From Luke Walton: “It obviously bothers me. I haven’t really noticed it because I kind of stay out of the media during the offseason. But obviously it bothers you as a player. You want to feel your worth. Obviously I’m getting paid a salary that was for a much larger role back when we agree upon the deal. I was a playmaker, I was playing 30 minutes a game and I was able to do a lot of things for a team. And I had offers from other teams to do the same thing. … For the most part, fans have been great out here. Then, all of the sudden you bring in Pau Gasol and other players of that caliber and my role kind of gets smaller and smaller. I can still play the game … then all of the sudden my back goes bad on me and mentally I’m frustrated. … The role that I was paid that money to do kind of got taken away in a sense.” Thoughts?
Of course, Walton conveniently avoids mentioning he's turned into a complete slug and lost his motivation since signing the contract. He's gone from being a hustling, tuned-in, key glue-guy to a dead weight playing out the string.
Scrubs complaining.... I do this I do that. They do a good job staying away from the gym not the media. And I'm still waiting for an article saying how this scrubs stayed late or came early before games and how hard they worked on the offseason. I'm talking to you battier.
Aww poor guy. He got his role "kind of got taken away in a sense." Clearly it's Pau's fault for being better and the management's part for getting other better players ahead of him. Did he miss anyone else? Oh yes, his back. Damn that back! Let the man prove his worth for God's sake!
His description sounds about right. The Lakers thought he was important to them, and then they made this great move for a player who is not only better but more cost effective. Things change. Too bad for Walton that he can't contribute more but he should be happy for the institution of guaranteed contracts. The same stuff would have happened except the Lakers would have been able to cut him loose altogether.
let's call in the wahhhhhmbulance. Team signs up better players, your role gets reduced or changes. That's why they are "role players"
