When the nightmare 2013-2014 season came to an end, it finished with a high note. No not two wins to close out the season but the resigning of then coach Mike D’Antoni. For Lakers fans everywhere it was a sign of the Buss family taking a step in the right direction. The off-season was filled with hope and and an eagerness for change. Kobe signed that major deal but that really didn’t bother me because he deserved it and was the main reason the Lakers got a $4 Billion TV deal. It was their obsession with cap space and who they chose to pursue.
Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James were the obvious free agents teams were interested in, but at the same time a clear long shot. I’m assuming most Lakers fans felt the same way I did, knowing chasing these two free agent were an impossibility even though I heard Carmelo was a lot closer to signing with the Lakers then people realize. During the Carmelo hunt I felt that the Lakers missed key opportunities to sign good free agents at a better price.
The free agents I’m thinking of are Isaiah Thomas, Lance Stephenson and Greg Monroe. They may not be huge superstars but they are very talented, young, improving and cheap. Also by acquiring these free agents who said they wanted to play for the Lakers, it would have kept Pau Gasol around. Lance and Isaiah both signed deals this season that equal $16 million combind, which is less than what the Lakers would have paid Melo. It made more sense, especially considering that Lance and Isaiah are in their early 20’s and Melo would be 35 and still making $20 million per year, taking up the rest of the cap space. Not a road I want to go down. This years Lakers roster could have put together way more efficiently.
Watching games now it’s a sad reminder to see the mistakes our franchise made regarding the roster. They did choose wisely by hiring Byron Scott, a former Laker great and a former coach of the year. Scott has been dealt a tough hand with this team. Instead of Scott coaching a line up that would have consisted of Isaiah Thomas, Lance Stephenson, Kobe, Pau and Greg Monroe, we are stuck with a sub par line up full of role players and 2nd unit guys. Don’t get me wrong, Lin and Boozer are solid players but at this stage in their careers, running a strong 2nd unit is what they should be doing. Its going to be a long year and even longer for Kobe, who’s the biggest competitor the game has probably ever seen, in his final two years. I hope Lakers can pull something off soon
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