In today's Los Angeles Times, they report GP's agent says Payton has "regrets" about signing with the lakers...It goes on to say that payton feels confined in the Triangle and is upset at his limited role on the team... <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">When Payton became a Laker, Goodwin said, he intended to defer to O'Neal and Bryant. He did not intend to surrender, however, and now he feels helpless as the Lakers push toward what they hope is a better seeding. "He's not happy," Goodwin said. "To be quite honest, he's tired of it. If they're not listening, it's crazy. All L.A. has seen is a shell of Gary Patyon. He's gone out of his way to defer, and he's getting nothng back from Phil...</div> Wow, more turmoil is exactly what this team needs *sarcasm U need to register but here's the LINK anyhow...
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"He was told he could come in there and be Gary Payton, not be some point guard in the triangle offense?. I would like for them to allow Gary Payton, for at least the last few games, to be Gary Payton." </div> The problem is... Payton can't be Payton when you have Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal AND Karl Malone. He's on a different team now, of course he will have to play a different style of Basketball. Common sense does its wonders.
he shouldnt be complainig if you have 4 hall of famer's on your team you should know that you dont have to bring as much to the table.He will think differntly come July.I think the only team that can beat L.A is the T-wolves.
Wow....just read this article myself at LA Times, before I came here. Payton is right on some of the article, I have been noticing Fisher gets the bulk of the 4th quarter time, then he'll come in for the last 3 minutes or so, and he can't find his rythem. I was wondering myself, why is he out so long. Another reason he has the right to be pissed is because he may not like the triangle offense much, he can't really do what he wants to do offensivley. Payton is an agressive point guard, and I feel at times he could play better out of the triangle. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"Anybody who thinks Gary, at 35, has become an average point guard, they're wrong?. He's not being allowed to play his way and I know it hurts."</div> Well, that's what I'm thinking right now. He probably still is capable of 20 points and 8 assists a game, but what did he expect with Kobe and Shaq here? Basically when everything is settled in, he's the 3rd or 4th option, and his job is mainly to create things for Shaq and Kobe, because that's what the offense is about. Though I do think Phil is assuming he has another point guard, this is Gary Payton, have you forgot? I say open up the offense a little bit more, give him a chance to be more of an offensive threat. I still think his defense is a bit suspect though. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"He was told he could come in there and be Gary Payton, not be some point guard in the triangle offense?. I would like for them to allow Gary Payton, for at least the last few games, to be Gary Payton."</div> Well let's see. With these comments I expect some better play from Payton, he may just do things the way he wants to, and it could turn out better for LA. I don't want this guy unhappy, were trying to make a championship run. His statements are pretty bold, or what his agent is saying, that he "regrets" being a Laker. He needs to slow down, I think he's just mad at the momment, I expect him and Phil to have a talk and everything will be settled privately. Actually, now come to think of it I remember I had one of his quotes in my sig a while back. Said something like "I don't care how I do, I've proved what I can do in my career, we just need to pick up wins." Something along those lines, now he's complaining about his offensive game. GP doesn't know what he wants.
I understand Gary isn't the same Gary from years past where he'd score more than 20 pts on a consistent basis, but what did he expect when he signed with us? Even during the news conference when he was welcomed in along with Malone, he stated this was Shaq and Kobe's team...and that they were there just to in a way help and improve the team. (Of course I'm paraphrasing.) So why's he crying? He knows we have 3 other superstars on this team, and you'll have a lesser role on the team. Even while Kobe and Shaq were out with injuries, he never led the team. He just sat back and watched the Laker reserves handle their business. Where would he rather be? Back with the Sonics or the Bucks? Give me a break. This is one city where you actually have a tremendous shot of winning a championship. Looks like Gary has forgotten all of that, and he'd rather use what makes him Gary. His trash-talking mouth that speaks of foul words and nonsense.
Haha. Now his regrets are coming out. It's not the triangle thats the problem, I think he was just assuming that the Lakers would be better. Its just that now he has doubts that the Lakers will actually win the championship, which is why he signed with this team in the first place. haha!
I think hes having regrets because he has realized that the Lakers are going to have some competiton in the west...and there a very good chance that the lakers might not win the west....anyway i hate seeing future hall of famers leave there teams....I hated Ewing leaving the Knicks....Jordan coming out of retirement....I hated Karl Malone leaving the Jazz....and I hated Payton leaving the Sonics...I still find it weird seeing Gary where Laker colors...I wont ever get used to it....Gary was met to be a sonic!!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Ravenous:</div><div class="quote_post">I think hes having regrets because he has realized that the Lakers are going to have some competiton in the west...and there a very good chance that the lakers might not win the west....anyway i hate seeing future hall of famers leave there teams....I hated Ewing leaving the Knicks....Jordan coming out of retirement....I hated Karl Malone leaving the Jazz....and I hated Payton leaving the Sonics...I still find it weird seeing Gary where Laker colors...I wont ever get used to it....Gary was met to be a sonic!!</div> Didn't you read the article? He's upset because of his limited role with the team, and that he's not the Gary he's used to being while he was in Seattle and Milwaukee.
Its funny how these comments come a few days after Mike Bibby lit him up on National tv. I say this only because you know GP wanted to go right back at him but he had to defer to the other 2 bigger stars, I guess things like will make you have regrets. But I dont really feel sorry for GP because he knew what he was getting into when him went to the Lakers. Points guards have never been the main option or go to player in Phil Jacksons triangle. If you go back to the years with the Bulls all the way to the Laker days the point guard position has been a catch & shoot position. In the early days the bulls used BJ armstrong & John Paxson both catch & shoot players. And then during the Bulls second run the triangle turned Ron Harper into a catch & shoot guard. And Steve Kerr was also a spot up shooter. And of course during the Laker championship years all they have used is catch & shoot players at that pg position from Ron Harper & Lindsey Hunter to Brain Shaw & Derek Fisher. So gary payton knew that this system wasnt the best system for his style of play. GP loves the ball in his hand for most of the 24 second clock so he can post up point guards. But that just isnt the role of a pg under phil's system. And Payton was fine with the limting his own offense game when he felt he had basicly an automatic championship. But I dont think he is as confident that the Lakers will win it all as he was when he signed the contract during the offseason. I think that is what it really is to be honest. So now he feels like he might be wasting one of his few last seasons that he is capable of being a superstar.
Well of course he's not going to admit that the reason he is regretting signing with the lakers is becasue of his doubts of winning the championship... that would make him "yellow", sooooo... he blames it on the triangle and whatever changes he had to adapt to with the Lakers.
Why would winning a championship be an excuse for signing with LA? That's just an excuse Laker haters could use because they want to see the worst of this. He knows when it's playoff time, with Shaq/Malone/Kobe playing aside of him that it will be time to go hard and win games. That's not a worry for him at all. Not only does the article say he can't do what he wants to do in the triangle, but his playing time is also a question, and I have to agree with that. Most of the time Phil leaves Fisher in way too long down the stretch of games, and then brings GP in to close them out. Payton knew was he was getting in to, the basic part of this offense is to get work the ball around Shaq and Kobe, though I wouldn't mind seeing Payton setting up in the post more often, because that's when he becomes a playmaker for us. I think he's just dissapointed right now, don't know why, but I expect this to be cleared up soon.
Seriously whats new? GP is always moaning year after year, he did the same thing in Seattle. His big ego gets in the way of nearly everything.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">Seriously whats new? GP is always moaning year after year, he did the same thing in Seattle. His big ego gets in the way of nearly everything.</div> Agreed.
I read that article a couple of ours ago, and I was also thinking the same as how he felt. The Lakers don't use Gary enough, he isn't just some other PG, just like PNG said. This guy still is a great player, and we all know he can still score. I've always hated the fact that we get killed in screens, yet never use them. When Karl was around that was working great like Gary said, and everything was much easier. Gary's game really does need screens, and I don't see why the Lakers don't use them. It works a lot better than 1v1, as you can tell from that game against Sacramento. I bet he'll be back to his old happy self once Karl comes back and starts playing more time, it'll make it much easier for him. I expect Phil to make some changes to try to get Gary those screens. It probably won't happen tomorrow because it is a back to back night and there haven't been practices, but I think it will happen soon.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Purple N Gold:</div><div class="quote_post">Actually, now come to think of it I remember I had one of his quotes in my sig a while back. Said something like "I don't care how I do, I've proved what I can do in my career, we just need to pick up wins." Something along those lines, now he's complaining about his offensive game. GP doesn't know what he wants. </div> Well I don't think he really has regrets because he isn't scoring or even the assists, but he really isn't productive at all out there. I think that really gets to him, and like he said he still wants to be productive. He knows he won't be getting many more points than he already gets, but he could be a lot more effective and efficient if they ran some plays for him. Just because they have the triangle shouldn't mean they can't change things around a little. When we were 18-3 at the beginning of the season we did that, and we played a fast breaking game. We've really slown down since Karl went out, and I think we're really missing that. That's probably the biggest thing that has hurt us since he went down.
If the Lakers were winning big game after big game using the triangle, GP wouldn't be complaining. The guy's a competitor; he will do what's asked of him in order to win and you won't hear him bitch if they do, but if he's doing those things and the Lakers still lose, his mouth will start running.
Steve Hartman (an L.A. sports guy) made a good point today...he said GP needs to keep in mind why he came to L.A in the first place....to win a championship ring...and the guys who he's complaining about deferring to are Shaq, Kobe, and Phil....15 CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS BETWEEN THEM...Payton's a great player, but he's in no position to point out how to be a champion...
I can only think of that game gainst Kings without any ofthe F4 but Payton and the days were Kobe was still injured and the others. He wasn'T very happy eiter but played the role he wanted to ... we need him
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting notMuchgame:</div><div class="quote_post">U need to register but here's the LINK anyhow...</div> Here is an article on ESPN.com about it where you don't need to register: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/stor...avid&id=1746975 Just when you thought it was safe to assume the Lakers were finally getting back on track . <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Los Angeles Lakers guard Gary Payton, frustrated by what he said was both limited playing time and the team's triangle offense under Phil Jackson, said on Saturday that he may leave the team after the season. Payton signed a two-year deal with the Lakers but has an option to get out of the deal after the season. "If that's the way [Jackson's] going to be, that's the way he's going to be, and I'll probably have to move on," Payton said. With no rancor, Payton expressed frustration with his role in the team's offense. He isn't the focal point of the Lakers' attack, which features Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. Payton goes minutes at a time without shooting. And while Jackson juggles minutes among Bryant, Payton, Derek Fisher and Kareem Rush, Payton said Saturday that he shouldn't be the one who has to sacrifice his game.</div>
