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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
This year the Lakers have lost a few games I thought they would win. This is the first game they won that I thought they would lose. This was our best game we have played in a couple of years. And it is the best game that’s been played in the NBA all year.
AD had everything going last night including his jump shot and 3 ball. I think his shooting is all about confidence and he had it last night. If this continues he will be unstoppable and the MVP. Like Kobe he may not win it because of the standings but because of his play on both sides of the ball he will be the best. Early on he was guarding Giannis and doing a good job. Perhaps Coach Ham switch off of that to keep him out of foul trouble. But his over all game was amazing. This was better then bubble AD!
LeBron score 28 but on 27 shots so that wasn’t that impressive, although they began to fall later in the game when it counted most. Two things did impress me. His 11 assists, playing his devastating two man game with AD. The other was his defense. Sure it was mediocre but it’s been plain bad most of the year. With what he brings in other areas, if he can stay mediocre on D it will be a huge deal.
Lonnie was 0 for 4 in 3 quarters of basketball. So how could he have a huge impact? His 4 for 6 and 14 points in the 3rd is how. Lonnie is the reason we didn’t lose our lead in the 3rd. And he continues to play solid defense. It’s hard to get a lot of shots when AD and LeBron get 52 shots combined but it would be a good strategy to try and get Lonnie a few more then 10.
Austin failed to get get double figures in this one. Still he continues to do do everything right on both sides of the ball. His game high plus 17 shows us that. Going into the game he was 3rd in the league charges taken. He got two more last night. If we do a trade we should make sure we can retain him and Lonnie as well.
Let’s not sleep on Gabriel either. The guy is pure energy. Plus 14 in 14 minutes. If he could just do a little better job of holding onto the ball in traffic he is keeper as well.
Then there is Russ. His dive for the ball may have been a turning point in the game. 11 assists and no turnovers were huge. Vegas has him as the leading candidate for 6th man of the year and he’s been playing like it. He was so well that he closed the game.
I never thought the Lakers were as bad as their record. I knew it would take some time with a new team. If it wasn’t for some unusually bad shooting at the start of the season we actually might have had a winning record. It’s no surprise that now that guys are shooting closer to their capabilities that we are winning a few.
We have the makings of a playoff team. Not saying a contender but with the right trade, our stars staying healthy and productive and continued growth from the young guys we could have a decent rotation. For me the missing piece is a wing with some size that can shoot. I like what Troy has been doing but for a playoff team, he’s best suited for a bench role. Perhaps Nunn, PatBev and a protected pick could land that guy. I’m truly happy that Robb didn’t panic, which is totally out of character for him. He hasn’t made a panic trade. After the 15th more guys will be available. Also teams that begin to fade may want to dump contracts. Hopefully we can land that wing then.
I was hoping for a 3 and 3 road trip which would require an upset. Now that have that upset, I’m hoping for more. I had looked at the 76ers as my upset target. It’s important not to have an emotional letdown against the Wizards. If we can get by them we could go 4-2 maybe 5-1. But we really need to lock into everyone, even the Pistons. This could be the turning point of the season if we do that.
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![Profile picture of LakerTom]()
Center: Myles Turner, Kelly Olynyk
Wing: Lauri Markkanen, Bojan Bogdanovic
Point: ????????????-
![Profile picture of DJ2KB24]()
I would accept Turner, but I think LM or BB would be the best!
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![Profile picture of Jamie Sweet]()
Utah isn’t shopping LM, and frankly all of those players are ones any contending team would want. We will not have the best offer on the table in most scenarios. Especially early before anyone else makes a move.
So very many of these fantasybtrade scenarios are vacuum situations: do they work in the trade machine? Yes but any GM who takes a call from us will also take any number of calls after we pitch the exact same pitch we’ve been offering all summer. I do think we’ll be able to move Nunn and PatBev but the return won’t be anything close to an All Star.
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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
Thanks Tom, but I really don’t understand some of your logic. We have had PatBev guarding Jamari Grant, KD, PG and Middleton last night. I don’t understand why a wing defender with size isn’t your top priority. Especially with AD crushing it at center and Austin at 6’ 5” able to play the point. By the way, Lauri is not a wing he is a true PF/small ball center. He has never played the wing in pro’s. Don’t you remember how easily AD went around him? Can you imagine trying to guard some of these smaller athletic wings? It would be brutal.
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![Profile picture of Jamie Sweet]()
Lol, there is no way you are plugging all those trades in with what we got to offer dude. I mean…you can post about them, sure, but that’s like 2 summer’s worth of moves. Honestly, just using PatBev to try and land Crowder might be enough, same boxes checked but bigger player.
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![Profile picture of LakerTom]()
That would be a good trade for us, especially if we decide to keep Russ. Still not enough even if Russ continued to play well. Only way we get enough shooting is also to trade Russ. That’s what this all comes down to in the end. Russ goes so AD and LeBron can get the shooters they need. The better they play, the more that becomes reality.
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![Profile picture of Jamie Sweet]()
They need defenders more, shooters less. Won’t get players that do both with what we’re peddling. Lakers will choose talent over for in paper every time.
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![Profile picture of LakerTom]()
Therein lies our difference in opinion. I believe the Lakers unprotected picks are extremely valuable and tradeable. In fact, the most valuable picks in the last decade because they’re post LeBron. A great GM could get great value from them. The only question is can Rob?
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![Profile picture of Jamie Sweet]()
Yes. They are OUR most valuable trade bait. Other teams have better picks and/or players that can be moved in smaller deals or are actually wanted. Russ, in most scenarios, is just a buy out candidate. That’s the NBA equivalent of throwing in the towel. That won’t happen until February, if then.
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![Profile picture of LakerTom]()
We’ve gone over this time and time again, Michael.
I don’t disagree that our lack of a 6′ 7″ to 6′ 10″ 3&D wing is a major need to upgrade our roster. Watching Rob Pelinka’s idea of a wing defender is as painful to me as you. I mean how many years do we just watch our 6′ 5″ shooting guards trying to stop 6′ 8″ elite midrange jump shooters. Yet we keep adding 6′ 1 to 6′ 3″point guards who are blow by turnstiles. So yes, it’s a top priority and if the right player comes up, we need to act.
But I also am a big believer in positional size and think the smarter play long term for the Lakers is to trade for Myles Turner to start at center. He’s a proven stretch five who is also an elite rim protector. He also has top-10 stats for being a good defender after switches so it’s not a question of him getting played off the court like Gobert. Turner would give us the ability to have rim protection for al 48 minutes. That and taking pressure off Davis against elite centers is why I think starting center is more important than a starting small forward. I understand where you’re coming from but I just disagree. There’s no problem with that.
If we don’t trade for Turner and decide to leave AD at the five, then I think our top trade target should be Kelly Olynyk so that we have a
I think acquiring a stretch five who can protect the rim to start at center so AD and LeBron can gain positional size advantage.
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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
I believe in positional size as well and we are lacking it on the wing. Turner won’t sniff the same stats he is putting up now. If you want AD dominating inside like he has then Turner will be floating around the perimeter wit no handle or ability to drive with the ball. His 3 point shooting is a mirage. Take out the two games he shot 11-16 from 3, he is shooting 28% in all other games. We add him, who guards the wing? LeBron? Good luck with that.
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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
We started celebrating with 9 minutes left. We are not good enough for crap that. There is just no excuse for this.
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![Profile picture of therealhtj]()
They’re not good enough to beat quality teams. Not even quality teams that are on the fence about tanking, playing on the 2nd night of a back to back, after having lost to a mostly depleted Clippers squad.
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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
Now the Lakers seem to pushing their trade window back to mid January. Unless someone approaches them with a deal too good to be true, that’s this is the smart play. First, with the standing bunch together almost everyone is in the playoff hunt, so there may not even be a trade out there for awhile. But there are other important reasons to hold off.
First there hasn’t been any trades that has been actually discussed that would make the Lakers championship contenders. That is not just the Laker F.O’s opinion but pretty universal across the league. There have been wild proposals from writers and bloggers but I’m talking about verified discussions.
The additional time will also give the team the opportunity to see what they actually need to do. We have a few very promising young players and it’s worth it to wait and see how they develop. Lonnie has looked like a legitimate 3rd scorer on a contender. It’s a small sample size but so far he is checking a lot of boxes. He has even shot over 45% from 3 this months, that has helped with one of our most glaring weaknesses. It is worth it to wait and see if this continues. It would be a huge mistake to make a trade that eats up so much cap space that we lose him next summer.
We also see Austin growing up before our eyes. The only thing I would like to see Austin do more is shoot more 3’s. He has a nice stroke and is shooting over 40% from 3.
It is encouraging that coach Ham has unleashed AD and he has been playing at a MVP level. And it was nice to see LeBron have a great game after a slow start. Still looking at the competition we still have a long way to go.
Our biggest need is a forward with size that can shoot. I think that should be the number one priority. While the focus has been on Russ, his salary makes it really hard to find trade partners that doesn’t want to dump more salary on us. I think PaTBev and Nunn along with a protected first could possibly land the kind of forward we need later in the season.
I really do not have a lot of confidence that a trade could give us a shot. However if we develop this young guys and make a smart trade, we could be in a stronger position next year.
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![Profile picture of Jamie Sweet]()
The goal has to be to get as high in the standings as possible to get the most favorable play-in slot. After that you hope the match up game works in your favor in the playoffs. In most 7 game series I’ll take the Lakers in 6 or 7 with the big “IF” being AD and LeBron’s health. Won’t matter if we trade for the Harlem Globetrotters if those guys are out.
The longer it takes for some teams to fall out of contention the longer this trade saga drags out. Nobody is tanking yet except Houston, Orlando, San Antonio, Detroit and maybe Charlotte now with another limb of Gordon Hayward’s breaking down. Everyone else has a solid shot at the play-in.
If you can make the play-in you can make the playoffs. Teams aren’t going to tank like they did before lottery smoothing and the play-in. Not for anyone. Guys who excel against amateurs don’t always excel in the NBA and, for all his success in the Euro League, it ain’t the NBA (sorry Giannis and Luka).
With all of that being as it is, coupled with the Lakers reliance on old/fragile superstars and a lack of draft assets or trade-worthy contracts it should not be surprising to anyone that this is where we are. Rob has been digging himself into this hole for two straight summers. He’s not digging himself out quickly or easily.
They started last January when they didn’t trade a pick for John Wall. They continued by not pulling the trigger on the Russ for Buddy/Myles + 2 FRP’s this summer. They will keep at it up until late January/February (I think everyone knows I’m focused on the last day or so of free agency by now) when they can possibly move Russ w/o a pick to the right team. Same goes for PB and Nunn, if we can move any of those guys (Russ, PB, Nunn) with no, or at least just 1 FRPs attached that’s a big win for the Laker FO.
I know there seem to be doubts about what the Lakers can accomplish with three FRPs (2023 come draft day) and cap space but they’re not thinking outside the box enough. There is actually quite a bit that can be accomplished:
-Sign and trade Russ for a player under contract. This would not hard cap the Lakers, only the team bringing Russ in. Nor would this have to be for the max. That’s just the most he could be paid. For those unclear here, in a nutshell, are the CBA bullet points on the NBA sign and trade rules under the current CBA
Under terms of the current CBA, sign-and-trades come with many significant restrictions. Transactions under this rule require all of the following to be true:
-The player must re-sign with his former team.
-Additionally, the player must have been on the team’s roster at the end of the immediately previous season. This provision, introduced with the 2011 CBA and maintained in the 2017 CBA, closed a loophole that allowed a team to sign-and-trade any player to whom it held “Bird rights”, regardless of whether the player was active in the league.[a] An example of such a transaction banned under the current CBA is the Dallas Mavericks’ inclusion of Keith Van Horn in the trade for Jason Kidd in order to match salary.
-While restricted free agents can be signed and traded, this is not allowed if that player has signed an offer sheet with another team.
-The team receiving the player cannot have a payroll that exceeds the so-called “apron”—a designated level above the NBA luxury tax threshold—after the trade. A team with a payroll above the apron can only receive a player in a sign-and-trade if the transaction drops that team’s payroll below the apron. Once the transaction is complete, the team receiving the player is hard capped at the apron for the entire season.
-The receiving team cannot have used the so-called “taxpayer mid-level exception” in that season. The taxpayer mid-level exception is a limited financial buffer that teams with total payroll above the luxury tax threshold must use to sign players for up to 3 years.
-The regular season has not yet started.
-The player must receive a contract of either 3 or 4 years (not including any option years), where only the first year must be fully guaranteed. (5-year sign-and-trade contracts were abolished in the 2017 CBA to disincentivize the transaction.) In turn, this means that he cannot be signed using a salary cap exception that does not allow the team to offer a 3-year contract.That last bullet point is honestly the biggest hindrance to a sign and trade next summer for Russ. Lakers will not, so long as the player they receive is under contract, be hard-capped and free to spend over the cap by means which they are able.
I can think of a few teams that, depending on our draft position, would S&T for Russ in the 15-20 mil range and trade us an able-bodied, better-fit player for just the 2023 draft pick. Signing Russ for more money? Add another pick, or two depending on the player(s).
At any rate, despite the internet NBA scuttlebutt this was highly unlikely to be resolved by February and again that still comes with a rather large IF in my book. Lotta ways it can still shake out. Wasting a season of LeBron is partly his own fault so no biggie. He’s going to get paid, he’ll pass Kareem, he will be just fine.
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![Profile picture of Jamie Sweet]()
We can also let all of our expiring deals simply expire, select a player with the 2023 draft pick (wherever it lies) and use cap space to retain LW4, Reaves (who will be an URFA…thanks Rob…) or any other Laker deemed worthy. That is unlikely to take up all of our cap space and so we can be players in the free agent market, as well.
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![Profile picture of LakerTom]()
The one saving grace of this season is the West being so wide open at this point. That’s been the main reason Pelinka was able to kick the goal posts from end of November to middle of December and now possibly to January 15,
Hell, why doesn’t he just say February 9th trade deadline? Even that can be moved to next summer.
Some GM’s make opportunities. Others sit and wait for them to magically appear. That’s Rob Pelinka, wishing he could find another Kobe Bryant.
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![Profile picture of Jamie Sweet]()
Why? Simple: Klutch.
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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
Lonnie is looking pretty good this month.
18.9 pts 44% from 3 on 5.4 shots a game.
Considering he is amazing at the rim and also defends he is making a case as a legitimate number 3 scorer. If this kind of play continues he should be a high priority to keep this summer. No bone head trades please. Keep the cap space.
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![Profile picture of LakerTom]()
While I still think we need to make a trade with AD playing at this level, keeping enough cap space to sign Lonnie merits serious consideration. He is a great young talent who’s a perfect fit for this roster. Would I feel differently if I knew we could sign Turner and Walker with our $35M? It’s possible but I would prefer to send out one pick to get Turner for sure and then re-sign him. It was a big mistake not trading for him before camp imo.
It hurt to lose Monk but Lonnie is in a different league when it comes to trying to keep him. I could see him as our shooting guard of the future. Much prefer that over going after LaVine or Beal or Irving or another highly paid ball dominant superstar who would steal touches from LeBron and AD. Lonnie is a starter to me just like LeBron and Anthony.
Now down the road once LeBron is gone, then we do need a young guard to be the second superstar along with AD. I just don’t see making a move to get that player for another couple of years. We have to try and win now not ony because of LeBron but now because of AD.;
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![Profile picture of John M.]()
There was a nice piece on him recently on espn.com. He’s got the character to go along with the hops.
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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
AD has always preferred the 4 over the 5. And even when used as a 5 he was positioned out on the perimeter like a stretch 5. This was problematic the last few years considering he has lost his 3 point touch.
Coach Ham said enough. We are making you a low post center. And like a true center you will also anchor the defense. The result?
1st in the NBA in defensive rating.
1st in rebounding.
3rd in Blocks
Oh ya, he is averaging 27.5 a game to boot.
Last night not only did he have Poeitl, one of the best defensive centers in the league on him but he was also doubled every time he touched the ball. He still scored 25 on just 13 shots and just for fun, he added 15 boards
This is the blue print for any Laker success we have going forward. Now there isn’t a trade that will turn this team into a true contender. But if we could find a trade for a wing defender with size that can shoot, that is what we should spend trade assets on.
With AD playing this way, if we can see a little more of last years version of LeBron and if kids like Lonnie, Austin, Troy and Bryant can grow, this could be a fun team to watch.
Next summer we will have caps space with 2 way forwards like Jamari Grant, Dillion Brooks and Kuz among others available. We could sign one of those guys and probably retain Lonnie. I just want us to be very careful on who we trade for because we could build a very competitive team if we are smart. But then, we have Rob in charge… Oh well….
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![Profile picture of Jamie Sweet]()
Currently mirroring my opinion. We don’t need Kyrie or another ball-dominant player. LeBron is that guy and we can probably retain Russ, or a similar player, for next seasons’ MLE or a reasonable sum. If I had to say right now : keep LW4, keep Bryant (vet min), keep TBJr. (Vet min), extend Reaves, and whatever on PatBev ( No higher than vet min). I’d even keep Wenyan on a vet min deal. I’d love to bring Kuzma back in all honesty. Fewer questions about fit.
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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
Kuz is interesting. With the way he has played he will definitely opt out of his 13 mil contract. Right now the Wiz are playing okay at 10-9. If they start to go south will they trade a Kuz? That could be a possibility. If we are going to trade I would like to find a forward like Kuz with size and either under a reasonable contract, say 15 mil or a pending free agent with bird right. We could upgrade our weakest position and retain Lonnie if he continues. With the parity in both conferences this year, I don’t see a lot of big trade for a while. Not even around the 15th. When you look at it even the Lakers at 6-11 only have 2 more losses than the 6th seed Jazz. For the Lakers it’s always is about championships but for a lot of teams making the playoffs is a big deal. So unless there are injuries I don’t see many big trades until there is some separation in the standings.
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![Profile picture of Jamie Sweet]()
I’d do PatBev and one of our FRPs for Kuz.
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![Profile picture of therealhtj]()
I don’t think this FO’s ego lets them trade back for the guys they stupidly let go.
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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
When the report came out that the Lakers are willing to wait until the 15th to look for a trade, you could hear the groans from Laker fans everywhere. But this makes sense for many reasons.
The first and most important reason is, what trades are actually available at this time? There are no reports that the Nets are even shopping Kyrie at this time. Also that maybe because a survey from GM’s around the league indicates that there are not any takers. Including the Lakers.
As I suspected the Jazz are actually shopping for upgrades. They love Clarkson and are talking extension with him And they are not taking calls on Markannen.
The Pacers owner told anyone that would listen that he doesn’t believe in tanking. He wants to build while staying competitive. And so far that’s the case. The Pacers are off to a nice start and haven’t engaged anyone calling about Turner.. while I’m not saying he won’t be traded at some point it probably isn’t going to be for a while. And there is always the chance they try and extend him . He is not that old.
As for other teams there really isn’t a lot of rumors out there.
As for the Lakers, they have questions to answer. Can any trade elevate them into contention. The only way they can answer that is by playing more games.
AD is playing MVP basketball, can he sustain it when LeBron returns. And can LeBron look better then he has so far.
Lonnie has been terrific. Will his stellar play continue. Same question goes for Austin. He has been growing before our eyes. And please can we get him more then one 3 point shot in a game? Thomas has looked very good so far, will he continue to improve. Can we get more from some of the others?
We a need a lot of positive answers for all of the questions before we make any big trades.
After the 15th most of the players in the league will be eligible for trades. What opportunities will become available. Players can get injured. Teams can under perform. There could actually be smaller trades available that doesn’t include Russ.
We are one of only 8 teams with cap space next summer. I can see holding off on a trade if it’s not going to matter. We could add some good 3 and d forwards this summer. And if Lonnie continues to play this way I would love to keep him. But without cap space we couldn’t keep him because we don’t have bird rights. All of these things have to be considered. Waiting until the 15th will give the team more time to answer all of these questions.
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![Profile picture of LakerTom]()
Makes sense as this point in time to wait until December 15th but key is Lakers and AD continuing to play well. The Lakers will be lucky to go 4-3 in the 7 games in the first half of December as they go on a long East coast road trip that includes Bucks and Celtics.
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![Profile picture of LakerTom]()
There are several big questions that the next 11 games might answer that affect whom we might want to trade for:
1. Can Ham integrate LeBron without taking away from AD?
2. Who’s going to replace Pat Bev as starting point guard?
3. Can Schröder contribute anything at point guard?4. Can Thomas Bryant be AD’s backup at center?
5. Do Lakers need a stretch five starting center?-
![Profile picture of Jamie Sweet]()
1) That’s in AD as much as anyone.
2) One would imagine Schroder if LBJ can’t go but LeBron. Austin deserves to start.
3) Yes. He’s defended well enough and he’s more aggressive searching for his shot than PatBev.
4) Yes.
5) No but if one comes along wonderful.
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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
While AD has a different tool box then Shaq, he has been just as dominant over the last 3 games. I have long been an advocate for AD at the 5. While he has benefited from these teams not having a true big to check him, the truth is there aren’t many of those centers in the league that can. We saw him do this to Embid last year. While I don’t know how his back is feeling it does appear that it’s not a problem at this time. With his jump shot still suspect I am hoping AD embraces this going forward. While he would prefer to play the 4, it’s clear that the 5 is his best position. Hopefully he doesn’t defer to a LeBron when he returns. LeBron wants to give him the team. I hope he takes it.
The Lakers are better then their record. The record was a result of a new team, an unforgiving early schedule and unusually bad shooting early. While none of the guys we brought in were known as shooters they were all shooting well below what they had done in the past and it was just a matter of time for that to turn around.
I said from the beginning that after health the development of the others was the key to the season. And we are beginning to see the others come through. Austin has been really assertive on the offensive end of the floor since LeBron went down. He was a good scorer in college and now that is finally translating to the big stage. Hopefully he will not defer once LeBron comes back.
Walker has been good to great, Troy and Gabriel have been solid and Nunn seems to be finding his game again. But I’m am glad that Bryant is back. I was really excited when we signed him. I tend to follow the baby Lakers once they left the team and I knew that if Thomas was recovered from his injuries he would be a big plus for this team 15 and 9 in 22 minutes is outstanding. He is also demonstrating why he was considered one of the best rim running bigs in the game before he got hurt. He should be able to offer a little more rest for AD. He has played a little with AD as well so that helps us with our lack of size up front.
It is becoming more apparent that the Lakers were smart not to make any panic trades early. Russ is increasing his value with his play and we are now able to get a better idea of what we have and what trades might be available. The front office said that they would give this team 20 games before looking to make a trade. If we can continue to win, it might be better to wait until the 15th when most players in the league will become available including our own.
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![Profile picture of Jamie Sweet]()
This is the best version of AD, yet. I love that he can shoot but he’s so much better in the paint. Keep this up and he’ll be in MVP talk if our record improves.
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![Profile picture of Buba]()
Great post, Michael. I have said over the past few years that AD’s true value lies in the paint and not in those long jumpers. Yes, the jumpers are part of his arsenal, and they are a thing of beauty. But asserting himself in the paint is where his bread and butter is. Now, can he do that against much stronger centers? You mentioned Embid as an example but I also believe he can do it against any center if he puts his mind to it, and does not worry about injury. Players who experienced serious injuries tend to have flashbacks and thus gives them a tendency to hesitate. If he can block those flashbacks I don’t see any reason why he can’t dominate. Here’s hoping that we are about to witness a full-blown AD at work. Thanks for the post.
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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
We are now 4 and 10. Honestly I thought we would maybe be 6 and 8 at this point because it was yet another new team with a difficult early schedule. One thing working in the Lakers favor is how tightly the west is packed this year. We are only 2 games out of the play in. The Clippers are 9th but only a game and a half out of first. So this definitely gives the Lakers a chance to move up. Now trade or no trade the Lakers will not challenge for a title but I could see this group making the playoffs if the they continue to take these baby steps.
One of the reasons I’m optimistic is AD. He has went beast mode lately. He is one of the best centers in the game, whether he likes the position or not. Unless he can some how rediscover his jump shot. He needs to stay there. In the first quarter they set him out further and while he got fouled a lot he didn’t have a basket. Once they started posting him up inside, he went off. And having him post inside has him there to clean up misses. It’s apparent that his back is better just by watching his body language and if he stays healthy and continues to stay aggressive, he could carry this team a long way. Now that’s a big if with him. I will be interested to see what he looks like when LeBron returns. Right now he has put the team on his back. Will he defer to LeBron? Hopefully coach Ham can prevent that from happening.
Lonnie was very good again and Troy was solid but I loved Austin. He continues to expand his game. He is just so fundamentally sound. I hope he continues to be aggressive on the offensive end, because we really need it. I assume that we will see Austin back with the 2nd unit once LeBron returns. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I am seeing a the pieces for a pretty good 2nd unit developing.
Russ has been solid with the 2nd unit. 10 points but more importantly 12 assists was great but it was other guys that were huge. We looked like a team that had 4 days off, playing a bad team and we fell way behind. But the 2nd unit rode to the rescue. Nunn went 4 for 4 for 10 points, which was good to see. Gabriel had 15 on 5 for 5 shooting and 7 boards. After looking shaky offensively early, he seems to have found his offensive footing lately.
But the guy I’m glad to see back was Thomas Bryant or as Tom calls him the bust, for no apparent reason. We have desperately needed some quality back up at center minutes and Thomas provided it. 8 points on 4-6 shooting, 5 boards and a block in 13 minutes. And we got to see one of the things he excels at with his rim run dunk. I have a feeling once he gets into game shape we will see him with an expanded role. He certainly got a lot of love during the post game interviews. He even shared the floor with AD for a few minutes. I will be interested to see if that continues.
Because of our lack of size on the wing, coach Ham has done a good job of minimizing the damage. Still it would be great if we could land a wing with size. Still how far we go really will come down to if AD can continue playing at a high level and if we see more of the LeBron we saw last year. Hopefully the baby steps will become grown man strides in the coming weeks.
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Everything hinges on Davis playing like this and LeBron rounding into form and contributing most nights. Some things, like Wenyan and Nunn shooting 100%, aren’t going to happen every night. The effort has to, though. I thought we played a very complete game. The officiating made it choppy, mostly because of the Pistons just reaching and grabbing all game long (sorry coach Casey, calling it like I saw it).
Still, I agree, this was a really fun win and we can build off of an effort like that even if it came against a team we should beat.
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![Profile picture of LakerTom]()
Great post, Michael. I loved the AD in “Beast Mode.” I agree with you 100% that they need to get the ball to AD closer to the basket. Russ is very good at getting AD the ball where he can do damage both via lobs and bounce passes. For me, this version of AD is even better than the great shooting Bubble AD. Looking forward to seeing them continue same formula tonight.
Lonnie, Troy, Russ, and Austin again played well. I also thought Bryant played well although he still cannot make a three. I’m not as high on Thomas as you are because I don’t see him as a shot blocker or rim protector but we clearly need his size to back up AD at this point. Just hoping he can stretch the floor some. Still has not made a three as a Laker.
We do need to add a wing defender so we don’t have to have Lonnie or Austin try to cover 6′ 8″ midrange gunners. Only problem is we need a starting center, replacement at point guard for Russ, and good backups for LeBron and AD. More holes to fill than potential trade targets to fill those holes.
Still hoping the strong play of AD will convince the front office to make the moves they need to get us more size and shooting so we can compete for a ring this year even if a long shot.
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Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
Just a few observations.
AD had a monster game. No one in the press asked him how his back was feeling but that would have been my first question. This was the first game that AD didn’t look like he was hurting. He wasn’t laboring up and down the court and I didn’t see him grab his back once. Hopefully he has turned the corner with his back issue. We need a lot more of this moving forward.
I must admit I was one of those that were disappointed that we gave Lonnie Walker our MLE. But like Malik and Austin the year before, Jesse Buss and the scouting department know what they are doing. He’s been solid with a couple of great games sprinkled in. His defense has been very good and his 3 point shooting is coming around. After a horrible start from 3 his lifted his percentage to 35% but he is over 50% for January. We definitely need more of this moving forward.
I love Austin. I had been hoping he would become more assertive on offense because he has a solid offensive game. And he has come through the last two games. He is not as athletic as Alex and not quite the defender Alex is yet but he is just as smart and he is improving. And like Alex he is beginning to evolve as a good secondary ball handler. His future is bright so Rob will probably let him walk for nothing.
Troy Brown has been solid. Score another one for Jesse. While he a not a starter on contender he could be a decent rotation guy off the bench.
If one doesn’t believe that our biggest need isn’t length on the wing, all you have to do is watch 6’ 1” ParBev guarding 6’ 11” KD to know we have a problem. Don’t get me wrong, I love PatBev. He has had both PG and KD working hard for everything they get and he’s a better defender than LeBron on the wing, but this is still a serious problem.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Dennis and Thomas Bryant can bring to the team. Reports are we might see them as early as Friday. I’m especially interested in Thomas. He had a good training camp and we can really use his size and skill set especially since Jones has been a disappointment so far.
For me the development of these secondary players is key. They need to continue grow to make any trade worthwhile because there isn’t a trade out there that changes anything unless these other guys are playing at a high level.
This brings up another point, who does Rob think he’s fooling with talk of landing a superstar in a trade. All the guys mentioned, KD, Levine and Beal are all under long term contracts. If any of these teams decide to tear it down, they can all do better then Russ and two distant firsts. The Nets over reached with their trade demands but even if they lower their expectations, they still can do better then our package. I think it’s all just a PR ploy to satisfy the fans while they evaluate what they have.
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As Passion Pit sings, “Don’t get carried away, carried away.”
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![Profile picture of LakerTom]()
Aloha, Michael. Excellent takes.
This is the AD we need to see and have once LeBron retires. Davis may never be the alpha of the league like we once hoped but there is no question he is the player we still need to build around. Frankly, there are no big men who are injury risk free.
If the Lakers somehow screw this up and let Russ’ contract expire to keep the picks, they may have to chose between trading AD and trading LeBron in order to match any salaries. No question that the Lakers trade LeBron and keep Anthony Davis.
I feel exactly the same as you with respect to Lonnie. The two big changes in the game were Ham taking out Russ with 8:28 left and giving the ball to Lonnie to work with AD in the two-man game. Nobody was doubling AD to close this game as Lonnie was bombing away. Lakers bet on his athleticism and it’s paid off.
Austin has learned how to use quickness and footwork to get shots in the paint despite not having the athleticism of Lonnie. His defense has slipped a little but his effort is always inspirational. Yeah, Rob will probably trade him.
I agree one of the benefits we should have this season is a team that’s better late in the season rather than early. I think also the player development skills of the staff will have an impact. I was so happy when Darvin put Christie into the game for Russ, showing that he’s going to do what he needs to do to win. That plus getting Russ to buy in to coming off the bench are great signs we may finally have a visionary coach after so many duds.
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Thanks Tom, for me these young are the second biggest story of the season behind health. If they can’t develop into a quality supporting cast, there isn’t a trade out there that will turn this team into contenders.
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All of the talk about “waiting for the right superstar” and “we want to see what this team can do with Bryant and Dennis” are just BS smoke screens so he can continue to waffle. Pelinka is completely out of his depth, lucked into a title with the Bubble, and will be fired after this season despite his extension (that last one is honestly just wishful thinking, he ain’t gonna get fired…)
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Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
Just read an article by Chris Haynes that the Lakers have been receiving calls about Russ While he pointed out there have not been any serious conversations yet, it interesting that with a Russ playing well, it has generated some interest. We will see if there are any offers made.
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Michael, my thinking is that we should just play out this season as is. Next summer we can figure out what needs to be done.
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The problem, again, is that you’ve got too much money tied up in Lebron and AD. There don’t appear to be any indications that Lebron’s going to be magically better next year, nor is AD. Whatever cap you have isn’t going to get you a guy to be the #1 on the squad. Rotation pieces to carry you through the regular season? Again, not enough money to make much happen when a decent rotation piece goes for around 20mil. The answer is obvious. It was obvious in the summer. Blow it up. Rebuild. Reloading is no longer a thing. Without Dr Buss keeping the podunk owners at bay, these kids let them twist the CBA to forever suppress the Lakers natural advantages.
Get rid of AD while there’s still some value.
Russ can hang til he comes off the books, but definitely no need to give up assets to shed him.
Lebron is done, and it’s highly doubtful there’s a trade out there for him. Not at that salary and the BS he brings with him. He used to be great at destroying a team after he left. Now he can kill one from within. Hopefully the owners opt out of the cba in about a month, and there’ll be some way to get rid of him without him destroying the Lakers cap space for another 2 years.
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I floated the idea this summer that we could easily retain Russ past this season. We have his bird rights and can go over the cap. Lakers need talent and if him off the bench works expect him to stay.
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Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
I hear the howls for a trade all the way hear in Hawaii. And I am all for a trade if I thought it could elevate us beyond a possible 6th seed and a first round exit. Based upon what we have seen from the supporting cast so far, I don’t see a realistic trade that will do that.
I didn’t come into this season with very high hopes. I thought we would struggle out of the gate with pretty much a brand new squad. I thought we would be maybe 4 and 6 at this point. And if we had shot even 30% from 3 earlier we would be at least that maybe even 5 and 5.
But we haven’t been able to overcome our schedule. Through 10 games the Lakers have played the hardest schedule in the league. I was hoping to pick up some wins against the Jazz but they currently sit at the top of the west. Playing that second game without 3 starters including LeBron didn’t help. We also lost to the Trailblazer in a game we should have won. They are number two in the West. We lost to the Cav’s, number one in the east. We spit with the Nuggets, number 4 in the West. We lost to the Clippers before they lost Kawahi again. By the way everyone is always talking about AD but never about Kawahi missing games. I don’t get it. We also lost a game to a very large TWolves team without AD. Plus LeBron played sick a couple of games.
Now the talk is that the Lakers are reluctant to trade picks unless they think it can turn them into contenders. I whole heartedly agree. You really need to see if some of the other guys can improve. PatBevs offense has been MIA but we really missed his perimeter defense the last two games. Can he find his shot? Nunn had a decent first game and lost his offense. He seemed to find it again yesterday. Will he regain his confidence and score better moving forward? Walker has been very good except from 3 point land. Can he begin to hit a few more. Brown has been pretty good. Can he keep it up? What will the addition of Dennis and Bryant mean to the team.? I think we signed Dennis just because he was a value signing after his stellar Euro league. And Bryant had a very good preseason. He should offer a little relief to AD.
Until we can answer a few of these questions it doesn’t make sense to me, to make a trade and give up picks if it’s not going to get us out of the first round. And even worse would be adding contracts that would keep us mediocre, when we have the cap space to potential add a little quality depth to the roster.
So the Lakers have stated they will give this roster 20 games. I hope they do. I want to win another championship as soon as possible. So for me there is no difference between a terrible record and a first round exit in the playoffs. And if we keep Rob in charge, we are going to need every draft pick we can get.
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And here all along I thought is was “Panic at the Disco?” My bad, lol!
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![Profile picture of Buba]()
Michael, that was an excellent piece of article with very accurate bullet points. I totally agree with your analysis. I have been thinking the same thing. I am also curious to see how we fare when Dennis and Thomas Bryant return.
At this point, I am not expecting much except to see how the team handles the losses while trying to salvage any kind of win. Like I said before you will never be disappointed if you are expecting to be disappointed.
All I can say is that the team seems to give a good fight except for their third-quarter collapses. In all the ten games we played so far, we only won one third quarter. I can’t remember which team it was against. If they can figure that out maybe things will look a little different. Thanks for the post.
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Actually, I just checked. The only third quarter we won was against the Jazz, last week.
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![Profile picture of Michael H]()
Thanks Bubba, I just think we have to be really careful with trades. A wrong one could leave us mediocre for the next couple of years.
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![Profile picture of Buba]()
Exactly, Michael.
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Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
While Westbrook is the big trade name, he may or may not get moved. So I’ve been looking around at other teams needs for perhaps smaller trades that could help the Lakers.
Question: Who has more long wings then just about any other team but are in desperate need of guards. Answer: The Raptors.
Question: What team has an abundance of guards but are in desperate need of a long wing. Answer: The Lakers.
This is a match made in heaven. The Raptors are running Van Fleet and Trent Jr into the ground. Both are logging over 38 minutes a game while the most any bench guard has gotten is 8 minutes a game.
My dream trade would be Nunn and PatBev for OG Anunoby a true 3 and D wing who is averaging 15 a game on 40% 3 point shooting. I would most definitely give up a protected 1st for him. He’s 25 and under a reasonable 17 mil contract for the next couple of years. And the fact he’s been unhappy with the Raptors helps. A smaller trade, Nunn and a 2nd for Otto Porter Jr would be helpful but Otto can’t be trade until December 15th.
As the season plays out there will be opportunities for many other deals beyond Russ. Hopefully a good one will materialize for the Lakers.
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That would be a good trade, Michael. I think Beverley and Nunn could expiring contracts for multiple players: Anunoby and Porter would be good targets as would Terry Rozier. Might have to include one first round pick but there are several good targets that we could get in the $18M to $22M. Rozier has 4 years and $96M so he might not need a pick.
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Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
Well it was just a matter of time for a few shots to start falling. 43% from 3. I liked that they only took 30 3’s. This team should not be shooting 40+ 3’s a game. Most of the 3’s taken were good looks.
The defense was strong. The defense the Joker must better this time. And Porter Jr got off to a hot start but ended 5 for 15. 3 for 10 from 3. He had came into the game shooting 56% from 3. We did a good job of defending him.
This is the 2nd game that Russ has looked good coming off the bench. This is the best way to use him. It’s best when he plays while LeBron rests. And the one constant he has had all year is defense. He really has defended well all year. If he keeps this up he could actually raise his trade value if and when they trade him. It’s much better then sending him home.
This really was a team effort. Everyone that played contributed. That is an area where Russ was huge. He got a lot of the 2nd unit guys involved.
It helps when you only turn the ball over 8 times. Hopefully this is a sign that guys are getting more familiar with each other
AD’s back is a concern but he is battling through it. Unfortunately we are in no position to rest him with a tough schedule still ahead.
Now it’s the Pels next. They have been really good despite the injuries. They could be this year’s Grizzlies.
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Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha,
He’s something interesting. With the looming new TV deal, salary cap for 2025 is around 171mil. Currently the Lakers have no one under contract that year. It will be interesting to see how the Lakers spend the next couple of years.
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Michael H wrote a new post
Aloha
Here is one big reason I’m not in favor of a panic trade right now. Yes 3 point shooting has been miserable but let’s look at what they have done in their career and what they are shooting this year from 3.
LeBron .344 now .244
Nunn .361 now .238
PatBev .376 now .176
Walker .338 now .148
JTA .352 now .125
Russ .304 now.125Currently I believe the teams as a whole is pressing. Thinking too much. I am confident that guys will begin to relax. Troy broke out of his slump with a 4 for 7 night from 3.
With the kind of defense we have been playing even if the team shot a poor 30% we would probably be 3-2 right now. And that’s with some quality opponents.
I hope we can get a few break outs today. Although if AD is out it probably won’t matter.
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Aloha, Michael,
I do agree it’s unreasonable to think the Lakers will continue to shoot this badly. Things will get better and i do like Brown Jr. starting. And the defense is no mirage. It’s real. Still #2. This team is young and should get better as the year progresses. Just don’t think that will be enough.
However, even if the Lakers players shoot up to their history, we’re still a poor shooting team. Need to fix that via Westbrook trade. And maybe others when recently signed and traded can be included.
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Great post, Michael. I agree on these major points you made:
1. “This was better then bubble AD!” Anthony has finally taken the torch from LeBron and is clearly now the team’s #1 option. Davis’ elevated play has been like a desperately needed miracle that’s unstuck two years of Lakers’ frustration.
2. “we could go 4-2 maybe 5-1.” I had a hunch when this road trip started that it could be the turning point for the team similar to the weekend when we took down the Clippers and Bucks right before the Covid lockout. And that is exactly what we saw. We just need to complete the road trip. 6-0 is still possible.
3. We need bigger a 3&D wing to guard wing scorers, a 3&D point guard with better size and defense to replace Schroder, and a stretch center who can also protect the rim better than Bryant. Like to see us fill those three needs with the two trade packages we will have.