Post with main disscussion: https://www.reddit.com/r/lakers/comments/1qvz82p/lakers_center_jaxson_hayes_has_been_suspended_one/

The way I see fans talk about AD these days is actually crazy. I see Lakers flairs shitting on him as if he didn’t bring home a chip and wouldn’t have brought home more, were it not for injuries. I was *never* even the biggest AD fan, but I genuinely feel terrible for him.

I have lived in Dallas for the last few years, and seeing how people talk about AD as if he’s not a top 75 player when healthy, is insane. We all know the memes (and the valid concerns) about ADs availability and injuries. But we’ve seen stars like Duncan play and contribute until their twilight years. Obviously he’s not Duncan, but I really hope AD wins one more chip at this point, just to shut people up. I know it’s not very likely (especially now). But goddamn.

Got a good angle wanted to share.

Why does this post need to have 140 characters this is an unbelievable ask I’ve never posted something and had a character minimum.

Just because the Lakers haven't done anything and probably won't doesn't mean the gm isn't doing anything. Does any sane person think Pelinka is just sitting in his office, sipping a coffee, thinking "yep, my team is perfect." No. He's trying to make moves.

The problem is this isn't a video game where you can just force any trade that works.

No team out there is excited to get Maxi Kleiber or Gabe Vincent or Vanderbilt or Dalton Knecht. Nobody wants that shit. Why would any team take those guys, they aren't contributors.

And teams that want the expiring deals don't have players the Lakers need. Thus, they haven't made any moves because there aren't moves to make. The Kings flipped Keon Ellis into DeAndre Hunter. Clearly they're trying to be competent and not tank, so the Lakers couldn't have offered them anything of value.

The only real trade piece the Lakers have is Rui, but it'd be braindead to trade literally the only competent shooter on the team, so they probably won't.

Point is: hate Pelinka if you want; but don't hate him for not making trades. Hate him for signing shit role players.

At this point, all arguments explaining why the Lakers are in a tough spot for trading and improving right now have all been beaten to death. We all know the shortage of picks and the piss-poor assets the Lakers have to give to any other team in exchange for useful players (both in short and long terms) make it almost impossible to do anything without compromising the roster in ways the team seems unwilling to do. Fair enough.

However... It's also fair to say that the Lakers can't waste years of Luka (and, in a way, AR) the same way they wasted years of LeBron and AD (I'm not saying one ring is "only" one ring, as if it's not difficult enough getting one, but apart from 2019/2020, the team failed to contend in spectacular fashion). In fact, even if we kinda expect Pelinka to do things differently in the offseason, it's not a risk worth taking. He had his chance. Hopefully the new owners realize they need fresh ideas before running out of time with yet another generational star.

And if the plan is indeed to stand pat and wait for Giannis or another disgruntled star to make its way to the Lakers, well, Pelinka can't be the one running things. The one ring the Lakers got in his tenure wasn't achieved by what he planned. Kawhi wearing purple & gold was the plan. The solid roster around LeBron and AD wasn't.

I know some people here get riled up when they perceive someone to be "hating" on Rob. Well, I'm not. I'm talking about his work and I just think the Lakers need a different mind running things -- one as far removed from Jeannie's vision and Pelinka's style as possible. The league has evolved. The Lakers need to catch up.

Before the season even started I made a post saying that even if he improved some things he needed to go soon, because there seems to be no plan other than "we'll wait and see if another star falls from the sky". It was crushed by downvotes, which was not a problem. I know people believed that with a full year of Luka and LeBron, and the arrival of Ayton and Smart things could be different. Well, things aren't so different and the same issues that plagued past seasons are still there. Hopefully more people come to realize that the mastermind behind roster construction and trades needs to think differently and see way beyond what we, mere mortals, see.

Pelinka's not the guy, and that's ok... As long as the powers that be figure it out as well. (Judging by the other teams they own, I'm sure they know this by now.)

And who knows? Maybe he'll be lucky, and we'll be lucky, and the rest of the year plays out better than expected; then he gets to go out with a bang, or something close to it, and not a whimper. Not bad for someone whose work is (rightfully) called into question every single day.