<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Have you talked to Phil about the current depth chart within the team? Yes. We’ve met everyday since he’s been back, which has been about three weeks now. We talk every three or four days during the summer and of course he doesn’t leave for the summer until the summer has actually begun. There’s really not a (long) period of time when we’re not in communication. There might be six weeks when he’s out of town and we talk every three or four days in those six weeks. Sometimes every other day, sometimes three or four times a day. So we communicate frequently.</p> We are deep at every position and I think that’s good when it’s on paper, having said that, not everybody can play (gets playing time). We’re curious for training camp to begin. We’re going to let the guys figure out who plays and doesn’t get to play beginning Tuesday in Hawaii. That’s going to sort itself out. We do feel that we have 14 guys that all want to play and the likelihood is that some of them won’t get to play. Phil’s going to have to narrow down the rotation to eight or nine players. I suppose you can play ten from time to time, but because of our depth I can see where maybe a couple guys that think they should be playing won’t be playing. That may be something we need to address.</p> You’ve said that you expect to go with this team into training camp, what’s the next opportunity to make a deal? What needs to change so that the opportunity to trade becomes open again? Our approach now is not that different than our approach at anytime prior to the beginning of training camp. We’re not looking to make a deal just to make a deal. Because we didn’t finish on a positive note last year we were more aggressive in the off-season and we will remain aggressive, maybe more so than you normally would be. But we’re not going to succumb to making a move just to make a move or because there is the illusion that the Lakers have to do something. We feel that we’re a good team and could be a very good team. Our goal in making a move, you would hope that you're not making a move that would make yourself a worse team. So in our case, you’re looking to make a move that would make you go from being a good or a very good team to a great team. Those moves are hard to come by. We’re going to look to make that move, but they just don’t appear. You can make a move to make a move, there’s a bunch of those we can do, and we could do a bunch of things with players that may not play a lot of minutes, we can make those moves. But it’s our feeling that if you’re going to make a move you should think that it’s going to improve your team.</p> With regards to Larry Turner, Elton Brown, and Coby Karl, what are we looking to get out of them? Right now we have 14 guys on our team based on their contractual status that will probably make the team. You’re allowed to have 15, so there is a spot open. We may or may not carry the 15th spot. It depends on what happens in training camp. I think the players you mentioned, Karl, Turner, Brown, and perhaps another player we’re going to add in the next day or two, will be trying to impress us to make that 15th slot their slot. So one of those guys could make it, one of those guys could make it for a month or two, or one of those guys can make it and spend time between going up and down between the D-League the whole season. We just don’t know right now, but we do have space for one more player if we want to carry that player.</div></p> Source: Lakers.com</p> If Mitch considers this past offseason "aggressive" I'd hate to see what a passive offseason is under his watch. Ridiculous!</p>
In-friggin-deed. What the heck is he talking about? This offseason has been lame as hell, especially concidering everything that "was supposed to happen". We still pretty much have the same team as last year, and unless the guys can play like they did in the beginning of last season all of this season and into the playoffs, the fans, Phil, and Kobe have been screwed all over again. I don't really see what he means by depth either - our starting 5, combined, isn't top material, and the bench certainly isn't any better.</p>
I'm so fed up with Mitch. Seriously. Nothing has been done to make this team better. We are relying on our depth to win games, but out here in the Big Bad West we need stars!!! Kidd, Boozer, Garnett, Oneal,.... What do we get? Nada. West would have pulled the triggers.</p>
I can sort of see Mitch's point. He may have been aggressivly seeking a trade, but if no one was willing to deal with him, then its hard to make something happen. I don't see any of the teams that had stars looking to move actually parting with that player for the type of guys the Lakers were willing to part with. Even if everyone on the Lakers is touchable besides Kobe, that's not a whole lot to work with.</p> If Kupchak had offered Odom, Bynum, Kwame, Vujacik and Farmar for Kevin Garnett, I still see the Wolves going with the C's offer, simply because I'd rather have Jefferson than Odom, and I'm assuming everyone else in both groups will be simply role players. From Kupchak's perspective, do you offer more than that? If you do, would the Lakers even be competitive with Kobe, Garnett and the guys they have left? That's a rotation of Derek Fisher, Kobe, Luke Walton, KG, and Chris Mihm, with zero depth. Tough call.</p> I definitely agree that you shouldn't pull the trigger just for the sake of pulling it, just look at how they ended up with Kwame in the first place. They could have had a trifecta of Kobe, Caron Butler and Lamar Odom. I suppose Kupchak doesn't want to make the same mistake again, since it would be his last in the Lakers front office.</p>
But I wonder who that last player could be? I wonder who will get the 15th spot. Maybe it could be Marion?</p>
Aggressive or not, I don't see that they've improved a whole lot, so that's the bottom line, isn't it?</p> </p>
I guess Kupchack wanted to sound SMART lol. I bet you that Kupchack doesn't even know what he's doing lol!</p>
You guys are misinturpreting. I think the Lakers have been quite a bit more aggressive as far as trying to get deals done. Thing is though, they aren't going through and that's what matters.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (starman85)</div><div class='quotemain'>They could have had a trifecta of Kobe, Caron Butler and Lamar Odom. I suppose Kupchak doesn't want to make the same mistake again, since it would be his last in the Lakers front office.</div></p> Please don't remind me of this trade. Made me sick to my stomach. Can't believe Mamba used to stick up for the guy... haha</p> </p>
Agressive???Mitch is so stupid none of the players we re-sign or signed are going to make an impact, he must think that were in the eastern division because I still see the Lakers not being a top team or even making then playoffs.Mitch is just a idiot...</p>
