Aloha,

Congratulations to Wenyen for helping to lead S. Sudan to a 3-2 FIBA record and an automatic birth in the Olympics. Their first.

Wenyen had 15 points 10 boards and 6 blocks in their win over Angola. His energy will be missed on the Lakers. If some of other options fall through, I would have no problem with bringing him back.

Aloha,

Watching Austin perform at such a high level really makes me wonder if he is poised to become the Lakers coveted 3rd star. Certainly Coaches Ham and Kerr believe he can.

Austin kind of reminds me of Manu Ginobili. He was the Spurs 3rd star. They both are big guards, high I.Q 2 way players. Austin is scoring at the same clip as Manu did. While Manu only made 2 all star games, he rode his overall game all the way to the hall of fame. Austin is showing the same game as Manu. The only question is, can he sustain it as teams focus on him. He is such a smart player, that I have little doubt that he will continue to excel.

I see all of these trade proposals for star players. They are almost all primarily scorers. The question is as a 3rd scorer on the Lakers, how much will they be able to score? I doubt they would score at the same clip they have as a 1st option. Is a pure scorer more valuable than a versatile 2 way player? I don’t believe it is.

A good example is Zach LaVine, a popular trade target with the media and bloggers. He averaged a little over 24 points a game last year. Would he duplicate that playing with the Lakers? A popular trade is DLO and Rui for LaVine plus’s picks and young players. Is Zach worth it when we have Austin? Dlo averaged 17 a game. Rui didn’t score as well in the regular season as he had with the Wizards. But he averaged 13 a game for his career and I’m confident that he will at least get that this season. He also a versatile defender and rebounds.

Now one of the big reasons folks want to trade DLO is because of his defense. Yet Zach has a career defensive rating of 113.9 while DLO’s is 113.6. So in essence by trading of LaVine, you get 6 points less a game and poorer defense for his 40 mil salary. Why would you do that when you have Austin and Rui?

When you examine most of these trade scenarios it usually the same. They generally are scorers. When you weigh what you give up against what you gain, we generally lose in the end with these trades.

I believe we already have a 3rd star. His name is Austin Reeves.

Aloha,

The Mavs are waiving Javale. I wonder if the Lakers will take a look at him. He would be a bad signing as a 10 to 15 minute guy off the bench.

Aloha,

I read an interesting stat. 68% of the nba players salaries for next year are going to 19 players. And with the new restrictions it’s going to get worse. Why the rank and file continue to vote for these deals is beyond me.

Aloha,

Anyone that has been watching summer league action knows that Max Christie has looked very good. Yes it is summer league but it is easy to see that Max has grown quite a bit. not just in his game but he put on 15 pounds of muscle. And he is only 20. He is younger than some of the 1st round picks he has out played. He is actually younger than Brandon Miller, the overall number 2 pick. While he has a long ways to go, he looks ready to really contribute this year. Here is what he has done.

In Las Vegas, he pumped in a team-leading 19 points with a wildly efficient 45.7/50/100 shooting slash. He also tallied 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 blocks in his 32.2 minutes, most of which were spent defending opponents’ top perimeter scorers.

One of the big take sways is how calm and under control he is. Actually that was something I noticed last year when he would get in a game. SG depth was our biggest weakness on paper after free agency. I’m hoping he fills that back up slot.

Aloha,

As the summer league progresses it’s becoming clear that the Lakers scouting department is right up there with the Heat and the Spurs as best in the NBA. After a shaky start it’s becoming clear that the scouting group have hit a few more homers this summer.

The Lakers had JHS as a lottery pick and it’s becoming clear why they were so excited when he fell to them. After a poor first half agains the Heat he has improved every quarter since. He is only 19 but plays older. He has demonstrated a great handle with the ability to get into the paint, almost at will. At 6’ 6” he has been effective defensively and has proven to be very switchable. And he finally got his long ball going. I’m not sure how much time he will get at first but he looks every bit a lottery pick so far.

Colin Castleton has been another player improving by the day. It’s funny he has the same agent as Austin. And like Austin his agent hid him. Didn’t work him out much. I wonder if he had a promise from the a lakers. Regardless he is just so fundamentally sound. Plays within himself. He brings the ball up and is a tremendous passer. I was a little worried about his rebounding in the 1st couple of games but he had 14 today. And it hasn’t all been his fault. This is a small team and he needs some help blocking out. He will have it with the big club. While he isn’t a 3 point shooter he is crafty inside the paint with great footwork to free himself for floaters and little jumpers. He had an efficient 21. But everything he does is efficient. One wonders if the Lakers are waiting on that 2nd center to see how he plays. Remember Austin started as a two way. Honestly for a team that wants to win now, I would take him over Bol Bol. Colin is just fundamentally sound and ready to go.

If you showed someone who had no idea where players were drafted a tape of this game and asked them who was the number 2 pick and who was 40 between the Hornets Miller and the Lakers Lewis, I’m sure they would all pick Lewis. After playing a little passive the first couple of games he is asserting himself in Vegas. He hits the 3. defends very well and can jump out of the gym. He had a couple of amazing dunk attempts that he was fouled on or he would have made Sports a center. The Lakers had him in the early 20’s in the draft. As he fell that when they traded up to grab him. He may spend time in the G league but boy is he a find.

It’s not just these 3 guys, Abut Max is in his 2nd year and at 20 already looks rotation ready. And many of the other guys are showing a lot of potential as well. I know Jesse Buss was frustrated by the way the Lakers used to give away draft picks. Even sold 1st rounders. Now that he has power in the organization he is demonstrating why he was right to believe in development and how it can impact the team long term.

Aloha,

While I thought Jaxson was a good signing for the minimum, I think it will be a process. I can’t see him stepping into the starting line up. Especially when you have Rui who is so much better . I can see them experimenting with AD but I would be surprised if he started any time soon. Any here is excerpts from a bleacher report article that outlines my own concerns.

What should Lakers fans expect to see from Jaxson Hayes? What are his strengths and weaknesses at this stage of his career?

Kosel: Jaxson Hayes’ tenure was a mixed bag throughout his four years in New Orleans. His length and athleticism are first-class, as evidenced by a mountain of highlight dunks, defensive plays and soaring rebounds. His fundamentals, understanding of the game and motor though — while all improved since his rookie season — still lack that desired consistency.

This largely encapsulates why on more than one occasion he would enter the rotation, make a major splash that drew vast praise, but then find himself back on the bench just weeks later.

His best position ultimately proved to be at the 4, as his lack of knowledge and sometimes willingness to check all the boxes of responsibilities at the 5 made it difficult to rely on him as a defensive anchor. His failure to pose as a legitimate shooting threat from the perimeter often compromised the spacing on the floor though. His decision-making was also prone to wild oscillations. He would show the ability to make the correct secondary read with the dribble or pass, and then on the very next possession, produce the poorest of turnovers.

Until he makes a greater commitment to the game by spending hours in the gym — he never nailed down at least one go-to post move during his time in New Orleans — and in the video room to learn opponent tendencies, strategies and the like, he’ll remain a tantalizing but unreliable contributor. So it’s best to keep expectations low. Enjoy the incredible finishes in transition and on rolls to the rim. Hope that Darvin Ham and LeBron James can unlock something more. But realize that he’s not likely to ever approach a high ceiling because that passion for basketball seems to be missing.

Aloha,

Now that the dust has settled on the free agent extravaganza I’m feeling good about this team and what Rob did. He resisted the temptation to go after a big name that would have assured another disappointing season. Instead he assembled a roster that will be very competitive.

At this point I see a very good squad but not one that will win a ring, at least without a couple of things happening. As usual health will be the primary issue this year. Can we finally get 65+ games out of both LeBron and AD? And more importantly will they be available for the playoffs? Nothing else matters if the answer is no.

Beyond health I think the development of the young guys will be key. From the time Austin entered the starting rotation he played like a budding star. He checked every box you want from your 3rd best player. If he can maintain that level of play we are in very good shape. If he can take another step forward he could be an all star.

Rui’s playoff run was fantastic. He played like the lottery pick that the Wizards had envisioned. One can make a case that Phil Handy maybe the most valuable non player in the Lakers organization because he consistently unlocks the potential in these young guys. Rui played like a high end role player in the playoffs and if he continues to shine like that we are in very good shape.

Vando proved to be an elite defender for us last year. The big task ahead for him is on offense. He shot 33% from 3 for the Jazz and 30% for us. That has to improve. If he can get into the 35% range he can stay on the floor longer. Also they gave him so much air space last year, I would like to see him take it to the rim more. If his offense picks up, now along with Austin and Rui, being a contender is not unreasonable.

Here is where my biggest concern comes in. Our guard depth. I really like what I saw from Max last year. He played under control, defended well and shot 41% from 3. I watched a lot of G league last year and he was consistently the best player on the floor. At 20 years old is he ready for a major role in the rotation? I also liked our draft picks. Both were projected To go higher in the draft. Still they are rookies. These 3 guys are our shooting guard depth. At least one of them is going to have to step up or it’s a very thin guard rotation.

As for DLO. well, he was a big reason we even made the playoffs and is was big in 7 of our 8 playoff wins. unfortuently he was part of the reason in the losses. I’m confident he will have a good regular season. it’s the playoffs that will be the concern. if Vincent plays well, it is not as big of a concern.

I like our free agent pick ups. I was bummed when we didn’t get Brown. Apparently he was all set to sign with us when the Pacers swooped in with a last second offer that we couldn’t match even if we wanted to. This should put to rest the notion that the Pacers are merely a rebuilding team. They want to win. But I digress. Rob pivoted well and snagged Vincent. If he plays as well as he did for a Miami during their stretch run and playoffs he will be at the very least an upgrade over Dennis who I really liked and possibly a starter. Grabbing Prince was a coup. At 4.5 mil he might be one of the steals of the draft. He is the classic long 3 and d wing. He is
someone I always liked. And I believe is a better player then a lot of wings making much more.

Hayes and Reddish are both low risk, high reward players that the Lakers have had great success with. The Lakers have been after a Cam for two years and finally landed him at a discount. He has everything you want in a 3 and d wing except consistency. Do your thing Phil. As for Hayes I actually saw him play quite a bit. I am a big BI fan and I watched a lot of Pelicans. With him you get a player with a high motor, floor runner with crazy athleticism, especially for a big. You also get a walking foul and a little OC. I believe he is a worthwhile gamble IF we can bring in a solid vet. And that vet should be a banger. Hayes and for that matter Mo are not bangers. Hayes is fine for 75% of the typical NBA centers he will face. But we need another guy that can bang for 10 minutes against the Joker, Embid and a few other wide bodies in the league. We have 8 mil left to spend. I would offer half and try and land Plumlee if possible. As is both Rui and LeBron are our only bangers, we need another.

If the answer to most of the above is yes, then I will consider this team a contender. And unlike prior years, none of the above seems like a stretch.

Aloha,

Austin has agreed to a 4 year 56 mil deal. No more details yet. I’m sure there is probably a player option in the 3rd or 4th year.

Aloha,

Dlo finally signs. 2 years 37 mil. 18.5 per is reasonable. And when you consider there isn’t anyone out there even close in talent, we really needed to sign him.

Aloha

The old rules for the MLE was for 1 or 2 years. Multiple sources are saying that Vincent’s 3 year deal was for the MLE. Did the rule change with the new CBA? When the Lakers waived Bamba and Beasley the supposedly opened up 17 mil in cap space. Even space to sign Vincent. So I guess my question is, do we still have the MLE?

Aloha

Well Dennis signed with the Raptors, 2 years 26 mil, so he’s getting paid. Never thought he would sign for the bi-annual.

Still waiting on Dlo.

Aloha

Remember when we didn’t have any length?

Prince 6’ 7” 7’ wing span

Rui 6’ 8’ 7’ 2” wing span

Cam reddish 6’ 8 7’ 1 “ wing span

Vando 6’ 9” 7’ 1 “ wing span.