Aloha,
Trade details (expected to be done this afternoon):

Lakers receive:
– Rui Hachimura

Wizards receive:
– Kendrick Nunn
– 3 second round picks.

This is a good trade. Rui is a young combo forward with size. He can score and rebound. Defensively he is a work in progress but we have a great development staff. I like him much better than Cam because he actually plays.

Aloha,

When I looked at the schedule I thought that the Griz were the team that we had the worst chance of beating with our injury issues. After all they were finally healthy and they were the hottest team in the NBA. Up to the steal by Dennis I thought we were going to lose. But we pulled it out.

This team plays incredibly hard. And that is a testimony to coach Hamm. Sure he’s made some mistakes but he has held this team together through all the adversity. If we had been even reasonably healthy, along with decent refereeing, our record would be reversed and we would be one of the top 6 seeds.

With the trade season in full swing, all the click bait posters have a variety of players for us to consider. And they generally are all geared towards the offensive side of the ball. Yet we are 7th in the NBA in scoring. Many of these articles have 3 point shooters as targets, as we are 27th in the league.

But there are reasons for that. First we were shooting around 22% over our first 15 games. Now we are up to 33%. Our biggest problem is who is shooting the 3. LeBron and Russ take 11 of our 30 threes a game. And they are combined 29%. LeBron is actually last in the NBA. Yes even worse than Russ. Take out those 2 and the rest of the team is shooting 36%. Good enough.

When you consider how we run our offense, would adding a 3 point sniper help that much. We rarely set up plays for a 3 point shot. Our 3’s are generated through drive and kicks and the open man takes the shot, regardless of how well they shoot 3’s.

Our biggest need was on full display against the Griz. We desperately need a wing with size that can defend and rebound. We generally get crushed on the offensive boards with our small line ups. And if that wing can hit a 3, that is a bonus. Bogdanovic is a popular name. But how many shots would he actually get with the way we play. Defensively his on only fair and is getting a mere 3 boards a game.

For me the wing with size and rebounding should be our goal. The only question will that guy become available. My feeling is, if one doesn’t surface, I would hold onto my assets because there will be a few available in free agency this summer. While if we were healthy I feel we would be pretty good, I don’t see a realistic game changing trade in this sellers market. The worst thing this team could do is make a trade that could keep us mediocre for years to come.

Aloha,

The news coming out of the Lakers camp is sound. It makes perfect sense to look for trades that will make them competitive for the next 3 years. Unfortunately it’s for the wrong reason. First, thinking we can land a super star this summer for what we have to offer is boneheaded. If LeBron falls for that he isn’t as bright as I think he is.

Now let’s assume Robb does pull a rabbit out of hat and secures a superstar. Will that make us true contenders? Hardly. Three superstars and a collection of minimum contract guys year in and year out won’t cut it. A team needs a strong supporting cast and some semblance of continuity to win a championship. Especially if your superstars are as fragile as AD and LeBron. Oh by the way the article mentioned Lillard and Beal, both of which are as fragile as our stars.

For me the perfect trade would be for a 3 and D wing with size under a reasonable contract. Kuz would be a good example of that. His cap hold would still allow us to add around 20 mil in free agents.

My perfect trade would be for OG Anunoby. His salary will be around 18 mil next year, allowing us to add a couple of decent free agents. Although the way he is playing he is probably out of our price range, even with both picks, which I would give up for him.

We could added several quality free agents this summer with our cap space. The worst thing we could do from a team building standpoint would be to bring back contracts for players that wouldn’t really make a difference. I would love to win another ring before LeBron leaves but the wrong trade could end any chance of that.

Aloha,

Yes we lost another game we should have won at the free throw line. But tomorrow when the NBA two minute report comes out it will say that Troy was fouled at the end of regulation. What really upset me it was blatant and the ref was 5 feet away. The report will also say that LeBron was fouled at the end of overtime. It’s shame to lose because two obvious fouls were not called.

I do like the way this team plays. It gives me hope that if we ever are healthy we may be able to put a run together. I particularly liked Gabriel’s game. 14 pts 7 boards and 2 blocks plus some really good defense. The guy can guard the 3. I would rather see him starting over JTA.

Aloha,

Saw a report today that besides Boogey the Lakers are also working out Myers’s Leonard. WTF? I have watched several G league games this year. And Jay Huff of the South Bay Lakers has impressed each time. He blocked 6 shots Las night. His season high is 7. He once blocked 10 for U Virginia. He also shoots the 3. I would like to give him a shot over a guy like Myers’s.

Aloha,

With so few players currently on the trade block I think the main reason you are not seeing any movement is price. The question for the Lakers and every other team looking to upgrade is how much are you willing to over pay for a player. Frankly the asking price for any available player is currently outrageous. And with so many teams clinging to playoff hope it will probably remain outrageous until the deadline. The Lakers need to hope they can get healthy and hang in there until prices drop, or a useful player lands on the buy out market. Our best bet for our play off hopes until February 7th is if role players continue to play at a high level.

Aloha,

The Lakers won today while not playing as the Clippers, Suns, Mav’s, Trailblazers, and Jazz all lost.

Aloha,

When Russ and LeBron play together they are a plus 7.5. When Thomas joins them it jumps to their plus 19.4. When AD plays with them it’s a plus 1.8.

Aloha,

Like I posted before, I never believed this team was not as bad as their early record. We competed even when losing. I thought the ceiling for this team was perhaps playin or 6th seed tops, with a first round exit. Then a funny thing happened, even with all the injuries we have went 17-11 since the bad start. And we have went toe to toe with some of the best teams in the league.

Could this stretch change the front offices mind about giving up a 1st round pick? Yes, I think it could. But not the huge block buster trade that everyone was looking for. Because honestly we don’t need that.

First I have went from trade Russ to keep Russ. And I think they will now. He is playing again at an all star level. He is one of the reasons we are where we are. Will he turn in an occasional bone head play? Absolutely. But he has been a driving force in this run. If you have noticed, LeBron and Russ have finally learned to play with each other. LeBron defers to Russ a lot now and their pick and roll has been deadly.

Thomas Bryant is also playing at an all star level. Once AD returns, they have to find this guy 25 minutes or more a game. This can happen by playing them together when LeBron rests. LeBron mused about the 3 playing together and maybe they should try it if they can’t find a trade for a sF but Lebrons defense has not been great. If LeBron could defend the 3 in 5 to 7 minute bursts. Maybe.

Dennis has also been playing at an all star level. I had heard the rave reviews of of his Euro championship tournament and now we are seeing why. His numbers will go down some if we ever get healthy but he needs to maintain his aggressive play and it’s better then trading for someone else. It’s a shame he missed the first month, we might have a few more wins.

Once everyone is back we could have a solid rotation. Still we are one guy away from making some real noise in the playoffs. Unfortunately that one guy is a wing with size, that’s something everyone covets. But there are targets.

If you have read my posts you know I’m a big OG Anunoby fan. Of all the players rumored to be available, he is the only one I would give up both 1st round picks for. And that’s what it would take. He is playing all NBA level defense and he is a good shooter as well. The bonus is he is under contract at 18 mil for 2 more years. And at 25 he would still be in his prime when that 2027 pick rolled around. It’s the old bird in the hand scenario. Unfortunately he would probably cost us Lonnie as well, but he’s worth it.

Bogdanovic 3 point shooting would go a long way in helping this team. While he isn’t a lock down defender, he is smart and is serviceable on that end. He would also cost a first and possibly Lonnie as well.

We all know and love Kuz. He would bring size and defense on the wing that we lack. My only problem with Kuz is that he is in a contract year. While I don’t believe he has any animosity towards the Lakers and I think he enjoyed being a Laker, he has talked glowingly about his expanded role with the Wizards. He likes being the number 2 option and showing what he can do. I’m not sure he would resign with the Lakers this summer but that would be a must if we were going to spend a first rounder on him.

With the way the others have been playing, and if we are healthy anyone of these 3 could give us a real chance of making some noise in the playoffs.

Aloha,

Another fun game to watch. So how do win without AD, Austin, Lonnie and Troy? Well you have 3 guys in Thomas, Dennis and Russ are playing like all stars to add to LeBron’s stellar play. No defense but it was the 2nd of a back to back.

It will be interesting to see how they use Thomas when AD comes back. I don’t know if I would want to start him with AD, primarily because LeBron not great defending the wing anymore. But they definitely should play them together when LeBron rests. And of course he will give AD plenty of rest as well.

And Dennis is just scorching hot right. I never saw any of the Euro tournament but he was tearing it up and he’s playing like it again. It’s a shame he missed the first month. We may have a few more wins.

Now if we can just keep it going until we can start getting guys back, this can be a pretty good squad.

Aloha,

The last couple of games have been a pleasure to watch. It kind of reminds me of watching the baby Lakers before LeBron. This team is playing incredibly hard from the vets down to 19 year old Max they are a joy to watch.

I never believed this team was as bad as its record. It took a perfect storm of this being a brand new team, a tough opening schedule, LeBron missing time early and an inexplicable team wide shooting slump to land us at 2-10. We are more like our record since then.

I have said all along that would be up to the others to determine how far this team could go and the others have been stepping up. And you knew the shooting would improve. While no one is a sniper they were much better career shooters than they demonstrated early.

You have to start with Thomas Bryant. Since he stepped in for AD in that Denver game he has been averaging 16.25 points, 9.9 rebounds. He is shooting over 50% from 3 and over 70% from the field. In only 28 minutes. That’s better than all but a few starting center in the league. This team needs to run to be successful. There are not many centers that run the floor better than AD. Thomas is one of them. Maybe the only one.

Then look at Austin who is the kind of glue guy every successful team needs. Lonnie has had more ups than downs. He had been playing hurt for awhile and they are finally resting him, which is smart.

Dennis is now playing how Rob hoped he would. Russ is a leading 6th man candidate and guys like Gabriel, Brown Jr and JTA play with a ton of energy. We have even seen the Heat version of Nunn the last few games and the T-Wolves version of PatBev.

This has led me to believe if we could solve our small forward problem and with reasonable health we could be pretty good. Now maybe not championship good, the parity in the west is an illusion, created by more key injuries to important players than I can remember. There are several teams if healthy would beat us, even with an upgrade at the 3. And a miracle block buster trade is not going to happen.

Still my wish is to build a contender as soon as possible and if we play our cards right it could be next year. Money will be a problem but if we found a 3 and D wing on a reasonable contract would go a long way in that direction. OG Anunoby would be the perfect guy and I would give up both 1st round picks for him and Lonnie for himZ He is an elite 3 and D guy. While as late as last year he was on the block, he had been playing so well that they may not trade him. And he is under contract for 18 mil. Plus he would actually still be in his prime when the 2027 pick is due. As they say a bird in the hand…

This next year might be the year it’s worth staying under the tax apron that being estimated to be around 162 mil. If we did that not only would we have 35 mil in cap space but a full MLE and a bi annual exception to use. That’s why I’m against bring back long term salary except for a guy like OG.

While we will not be able to keep everyone we have bird rights on Austin, early bird rights on both Gabriel and Nunn. I would love to keep several players. There is Thomas, Dennis, Lonnie, and Troy all would be great to keep. We have bird right with Russ as well but he is playing well and will probably receive better offers then I would be willing to give him.

The rest of the year will give us a better idea of the guys we should try to keep. And if they all play their way out of our budget at least we might make a little noise in the playoffs.

Aloha

LeBron had one of his best games as a Laker and it’s been well documented in the press. Thomas and Russ both had great games and that was praised to. But there was one little thing I noticed that didn’t receive much mention. With Austin struggling coach Ham went away from him and PatBev, especially in the 4th and turned to Troy and JTA both 6’ 6” wings and it really worked on the defensive end. And it helped that JTA hit a couple of shots as well. PatBev is a pesky defender but JTA and Troys size really helped us on defense and the boards. They got boards 8 between them but just as important kept the ball alive for Thomas to snag. 17 rebounds to be exact. I am really hoping we see more of them going forward because our 3 and guard line ups are just too small.

Aloha,

I just read another article about unhappy LeBron. I have zero sympathy for him. He is a billionaire that makes around a 100 mil in endorsements a year. If he is truly the winner and that’s what he’s about he could have signed a new deal in the 30 mil range. That would have given us about 53 mil in cap space. And if wanted to be traded? It’s a lot easier to trade 30 mil than nearly 50 mil. You can sign several quality players with 53 mil. He also is partially responsible for the Russ fiasco as well. No sympathy and I tire from his whining.

Aloha,

The saddest part of this whole season for me is the what could have been. The Lakers front office is taking a lot of heat right now for not making a deal, but there currently isn’t any game changing deals to be made. That might not even surface. LeBron is complaining but I wonder how much of the Russ deal was on LeBron. He maybe one of the greatest of all time but as a shadow GM he has been a total bust. I believe the front office is smart in insisting that any trade they make giving up picks must significantly improve our chances. After all we tore a good roster apart in an attempt to take the burden off LeBron without realizing that a ball dominate PG will never work.

Of course we had the perfect PG for LeBron in Alex. He had an amazing chemistry with LeBron, could play off the ball, and was a hard nosed defender. I think our chances would be much better if we had Alex, Kuz and KCP on the roster. Plus their combined salaries are 13 mil less then Russ.

Oh and that first round pick we gave up for Dennis? That was used on Jaden McDaniels, a 6’ 9” combo forward know for lock down defense plus he’s shooting 36% from 3. Or perhaps you would prefer the pick after him. Desmond Bane. 6’ 5” 3 and D wing. Known for defense and shooting 43% from 3. This year he’s only shooting 39% on 8 attempts a game. He came in and played like an all star his rookie year. Things like this is where the misery comes from.

I actually do believe the Lakers will look for a trade but I doubt it will be of the trade machine driven blockbuster variety because those never happen. What I’m hoping for is a player on a reasonable contract that we could add to the roster for the future. I think that would be a win. I doubt that we will see a home run.

Aloha,

Anytime you turn the ball over 26 times for 31 points you deserve to lose. And to top it off 2 starters, Austin and Lonnie didn’t even score but we still had a shot, which maybe says more about the Heat than us.

I’m keeping this short, not much to talk about here. Still, JTA’s defense and work on the boards was great to see. It was a big part of the comeback. I feel for him because he’s either been injured or playing hurt most of the year. I’m hoping he can stay healthy moving forward.

The other reason we were still in the game was Troy Brown. 4 straight 3 pointers. He seems to have rediscovered his range the last two. My biggest problem down the stretch was Ham taking Troy out. Basketball 101 states, ride the hot hand. While we continued to get stops we couldn’t score ourselves. Why take someone that is red hot out? Especially when you can’t score. He was playing decent defense as well but he brought back PatBev. Too me this smacked of going with your preset rotation, instead of staying with what’s working. I have seen that a lot with various coaches and it always drives me crazy. Like I said, we didn’t deserve to win, still I wish Coach Ham had stuck with Troy. You never know in the NBA.