**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins

[essential1]

The first step is to move Clarkson to Starting SG, to see if that helps him, or us (Lou & Nick bench back court)

If that doesn't work.... Then as bad as it hurts and as tough as it is to find bench scoring, our best course forward is to gut the backcourt sans Russell, and rebuild it.

 

[alexody]

Dude takes on the scoring role when he calls for a pick just to shoot a contested three point shot. There's times a plenty where buddy comes and instead of seein what his offense looks like he's try to find his own shot

 

[licensed to ball]

Dude takes on the scoring role when he calls for a pick just to shoot a contested three point shot.

He's trying too hard to be Harden imo.

 

[freeze]

TNT commentator was talking about how lazy of a player Dlo can be. Lazy passes and nonchalant shots. Straight up disappointing. 

I do remember Kupchak saying last season that all eyes were on Kobe and that the season was to be treated as a farewell to Kobe rather than focusing on the young talent. Sucks to say but wonder if that is still a factor on why the kids lack motivation.

shouldn't have to teach someone not to be lazy and nonchalant. What needs to be done to motivate someone? You're getting paid, you're getting coached, talked to, prepped.what more do you need? he aint get to winess kobe prepare for every game he played last year? have hella convos with him? listen to him and his mindset on the daily. and we still gotta talk about his ******** of being young and blaming kobe for being celebrated last year? get all the way the **** outta here people. You can blame kobe for taking the 2/48 mil, or alienating some free agents and ****, or getting shaq run out or hurting dwight feelings, but have several seats if yall think you're gonna point the finger at my dude for every damn thing wrong with this **** show run team, and I'll sit by idol and let that go down.

 

[EddieDoyers]

I agree with Freeze
Can't blame Kobe for this season's mistakes
Team needs to play with more urgency

 

[fayetnam]

I think most DLo critics need patience

Sure he may not show the expected aggressiveness and engagement 100% of the time but that doesn't make him a bad player
He is a young ascending player at this point. It is important to keep in mind that progress is not linear
It is a process. With successes and failures.
And in the sample we have, DLo HAS improved and shown progress.
There is no reason to believe he cannot continue to grow and develop into a better player

At this point the opposing argument is "DLo does not have what it takes to be a superstar..."
You are judging a future outcome on current attributes..This completely neglects any growth in his game


It is entirely fair to believe he wont be a superstar...But it is also true that he may still develop into one.
Lets just wait and see for a couple years and by year 3 or 4 we'll have a much clearer idea of what he'll be

 

[pmatic]

D'Lo needs to focus more on defense, tighten his handle, stop predeterming passes, focus more on making shots vs drawing fouls, etc.

Yet he's still developing fine with all that said as a 20 year old PG.

 

[rg92]

I also think Luke Walton should reconsider the rotations/-system.

When your team is always in front at Halftime but drops in the 3rd quarter...it's the coach' fault too.

When Nick Young is hot and D'Lo shooting good....let them stay hot! Who cares if they take away 3 minutes from another guy?  Next game it's somebody else being hot and playing more minutes.

But don't take em out & when they come back, they're cold AF.

 

[pmatic]

Lou to the Cavs makes so much sense, but they don't have a first round pick to exchange until 2020 or a second round pick until 2021.

They do have a 2019 second round draft pick that will be between the least favorable between the Lakers and T'Wolves. I don't feel that's enough for Lou though.

 

[essential1]

If only anybody but Ric Bucher said the Timberwolves were looking at Deng because he wanted a familiar face on the team.

But alas, Ric Bucher said it, so it'll never happen

 

[Maximus Meridius]

 

Who said they didn't play hard when he was out? Heck, they played even harder when he was out, and that was against tougher teams. We got worse when he came back 


And when did speaking my mind about how disgusted I am with the DLo and how he's leading this team turn into trolling? 


You know damn well he's underachieving big time, considering he's a number two pick.

Yeah you definitely trollin

The fact that's the best response you can come up with is evidence that you, my friend, are the troll.

You keep going on these long, dumb rants about DLo. It's obvious you a troll.

You still don't make sense blaiming everything on one dude.

D'Lo needs to focus more on defense, tighten his handle, stop predeterming passes, focus more on making shots vs drawing fouls, etc.

Yet he's still developing fine with all that said as a 20 year old PG.

I'm saying he's 20 years old. You would think son was in his 5th year the way dudes act.

 

[Lizakers]

There needs to be a shake up to get this team out of the funk they're in

Whether that's a rotational change, starting lineup change, roster move who knows

 

[tupac003]

If only anybody but Ric Bucher said the Timberwolves were looking at Deng because he wanted a familiar face on the team.

But alas, Ric Bucher said it, so it'll never happen

Buchet isn't the only one...

View media item 2280966

 

[UsualSuspects]

I want Clarkson at PG

he ended up starting 38 games for the Lakers, primarily at point guard, and averaged 15.8 points, 5.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds as a starter.

 

[lovehateself]

There needs to be a shake up to get this team out of the funk they're in

Whether that's a rotational change, starting lineup change, roster move who knows

what rotation change can you make when most of our players are basically traffic cones out there on defense

 

[essential1]

I want Clarkson at PG

he ended up starting 38 games for the Lakers, primarily at point guard, and averaged 15.8 points, 5.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds as a starter.

Not the same player. He's lost that player.

Legitimately is the most selfish offensive player on the team and with Lou & Nick that says a lot.

 

[alexody]

what rotation change can you make when most of our players are basically traffic cones out there on defense

That's why we got Mozgov & Deng for |I
Sux we paid em so much nobody would take them as a package deal (unless GMs realize they will have to pay more for overrated players in the future anyway)

Wait so Clarkson can't learn to become a PG again but we got all this hope for D'Lo for the future

 

[cruzair13]

Clarkson is so inconsistent and finesses is way to the basket.

Hated the way the team responded in the 3rd quarter- but they were settling for low percentage threepointers when they could have just taken it into the paint against that frail center they had in.

Refs were bad with my bias- but they were letting them play but calling any drive for the mavs. That reach charge on LOU WILL was dumb.

The mavs were hitting everything from the outside- we were closing out but they had enough room to drain the outside shot.

Positives right now is Thomas Robinson with his boards and aggressiveness under the basket.

Rudy Gay would actually fit well with the team- he'd space out the offense even more and is a scorer.

 

[mr j 858]

I want Clarkson at PG

he ended up starting 38 games for the Lakers, primarily at point guard, and averaged 15.8 points, 5.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds as a starter.

View media item 2281053

 

[essential1]

If only anybody but Ric Bucher said the Timberwolves were looking at Deng because he wanted a familiar face on the team.

But alas, Ric Bucher said it, so it'll never happen

Buchet isn't the only one...

View media item 2280966

I feel like there's a better framework in there for us based on the 3 team roster construction...

i.e. would you take on
WCS
-for-
Clarkson (if they wanted a younger player who is locked up) OR Lou Will (if they wanted a vet to appease Boogie)


Would open us up a lot money wise for the next 2 FAs and give us close enough to 2 max deals

 

[tonelow]

We have to move Lou Will soon.

Also, looking at the trade machine, Tarik can't be traded until 1/14/17. Any chance there's a deal in place and that's why he hasn't been playing? 

It's more likely that T Rob just took his spot and/or he's still banged up, but worth noting.

 

[essential1]

We have to move Lou Will soon.

Also, looking at the trade machine, Tarik can't be traded until 1/14/17. Any chance there's a deal in place and that's why he hasn't been playing? 

It's more likely that T Rob just took his spot and/or he's still banged up, but worth noting.

Doubtful...

Luke said he wasn't ready until recently to come back, and he wants him to get a few good practices in, then slowly put him back into the rotation

 

[Lizakers]

So much excitement in November
Above.500 and even looked good in losses
Good style of ball

Now look at us, tank mode

 

[lovehateself]

So much excitement in November
Above.500 and even looked good in losses
Good style of ball

Now look at us, tank mode

2 wins in a month will do that to you 

not on board with the tank yet. 

still thinking we can rebound and get to 25 wins...most of us predicted 27-30 iirc

after all that is a huge step from last year, the individual progress will be there...i have faith

 

[essential1]

So much excitement in November
Above.500 and even looked good in losses
Good style of ball

Now look at us, tank mode

Could always just be a really awful pitiful month to 6 weeks. They are not a .500 team, but a lot has gone wrong in the last month +


Russell missing close to 3 weeks.
Nance missing last 3 games, and a few more weeks from here.
Black missing last 3+ weeks
Randle missing 5 games in past 5 weeks
Nick missing 6 games in about 2 weeks


Short handed with Russell led to lack of offensive flow / ball movement

Missing a lot of bench energy (As much energy as TRob gives, he doesn't make up for Nance & Black contributing on defense), and without Black, we're severely undersized.. Black is around same height as TRob, but he falls more toward a 5, and TRob is barely a 4