- 11,669
- 13,657
Didn't see him play, but in 9 games he averaged 13/9 on 62% FG in 25 minutes. Sounds better than what anyone else available can provide us
**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by licensed to ball,
- Start date
Didn't see him play, but in 9 games he averaged 13/9 on 62% FG in 25 minutes. Sounds better than what anyone else available can provide us
- 18,488
- 6,333
Is it bad that I saw this coming...don’t think it’s the end of either (god forbid) 
- 17,641
- 24,695
CBA experts: Do we get any type of salary cap relief or exception if Boogie doesn't play a minute all season?
- 2,310
- 544
^ DPE I think only gives half of the salary back
- 20,616
- 10,222
Faried?
- 22,895
- 26,768
Anyone but Dwight, dude is still injury prone a CANCER & not a good fit with this squad.
**** man Boogie added so many different dimensions to this squad
**** man Boogie added so many different dimensions to this squad
- 16,631
- 17,630
The Manimal is perfect for this bench unit. During his prime in Denver I always thought to myself "if only one day he can come play for LA..."
Love his work ethic and relentless energy. You know what to do Rob
Love his work ethic and relentless energy. You know what to do Rob
- 16,631
- 17,630
I like Dwight and definitely don't mind him coming back but I prefer Faried because KF can do more things on both ends of the floor.
- 11,669
- 13,657
Faried is a no go here. We need someone with size. He's too undersized and can't protect the rim. We need a real center with some size. All we have is Javale right now since AD doesn't want to play center
- 16,631
- 17,630
AD has no choice but to assert his dominance at C. Gotta be a team player and cover your teammates' backs.
AD can still start at the 4, with McGee at 5. Halfway thru the 1st, you take McGee out and put Faried in at PF and AD slides to the 5.
Faried is only there to play 10-12 very effective minutes. Meanwhile AD can interchange between PF and C throughout the course of the game depending on matchups. At the end of the day, AD and Javale can still close out the 4th quarter. It's not like you can find a FA out there who's better equipped than Javale to close a game. So we need a big who is versatile enough on both ends of the floor to play big ball or small ball and play effectively to spell both Javale and AD when needed.
That's kinda how I'm approaching it. What's great about our lineup is most of our guys can play 2-3 different positions. You don't want stiffs like Dwight or Noah who can only play C and would get eaten up in the PNR. Faried can board and run the floor and is agile enough to defend the pnr effectively. And he way younger than any available FA big.
VinMillerHearn58
formerly lakersreppa008
- 15,234
- 3,864
Honestly, I’d go with Faried over Dwight.
But you know. Melo SZN is upon us.
But you know. Melo SZN is upon us.
- 13,385
- 6,662
We better pray this is the worst that happens this season...
Can't afford this season being a disaster. We miss the playoffs again AD is walking
Pelicans have us by the balls with our picks until 2025
Copping this right now
https://www.illuminidol.com/products/kobe-bryant
Can't afford this season being a disaster. We miss the playoffs again AD is walking
Pelicans have us by the balls with our picks until 2025
Copping this right now
https://www.illuminidol.com/products/kobe-bryant
- 16,631
- 17,630
Would also love for Vogel to show sorry *** D'Antoni how to properly use Faried.
Los Angeles
formerly bright nikes
- 23,216
- 4,884
sad man
- 1,787
- 1,747
- 22,555
- 16,301
Could always play Kuzma at C. Worked great last year
D_eezus
formerly zombifed nach0
- 17,412
- 17,141
- 3,226
- 4,509
Kuz play some damn defense
- 17,641
- 24,695
That was the worst 10 game stretch of the season. That experiment failed miserably. We were getting destroyed before Chandler arrived.
- 22,555
- 16,301
Thats My Word
formerly derrty6232
- 9,561
- 3,218
What’s andrew bynum doing these days? 
- 23,377
- 26,422
All these freak injuries, feel bad for dude he seemed calmed down and humbled last season. 
I’m hoping that it’s not an acl year and these sources going wild. I’ll wait for actual news before kicking my desk out.
https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/27394480/how-lakers-replace-demarcus-cousins
I’m hoping that it’s not an acl year and these sources going wild. I’ll wait for actual news before kicking my desk out.
https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/27394480/how-lakers-replace-demarcus-cousins
What would a torn ACL mean for DeMarcus Cousins and the Los Angeles Lakers?
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday that the Lakers fear Cousins suffered a torn ACL when he was injured Monday in an offseason workout in Las Vegas. That diagnosis could be confirmed later Thursday, when Cousins meets with team physicians.
Given that Cousins was penciled in as the starting center for a Lakers team with championship aspirations after adding Anthony Davis to team with LeBron James, the injury would have important ramifications for the Lakers and the rest of the league. It also would be another blow for Cousins, who was still working back toward full health after an Achilles rupture in January 2018. Let's answer some key questions about the possible injury.
Would Cousins' season be over?
Almost certainly yes. While nine months was once considered a typical timetable for an ACL tear, no player has returned so quickly from one since J.J. Hickson in 2014. (Hickson missed just 7.5 months.) In the past five years, no player has come back from an ACL tear in shorter than 11 months. The past two players to suffer ACL injuries in August (Dante Exum in 2015 and Brandon Knight in 2017) didn't return until training camp the following year.
Every ACL injury is different, particularly in terms of associated ligament and cartilage damage, but the trend toward longer rehab suggests it's unlikely Cousins would be back any sooner than deep into the playoffs, and by that point the Lakers might not be interested in trying to integrate him on the fly while he rehabs.
The Lakers also would have to weigh the value of using a roster spot on Cousins. They've currently got 14 players under guaranteed contract and both two-way spots filled with four training camp invitees possibly vying for the last spot on the roster. Whether one of those players makes the team or not, the Lakers were probably planning to avoid guaranteeing a 15th player to wait on possible buyout candidates after the trade deadline.
If the Lakers want to stick to that plan, they'd need to waive Cousins to replace him with another center to complement JaVale McGeeand Anthony Davis sliding over from power forward.
Who could the Lakers add?
Having exhausted their cap space to sign Cousins and other free agents and used their room midlevel exception to sign Avery Bradley, the Lakers would be limited financially in trying to replace Cousins. They could apply for a disabled player exception, but because Cousins' $3.5 million salary is so modest, the $1.75 million it would allow them to spend on free agents would actually be less than the minimum salary for players with at least five years of experience
The most obvious free-agent candidate at center is Nene, who turned down a $3.8 million player option to test free agency and has yet to sign anywhere. But Nene, who will turn 37 next month, declined dramatically last season after giving the Houston Rocketsquality play off the bench the previous two years. Kenneth Faried, who played ahead of Nene in Houston, would probably be a better option at this point.
If the Lakers do go the veteran route, my choice would be either Salah Mejri -- a quality pick-and-roll option with the Dallas Mavericksthe past four seasons who also provides more rim protection than most of the veteran options -- or Joakim Noah, who was effective with the Memphis Grizzlies after wearing out his welcome in New York. (Whether the nightlife in L.A. would be as troublesome for Noah as it was in New York is a question the Lakers would have to answer.)
That noted, there's a reason these experienced players remain unsigned in August, and the Lakers might be better off exploring younger alternatives. I'd make a call to the Detroit Pistons to see how likely Christian Wood is to make the roster after the Pistons reportedly agreed to sign former Laker Michael Beasley earlier this week to compete with Wood for their final spot. Wood has been productive in limited NBA opportunities, including averaging 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in eight games with the New Orleans Pelicans late last season. If the Lakers could get Wood for cash or a swap of future second-round picks, that would be my first option.
What's next for Cousins?
While this injury would be a disappointment for the Lakers, who were expecting Cousins to be a big part of their center rotation, it would be devastating for him coming barely more than a year and a half after an Achilles rupture already had thrown his career off track.
Because of the injury and the deep market at center in free agency, Cousins had to settle for back-to-back one-year deals far below what his previous All-Star level of play would have implied. He played just 30 games in the 2018-19 regular season because of the Achilles rehab, then saw his playoffs interrupted by a torn quadriceps muscle that sidelined him up until the NBA Finals. After taking a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Lakers, Cousins was surely hoping to reprove his value ahead of a summer with limited competition for top dollar in free agency.
Now, that opportunity could be gone and Cousins would again face an uncertain future after his rehab. There's no precedent I've found for a player returning after suffering both Achilles and ACL ruptures in the NBA. The two players in my databases who have dealt with both injuries, Emanual Davis and Jerome James, never returned to the league after the Achilles rupture. (Both were 34 at the time and already on the fringes of the league, not really comparable to Cousins.)
Given he almost certainly wouldn't have seen any action before free agency, Cousins would likely be looking at yet another summer of taking a one-year, prove-it deal. At some point, he may run out of time to get back to his old form. Having turned 29 earlier this week, Cousins would probably be 30 by the time he takes the court for his next NBA game.
Even before this injury, Cousins was overdue for good fortune in terms of health. Instead, it appears his situation may go from bad to worse.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday that the Lakers fear Cousins suffered a torn ACL when he was injured Monday in an offseason workout in Las Vegas. That diagnosis could be confirmed later Thursday, when Cousins meets with team physicians.
Given that Cousins was penciled in as the starting center for a Lakers team with championship aspirations after adding Anthony Davis to team with LeBron James, the injury would have important ramifications for the Lakers and the rest of the league. It also would be another blow for Cousins, who was still working back toward full health after an Achilles rupture in January 2018. Let's answer some key questions about the possible injury.
Would Cousins' season be over?
Almost certainly yes. While nine months was once considered a typical timetable for an ACL tear, no player has returned so quickly from one since J.J. Hickson in 2014. (Hickson missed just 7.5 months.) In the past five years, no player has come back from an ACL tear in shorter than 11 months. The past two players to suffer ACL injuries in August (Dante Exum in 2015 and Brandon Knight in 2017) didn't return until training camp the following year.
Every ACL injury is different, particularly in terms of associated ligament and cartilage damage, but the trend toward longer rehab suggests it's unlikely Cousins would be back any sooner than deep into the playoffs, and by that point the Lakers might not be interested in trying to integrate him on the fly while he rehabs.
The Lakers also would have to weigh the value of using a roster spot on Cousins. They've currently got 14 players under guaranteed contract and both two-way spots filled with four training camp invitees possibly vying for the last spot on the roster. Whether one of those players makes the team or not, the Lakers were probably planning to avoid guaranteeing a 15th player to wait on possible buyout candidates after the trade deadline.
If the Lakers want to stick to that plan, they'd need to waive Cousins to replace him with another center to complement JaVale McGeeand Anthony Davis sliding over from power forward.
Who could the Lakers add?
Having exhausted their cap space to sign Cousins and other free agents and used their room midlevel exception to sign Avery Bradley, the Lakers would be limited financially in trying to replace Cousins. They could apply for a disabled player exception, but because Cousins' $3.5 million salary is so modest, the $1.75 million it would allow them to spend on free agents would actually be less than the minimum salary for players with at least five years of experience
The most obvious free-agent candidate at center is Nene, who turned down a $3.8 million player option to test free agency and has yet to sign anywhere. But Nene, who will turn 37 next month, declined dramatically last season after giving the Houston Rocketsquality play off the bench the previous two years. Kenneth Faried, who played ahead of Nene in Houston, would probably be a better option at this point.
If the Lakers do go the veteran route, my choice would be either Salah Mejri -- a quality pick-and-roll option with the Dallas Mavericksthe past four seasons who also provides more rim protection than most of the veteran options -- or Joakim Noah, who was effective with the Memphis Grizzlies after wearing out his welcome in New York. (Whether the nightlife in L.A. would be as troublesome for Noah as it was in New York is a question the Lakers would have to answer.)
That noted, there's a reason these experienced players remain unsigned in August, and the Lakers might be better off exploring younger alternatives. I'd make a call to the Detroit Pistons to see how likely Christian Wood is to make the roster after the Pistons reportedly agreed to sign former Laker Michael Beasley earlier this week to compete with Wood for their final spot. Wood has been productive in limited NBA opportunities, including averaging 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in eight games with the New Orleans Pelicans late last season. If the Lakers could get Wood for cash or a swap of future second-round picks, that would be my first option.
What's next for Cousins?
While this injury would be a disappointment for the Lakers, who were expecting Cousins to be a big part of their center rotation, it would be devastating for him coming barely more than a year and a half after an Achilles rupture already had thrown his career off track.
Because of the injury and the deep market at center in free agency, Cousins had to settle for back-to-back one-year deals far below what his previous All-Star level of play would have implied. He played just 30 games in the 2018-19 regular season because of the Achilles rehab, then saw his playoffs interrupted by a torn quadriceps muscle that sidelined him up until the NBA Finals. After taking a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Lakers, Cousins was surely hoping to reprove his value ahead of a summer with limited competition for top dollar in free agency.
Now, that opportunity could be gone and Cousins would again face an uncertain future after his rehab. There's no precedent I've found for a player returning after suffering both Achilles and ACL ruptures in the NBA. The two players in my databases who have dealt with both injuries, Emanual Davis and Jerome James, never returned to the league after the Achilles rupture. (Both were 34 at the time and already on the fringes of the league, not really comparable to Cousins.)
Given he almost certainly wouldn't have seen any action before free agency, Cousins would likely be looking at yet another summer of taking a one-year, prove-it deal. At some point, he may run out of time to get back to his old form. Having turned 29 earlier this week, Cousins would probably be 30 by the time he takes the court for his next NBA game.
Even before this injury, Cousins was overdue for good fortune in terms of health. Instead, it appears his situation may go from bad to worse.
- 57,809
- 61,488
Javale will be fine starting. This is more sad for Boogie than the team as a whole
- 8,356
- 8,078
Agreed. Javale will do well, he did very good the first half of the season for us.
He might even fit better than DMC, javale is not going to be looking for his shot on offense which will free up touches for everyone else....
He can run the floor unlike boogie
He can defended the p+r & perimiter better
Better rim protector
Better roll man off the p+r
Just a quicker, better defender on and off the ball.
He was an early candidate for MIP.
We will miss boggies play making and his ability to bail us out and get a bucket on the block, but we not necessarily hurting for buckets or scorers.
We will need a body to give Javale rest though, his asthma prevents him from playing long stretches....
Dwight if we can afford him would be perfect.
He might even fit better than DMC, javale is not going to be looking for his shot on offense which will free up touches for everyone else....
He can run the floor unlike boogie
He can defended the p+r & perimiter better
Better rim protector
Better roll man off the p+r
Just a quicker, better defender on and off the ball.
He was an early candidate for MIP.
We will miss boggies play making and his ability to bail us out and get a bucket on the block, but we not necessarily hurting for buckets or scorers.
We will need a body to give Javale rest though, his asthma prevents him from playing long stretches....
Dwight if we can afford him would be perfect.
