Aloha,

The year began with a whole slew of desperate calls to trade Russ, to save our season. There were so many different trade proposals floated around out there that it was impossible to keep track of all of them. As it turns out, the trades Rob made were much better than anyone could have imagined and much better than any of the trades that had been discussed. The only question is, were they made in time. It’s a shame that they couldn’t have been made earlier so the team had time to jell. Unfortunately Rob had to wait for the clearance sales to begin, since the asking price for players were high until the last minute.

I guess the thing that impressed me the most was how seamless the team looked in the first game with everyone available. I think it helped that DLO, Beasley and Vandy had played a few years together, leaving the 2nd unit with guys that had played together with the exception of Bamba. I don’t expect it to look that good every game, there will be adjustments that will need to be made and we will be playing some very good teams coming up, but at least we have some hope moving forward.

If we do make the playoffs I think this group is capable of making some noise. But beyond this season I believe we are set up for success at least through the end of Lebrons tenure. We finally landed the perfect PG to play with LeBron. DLO can play on and off the ball. He can run the team or play the 2 and most importantly, he can shoot. He is the perfect 3rd option for this team and should be had for a reasonable contract. And I believe he really wants to be here.

Actually we are in a position to keep everyone except for Dennis, Troy and Lonnie. We do not have bird rights on them and none of them will be playing for the minimum. I would love to keep Dennis but I dont know if he will play for the mini MLE. Everyone else we can keep. For me the must keep players are:
Dlo
Vandy
Rui
Austin
Pippin Jr ( he is in the rising stars and a candidate for rookie of the year and G league MVP. Worth keeping for a 3rd PG on the cheap)
I like Beasley and would not mind him as well but it will really come down to how well he shoots the rest of the way.

We also are in a unique position to add a quality free agent in a sign and trade. Two of the best free agents this summer Gary Trent Jr and Jamari Grant also happen to be Klutch clients. In Beasley, Bamba and Reed we have nearly 30 mil in non guaranteed contracts we could send out with picks at the draft. We could swing sign and trades if the their teams didn’t want to lose them for nothing. Or we could use those contracts for other moves. But I have no problem with keeping all of them.

So many options with moves that have been made and for the first time in two years we can actually return a core group that can compete for a championship. The only thing that could ruin it is trading for an overpriced star. Robb wouldn’t do that? Right?

Aloha,

I was very depressed when I found out LeBron wasn’t playing. Even though Steph was out, the Warriors have a lot of other weapons and are the best home team in the NBA. With LeBron out and all these new players to work in, I thought this was another lost opportunity when we have to win almost every game. Boy was I delightfully surprised. Our new additions played like they had been here for weeks.

First was our energy unit, spearheaded by Austin, Vanderbilt, Gabriel, Beasley and Lonnie. Their defense was intense as they built that 3rd quarter lead.

I was ecstatic but confused when Danny threw Vanderbilt into the trade. And reading the reaction from around the league, I wasn’t the only one who was confused. Danny gifted the Lakers a taller version of Dennis Rodman. All energy all the time on both sides of the ball. 12 points 8 boards 4 assists and a steal in 17 minutes. That’s getting it done. And the good news is we have him under contract for another year at just under 5 mil. I believe he will be a Laker a long time.

Many forget that Austin was a point guard in college but he displayed the ability to calmly run the offense while the other point guards rested. This guy might be the toughest guy on the teams as he routinely gets clobbered every game. His ability on both ends of the court is really solid. And we should be able to to hold onto him as well. Because of the Arinas rule the most any team can pay him is 11 mil, which he is more than worth. If Rob lets him walk the fans will burn down Crypto. I would light the match.

And then there is Gabriel. He is all hustle all the time. Playing with Vandy was amazing with those two flying all over the place. 6 points 3 boards and a steal in 12 minutes along with solid defense will also get it done. And with early bird right we can offer him a modest raise. He is definitely a guy I want on my bench.

While Beasley and Lonnie didn’t have a lot of impact on the offense they both defended their butts off. Lonnie is probably gone but we have a 16 mil team option on Beasley. A lot will depend on how he performs the rest of the way. We could let him walk or use him in a trade if we don’t keep him.

I liked the back court pairing of DLO and Dennis. DLO displayed a much more mature game. He is crafty with a good handle and seems to get inside at will where he gets his own or find another player. I think he will work very well with LeBron. He is one of the best pick and roll point guards in the league and he plays off the ball well. He should also see a lot of open looks from 3. While he is not a 31 mil guy, he is definitely a 20 to 25 mil guy and another guy we can keep.

I want to find a way to keep Dennis. Yes his offense is inconsistent but his defense never is. As coach Ham said, he is fearless on both ends of the ball. His scoring carried us but he was also impressive on the defensive end. DLO competed on defense but he’s not great. And while Austin is a very good defender, he does struggle some with very quick guards. I like Dennis defending guys like JA , Dame and Kyrie. While Pinnin Jr will probably be our 3rd PG next year, considering he is tearing up the G League and in the running for MVP, will will need a 2nd and I hope it can be Dennis.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Rui’s solid all around game. This was another example of why the Lakers were so excited to land him. He had a solid all around game on both sides of the ball, especially in the 4th quarter when he mad several big shots. He is another that we can keep on a reasonable contract.

While this is just one game I came away very optimistic. I don’t know if we make the playoffs. Overall health will of course be the most important factor. But we have a much better chance now then we did. And it’s a pleasure no longer being under sized. Moving forward we could have the pieces for a young very good squad next year. I have never been a fan of 3 stars without a proper supporting cast and my hope is that Robb doesn’t do that this summer. We have bird right on everyone so this team could come back together next year. We could even send out Beasley and Bamba and picks for a very good player. That’s 26 mil. Jamari Grant anyone? He just joined Klutch and while the Blazers would not want to lose him they won’t let him walk for nothing. Just a thought.

Aloha,

Rob pulled off something I never thought he could. He upgraded the roster checking many boxes of need along the way. And he did it all with one protected first and 4 2nds, including the 3 we sent out for Rui. Believe it or not we now have a deep and and balanced roster. Now he still has the summer to muck it up, but for now I feel like we are a pretty good team. And we got younger. Can we make the playoffs? It’s hard to say, including Rui we have 6 new players. Can they jell quickly enough? That’s the question. One positive is that DLO, Vanderbilt and Beasley played together with the T-Wolves for a few years before this year, so they are familiar with each other.

I have been against adding a third star because I felt we needed a supporting cast or else it wouldn’t matter. Now we have one.

DLO is a good PG, not worth the 31 mil he is making but he is definitely a 20 to 25 mil guy. He can shoot the 3 and he is a very good pick and roll guard. Now instead of Russ shooting those 3’s we will have DLO taking those shots. Teams wouldn’t even guard Russ, daring him to shoot. Now they will have to guard DLO and it will open space for LeBron and AD.

Beasley is another shooter that will help space the floor. He is 3rd in the NBA in made 3’s over the last few years. And while not a great defender, he’s competent and very sturdy. He can switch 2 through 4.

I was surprised that we landed Vanderbilt. There was a lot of interest in him. Actually a lot of people around the league have questioned his inclusion. He is 6’ 8”, with a high motor, that can guard 2 through 5. He is also a great rebounder with 8 a game in just 24 minutes. We could have used him against the Bucks.

Bamba will need to prove himself. While 1 block a game and nearly 40% from 3 in 17 minutes is a great result, one wonders why he only got 17 minutes and why it only took a 2nd round pick to land him. He was even behind Mo Wagner in the rotation. And Wanger only blocks .2 shots and shoots 32% from 3 in 21 minutes. Hopefully the coaches can help unlock the potential he is supposed to have.

Another aspect of this trade is not one of the players have guaranteed money for next year. We hold team options on Beasley. Vanderbilt and Bamba’s contracts are not guaranteed. while DLo is a free agent. If a player doesn’t cut it we can package them in a trade or even let them walk. And we have full bird rights on all of them.

I hope these guys can grow together. DLO, Beasley, Vanderbilt, Rui, Austin, Max and Bamba have the potential to be a young quality supporting cast for AD and LeBron. Now hopefully we can put it together quickly and salvage this season.

Aloha,

The Jazz play the T-Wolves tonight. It will be interesting to see if any of the rumored players play tonight.

Aloha

It is just 3 days until the trade deadline but all that is out there is articles on the Kyrie trade. No reports on actual talks. Either teams are holding their cards tightly or not much is happening. I guess there could be an explosion of activity late but so far it’s seems pretty quiet for this close to the deadline.

Aloha

One can find article after article on how not landing Kyrie was a missed opportunity. What opportunity? When the Nets team owner tell his front office that they can not trade Kyrie to the Lakers, what were the Lakers to do? Where is the lost opportunity?

Aloha,

Anyone who watched this game will understand why I have been more interested in trading for players that can defend, than more offense. We have no trouble scoring. We need to improve our defense. You win in the playoffs with defense not offense.

Aloha,

The Pels have lost 10 in a row, mostly due to injury. BI is finally back and they are a good team even without Zion. I expect them to play with desperation to end the streak. Lakers are going to have to match that intensity.Especially early. We can’t fall way behind in this one.

Aloha,

I’m not sure if I want Kyrie. Chaos has followed him every where he has gone. And he has missed considerable time due to injury starting in college all the way through his pro career. He has also missed considerable amount of playing time because he is a flake.

Beyond that we would again be filling out a roster next year with minimum salary guys. There are other routes that would give us a shot and give us quality players for next year. We have been talking to both the Jazz and the Hornets. They have something in common that may not require unprotected firsts. They both have salaries they want to dump. I’m also looking at the Raptors.

The Lakers could send Russ and a protected to the Jazz for Conley, Beasley and olynyk. The Raptors are in desperate need of a center. We could send Olynyk, a protected first and Lonnie to the Raptors for Trent Jr. Lonnie is a good young player that would help their rotation considering they need 3 point shooting. That would give us two solid young players for the present as well as the future. And Conley still is pretty good. We have no point guards under contract next year. We could keep him or use his salary in a trade.

A similar deal could be worked out with the Hornets with some combination of Rozier, Plumlee, Washington or Ubre. Although sending Plumlee to the Raptors might require an unprotected first. And we would still have PatBev and 2nds to use for one more upgrade.

I would much rather see a deal like this as opposed to a Kyrie deal. I would prefer the Jazz deal because I’m not sold on Rozier for 3 more years. Our rotation would look like this

Conley PG
Trent Jr SG
AD C
LeBron PF
Rui SF

Bench
Beasley
Austin
Dennis
Troy
Thomas
Gabriel

I think that line up could make as much noise in the playoffs as a Kyrie, Harris combo would if not more, and without the risk. Heck do we know if Kyrie would even resign with us? You just can’t count on anything from him. Trent Jr is a Klutch client so I’m sure he would. Anyway I hope the Lakers are treating all options equally and not fixated on Kyrie. We could end up with nothing if they are.

Aloha,

Well we played one good quarter last night and fortunately it was enough as we squeezed out a win. One of the biggest reasons this game was that close was our 3 point shooting. The Pacers made 10 more 3’s and that was with Buddy pretty much being a non factor.

Everyone would love to land a 3 point shooter in a trade and I would too. But the question is, would we utilize them. LeBron is shooting 31% from 3. Russ is shooting 28% and AD is shooting 26%. They took half of our 3 point shots last night.

A perfect example of our failure to generate 3’s occurred at the end of the first half. Russ was dribbling down for the last shot. Lonnie was wide open behind the arc to his right. Yet Russ took the last shot and missed. After the shot, Lonnie lowered his eyes, smiled to himself and shook his head. A teammate patted him on the back as they walked off.

Lonnie shoots 38% from 3. He got one shot. Thomas shoots well over 40%. He got one look. Troy shoots over 40% from the corner and got one look. PatBev has been shooting well over 40% in the new year. He got two looks.

Our 3 point shots are generated by drive and kicks, to the open man. And it doesn’t matter who that open man is. If this team wants to improve their 3 point shooting they need to run some plays for guys that can make 3 point shots. Trading for a shooter will do little good if the team doesn’t utilize that shooter.

Aloha,

PatBev won the game for us before he didn’t. Another missed free throw against the Celtics and then a stupid foul. 4 seconds left. Concede the basket.

We took 42 3’s, way too many for this team.

We had a size advantage and didn’t exploit it. I mean Thomas got one shot. And they didn’t get the ball into AD nearly enough.

Still we were jobbed again by yet another obvious foul that was called. Yet they called PatBevs fouls. That’s now 4 games this year. And it wasn’t just that call, the Celtics took 19 more free throws and there were way too many missed called on the Celtics.

Yes we blew this game but we should have won this once despite our mistakes. Tomorrow there will be yet another 2 minute report and it will again say LeBron was fouled and again it won’t matter.

Aloha,

We definitely looked like a team on the back end of a back to back. And we’re playing a bad team that we probably were overlooking. Which you can’t do in the NBA. We pulled it out with a 11-0 burst in about a minute.

It was great to see AD out there. He looked a bit rusty but 21, 12 and 4 blocks in 26 minutes is something most centers would love to do.

LeBron was tired. 20 points on 20 shots. But he went into play maker mode with 11 assists. Still wished he wouldn’t take a lot of 3’s. 1-6. Russ was 0-3. That’s 11%. The rest of the team shot 37%. Wish others got more of those 3’s.

Loved Russ throwing Collins to the ground. Obviously he remembered the last game when Collins bloodied him with a flagrant 2.

Rui looked really good for not even having a practice. 12 points, 6 boards and a team high +17 in just 22 minutes. He was a little nervous at first but he settled in and he looks like he really will help this team.

Shout out to PatBev. 18 points. His offense carried the team early.

Dennis’s offense can be inconsistent but he is always locked in on defense. 4 steals, 2 blocks and a +15.

I really like Max. He is becoming a good defender, especially for a 19 year old. He can knock down a 3 as well.

Interesting thing in the standings. The Lakers are only 3 games behind the Pels. They have lost 6 in a row and Zion is not even going to be re-evaluated. For two more weeks. It would be crazy if we caught them. Even if we don’t catch them the more they lose the better our pick will be.

Aloha,

Last night was a glaring example of our biggest problem we have had this year. Lack of size. We had Dennis and PatBev trying to guard PG and Kawahi a lot. When we sent a double team they found the open man for a 3. When we didn’t, they took our puny guys inside and shot over them. Hopefully we won’t see those kind of mismatches often moving forward.

Signing Rui was a big step in the right direction. He is 6’ 8” with a 7’ 2” wing span that will definitely be harder to shoot over. While it’s hard to stop a super star you can make it more difficult.

AD coming back will also be huge, besides being a premier rim protector he also excels at switching on D. And with TB playing well it just adds more size to the rotation. Whether TB starts with AD or comes off the bench and plays with him there will be a domino effect all the way down the rotation. Add in minutes for Gabriel and now Troy can guard wing 3’s again instead of 4’s. Lonnie and Austin can play more 2 and less 3 and PatBev hopefully will no longer have to guard the KD’s and PG’s of the league.

If there is another trade to be made I hope they can find another defender. While 3 point snipers are nice, they will be wasted in this offense. We just don’t run a lot of plays for 3 point shots. It’s a drive and kick style of offense and the open man takes the shot, even if it’s Westbrook. As I have written before, take out LeBron and Russ and our 3 point shooting as a team is 36%. That in the upper half of the league. The problem is LeBron and Russ take over a 3rd of our 3’s. Even with Lebron’s 9 for 14 night, it elevated him all the way up to…30%. Russ sits at 28%. My question to those that want to trade for sniper is always this, in this offense how many looks will they get a game? 5? Maybe 6? Lonnie shoots 38% and gets 5. Thomas shoots 44% and gets a couple.

If there is another trade to be made I would like it to be for another defender, with some size. And if he can shoot 35% from 3. That would be better than a 40% shooter that doesn’t defend. You want to surround LeBron with shooters but they don’t have to be snipers. 35/36% is just fine if they can defend.

We currently are 5th in the league in scoring at 117 points a game. That’s enough to win a championship. But we are 27th in points allowed at 118. That will never win a championship.

I’m looking forward to having everyone back. Even without AD we would have one a few more games with just Austin and Lonnie. I am eager to see how Rui fits over the next few weeks and how they use TB and AD together. I have a good feeling about this team. Maybe not as good as Pat Riley saying they could win it all but I do think they will make some noise. And I would love to eliminate the Clippers in the playoffs. We can beat them at full strength.