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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreIs there anybody out there who still believes the Los Angeles Lakers are going to repeat as NBA champions this season with Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol, or Montrezl Harrell starting and closing games at center?
The bad news is the grand plan to upgrade the center position so Anthony Davis could play his preferred power forward position full time has been a failure and should force the Lakers to rethink their playoff plans at center. The good news is the Lakers still have the best two-way center in the NBA in 28-year old 6′ 10,” 253 lb Anthony Davis who can dominate offensively and defensively in the paint, from midrange, or beyond the 3-point line.
It’s time for the Lakers to admit they need Anthony Davis to repeat his role from last year’s playoffs and devote half of his 36 minutes per game playing center rather than relying on Drummond, Gasol, and Harrell to play the five. The plan could have worked if the Lakers had traded for an elite center like Myles Turner, Chris Boucher, or Christian Wood last offseason but not with Rent-a-Centers like Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol, or Montrezl Harrell.
Sticking with the Drummond and Harrell center rotation in the playoffs would be a mistake. Both pack the paint and make it difficult for LeBron and AD to get to the rim. Both are subpar shot blockers and poor rim protectors. Frank Vogel needs to realize starting Andre Drummond vs. the Nugget’s Nikola Jokic in the first round or the Jazz’ Rudy Gobert in the second round of the playoffs would be playing right into the Denver’s and Utah’s hands.
Anthony Davis is the only center the Lakers have who can match up with Nikola Jokic and play Rudy Gobert off the court by pulling him out of the paint. The Lakers should start and finish playoff games with AD at center. The Lakers are better at both ends with Anthony Davis at the five as they proved in last year’s playoffs with their 5-out sets opening up the floor on offense and their trapping and rotating defense suffocating offenses.
Frank Vogel and the Lakers know the recipe for the Lakers winning in the playoffs is starting and closing with Anthony Davis at center. Like last year, the Lakers need to plan on AD playing at least half of his minutes at the five. Assuming he plays 36 minutes per game like last playoffs, Davis could play center 18 minutes per game or the first and last 4 to 5 minutes of each half, leaving the remaining 30 minutes to be split between the other centers.
Starting and closing games with a ‘small ball’ lineup of Davis, Morris, James, Caldwell-Pope, and Schroder allows the Lakers to create space by spreading the floor on offense and trap, switch and rotate on defense like last year. One of the problems with the 3-headed center the Lakers used this season to limit Davis from having to play big minutes at the five is he’s only played 7 minutes per game at center, which could hurt us in the playoffs.
While it’s easy to understand why the Lakers would like to minimize AD’s minutes at the five, Vogel also needs to realize that Drummond, Gasol, and Harrell are not going to be favorable match ups in the playoffs this year. Davis had no problem playing half his minutes at center last playoffs. He should be well rested and ready to do the same in this year. It would be a huge mistake for the Lakers to try to rely on anybody but Davis at center.
Heading into the playoffs, the Lakers need to start and close halves and games with their best center. If AD plays 18 of his 36 minutes per game at center, there would still be 30 minutes for Drummond, Gasol, and Harrell. The Lakers should spend valuable minutes these last 11 games playing small ball lineups with Davis at the five and Morris or even James at the four to get ready for the playoffs rather than devoting that time to the Rent-a-Centers.
While I expect Vogel to continue to try and start games with Drummond and to play all three centers in the playoffs, I expect to see a repeat of last year’s playoffs when McGee and Harrell became unplayable and were benched. Hopefully, Frank will be as decisive and proactive as he was in last year’s playoffs and he’ll make similar moves for Anthony Davis to take over the center position both as the starter and closer once we’re in the playoffs.
The path to this year’s NBA championship is going to be one of the toughest in years and the Lakers will need to be better than last year to repeat. The only way they can do that is to prioritize Anthony Davis at the five.
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I don’t disagree that AD is a ‘great’ player but at 28 you cannot claim he is in the class of Kareem, Wilt, or Shaq as a legendary center and a big part of the reason why is he rarely plays the center position. But as usual, you miss the point of the article, which is can AD be considered a ‘great’ center when he rarely plays it? You can spin the question any way you want but you have to play center to be considered a great center.
I also love how all of the naysayers ignore the reality that AD has played center only 7% of the time by intent of Frank Vogel, Rob Pelinka, and the Lakers. Give me all your trust in Rob and trust in Frank bullshit but it won’t change the reality that we now have three centers who averaged almost 70 minutes at the five this season. I sure hope Frank ends up playing AD 40 to 50% of the time in the playoffs like last year but anybody who thinks that’s a sure thing is naïve and ignoring all the signs that say AD may only play minimal minutes at the five. I mean it’s not like Rob and Frank have always been right and not playing AD more at center could be a fatal mistake in these playoffs.
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He doesn’t see himself as a center. That’s why the debate pretty much ends there. Like many 4’s in the NBA he is willing, when called upon, to chip in at the 5. We had no player like Trezz last season, someone who could impact the game more offensively than defensively. He’s also able to defend small ball-style centers himself without playing the small ball game on offense.
Frame this point as “Will Anthony Davis play too much center to take him off the list of the All Time great power forwards” and you’re looking at this through the correct lens.
The playoffs will be different than the regular season. These games are practice sessions that count in the standings. They have been that all season, just because we’re floundering in the standings without the engine that drives our car doesn’t mean the team isn’t still figuring out all the new guys. Even from last offseason (can’t say summer, lol).
I look at the center situation a lot differently than last season. Last season we brought in the ultimate role-center in McGee (happy to play his 15 minutes, at least publicly and supportive of the team) and Dwight “nobody wants me…wow” Howard. They brought very similar skill sets and athletic talent.
This season we have three very different players that do very different things. Plus Davis. So in many ways I think we’re stronger at center than we were last year. Gasol can play in a five-out line up on offense and hold his own on D. Drummond is as traditional of an NBA center as they come with all its pros and cons. Trezz is a 4/5 combo player who could actually play alongside any of the three players listed as centers or as a center himself. There are more options this season than in last.
In terms of why worry about the banging, look no further than the two plus months Davis just missed for the beating his body has taken as a pro hoops player for the last year and a half. I think Frank is right: we will need all three to attain our goals. I do not think he means all three playing a lot of minutes in every series or game. I think he is indicating that what he did last year, which was based on matchups, will be done again this season.
So, in short, I guess this response is really just along-winded “I trust Rob and Frank” BS post, lol.
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The only issue is how many losses will it take before Frank makes the necessary moves? Hopefully, it will be a series of close games that we pulled off at the end that showed AD needs to play the five.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreAnthony Davis’ desire to play power forward instead of center is the only thing that could prevent him from joining Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain and becoming the next great Lakers’ center.
Anthony Davis is a enigma in that he’s a basketball player who does not want to play center, the position at which he’s arguably the best at in the world. He believes playing power forward is better for his game and career. The truth is center is Davis’ best position and more that he plays center, the better the Lakers become as a team. AD always said he would play center when needed and did so for 50% of his minutes in last year’s playoffs.
Since signing Davis, the Lakers have worked hard to accommodate their superstar’s preference not to play the five. They’ve tweaked their roster so he’s only had to play center 7% of the time this season versus 25% last year. The Lakers also signed 27-year old center Andre Drummond from the buyout market to play big minutes in these playoffs and protect Davis from having to spend half his time at center like he did in the playoffs last year.
Coming off a calf injury that cost 2 months and 30 games, Davis and the Lakers will both be looking for ways to continue limiting his minutes at center in the playoffs, though that might not be the smartest thing to do.
THE MODERN PROTOTYPE CENTER
Anthony Davis is the prototype modern NBA center, a gifted physical big with the skills and tool set of a guard. He’s a superstar who can score and defend buckets at all three levels: at the rim, from midrange, or from three
A modern center trapped in a world where positionless basketball has made traditional low post centers obsolete, Anthony Davis’ unprecedented skillset on offense and defense have freed him up to redefine what centers can do. Not limited to scoring and defending in the paint, Anthony’s range enables him to extend his skill set to the full court, making and blocking shots at the rim or taking and challenging jumpers from midrange and three.
While Davis is the ultimate unicorn in game of basketball, his preference to play power forward rather than deal with the physicality and banging of playing center full time has dominated the Lakers’ roster building efforts. From last year’s tandem of JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard to this year’s hybrid duo of Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell and recent signing of Andre Drummond, the Lakers have struggled to find a center to pair with Davis.
Rather than trying to accommodate his preference to play power forward, maybe the Lakers should focus on figuring out how to optimize Anthony Davis superstar potential by empowering him to play center all of the time.
EMPOWERING DAVIS TO PLAY CENTER
Is Davis not wanting to play center blasphemous or simply recognition centers in the modern NBA have evolved into a multi-positional players who have to be versatile enough to able to play and defend the four and the five?
Let’s be honest. It’s not that Anthony Davis doesn’t want to play the five. He just doesn’t want to be tied down to playing ‘old school,’ low post basketball where he doesn’t have freedom to utilize his full skill set as a modern center. He just doesn’t want to have to bang in the paint and defend bigger physical centers, which is something the Lakers could address like they did in the playoffs last year when Davis played the five and Markieff Morris the four.
If center is Davis’ best position and the Lakers are at their best when he plays center, shouldn’t the priority then be to figure out how to make that work rather than futilely chasing different options to replace him at center? Traditional centers who clog the paint on offense and lack the mobility to switch and rotate on defense are not the answer as the Lakers found with McGee and Howard last year and Drummond, Gasol, and Harrell this year.
The Lakers’ goal should be to free Anthony Davis to play the five. The only ways to unleash his potential is to go small and pair him with a stretch 4 power forward who can defend like Markieff Morris or even LeBron James.
AD MUST PLAY CENTER IN PLAYOFFS
Regardless of the addition of Andre Drummond and the desire to limit AD’s minutes at the five, the Lakers are going to need Anthony Davis to play the center close to half of the time if they hope to repeat as NBA champions.
The Lakers’ likely playoff opponents are the Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, LA Clippers, and Brooklyn Nets, which means Anthony Davis’ likely center opponents are Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, Ivica Zubac, and Blake Griffin. None of these are centers whose physicality and banging in the post should deter Anthony Davis from defending them and all of them are centers who’ll struggle mightily to defend Davis outside of the paint or from deep.
Anthony Davis and the Lakers need to realize that limiting the minutes that he plays center is the last thing they should be doing in the playoffs. They need to be strategizing how to get Davis more minutes at center not less. Playing Davis at the four with Drummond, Gasol, or Harrell at the five only weakens the Lakers defensively as none of their three centers are elite rim protectors and Drummond and Harrell lack the ability to space the floor.
Going big doesn’t work when none of your bigs can protect the rim or rotate quickly enough to play the aggressive defense Vogel prefers. The Lakers need to change gears and look to go small in the playoffs with AD at the five.
The Lakers efforts to accommodate Anthony Davis’ desire to play the four are threatening to undermine the Los Angeles Lakers’ chances to repeat as NBA champions because none of the centers on the roster complement AD.
If the Lakers are going to win the championship, they need to abandon the mistaken idea that Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol, or Montrezl Harrell will be capable of giving them what they need from the center position to win. Anybody watching this team can tell you right now that Drummond, Gasol, and Harrell don’t have the defensive mind set or skill sets the Lakers need. Anthony Davis is going to have to play center if the Lakers want to win.
While Anthony Davis may not want to play big minutes at center, the Lakers are going to need him to do that in the playoffs this year just like last year. The sooner they realize this and make the needed adjustments, the better. Should that mean that the Lakers go small with Davis at the five and James, Morris, and/or Kuzma at the four, then so be it. The Lakers are not going to win the championship with Drummond, Gasol, or Harrell at the five.
Anthony Davis playing center is the key to the Lakers winning their 18th NBA championship and Davis joining Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain and becoming the next great Lakers’ center.
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My biggest concern as the Lakers enter the stretch run for the regular season and prepare for the playoffs is not Anthony Davis’ or LeBron James’ health. It’s the Lakers apparent plans to minimize the minutes Anthony Davis plays at the five.
Frankly, I’m worried that the Lakers are so dead set on not having Davis play center they’re going to put the team’s championship hopes on some combination of Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol, and Montrezl Harrell being able to hold down the center position so Anthony Davis does not have to play the five.
Anybody who understands the game can see via the simple eye test that Drummond at the five is not going to be a winning move in the playoffs. Regardless of who else the Lakers put on the floor, Drummond is like a fish out of the water trying to play D. He’s always out of position, unable to protect the rim, and a step late. And Gasol and Harrell are not that much better.
The sooner the Lakers realize this, the better their chances of making the right adjustments, which would be playing Davis at the five with Markieff Morris or even LeBron James at the four. That’s they only way the Lakers are going to repeat as champs.
I’m hoping Frank sees this already and once we get into the playoffs, we’ll see a repeat of last year when first McGee and then Howard got benched and we went with AD at the five. Drummond, Gasol, and Harrell will get minutes when there’s a good matchup but generally the Lakers need to go small in the playoffs with Anthony Davis at the five.
If that means abandoning the idea of Drummond being a difference maker or benching Harrell entirely, then so be it. If that mean AD plays 50% of his time at the five like last year, then so be it. That’s the only way the Lakers are going to win this year.
If the Lakers want to find a center who can complement Davis, they need to trade for a player like Myles Turner, Christian Wood, or Chris Boucher and stop the stupid annual Rent-a-Center campaigns that only screw up the defense and clog the paint for LeBron and AD. Time to get smart and find a modern stretch center who complements Anthony Davis.
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I think that regular season issues are not necessarily post-season issues. Rotations shrink in order to better match up rather than find guys minutes so that they feel like they’re a part of the team. This was proved beyond a doubt last season. I think Frank will play the matchup game.
Add ‘Kieff to the tilt-a-whirl at center. Or rather the roulette wheel. Could be a different combo of guys every round to get it done. I take Frank at his word that he intends to use all three guys, he used all his centers in various rounds of the playoffs last time around and I haven’t seen or heard anything that alters that perception for me.
Lastly Davis is already “great”. He’s won NBA accolades, made big time NBA money and has the ring of a champion to prove it. Few sport the resume’ he has already amassed and no amount of fans critiquing or the media denigrating the team based on injury will change his greatness. Because he is unwilling to play a label does not reduce what he has done already and what he has yet to do.
Let us remember the extraordinary circumstances under which this season is being played, specifically by the Lakers and Heat. 71 days between the last game of the NBA Finals and the first game of this season. 3 or 4 day stays in cities because of the schedule. Compressed to the point of breaking. If it weren’t for the injuries we’ve suffered we would be sitting at 1-3 and be nitpicking the role-players who let us down in close games. Had it not been for Hill rolling into LeBron we would still be a top 4 team.
So I don’t think this season has any more affect on Davis and his greatness than Kawhi missing a season plus with a torn quad or forcing his way out of San Antonio, or Shaq’s “rehabbing on company time” or Magic’s bum hamstring against Detroit or any number of players who came up with injuries that greatly affected their team. Great players are great because of what they accomplish on the court, not because of what fans decide off of it.
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I agree with Jamie. Frank will use AD at 5 based on matchups…just like last year. AD signed long term with the Lakers because of their commitment to playing him at the 4 during the regular season and adjusting accordingly in the playoffs. The Lakers have a long history of taking care of their players especially superstars. It would be very concerning for them to tell AD one thing to get him to sign and then flip the script. As far as Kareem, Wilt, Shaq…those are totally different players. All were very durable. That’s not how I would describe AD. It doesn’t take away from his greatness it just means he’s a different type of player.
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Chiming in to agree with Jamie. Saving Davis from the long haul pounding of playing 5 during the regular season is a luxury the Lakers enjoy and smartly utilize. Versatility is also a strength of this team and I expect Vogel will adjust lineups according to match ups in the playoffs, with Davis shifting to 5 as needed. I look forward to watching this team at full strength. Cheers!
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreAnthony Davis to the rescue. After missing two months with a calf injury, Anthony Davis returns to the court tomorrow night when the Los Angeles Lakers meet the Dallas Mavericks in a crucial Western Conference series.
The big question everybody will be looking for answers to in Dallas is how much better will the return of Anthony Davis make the LeBron-less Lakers? Will AD’s return elevate the Lakers and stop any slide lower than 5th seed? Considering Davis will be on a minutes restriction and hasn’t played in two months, will his addition be enough for the Lakers to dominate and sweep the 2-game series with the Mavs and doom them to the Play-In Tourney?
The Lakers are in 5th place in the Western Conference with a 35–23 record with 14 games left in the regular season. The Mavs are now in 7th place with 30–26 record, 1 loss behind the 6th place Blazers and 3 behind the Lakers. The 2-game back-to-back series between the two teams is critical for playoff positioning as the Mavs are desperate to move up to 6th place to avoid the do-or-die Play-In Tournament between the 7th through 10th place teams.
With LeBron James not likely to return until the first week of May, the Lakers are facing a challenge heading into the playoffs similar to last year, when the league resumed play with 8 regular season games before the playoffs. Despite only having a few games to get ready, the Lakers had no problem getting their conditioning and chemistry back and having both superstars fully healthy and rested proved to be a huge advantage in the playoffs.
There’s a good chance a rested and healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis could give the Lakers a similar advantage in the playoffs this year, considering how tough the short offseason and schedule have been. However, major changes in the Lakers’ roster, especially the addition of Andre Drummond, and a tougher path to the NBA Finals than last year combine to make the Lakers repeating as champions a bigger challenge.
Anthony Davis only played 8% of his minutes this regular season at center versus 40% last regular season and playoffs so one of the big unanswered questions is how many minutes will AD play the five in this year’s playoffs. Last playoffs, head coach Frank Vogel was forced to bench centers JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard as their inability to defend on the perimeter essentially made them unplayable against many of the Lakers’ opponents.
Frank Vogel will certainly face a minutes crunch at center in the playoffs this year as Drummond, Harrell, and Gasol all have serious defensive issues inside and outside that can only be fixed by Anthony Davis playing center. Like last year, I think we’re going to see Vogel alternate starting Drummond and Gasol depending on the matchups and closing most games with Davis at the five. Odd man out in the minutes crunch may be Montrezl Harrell.
How well Drummond and Davis play together is going to be a critical key to whether the Lakers can repeat as champs. Opposing defenses have been able to focus on and force Andre to take bad shots or turn the ball over. With AD on the court, teams aren’t going to be able to easily double and contain Drummond. With AD and LeBron on the court, the Lakers hope Drummond can become the wild card to allow them to dominate teams.
Tomorrow night’s game will be the first test of whether the Lakers can reprise their brilliant closing run of last year and ride a fully healthy and rested LeBron James and Anthony Davis to win the NBA championship.
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Count me among those who believe how well Anthony Davis plays is going to be the key to the Lakers repeating as champs. When you look at AD’s stats in last year’s playoffs, it was his elite jump shooting from midrange and three and his elite defense against centers and scoring guards that was the difference maker.
Coming off a 2-month hiatus due to the calf injury, AD’s jump shooting and defense so far this regular season has not been as good as last year or in the playoffs. Now with only 14 games left, AD is going to have to find that missing gear. How well he does in these 14 games should be a good harbinger of what to expect from him in the playoffs.
Can he transform what has been a struggling front court, especially against good defensive teams with rim protectors? Can he draw attention away from Drummond so Andre can get untracked? We need Playoff AD if we’re going to repeat. It’s really that simple. LeBron we count on. He’s the known commodity. It’s AD who’s going to have to prove last playoffs were not a one-off.
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Can’t read too much into the first game which was as much about knocking rust off as anything else. He had some decent defensive plays which got me pumped. AD should be just fine in a few games. The Laker’s playoff positioning might not survive it but c’est la vie.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreOut of sight and out of mind seems to be how the pipe dream pundits view LeBron James and Anthony Davis as they pimp James Harden, Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic, Paul George, and other wannabe champions.
The doubt and disrespect is rampant as it seems the NBA has forgotten just how good LeBron James and Anthony Davis are as they write off the Lakers’ chances of repeating as NBA champs and cheer on the same casts of losers. This has become the anybody-but-the-Lakers season as the media pushes the same perennial losers and underachievers like the Clippers, Jazz, Suns, 76ers, Bucks, and Nets while ignoring the defending champion Lakers.
Well, a rude wake up call is coming as Anthony Davis and LeBron James are nearing return. As this manic, injury filled season staggers to the finish line, the Lakers are preparing to unleash a healthy and rested LeBron and AD. Like last year, the Lakers will have to quickly come together and get ready for the playoffs but they will again have a defining competitive advantage because LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be fully rested and healthy.
How important are LeBron James and Anthony Davis and how will their rested and healthy return help the Lakers? Recall LeBron was the near unanimous leader in the MVP race before injuring his ankle a month ago. With the shortest offseason in pro sports history and a compressed 72-game schedule, LeBron getting a month and a half off could be a blessing in disguise like the 4 month layoff he got during last year’s suspension.
The story is much the same for Anthony Davis, who was struggling with a nagging calf issue after the 2020 NBA Finals and throughout the first few months of the season before the Lakers finally shut him down in February. With the memory of Kevin Durant’s calf injury turning into a torn Achilles, the Lakers opted to take a very conservative approach and gave AD over two months to recover to make sure he was 100% healthy before playing again.
Meanwhile, the Lakers have surprisingly adjusted and persevered, winning 7 of the 15 games without James and Davis, carried by double digit scoring from Schroder, Kuzma, Harrell, Drummond, Morris, and Caldwell-Pope. During the 15-game stretch without LeBron and AD, the Lakers’ defense still ranked 4th in the league and their bottom five 3-point shooting jumped into the top half of the league with 12.2 makes on 33.7 takes for 33.7%.
A Lakers roster learning how to win without LeBron James and Anthony Davis should be scary for the rest of the NBA, especially if they remember how well LeBron and AD played at both ends in last season’s playoffs. LeBron averaged 28.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.9 blocks shooting 55.4/34.5/71.0% while Davis averaged 27.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.3 blocks shooting 56.7/37.5/88.2%.
The Prospect of a fully rested and healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the Lakers head into the playoffs should strike fear in the hearts of the pretenders who’ve somehow forgotten how good their two superstars are. The silver lining to this injury plagued, Covid distorted, compressed season for the Lakers is LeBron and AD are going to be healthy and rested like they were last season after the league was suspended for four months.
Teams like the Clippers, Bucks, Jazz, and Nets who think they’ve got a good shot to win it all this season need to remember what LeBron said after the Lakers won the championship last season after being rudely disrespected. Pointing his finger, LeBron said: “We just want our respect. Rob wants his respect. Coach Vogel wants his respect. Organization want their respect. Lakers Nation wants their respect. And I want my damn respect too.”
So buckle your seat belts, Lakers fans, because LeBron James and Anthony Davis are going to fully rested and healthy and looking to remind the rest of the NBA who are still the best two players and best team in the NBA.
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As this chaotic season heads down the stretch and LeBron James and Anthony Davis appear to be getting ready to return, what jumps out at me is the similarity of the Lakers’ situation this year to last year, when the team benefited from a pair of fully healthy and rested superstars heading into the playoffs because of the 4-month suspension. This season, the time off due to the injuries may have given them the opportunity to again head into the playoffs fully rested and healthy. That could be the decisive advantage the Lakers need to repeat as NBA champions.
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Awesome article and well put. Can’t fault the media for not hyping injured players though. You can’t be like “James Harden had a 40 point triple-double…but he ain’t no LeBron!!!” That is simply not how mass media works. But I understand your point.
For my part I honestly kind of welcome the disses and lack of respect. The Laker scrubs have treaded water, they have neither excelled and stepped up or sunk and floundered and you know what? That’s just fine. They’re, to a man, role players. Some have, or had, big dreams of being “The Man” or “leading the team to a bunch of surprise wins” or whatever. But none of them have shown that ability. They’ve played just fine, as expected.
Let’s also be honest that all of the injuries this season (which has, statistically, been about on par with past NBA seasons) along with the compressed nature of this season distorts all the stats and expectations and you know what? it doesn’t really matter. Injuries a re a part of the game every single season in every single sport played on planet Earth. I’m sure there’s some star disc thrower with a separated shoulder somewhere saying “this was MY year…” and I hope that person dedicates themselves to rehab and coming back strong.
COVID season is an equal opportunity beast, no team is immune. The Lakers should be thankful, I suppose, that they haven’t had any games cancelled. But, honestly, it wouldn’t have been all that bad as the league is basing playoff seeding on win % not games won. So, in some ways, the rest would have been nice but I prefer the building of chemistry and grit.
In sport absence does not make the heart grow finder, it just reveals the warts of those who were not expected to perform at a high level when pressed into duty. It reveals how much talent and chemistry matter in two very, very different ways. It shows what teams have heart and what teams have hype. The reason I still believe in the Laker scrubs who can’t score a lot is the defense they still bring every single game. Once AD and LBJ come back, so to will the points.
I agree, this time off will end up being a blessing if this group can hang onto the 6 or higher seedings. If this group, without James or Davis, can tread water to a 6+ seeding it should, but won’t, garner coach Vogel some COTY mojo. Never happen, but it should. It’s proven the Laker defense is elite despite the players on the court and the offense was never meant to function without both James and Davis for this kind of stretch.
Buckle up indeed.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
Read MoreThere are good reasons why a Lakers and Lonzo Ball reunion are unlikely this summer, including Ball preferring not to return to the team that traded him and the Lakers not wanting to be hardcapped due to a sign-and-trade.
But there are also compelling reasons why Lonzo Ball today could be the perfect point guard to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis and a better option as a playmaker, shooter, and defender than Dennis Schroder. Lonzo is also a better complement for 20-year old Talen Horton-Tucker, whom the Lakers project as part of their backcourt of the future who needs to be paired with a guard who can shoot the three and take care of the ball.
The 23-year old 6′ 6″ Ball shoots 38.4% on 8.1 threes and makes 5.7 assists to 2.0 turnovers per game whereas the 27-year old 6′ 3″ Schroder shoots 34.1% on just 3.3 threes and averages 5.4 assists to 2.8 turnovers per game. The younger and bigger Ball also has greater upside as a player and is more versatile as defender than the older and smaller Schroder. Ball averages 0.6 blocks and 1.4 steals per game vs. 0.2 blocks and 1.2 steals for Schroder.
Like Schroder, Ball is going to be looking for a big raise in free agency this summer. He knows his days in New Orleans are over and because he’ll be a restricted free agent, the Pelicans will be looking to sign-and-trade him. Spending more than $20 million for Lonzo Ball, even though it would hard cap them, would be a smarter move than spending that much for Dennis Schroder, who’s nowhere near as good a fit for what the Lakers need.
But there may be strong competition for Ball, who’s dramatically improved his shooting over the last two years. He’s not only become an elite high volume 3-point shooter but is now also shooting almost 80% from the line. With Zion dominating the ball for the Pelicans as a point forward, Lonzo has learned to thrive off the ball, becoming a true 3&D guard whom the Pelicans would like to keep but not at the cost of going into the luxury tax.
Should Lonzo be interested, the Lakers should jump at the opportunity. They could move some long term salary commitments to open up space under the hard cap to give Horton-Tucker and Caruso well deserved raises. The Pelicans might be receptive to receiving Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in return for Lonzo Ball. Kuzma and KCP are both young, proven, championship quality rotation players on team friendly contracts.
A sign-and-trade with the Pelicans for Lonzo Ball on a 4-year deal starting at $20 million for Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s combined $26 million per year would end up saving the Lakers $6 million salary per year. Lonzo Ball would become the starting point guard and Talen Horton-Tucker the starting shooting guard, giving the Los Angeles Lakers a dynamic young backcourt of the future to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
As for being hardcapped again, there’s a sense from writers following the Lakers like Eric Pincus the Lakers might welcome financial constraints to prevent them from overspending and incurring stratospheric luxury taxes. There was talk from Woj and other pundits that the Lakers were looking for ways to get out of some of their future commitments to create flexibility this summer to re-sign their own free agents Horton-Tucker and Caruso.
Another wrinkle of a Lonzo Ball and Lakers reunion is Ball’s agent is now Rich Paul of Klutch Sports. It’s no secret Rob Pelinka and Rich Paul have a history of making moves to mutually benefit the Lakers and Klutch clients. There’s something karmic about Lonzo signing with the player agent who engineered his trade to New Orleans. What better story than the prodigal son returning to lead the team that drafted him to more championships.
At 23, Lonzo has become his own man, no longer tethered to the whims and opinions of a dominant father. He’s put his career in the capable hands of Rich Paul and worked hard to become a better and more valuable player. While New York is tempting, Rich Paul surely knows the best landing spot for Lonzo Ball and his career would be back at Staples next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He’s the perfect point guard for the LA Lakers.
Temporarily overshadowed by his younger brother LaMelo’s sensational rookie season, Lonzo has an opportunity to return to Los Angeles, rejoin LeBron, and become the first Ball brother to win an NBA championship.
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You almost have to wonder whether Rob Pelinka and Rich Paul have already discussed the possibility of Lonzo Ball returning to the Lakers and that’s one of the reasons they haven’t given Dennis Schroder that extension. By every measure – shooting, playmaking, defense – Lonzo is a better player and fit than Dennis. The reunion of Lonzo and the Lakers would be great.
You also wonder if this was in the back of Lonzo Ball’s mind when he decided to sign with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports. Lakers and Klutch have partnered to boost the Lakers championship hopes and the careers and paydays of the multiple Klutch clients who’ve signed with the Lakers. There’s a synergy there that’s working.
There’s also something logical and savvy about the Lakers wanting to be hard capped to insure they won’t end up paying stratospheric luxury taxes like the Warriors and Nets are going to pay. And KCP and Kuzma would be great financial and talent fits for a Pelicans team that is one of only two NBA franchises to never pay any luxury taxes. Pelinka and Buss know that too.
Finally, Lonzo would be the ideal backcourt mate for THT and for LeBron and AD. He’s now a proven high 30’s volume 3-point shooter who’s also solved the free throw issues and is shooting almost 80% from the line. His entire game is exactly what the Lakers need in a point guard. Lonzo and the Lakers are a match made in heaven… or in Rich Paul’s and Rob Pelinka’s minds.
Other than trading for Myles Turner, which I think the Lakers might still be able to do, trading for Lonzo would be the smartest available move the Lakers could make this summer. They could then follow that up by pulling off a sign-and-trade of Harrell, THT, and two first round picks for Myles Turner. I laid out the numbers and the Lakers can do this and still stay under the hard cap.
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I would love to see Lonzo back, but I am concerned about his health. He’s missed about 30% of his team games since he’s been in the league. Hopefully he’ll be able to stay healthy whether he reunites with the Lakers or not.
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Health has become a major concern with many players, Lee. I’m hoping Lonzo will be able to stay healthier going forward. The last two seasons in particular have been trying for everybody’s health.
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You literally cannot help yourself. He’s mentally and physically weak. Stay away.
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It’s easy to throw shade when you don’t agree but the facts dispute your claims. Mentally and physically weak? This is a player who has retooled his once crazy jump shot and has shot 37% and 38% the last two seasons and is one of a dozen NBA players shooting over 8 threes per game. He also has retooled his once horrid free throw shooting and is not shooting 79% from the line. Finally, as Zion took over control of the ball as point forward, Lonzo has adjusted his game to becoming the penultimate 3&D player. And while he still respects his father, he’s become his own man, signing with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, the agent who engineered the AD trade that sent him away from the Lakers. Give the kid the credit due, Stan. He’s only 23 but has rebounded from a tumultuous first couple of years with the Lakers to become a premier point guard who has a great future and would be a perfect fit on the Lakers.
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He still can’t stay on the court and shrinks in the moment. Dispute that.
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The Pelicans are one of only two NBA teams that have never paid luxury taxes. While Lonzo has played great for them, they’re not willing to pay him $20 million per year, not with big raises coming soon for Zion and other young players. They see Josh Hart as the less expensive version of Lonzo for their purposes. That’s why he was on the trade market at the deadline and will likely be sign-and-traded this summer. One of the reasons AD wanted out of New Orleans was his belief ownership was not willing to pay to build a championship team. Also, Lonzo does not like it there and wants to move. That may change but most of the stories coming out of New Orleans seem to confirm that Lonzo will be traded this summer.
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Give LakerTom credit: he gets a player he likes in his mind and like a bird dog he doesn’t stop hunting. I’m sure he’s also trying to orchestrate a way for us to obtain Victor Oladipo so he can recover and he the plyer he was, what… three seasons ago?
Schroder and Ball are a wash statistically, the differences minimal and Ball has not been tasked with leading a team. He’s the third option on the Pelicans, at best, and the notion that he “wants to leave” because ” he doesn’t like it there” is naught but personal opinion and speculation.
If Ball does come back it absolutely should not be in a sign and trade. The idea that the Lakers want to handcuff themselves is ludicrous. They don’t need to spend into the stratosphere you just let Schroder walk. We’ve done worse. See Randle, Julius for whom we got n-a-d-a. Zip, zilch, zero. Not even a 2nd round pick in 3067.
Like Schroder I believe Lonzo’s market has been inflated by hype and his decent three point % in one single season. This is not consistency, this is “my contract is up, better make some shots” kind of play. While I do think he will be a solid three point shooter it’s not like he’s leading the Pelicans to the playoffs. He’s the 3rd or 4th ball handler on a team fighting for the play-in. Zion, Ingram, Bledose, Ball. Sorry, that’s not $20 million on the Lakers. Might be $20 mil in Orlando or some such local.
Both Lonzo and Schroder, frankly, should leap at whatever team offers them more than $15 million if money is the object. If the Lakers offer either player that sum I will be disappointed. Neither player is the future of our team. Far better to continue to groom THT while LeBron is on the team rather than invest in the Fool’s Gold that is both Ball and Schroder. I’m not fooled by the game or two that both show elite stats in, I’m far more convinced by the body of evidence the majority of the games they play in reveal.
Let’s look at their playoff stats. That’ll be easy because of the two only has played in a playoff game. That would be Dennis. His playoff numbers aren’t great. As a starter in Atlanta in 2016-17 he had his best showing. Since then, as a backup but with high level responsibilities and expectations he’s been mediocre. He’s never been a key cog on a team that won one playoff series. Which was once, when he averaged 19 mpg in the playoffs in 2015-16 in Atlanta. The biggest issue I have is that in all his playoff series, as has been the case as a Laker, his assist to turnover ratio is atrocious. Save for 2016-17 where he averaged 7.7 assists to 1.7 turnovers they are all subpar for a team with banner expectations. They’re fine for a shooting guard or a backup but not for a starting PG.
I’ll honestly be fine if either Ball returns or Schroder is retained or even if they both end up Lakers. For the right price. That price is not in the $20 million dollar range and, for me, does not go one cent over $15 million. Their skillsets are complimentary in nature, neither is an “alpha” type player. It’s because of that they both over-value their worth. If they make 20+, good on them and their respective agents. if it’s with the Lakers then Rob isn’t doing his job very well.
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I’m seriously worried the Lakers are going to try to rely on Andre Drummond and Montrezl Harrell to play big minutes at center so Anthony Davis can play his preferred power forward position.
I believe that could be the kind of overthinking that could cost the Lakers a chance to repeat as champions. We play our best defense when we go small with AD at the five and four players who can trap, switch, and rotate rapidly to suffocate offenses. That is something have not shown we can do with Drummond, Gasol, or Harrell in the lineup. That’s why I believe we have to follow the blueprint we did last year with AD playing half his 36 minutes per game at the five.
If you think Andre, Marc, or Trezz can be part of a lockdown championship defense, please post some clips showing that because I cannot remember a single instance when they were able to play the kind of smothering defense the Lakers ‘small ball’ lineup did last year to win the championship. Drummond and Harrell are never in the right position defensively, don’t have the timing and anticipation to block many shots, and clog up the paint on offense to make it hard for LeBron, AD, Dennis, or THT to have space to get to the rim. Gasol is still the best option because he at least can pass and shoot the 3 on offense. Just too old, slow, and flat footed on D.
If AD plays 50% of his minutes at the five, we win championship. If he doesn’t, we’re lose. It really is that simple. I don’t care what Frank does with centers during the regular season but he better not screw with the winning formula we had last year and try to win with Drummond, Gasol, and Harrell because that’s not going to fly. Bench the Rent-a-Centers and start and close with AD.