Post by Lakers GM on Oct 19, 2005 15:00:06 GMT -5
It's pretty tough to talk about things like hope and positivity when your team is 12-44. But somehow, Lakers fans are abuzz about the team's future.
A few weeks back, the Lakers were a team with no direction. The team's leading scorer was 28, overpaid and not apart of the team's future--whatever that was. See, at the time, the team was plainly undermanned. Their point guard's played well, but they didn't get enough scoring out of their wings or defense and rebounding out of their big men. They just weren't a talented squad.
Now, though, through a series of deals, GM Aaron J. Haberman feels he had brought much-needed leadership and direction to the team. The team's starting lineup has seen all its regulars leave since the season began. Starting now is a group of talented scorers, each with solid defensive ratings. Its backcourt has been leading the way offensively, a glimmer of hope since both Darrell Griffith and Darius Washington are here for the longrun. "Darius has been a great scorer for the team since coming over--we knew he could do that, though. His passing and rebounding has impressed us more. Hopefully, if Semih Erden can show us he's worthy of being made an option, we can make Darius pass-first. He's the point guard of the future, no doubt. I like to compare him to Derrick Rose, in that he's similarly a capable scorer yet won't hesitate to dish the ball off, and in that he's a solid defender," Haberman said.
He spoke even higher of newly acquired Darrell Griffith, a rookie who has consitently put up near 20 points a night since becoming a starter. "Darrell's just spectacular on the court. Look, he's not the ballhandler he was projected to be, but that may come around. Otherwise, the guy's great without even having scratched the surface of his potential. He can score any way on the court from any spot. He's lightning-quick, and he can defend and shut down point guards or shooting guards," Haberman said.
Haberman hopes to have its young core locked up by season's end, with Darius Washington yet to respond to the team's starting extension offer. They recently locked up Semih Erden for 6 years, and Josh Smith has a similar deal. Griffith is in his rookie contract, but will have Bird years, and the team won't be reluctant to overpay for him.
However, with the new talent severely underperforming (again, the team has lost 10 straight), shouldn't the buzz of the recent dealing have quieted down? Not so in L.A., thanks to the teams recent acquisition of Carlos Boozer. Haberman was ecstatic to have acquire a talented veteran. "Booze is a guy we're drooling over. We feel he's essentially the perfect fit for this roster. I can't stress enough how many gaps he is filling. First, he's an accomplished talent, unlike anyone else on our roster. Next, he's a double-double guy at the 4, something we've lacked since Kevin Love left. He's immediately our best inside presence, on both sides of the floor and as a rebounder. We gave a lot of potential away for him. Keith Clark and JR Smith are both very talented, low-salary guys who gave us tremendous wing depth. That Nets pick could still be a lottery one. But bringing in Carlos means that much to us. We were a real porous unit on both sides of the ball before we got Carlos. He's going to do a lot to fill those holes," Haberman said.
He went on to acknowledge that the time for the team to perfom is now, though. "Look--we're not winning. I can't be so positive without considering our reality. We've lost 10 straight and we're about to give Dallas a stud point guard via our pick if we don't turn things around. There's no looking to the offseason; we're not going to have much money to spend, if any, and we don't have a pick. The time to win is now," he said.
A few weeks back, the Lakers were a team with no direction. The team's leading scorer was 28, overpaid and not apart of the team's future--whatever that was. See, at the time, the team was plainly undermanned. Their point guard's played well, but they didn't get enough scoring out of their wings or defense and rebounding out of their big men. They just weren't a talented squad.
Now, though, through a series of deals, GM Aaron J. Haberman feels he had brought much-needed leadership and direction to the team. The team's starting lineup has seen all its regulars leave since the season began. Starting now is a group of talented scorers, each with solid defensive ratings. Its backcourt has been leading the way offensively, a glimmer of hope since both Darrell Griffith and Darius Washington are here for the longrun. "Darius has been a great scorer for the team since coming over--we knew he could do that, though. His passing and rebounding has impressed us more. Hopefully, if Semih Erden can show us he's worthy of being made an option, we can make Darius pass-first. He's the point guard of the future, no doubt. I like to compare him to Derrick Rose, in that he's similarly a capable scorer yet won't hesitate to dish the ball off, and in that he's a solid defender," Haberman said.
He spoke even higher of newly acquired Darrell Griffith, a rookie who has consitently put up near 20 points a night since becoming a starter. "Darrell's just spectacular on the court. Look, he's not the ballhandler he was projected to be, but that may come around. Otherwise, the guy's great without even having scratched the surface of his potential. He can score any way on the court from any spot. He's lightning-quick, and he can defend and shut down point guards or shooting guards," Haberman said.
Haberman hopes to have its young core locked up by season's end, with Darius Washington yet to respond to the team's starting extension offer. They recently locked up Semih Erden for 6 years, and Josh Smith has a similar deal. Griffith is in his rookie contract, but will have Bird years, and the team won't be reluctant to overpay for him.
However, with the new talent severely underperforming (again, the team has lost 10 straight), shouldn't the buzz of the recent dealing have quieted down? Not so in L.A., thanks to the teams recent acquisition of Carlos Boozer. Haberman was ecstatic to have acquire a talented veteran. "Booze is a guy we're drooling over. We feel he's essentially the perfect fit for this roster. I can't stress enough how many gaps he is filling. First, he's an accomplished talent, unlike anyone else on our roster. Next, he's a double-double guy at the 4, something we've lacked since Kevin Love left. He's immediately our best inside presence, on both sides of the floor and as a rebounder. We gave a lot of potential away for him. Keith Clark and JR Smith are both very talented, low-salary guys who gave us tremendous wing depth. That Nets pick could still be a lottery one. But bringing in Carlos means that much to us. We were a real porous unit on both sides of the ball before we got Carlos. He's going to do a lot to fill those holes," Haberman said.
He went on to acknowledge that the time for the team to perfom is now, though. "Look--we're not winning. I can't be so positive without considering our reality. We've lost 10 straight and we're about to give Dallas a stud point guard via our pick if we don't turn things around. There's no looking to the offseason; we're not going to have much money to spend, if any, and we don't have a pick. The time to win is now," he said.
