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Lakers Fast Break wrote a new postPinned Post
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Lakers Fast BreakPinned Post
Lakers Fast Break- NBA Playoff Ideas To Make Your Eyes Roll…with LakerTom!
LakerTom from lakerholics.net returns with more insight and opinions as he always does as he and Gerald ponder the NBA’s season and playoff format when the league returns to play on July 31. They break down all the questions being asked about the format, the challenges, and the proposed ideas being bandied a…Read More
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OK. I see you used the Front-End Editor above to create this post. This timeline is from Youzer, which is a version of BuddyPress, which adds social media features to WordPress and treats entries created by the above Front-End Editor as Activities rather than Posts. You should test using the Gutenberg Editor to create posts. You can make the posts FEATURED and add a FEATRURED IMAGE.…Read More
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LakerTom wrote a new post
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LakerTom wrote a new post
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Besides starting and closing with last year’s conference finals lineup, JJ Redick is also pairing Anthony Davis with D’Angelo Russell and LeBron James with Austin Reaves for the Lakers’ middle-of-game rotations.https://t.co/Fy9tKuOnqR pic.twitter.com/Q15AlycRrz
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) November 4, 2024
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LAKERS 9-MAN ROTATION
The above chart displays a sample 9-man rotation utilizing only players who are currently on the Lakers’ roster and able to play. Christie, Vincent, and Hayes are likely to be replaced in the rotation at some point in time.https://t.co/Fy9tKuOnqR pic.twitter.com/sFt6Kf2woO
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) November 4, 2024
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STARTER/BENCH MINUTES
JJ’s new rotation also assures that the Lakers always have two starters in every lineup and 180 or 75% of the 240 minutes per game will be played by Lakers’ starters and only 60 minutes per game or 25% by bench players.https://t.co/Fy9tKuOnqR pic.twitter.com/8aG5eDCWQO
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) November 4, 2024
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LAKERS’ NEXT 30 DAYS
Last season, the Lakers finished their first 20 games of the season with an 11–9 record. Right now, the Lakers are 4–2. Over the next 30 days, they will play a dramatically easier schedule with 14 mostly winnable games.https://t.co/Fy9tKuOnqR pic.twitter.com/bf2flnBiAK
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) November 4, 2024
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LakerTom wrote a new post
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https://x.com/LakerTom/status/1853481805757694378
Boy, oh boy could the Los Angeles Lakers use Christian Wood in their lineup. The Lakers (4-2) have started off the 2024-25 NBA season on the right foot. Los Angeles experienced a couple of ups and downs through the early portion of their 82-game slate, but overall, they are thriving behind the MVP-worthy play of Anthony Davis and strong supplementary support from LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
Yet, if what their bench has left to be desired thus far could be characterized, it would be characterized as a streetcar.
Lakers rank dead last in the NBA bench scoring without Christian Wood
L.A.’s second-unit contributors are all out to pitch in as best as they can behind their star-studded starting lineup. However, that has not translated into their productivity. The Lakers are dead last in bench points per game among all teams, scoring a lackluster 20.3 PPG.
The 3.3-point margin between them and the No. 29 overall New York Knicks bench (23.6 PPG) is the biggest drop-off margin between two teams among all of the ball clubs outside of the top three in said department. Their second unit is also converting a paltry 26.4 percent of their 8.8 three-point attempts per game.
If that wasn’t enough, the franchise which prides itself on its interior play, is getting a league-worst 9.3 rebounds per game from their second unit. That’s with Jaxson Hayes playing well too. Oh, what one player can do for a team.
Wood was a perennial 6MOTY candidate and fringe-All-Star performer prior to injury
Prior to last season, which saw Wood limited to 6.9 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 17.4 minutes of action across 50 games, exacerbated by injury, the California native was rampaging through the league, establishing himself as a serious scoring threat with All-Star potential. Wood averaged 21 PPG and 17.9 PPG respectively from 2020-21 to 2021-22 as a starter with the Houston Rockets and kept up his offensive ways once he became the Dallas Mavericks’ sixth man in a reduced role, boasting 16.6 PPG in a mere 25.9 MPG in 2022-23.
The UNLV product brought down 8.9 rebounds a night over that span. Thus, it’s reasonable to expect him to still have such capabilities flowing through his veins. Wood is currently sidelined with a left knee injury, and the Lakers have felt his absence greatly as a result. There’s no debate that, should he return from his ailment at full strength, he’ll revitalize Los Angeles’ bench scoring exponentially.
Wood can help fill the Lakers’ void at center upon his return
Seeing that Davis desires to play power forward more than center, Wood will be in line to be the first man off of Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s bench and run alongside Davis at the five, or with the second unit at the four next to Hayes. Wood’s 37.4 percent clip from three-point range dating back to the 2019-20 campaign makes him a lethal inside-out threat. He can also put the ball on the floor, post-up, and catch-and-shoot with proficiency.
Wood was given an eight-week timetable for recovery after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee on Sept. 9. That primes him for a return in November, which couldn’t come at a better time for the Lakers.
The talented big man, who finished No. 4 in the Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2019-20 and No. 9 in 2022-23, will look to boost L.A.’s reserve unit once he returns and make his case to take home the prestigious award next spring. The Lakers won’t achieve their championship goals this year if their bench does not drastically improve. Wood’s value to the team will continue to show itself the more he misses time, as well as once he takes the floor again.
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https://x.com/LakerTom/status/1853450198300971505
“He is very good at confrontations and you need a strong coach that’s built for confrontation,” the now Sixers forward revealed. Apart from their conversation, he could recall his short stint on ESPN. JJ Redick, even though a rookie, went “toe to toe” with Stephen A. Smith. Whether it was rebutting the famous analyst’s thoughts or engaging in a pressing debate, Redick prevailed with flying colors.
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From above article:
JJ Redick is awaiting one piece to truly unlock the Lakers
Through heated debates, even Stephen A. Smith knew Redick had the bravado to take on a job such as the Lakers. “Anyone who knows anything about you knows that you have that coaching itch. Wishing you nothing but the best,” he wrote in his tweet. And it was almost instantly on show.On opening night they took down a healthy Minnesota Timberwolves, a team considered to be contenders. Their offense has become motion-heavy. Moreover, he has done something no previous coach could. Redick has passed the keys on to Anthony Davis and allowed James to play a supportive role.
That has amounted to the Brow currently leading the league in scoring and being an early MVP favorite. The only area the Lakers have lacked is defense. JJ Redick wants to instill pace in the Lakers. However, in doing that, there have been some defensive inconsistencies. The Lakers have a 117.8 defensive rating in these first few games. But this is without an energizer that the head coach believes is necessary for championship teams.
JJ Redick is desperately awaiting Jared Vanderbilt’s return. “He can sort of … I call them energy shifters. He can change the energy of an entire game, and he doesn’t have to do it with scoring, which makes him really unique. I can’t wait to coach him,” he told Mike Trudell.
Playing as a hound, in his short stint with the Lakers, Vanderbilt has become a fan favorite. His defensive activity remains high and can set the make vital plays as a stopper that will give the defense time to settle once they have to transition. So far, Redick has given the Laker Nation every reason to believe in him.
His aim too aligns with the legacy of the Purple and Gold. He wants to hang banners and is taking bold steps to ensure the same.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
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When the Lakers face the challenge of playing four games in just six nights, as seen in their recent matchup against the Cavs, their chances of maintaining a strong record diminish significantly. Success hinges not only on skill but also on strategy and stamina. To navigate this demanding schedule, the team must manage their energy wisely. The absence of players like Vando and Wood due to injuries has been felt not just in scoring but also in defense and rebounding, crucial for enduring such a grueling stretch. Prioritizing health and depth is essential; a well-rounded lineup now can yield significant benefits later in the season. Every player counts, especially when the stakes are high.
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LakerTom wrote a new post
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JJ said tweak in rotation was to have ball in DLo hands more as a creator w/ AD on the floor, then also having AR/Bron in together in next rotation pattern
— i (@pgUNO_) November 2, 2024
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LakerTom wrote a new post
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What Lakers cannot do is lose DLO to free agency with nothing in return. That's cap mismanagement. DLO m/b traded.
Despite a lack of interest in DLO as a player, he will be tradable as an expiring contract. Right now, Schroder is the best option Lakers have to replace Russell. pic.twitter.com/s5ySdc0dFT
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) November 2, 2024
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The Brooklyn Nets could enter a fire sale, making players like Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Bojan Bogdanovic, Dennis Schroder, Ben Simmons, and Day’Ron Sharpe available, per @MikeAScotto
“Across the bridge, the Brooklyn Nets have chosen to pivot towards a rebuild, and… pic.twitter.com/XltGi8BEQz
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 26, 2024
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Very nice post, Gerald. Like the embedded audio. I’m surprised you got the read more to work. I’ve had problems with it. Also, don’t know how you created a post without a title, since I’ve tried to make titles required.