Roster Improvement: Free Agents Now and Later?

Rooscooter · by **Rooscooter** on Sun Feb 24, 2013 5:05 pm

Kobe8Fan wrote:
karacha wrote:SF should be a priority right now. The rest we have covered, for the most part.

I think SF is covered. Earl can play SF. He usually starts with the 2nd unit in the 2nd and 4th quarters when Metta is resting. We need a big. A big who can rebound, play a little D and block shots.

The SF position is our biggest deficiency. We have one person on the team that can create his own shot and one that can create for others. Other than that we are a group of players that need to be set up to score.

The SF position in the league has become nearly the same as the 2 guard position with players that can both create for themselves as well as for others. We have MWP who works his butt off but isn't very good at doing much of anything on the offensive end anymore. He will hit some shots in bunches but the balance of his offensive game is best played in the paint where it's already too crowded.

If we had a player out there that could demand to be guarded closely everywhere AND be able to create off the dribble it would open the middle for Dwight to get his dunks and definitely create space for Kobe on the weak side. That has been our biggest problem for as long as I can remember at the SF position. In the Tri it was masked to a certain degree..... in this offense it's exposed.

tigerjeterkobe · by **tigerjeterkobe** on Sun Feb 24, 2013 5:34 pm

Fill it with more minutes from Kobe, Jamison, and Clark - for now.

What about guys like McGrady, Sasha, or Childress? One dimensional but would help the offense and create space for Dwight and Nash.

karacha · by **karacha** on Sun Feb 24, 2013 5:49 pm

We need Jamison and Clark to - gasp! - play the 5. Because we don't have Pau or Hill.

Kobe plays enough minutes as is. We just don't have anyone to really share the minutes at the SF with Metta.

rock0100 · by **rock0100** on Sun Feb 24, 2013 6:28 pm

We should go after TMac or Redd as a backup SF for the rest of this year. Cant hurt us.

khmrP · by **khmrP** on Sun Feb 24, 2013 11:06 pm

why the F we keep waiting on Bell, dude will never get bought out, #1 Utah is cheap as hell #2 Bell wants every dime out of his contract.

Frank Dux · by **Frank Dux** on Sun Feb 24, 2013 11:29 pm

I'm pretty concerned that we've made it this far into the season without addressing the small forward debacle. I still think the FO made a mistake by putting too much trust in Ebanks. We're really missing Barnes' energy and hustle(not the bricked 3's though). I get that Barnes was a choker during our playoff runs, but so was the rest of the roster not named Kobe. Barnes at least gave us good production in the regular season, something we could really use right now.

With that said, a bench rotation of Meeks, Jamison, and Blake is not championship caliber. There's no athleticism coming off the bench and our 3 point shooting is something to be concerned about. Almost all of our shooters are streak shooters. Meeks, Jamison, and Artest can really pile it up, and are hard to rely upon. Our two pure shooters(Nash, and Blake) don't shoot enough(Nash has been improving in that aspect). Blake stands at the top of the key and desperately dumps the ball, shooting as a last possible resort.

With all of that said, the Laker's glaring need is an athletic "3 and D" small forward coming off the bench. Easier said than done, and at best we're looking at signing whatever's left of Raja Bell.

hollywood swinger · by **hollywood swinger** on Sun Feb 24, 2013 11:59 pm

Raja Bell

khmrP · by **khmrP** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 12:07 pm

wonder where Mbenga is at? We could use his shot blocking abilities right now.

Balance&Options24 · by **Balance&Options24** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 12:59 pm

Raja Bell - G/F - Jazz The Jazz and Raja Bell are reportedly close to agreeing on a contract buyout.
We've heard this one before. The reported agreement apparently hinges on Bell finding a contract offer from another team, but thus far, there have been no teams interested. The Lakers have been rumored to be sniffing around Bell's services since before the

Shams Charania‏@ShamsCharania

Raja Bell and Jazz have a buyout settlement in place, but it rests on Bell's ability to find a contract elsewhere. So far, still no takers.

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10:41 a.m. - Feb 25, 2013

therealdeal · by **therealdeal** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 1:52 pm

I'm not sure if this is awful or awesome...

I thought he was a shoo-in here. Maybe we're not as interested as everyone thought? Agent rumors? :man10:

Doc Brown · by **Doc Brown** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:01 pm

Pick him up.....

themasterphil · by **themasterphil** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:11 pm

I am fine with any SF in this moment bc Metta is awful right now so YES to Bell....yes to any SF.. :jam2:

Doc Brown · by **Doc Brown** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:13 pm

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA
Several sources believe the Jazz will keep Raja Bell simply so he doesn't sign with the Lakers. Utah and L.A. will compete for playoff spot.
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We are coming for you Utah, with or without Bell, your a** is wheat grass.

lakersin4 · by **lakersin4** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:15 pm

I hope we make him an offer.. Anything to be able to cut down Ron's minutes.

khmrP · by **khmrP** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:42 pm

Doc Brown wrote:
Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA
Several sources believe the Jazz will keep Raja Bell simply so he doesn't sign with the Lakers. Utah and L.A. will compete for playoff spot.
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We are coming for you Utah, with or without Bell, your a** is wheat grass.

Utah would probaly do that even if they weren't in the playoff picture :man10:

therealdeal · by **therealdeal** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:59 pm

Doc Brown wrote:
Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA
Several sources believe the Jazz will keep Raja Bell simply so he doesn't sign with the Lakers. Utah and L.A. will compete for playoff spot.
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We are coming for you Utah, with or without Bell, your a** is wheat grass.

As if Bell would be the deciding factor. But that's alright. F*** Bell. We don't need him.

Doc Brown · by **Doc Brown** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 4:53 pm

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA
For what it's worth, Raja Bell has been telling players and friends around the league that he'll join the Lakers. We'll see if it happens.
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Chillbongo · by **Chillbongo** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:01 pm

Chillbongo · by **Chillbongo** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:03 pm

Someone slap me, but I feel compelled to post this.

karacha · by **karacha** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:06 pm

Honestly, if we are not getting anyone else, let's get Bell. He knows how to play in this system, can play behind Metta.... We need someone to play some SG and SF anyway and this guy at least has a reputation of a defender. He can be dirty when necessary, Kobe endorses him, he can hit the 3.... why not?

Bell has done something in this league. I think there is no way he can screw things up. In the worst case, he'd just end up warming the bench. Last time he got minutes, he was an 8/3/2 player, shot close to 40% for 3, doesn't turn the ball over, can hit FTs, and only commits 2.5 fouls per game while playing respectable defense. I think taking him at this point is a no-risk move for us. And you know MDA can get something out of his role-players. If he can give us 7-8 ppg off the bench, defense and a 3-pter here and there, allowing our main guys to rest some more, it's a "do it, Mitch" move.

GoldenKnight · by **GoldenKnight** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:10 pm

Chillbongo wrote:Someone slap me, but I feel compelled to post this.

khmrP · by **khmrP** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:11 pm

as long as he's cutting into Metta's minutes

karacha · by **karacha** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:13 pm

^

That is exactly what he would be doing.

Battle Tested20 · by **Battle Tested20** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:32 pm

hollywood swinger wrote:Raja Bell

agreed. I do not want him!

Lakerjones · by **Lakerjones** on Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:33 pm

SF is a glaring weakness considering we have no one behind MWP. I'd be down to pick up Bell for the simple reason that D' Antoni will actually play him and wants him. He's not playing Ebanks at all and without Pau we are down to an 8 man rotation, which is really too short of a bench. I'd like to get a big, but at least in a crunch MWP can play at the 4. A small forward would be a good addition. At the very least pick up someone as we have the injury exception.

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