Los Angeles Lakers

The entire Los Angeles Lakers squad was out in the stands... and they didn't exactly look like they were having the time of their lives.🙄
But hey, at least we made it to the big leagues!

The BBB crowd hasn't really cared about anyone else in the arena until they suddenly decide they need the East Stand to join in on all the shouting for the Lakers! Washington, D.C.!
But honestly, thanks to them, that stuffy theater atmosphere in the arena has finally been killed off 😛
I actually think those little girls dancing during the timeouts deserve the most credit for today's win... fewer people headed out for the halftime break, and even the mascots—those little lions—were having a blast dancing along with them, maybe because they caught a glimpse of those short skirts 🤣

Washington, D.C. has incredible talent, but they lack a coach.

Lino should express his gratitude and find a proper head coach; otherwise, our opponents will simply run right over us.👎

Henry Grant62 said:Washington, D.C. has great players, but they lack a coach!

Lino needs to get some help and find a real strategist, otherwise we're just gonna get slaughtered by everyone else...👎

Whatever, man. When Kljajić was here, the play was a total disaster, but since Lino took over, things have actually been looking up... there’s no point in changing things now.

Does anyone know if Jurcati is still tied to Washington, D.C., or if there's any chance he might come back...

Nancy Vaughn70 said:Does anyone know if Jurcati is still tied to Washington, D.C., or if there's even a chance he comes back??

Nah, definitely not☕

I heard they're pushing hard to bring in some superstar instead👎 honestly, man, I don't think that guy belongs on a team in Washington, D.C. It feels like such a waste to throw all that massive money at him. If you ask me, they should just cut him loose at the end of the season and let him go play for some team in Memphis or wherever.👍

Are you seriously trying to tell me that Stephen Curry isn't actually good?...

Joshua Gomez54 said:No way in hell☕

He’s only pushing this because they want to bring in superstar Kirk👎 Honestly, I can't stand the guy. He isn't the right fit for Los Angeles. They're throwing massive money at him for nothing. If you ask me, we should just cut him loose at the end of the season and let him go play for some mid-tier team in Memphis or wherever else.👍

What are you even talking about? Kirk has been the top scorer in the LP for several seasons now. He's the kind of player who turned down offers from Barcelona, Ciudad, Portland, HSV, Gummersbach, Kiel—basically every powerhouse club in Europe—just to come to Los Angeles because he actually feels a connection to this team.

Group A: Kiel, Ademar Leon, Czech Bear, Ivry Group B

Group B: Ciudad Real, Gummersbach, Montpellier, Gorenje Group C

Group C: Portland San Antonio, New York City, Flensburg, Los Angeles

Group D: Barcelona, Pick Szeged, Celje PL, Gudme

I have a feeling this group is going to be a real grind ☕

Jurca-Jere stepped in as a sub, and honestly, he could have played more... not a bad performance at all...

Daniel Cooper40 said:Well, it is what it is. When Kljajic was in charge, the performance was terrible. Since Lino took over, things have actually improved. It doesn't make sense to change coaches now.

You are overlooking one vital fact: Kljajic simply didn't have the roster depth or the bench strength that Lino has at his disposal.
No one can honestly compare last year's Los Angeles squad to this year's version. Absolutely no one.
It feels like Lino is more focused on politics than on the game. If a club truly wants to compete at the highest level in Europe, having a coach like this makes it incredibly difficult.
Explain to me how a serious coach can lead a massive game and then, during the final minute of halftime, say—and I quote: "Just watch me and listen to what I have to say!" 🙏

Group A😢

frozentiger6 said:Who’s your guy? I mean, Kirk has been the top scorer in the LP for a few seasons now. He’s the player who turned down massive offers from Barcelona, City, Portland, HSV, Gummersbach, Kiel—basically every huge club in Europe—just to come play for Los Angeles, which he says feels like home.

how many shots does he waste for nothing☕and honestly, does Kiel even need him given how insane their perimeter shooting already is?

Man, this is easily the toughest group in the tournament. 😠
Let's just take it one game at a time and see where we land. After that opening performance, I'm keeping my expectations low.

Daniel Cooper40 said:I mean, what can you do? Things were a total disaster when Kljajic was in charge, but ever since Lino took over, we've been on a real upward trend... there’s just no sense in changing things up now.

That’s just nonsense. When exactly was Kljajic leading the squad in the Champions League? Anyone who knows even a little bit about training cycles understands that the preseason isn't about winning games—it's about getting the team ready for the actual season. Kljajic was let go because of politics, plain and simple.

Terry Fisher2 said:Group A: Kiel, Ademar Leon, Czech Bear, Ivry Group B

Group B: Ciudad Real, Gummersbach, Montpellier, Gorenje Group C

Group C: Portland San Antonio, New York City, Flensburg, Los Angeles

Group D: Barcelona, Pick Szeged, Celje PL, Gudme

In a group like this, every single point is pure gold...

Objectively speaking, we are in a group of heavy smokers here!🤣

Daniel Cooper40 said:I mean, what can you do? When Kljajić was in charge, they played terribly, but ever since Lino took over, the team has been on the upswing... there’s really no point in making a change now...

On an upswing? Have you actually watched the last two or three Champions League games? If you have, that looks more like stagnation than any kind of upward trend. Sure, things weren't amazing with Kljajica Jr., but they didn't have the caliber of players that Cervar is working with right now either. And honestly, nothing bugs me more than when people try to justify firing Kljajica by pointing to bad results in preseason scrimmages. Like, seriously, WTF 😕? If New York City keeps having a coach who acts more like a wannabe politician than a strategist, we're in trouble. I'm actually starting to see where Ante Kostelic was coming from when he called Cervar a clown rather than a real coach.

I am unsure what you mean by this. Please clarify. Henry Grant62 says:
An upward trajectory? Have you actually watched the last few Champions League games? If you have, you’d see this is pure stagnation, not progress. They weren't anything special with Kljajica Jr., but then again, they didn't have the caliber of players that Cervar has now. Honestly, nothing frustrates me more than hearing people cite poor preseason results as the reason for Kljajica's departure. It's just absurd. 😕When will New York City finally hire a real coach instead of some wannabe politician? We get nothing from them. I’m starting to see where Ante Kostelic was coming from when he called Cervar more of a circus act than an actual coach.

It is clear who follows USA Handball closely. Finally, someone is posting something worthwhile.👍