Aloha,
Watching last nights game provided another reminder that in most cases, big three’s are fools gold, especially when the 3 are all super max players. Consider this, Morris, Kennard, Jackson, Batum, Mann and Harteinstein all cost less then Russ. Having the depth and mid range contracts also allowed the Clippers to trade for Powell and Covington. We complain that the Lakers don’t spend enough but the Clippers did all of this by only spending 4 mil more than the Lakers. The Clips not only beat us but are now at 500 with their equivalent of AD and LeBron out. Of course it also doesn’t help when one of your big 3 isn’t playing anywhere near his pay grade. The Clippers also demonstrated the benefits of a little continuity which the Lakers haven’t had since LeBron arrived.
Unfortunately it really won’t matter much what we do this summer. If the Clippers are healthy next year, they could be the best team in the West. The Suns will be better. As will the Warriors, and the Griz. The talk of course is trading Russ, which we should. But the best case scenario would be say, landing Brogdon and Buddy from the Pacers, and that’s hardly a lock, it’s more like the Pacers last resort trade.
It’s extremely difficult to build a big 3 and Rob was foolish to try with the assets we had. 11 minimum contracts is not going to win a championship. 3 of our “big” free agent signings sat on the pine last night.
So what can be done this summer? I would still pursue a Russ trade and see if we can pull off something like the Pacers example. After that? Hope. Hope that we can keep Malik. Hope that Nunn is healthy and opts in. After do not trade THT, Austin or Stanley. Here is something new, develop them. THT is starting to get. He is now having more good games than bad, especially on defense where he has been very good. Austin is growing defensively and is cool under pressure. And Stanley’s defense is very good, not every guy in a rotation has to be a scorer. That would give us a core. It’s the young players stepping up that has been fueling us. Money will be tight this summer and some talent will trickle down. It would be very nice to target a few younger guys this time.
I know it’s always “don’t waste Lebrons remaining years” but we did this year with poor roster construction designs to “win now”. I just don’t see any moves that could elevate us into true contenders. I think we should be aiming for the following year when we may have some cap space. Develop the kids so they are ready when the cap space opens up. If win now is impossible, than win the following year is the best option.
Aloha, Michael,
This season has convinced me that two superstars with a better starting lineup and deeper bench is better than three superstars.
The problem is multi-fold.
First, it’s hard to find three superstars whose personalities mesh as the Brooklyn Nets discovered this season.
Second, it’s hard to find three superstars who’s talents complement each other as the Lakers have found with Russ this season.
Third, paying for three superstars handicaps the team when it comes to improving the rest of the roster via free agency or trade. You basically don’t have any trading chips or cap space.
The only Lakers player we differ on is THT, whom I think will never be a good enough shooter or defender to be a good fit on this team. Only reason he could be kept is we can’t get value for him.
Otherwise, we do need to give all of the kids more minutes and more important roles. it’s the only way this team gets better quicky and sets the stage for long-term growth. Monk, Reaves, Johnson, and THT need to play big minutes.
Only other change I think we need to make soon is firing Frank Vogel. There’s no way he’s going to be the coach next season so why wait. Make Handy interim with instructions to play the right players. Then start a search for the next head coach now rather than trying to do that at the same time they’re building the roster. We’ve aready seen how having a coach who doesn’t agree with roster doesn’t really work.
I’ve never been one for team-building via slogans. Haven’t really been a proponent of multiple ball dominant stars on the same team since the NBA vetoed the trade for Chris Paul, which I thought then was a terrible deal. Kobe doesn’t need Chris just like LeBron doesn’t need Russ. It’s reverse logic that just about always backfires.
The only time’s it has worked is when all three take less than the max. Boston (Pierce, Garnet, Allen) and Miami (James, Wade, Bosh) are really the only two examples that come to mind. A big 2 with a solid roster around them is a much better way. Wish we had run it back from last season since that team made the playin without a lot of AD and LBJ. Could have used Dennis as a S&T, taken the hard cap hit like the season before, and seen what Trezz wanted to do (he would have opted in).
Anyhow, not sure we end up keeping all the young guys. I like the idea of continuing to develop them but I think Reaves is going to need to be used to move Russ. Since we have no picks of relevance Reaves is essentially a late first rounder/early second rounder right now. Who knows if he can take a step forward but if a team needs to have him included to make a Russ deal happen (and it’s a good trade, not some for John Wall BS) I can’t see a way to legitimize holding onto Austin at that point.
THT… Man, I dunno. I think he’s our most trade worthy player, honestly just because he shows some promise now and then. That’s the issue for me, though. I would rather have a guy who you can count on on defense every night and if he scores more than 10 well that’s just peachy. I don’t need volume three point shooters, or even guys who can hit the three above 35%, at every position. We need so much more than scoring right now.
Bottom line, I don’t even consider AD untouchable this summer. Honestly, if a good deal for James came down the pike I’d consider it. There’s no way to look at this season other than an epic disappointment. Thus, because the only things we have to work with are three max salaries and some role-players who have yet to define themselves in the NBA, I really don’t see anything as being off the table. The Lakers need to do right by the franchise. It should be the first priority this off-season.
My biggest fear is a panic trade. Russ was one and look where it got us. I wouldn’t even move Russ just to move him. It really has to upgrade our roster. We will have to give up picks so it better be for a few players that can impact our chances. And please no over 30 with a resume that’s is on the way down. I like the idea of developing the the kids because we need young legs that play with energy. I really don’t see how much value we can get in a trade. And if we include any of them to move Russ, we better receive some players back that can elevate us. I would rather hold on to young talent and live with their mistakes, than vets with marginal effect. As for THT, while his offense has been up and down it is trending in the right direction and I have felt his defense has been pretty solid for a month now. If he finishes as good or better than he has recently, we better be getting quality back for him. I I just don’t see any moves with our available assets of having a huge impact. If we can’t find deals that can make us true contenders than I would prefer to hold onto our assets until 2023 when some cap space opens up.
That’s fair but I think that, outside of Russ declining his PO for some reason we’re going to need to move him. Let’s say for a second that we truly roll it back in terms of anyone not on a vet minimum deal. That’s James, Russ, AD, THT, Nunn, Johnson and Reaves. That’s only 1/2 a team. Now let’s just allow ourselves to indulge in a reality where Monk re-ups with us for whatever our MLE is (I think we can offer him 5.5/6 mil this summer). OK, now we’re 6 vet minimum contracts away from the league roster minimum. To me that looks like the exact same boat we’re in now. Hoping THT takes a step, praying LBJ and AD can stay on the court, and thinking that the same talent level of ring chasers comes our way. We’re just going to be old and slow, again.
Rob needs to figure out something, it may cost us Reaves, THT or allowing Monk to sign into someone else’s cap space for an exception we can use to sign a different player but we’re going to need to get ridiculously creative this summer.