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mambamonk87
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Post subject: Radmanovic Still in Space?
 Posted: May 08, 2008 - 06:01 PM PST
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Die-Hard Laker Fan
Joined: May 25, 2007
Posts: 1939
Location: Los Angeles/San Diego CA
  
votes: 17
Status: Offline
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First off, I know someone's going to post something about how I'm a weak Laker fan for always bringing up the negatives and mentioning my history of supposed "player bashing", but tough cookies. Opinions are what make this country great!
So onto the topic..
Vladimir Radmanovic. His game hasn't been horrible. He's hit a couple of 3's for us in the playoffs. He's been cutting to the basket, where Pau's been able to find him for a nice little layup. He provided a sweet dunk off the fast break in game 1 of the Utah series. He's averaging 7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2 assists.
But where's his head? Honestly, Laker fever's swept the nation, and in LA, I can't drive two blocks without seeing a Laker flag or a Kobe jersey. But when I watch the games, I don't see Vlade there. I see a guy going through the motions. I don't see any emotion. No passion. No yearning for the championship. I used to say this about Odom. But look at Odom now, he's screamin for fouls, fighting hard for rebounds against a physical Utah team, and simply playing his heart out. In fact, a case could be made for every single Laker player. Except Vlade.
He looks disinterested in the game. He's got his elbows up on the bench, as if he were watching some mundane exhibition tennis match. These are the playoffs. Isn't this what we were playing for? A chance to win it all? It's an NBA championship ring. Where's his head?
He didn't show up for Kobe's MVP ceremony. I'm not saying he has to, but it's a huge gesture of support for your teammate to be there, at an event that may be highlight of the year for Kobe. Vlade was nowhere to be found. If he isn't there, I sure hope he's at least at the gym, working on his 3 pointer. Because that's what he's here for. That's what we're paying him for. And he hasn't paid off in that department. I'm glad to see him cutting and making those nice layups, but I mean, we've got like 4 other small forwards to do that. He's shooting 0.347 from the field, with a 0.375 3 point percentage. His FG% is lower than his 3PT%? Maybe meaning he's missing shots that he shouldn't be taking in the first place?
I may be nitpicking, but I mean, Phil Jackson's called him out several times. Phil does this with players when he starts working his Zen magic on them (see Sasha Vujacic). Phil produces results. If Radmanovic is Phil Jackson's next pet project, when will we be seeing these results? Or maybe we're not even going to keep him. Is he not happy here in LA? Is Phil's coaching style too much for him?
I guess all I'm saying is, I don't want a disgruntled role player to bring down the mood in a locker room that should be filled with positives, as our currently undefeated Lakers squad takes the stage in Utah. Team chemistry is a fickle thing. So buck up Vlade. Come back to Earth. Maybe smile a little bit. Cheer for your teammates. You might get a championship ring for your troubles.
And if you're wondering why I'm making such a big deal out of this, it's because I recall this type of behavior from our two favorite ex-Lakers; Smush Parker and Kwame Brown. |
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“We're rock stars. We're Lakers. We're always sexy. We've always got sexy going on in everything we do.”
- Lamar Odom
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Lakers_4_Lyfe_BayBay
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Post subject: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 06:09 PM PST
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Laker GM
Joined: Aug 06, 2007
Posts: 4222
votes: 27
Status: Offline
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You are a weak Laker fan for always bringing up the negatives and you always bash players. What is wrong with you?
Lol! I am just kidding. 
I actually agree with you! Vlad seems like he just goes through the motions. He is somewhat productive but he doesn't seem to have any passion for the game. He actually was showing passion in some games in the regular season, but it has disappeared in the playoffs.
He can a very good player, if he brings his three points shooting, as well as some intensity to the game. Maybe there is soemthing wrong with him and someone else in the organization (most likely PJ). Whatever it is, he needs to return to his old self, that had some heart for the game.
If he isn't happy on the team for some reason, than maybe in the offseason, he is the SF that needs to go. |
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noname24
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Post subject: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 06:11 PM PST
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Lakers Topbuzz Hall of Famer
Joined: Feb 28, 2007
Posts: 8075
votes: 36
Status: Offline
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| It always looks like he puts in 80% instead of 100%. I never see him play solid D, instead I see him reaching in. I see him jogging, not sprinting. He needs to get tougher, mentally and physically. |
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OC_Showtime
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Post subject: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 06:16 PM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: Dec 20, 2007
Posts: 613
Location: Irvine,CA
votes: 5
Status: Offline
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| Lets hope Trevor can come back strong off his injury. That will give us some relief from the "who knows what you are going to get" play of Luke and Vlad. |
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clutchkb24
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Post subject: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 06:18 PM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: Oct 18, 2007
Posts: 623
votes: 3
Status: Offline
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| I see where you are coming from Mamba but I'm sure Phil Jackson does also. Last night he was immediately taken out of the game after receiving a pass from Kobe for an open three. The problem was that he stepped out of the line. That is unacceptable in a series where all shots taken matter. I liked his defensive efforts against Denver and he also made some great passes but he does seem a little zoned out. If for some reason Rad is not giving it his all, he should realize he will be taken out of the game. He also needs to realize how well Luke is playing and that even if Rad is not at his best, his scoring will not be missed if he slacks off. The Lakers have plenty of fire power. So he needs to get with it or take a seat and watch. Speaking of sitting, he did seem pretty pumped up from the bench after watching his team make some great plays. So who knows where he stands right now. |
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BaadMaster
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Post subject: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 08:08 PM PST
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Die-Hard Laker Fan
Joined: May 05, 2007
Posts: 1074
votes: 21
Status: Offline
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Mambamonk87 states, "He didn't show up for Kobe's MVP ceremony. I'm not saying he has to, but it's a huge gesture of support for your teammate to be there, at an event that may be highlight of the year for Kobe. Vlade was nowhere to be found."
I found that very odd, even insulting. Kobe waited 12 years for this award, included his team mates in it as much as he humanly could, and here Vlad misses the biggest ceremony for the Lakers in years. A huge one, in fact, because here Kobe stated, unequivocally, that he will stay with the Lakers.
I guess this means Vlad WON'T stay with the Lkaers. Well, I sure would rather keep Kobe than Vlad!!!
I would bet this: color him GONE next year. We can probly get a pretty good player for him. One who doesn't snowboard when paid five million not to! |
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CAZ_LAKERFAN_KOBEFAN
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Post subject: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 08:10 PM PST
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Laker GM
Joined: Oct 27, 2007 Age: 20
Posts: 3984
votes: 4
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Vlad is not a tough guy....
Hopefully Ariza can do better... |
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The LakeShow is back.
The Sky is the limit.
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Fletch
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Post subject: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 08:19 PM PST
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Serious Laker Fan
Joined: Apr 22, 2008 Age: 33
Posts: 262
Location: Santa Barbara California
votes: 3
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| Which MVP ceremony did he not show up to? I was a the game last night and when Kobe accepted the award he called over the whole team to stand by him and Vlade was there. I thought it was pretty cool of Kobe to include the whole team in his ceremony. By the energy in the staples center last night was off the charts. All time. |
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"The good lord and four disciples couldn't beat the Lakers tonight"
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mambamonk87
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Post subject: Re: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 08:25 PM PST
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Die-Hard Laker Fan
Joined: May 25, 2007
Posts: 1939
Location: Los Angeles/San Diego CA
votes: 17
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Lakers_4_Lyfe_BayBay wrote:
You are a weak Laker fan for always bringing up the negatives and you always bash players. What is wrong with you?
i should change my name to weakfanlakerhater87. kinda long tho xP lol.
Quote:
I see where you are coming from Mamba but I'm sure Phil Jackson does also.
y'know what's funny about that game is? he never put radman back in. i really wanted to see if phil would show some 'trust' in his player, and maybe see if he could build his confidence up by showing him that 'trust'. but he didn't. radmanovic played one less minute than walton, and for the most part, kobe played SF in the last quarter rather than walton or radman.
i realize that it's a playoff game and phil doesn't want to risk the game for the sake of training radmanovic, but i mean, radman didn't play at ALL after that play you mentioned, clutch. i don't know if that'd help his morale or game at all, or if maybe phil's trying to weed radman out of the rotation and insert ariza instead. in any case, i just want radman to play harder; if his shot's not going, he could at least show some drive. |
_________________
“We're rock stars. We're Lakers. We're always sexy. We've always got sexy going on in everything we do.”
- Lamar Odom
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trublulaker
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Post subject: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 08:29 PM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: Jul 17, 2007
Posts: 542
votes: 5
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Quote:
Which MVP ceremony did he not show up to? I was a the game last night and when Kobe accepted the award he called over the whole team to stand by him and Vlade was there. I thought it was pretty cool of Kobe to include the whole team in his ceremony. By the energy in the staples center last night was off the charts. All time.
It was the MVP ceremony on Tuesday where he was officially given the award at a press gathering in a hotel i think. All of Kobe's team mates except Vlad was there as well as Phil Jackson, Dr. Buss, Mitch and even Jerry west was there. I wonder where's Vlad then? |
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My role is to keep the ship rolling; it's not to score 35 points a night anymore or score 50 or 60 points. My job is to basically keep everyone moving in one direction and having one focus, which is winning the title." - - KB24
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Fletch
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Post subject: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 08:30 PM PST
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Serious Laker Fan
Joined: Apr 22, 2008 Age: 33
Posts: 262
Location: Santa Barbara California
votes: 3
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| thanks I was a little bit confused |
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"The good lord and four disciples couldn't beat the Lakers tonight"
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gemfow
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Post subject: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 09:04 PM PST
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Die-Hard Laker Fan
Joined: Jul 12, 2007
Posts: 1935
Location: Maryland
votes: 21
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I was kind of wondering why Vlad wasn't there at the ceremony, but no one knows what else he had going on whether it's important or not, so no need to speculate.
Sometimes I think Vlad's overall game becomes better when he's getting shots. I honestly believe that if they started to run some curls or something for the guy to get some shots that it would help improve his game in all areas. If you look at some of his better games, it was due to him getting some shots. Vlad needs to be in an open court offense sort of like NO or how Phx use to be. It would be good to get a more traditional SF who can slash and shoot, but not too sure of our team actually being able to get one of those. |
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"It made me feel like I should throw mine away." - Larry Bird, upon hearing that Kobe hadn't earned the MVP trophy until this year.
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kundipile
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Post subject: Re: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 09:44 PM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: Feb 27, 2008
Posts: 875
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mambamonk87 wrote:
i should change my name to weakfanlakerhater87. kinda long tho xP lol.
Quote:
I see where you are coming from Mamba but I'm sure Phil Jackson does also.
y'know what's funny about that game is? he never put radman back in. i really wanted to see if phil would show some 'trust' in his player, and maybe see if he could build his confidence up by showing him that 'trust'. but he didn't. radmanovic played one less minute than walton, and for the most part, kobe played SF in the last quarter rather than walton or radman.
i realize that it's a playoff game and phil doesn't want to risk the game for the sake of training radmanovic, but i mean, radman didn't play at ALL after that play you mentioned, clutch. i don't know if that'd help his morale or game at all, or if maybe phil's trying to weed radman out of the rotation and insert ariza instead. in any case, i just want radman to play harder; if his shot's not going, he could at least show some drive.
I think Vlad didn't get in because Korver was in... Phil wants Sasha to match up against him. I would definitely like to see him gone next year though, Ariza needs his minutes, and Walton's value is too low to explore a deal involving him. I don't know who'd want him though. |
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"I'm playing against great players, playing against the best in the world. The competition - that's what I've always wanted." - Kobe Bryant
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nikodaza
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Post subject: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 10:00 PM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: Jun 07, 2007 Age: 15
Posts: 783
votes: 3
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| I think Phil should start playing mind games with Rad again.. |
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Lakers_4_Lyfe_BayBay
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Post subject: Re: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 10:00 PM PST
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Laker GM
Joined: Aug 06, 2007
Posts: 4222
votes: 27
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mambamonk87 wrote:
Lakers_4_Lyfe_BayBay wrote:
You are a weak Laker fan for always bringing up the negatives and you always bash players. What is wrong with you?
Lol! I am just kidding.
i should change my name to weakfanlakerhater87. kinda long tho xP lol.
Yea, sounds good. Maybe take a word or two off, so it will be shorter, and it will be perfect: weaklakerfan87 or lakerhater87. |
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mambamonk87
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Post subject: Re: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 08, 2008 - 11:46 PM PST
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Die-Hard Laker Fan
Joined: May 25, 2007
Posts: 1939
Location: Los Angeles/San Diego CA
votes: 17
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Lakers_4_Lyfe_BayBay wrote:
Yea, sounds good. Maybe take a word or two off, so it will be shorter, and it will be perfect: weaklakerfan87 or lakerhater87.
or mambapunk87.
lol anyway, i do realize i'm speculating quite a bit about his whereabouts during kobe's ceremony, but really, it's such a huge deal. first MVP of kobe's 12 year career. whatever.
so gemfow's got a good point about him getting shots, but i mean, he did get shots. but he's been missing as of late; in the nuggets series, he had a lot of open shots. his poor shooting resulted in less plays being run for him, plus kobe doesn't exactly look for him for 3s if he's missing em. kobe's got fisher to pass to, and sasha, when he's on the floor. phil jackson explicitly stated that radmanovic was one of the few players on our team that could single handedly win the game for us; his 3 point shooting, when on fire, wins games for us. otherwise, i think he might be a defensive liability that other teams can take advantage of (not saying he's not TRYING on defense, just that we've got more capable defenders in ariza and sasha).
i don't really think we need to ship him out, but he's just not playing up to championship team standards. i SINCERELY hope he picks it up, because i was one of many who was super excited when we picked him up; i thought it was a brilliant move by kupchak at the time (shows why i shouldn't play GM, at all. not even in NBA 2K8). |
_________________
“We're rock stars. We're Lakers. We're always sexy. We've always got sexy going on in everything we do.”
- Lamar Odom
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lakersforthewin
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Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 09, 2008 - 12:07 AM PST
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Lakers Topbuzz Hall of Famer
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Joined: Apr 08, 2007
Posts: 6742
votes: 31
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| I think it's the confidence factor. Lately he hasn't been hitting many shots so that's why his confidence is down a bit. That happened to Luke in a stretch heading into the playoffs as well. But Vlad is a key asset for us. When he gets that three point shot falling his intensity and hustle on the defensive end picks up as well. |
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Maybe its my fault that you didn't see that failure gave me strength, that my pain was my motivation.
Maybe I led you to believe that basketball was a God given gift, and not something I worked for... every single day of my life.
-Michael Jordan
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mambamonk87
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Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 09, 2008 - 01:33 AM PST
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Die-Hard Laker Fan
Joined: May 25, 2007
Posts: 1939
Location: Los Angeles/San Diego CA
votes: 17
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that's true, but confidence goes both ways, yknow? being a starter, yet getting taken out of the game, permanently, in the second quarter? that can't do much for his confidence.
and it's a lil late for us to have phil jackson do those risky calls where he puts players in clutch situations to show his trust in them. maybe in the regular season. not in the playoffs. but we'll see.
if we keep radman, which it seems like we kinda have to because of his contract, i hope next season proves to be his breakout year in LA. that way, we'll be a much more complete team. |
_________________
“We're rock stars. We're Lakers. We're always sexy. We've always got sexy going on in everything we do.”
- Lamar Odom
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cuckooroller
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Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 09, 2008 - 02:38 AM PST
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Die-Hard Laker Fan
Joined: Mar 27, 2008 Age: 58
Posts: 1568
Location: Italy
votes: 14
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I have no emotional ties with this guy. Roll him into some kind of trade package for someone who is useful. It may strike also others reading this thread that we are talking about Phil Jackson having to play mind games with this guy to get him interested. I do not see that it has worked all year. Other than a few games where he extracts his head from his butt, this guy seems pretty much disinterested. A net negative for the team. Unfortunately, the Laker Fever that infected the rest of the team's heart - gave him encephalitis. What use is a guy that goes out on the floor and goes around in a seeming daze daydreaming, and counting sheep? Deal him!
His nickname has always amused me. Radman. I imagine that one wishes to intend "Radical" man. One of the lesser known meanings of "radical" has it as an adjective regarding the "root" systems of plants. Yes, I can certainly see this guy upside down on the parquet with roots coming out of his head anchoring him to the parquet - he usually plays like it!
By the way, before I am classified as a so-called "Radmanovic-hater", it is not a question of "hate". I have just always seen this guy as a detriment to the total economy of the team - we can do better than him I am sure. |
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Steve
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mambamonk87
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Post subject: Re: RE: Re: RE: Radmanovic Still in Space?
Posted: May 09, 2008 - 03:28 AM PST
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Die-Hard Laker Fan
Joined: May 25, 2007
Posts: 1939
Location: Los Angeles/San Diego CA
votes: 17
Status: Offline
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cuckooroller wrote:
I have no emotional ties with this guy. Roll him into some kind of trade package for someone who is useful. It may strike also others reading this thread that we are talking about Phil Jackson having to play mind games with this guy to get him interested. I do not see that it has | |
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