic, esp in the EC. There are like 5 lord of d rings type teams in the east right now. LeKing, better retire in LA

Lol. All these talks about east. We'll be here watching how they'll all fall like a pack of cards come playoffs. The boys would be separated from the men.

Khanben:
The Sixers, Nets trade makes a lot of sense for both sides. If all things go well, this will be one of those trades that is not only a fair deal but both teams also got better

No way in hell the Nets got better. They just got a bit more depth but that team is not as scary as it used to be. Philly are now a legit championship contender though.

birdman:
Agreed on Wall is a better fit than WB, and even Lillard. Disagree that Wall is a disaster. Outside of injury, when he plays he is still top 5 PG n the league

Lol. You don dey support your player now . Wall and Westbrook are like for like. Just that he might make a bit more layups

birdman:
lol! I see you have repented. welcome to church! new converts come sit up front, right next to pastor

Lol. That is a good showing by any standard. The effort I'm talking about is in shooting the ball more. He did well in the paint but I didn't see him take any jumpers. And those jumpers have been falling lately.

Giannis tonight: 17/20 FG, 44 pts, 14 reb, 1 st, 2 blk

AD tonight: 8/10 FG, 22 pts, 10 reb, 1 st, 3 blk

Na just effort dey lack on AD's part las las. That's always been his biggest issue.

E be like say this AD injury never heal well o. Speedy recovery to him

Khanben:
If I hear, the best deal for the Blazers is with the Sixers. A starting backcourt of Simmons and Anfernee Simon's is not a bad place to start from

Lol. Even though Simmons is desperate to leave Philly I don't think joining forces with Anfernee is top of his list. Ain't no superstar going to Portland to join forces with Simmons and Simon.

CJ to the Pelicans. At this point the Blazers should just give us Dame and take Westbrook. Westbrook would help them tank well.

Stephen A. Smith: The supervillain of American sports media

birdman:
Abeg abeg! Did they not just lose 3 in a row without Lebron? AD is a loser. For real.

Na Westbrook cause am. Man has been trash

KD is so insecure

But he doesn't even get that Stephen A is trying so hard to change the narrative from KD joining a 73-win team to KD leaving Steph. How does Stephen A. go from "KD's move to GS was the weakest move ever" to "If KD doesn't win a ring without Steph, he would be remembered as the guy who left Steph to go to Brooklyn"

E be like say Stephen A dey always high on something before coming on air. Or it could be that Mama Durant has asked him to go soft on her boy. Literally no one would remember KD in that light. We'll always remember KD as the guy who joined a 73-win team.