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

[eracism]

I don't even follow college that well but I've seen Ayayi and Reaves play and those are some sweet undrafted pickups!

 

[drewsone]

I get the concerns but I think gotta start looking at the positives and how russ helps this team improve and he does by a lot

and I don’t think there should be too much of an clash down the stretch. Bron 9/10 times gonna make the right play a generate a good shot somehow lol

 

[drewsone]

An example some positives be could bring

 

[noblekane]

on a buy out lol

 

[trynafeelmink]

There's always vet min guys, the days of worrying about the draft are long gone. We'll get to retain THT who's still younger than a lot of the guys in this year's draft, if he continues to develop that'll be worth more than whatever we would have gotten at #22.

As far as shooters (Melo/Redick/Ellington?)
Bigs (Dwert/Deadmon)
Wings/Guards (Wes/Caruso)

They SHOULD be able to fill out the roster with the MLE and vet min guys available.

I think Wes & Melo are close to locks. I definitely see us bringing back Kieff also. we just can't afford to lose Caruso, dude is too important on defense, especially with KCP gone.

How do ya'll fel about bringing Danny Green back?

 

[pmatic]

 

[had pants]

 

[had pants]

 

[had pants]

 

[pmatic]

Guys that should be attainable for cheap (minimum):

-Raul Neto...Westbrook's backup last season, he's a good insurance policy.
-Avery Bradley...Houston will decline his team option. Had a bad past season.
-Austin Rivers...Cheap journey man backup combo guard.
-Wayne Ellington...Aging three point shooter, off the catch and shoot and movement.
-Sterling Brown...Shannon Brown's brother, a 3 & D swingman. Almost got killed this past season.
-Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot...Shooter that killed the Lakers in a game this past season.
-Tony Snell...He's a meh, low usage 3 & D swingman.
-Mo Harkless...Tweener forward, didn't play well with the Heat and Kings this past season.
-Jeff Green...Has had a good last few seasons as a small ball center/stretch four.
-Georges Niang...Slow footed and limited, but is a very good shooter.
-Carmelo Anthony...Seems destined to happen with the LeBron and Westbrook relationship.
-Trevor Ariza...Still chugging along playing tough defense and making threes.
-Gorgui Dieng...Decent rebounder, shot blocker and can space the floor as a backup center.
-Dwight Howard...Missed his vertical spacing this past season, could see a reunion happening.

Feel like the Lakers will re-sign Caruso, THT and Wes, maybe Kieff. I would see what I can get for THT in a sign and trade. For the mini-MLE, I still like Reggie Bullock as a low usage 3 & D swingman. Maybe Nic Batum if you think he will replicate this past season, but he might be tired from the Olympics? Not sure who else is out there.

 

[MajinZuub]

DEDMON GUYS HES GOOD AND CHEAP SOMEONE JOIN THE TEAM

 

[DLF]

Guys that should be attainable for cheap (minimum):

-Raul Neto...Westbrook's backup last season, he's a good insurance policy.
-Avery Bradley...Houston will decline his team option. Had a bad past season.
-Austin Rivers...Cheap journey man backup combo guard.
-Wayne Ellington...Aging three point shooter, off the catch and shoot and movement.
-Sterling Brown...Shannon Brown's brother, a 3 & D swingman. Almost got killed this past season.
-Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot...Shooter that killed the Lakers in a game this past season.
-Tony Snell...He's a meh, low usage 3 & D swingman.
-Mo Harkless...Tweener forward, didn't play well with the Heat and Kings this past season.
-Jeff Green...Has had a good last few seasons as a small ball center/stretch four.
-Georges Niang...Slow footed and limited, but is a very good shooter.
-Carmelo Anthony...Seems destined to happen with the LeBron and Westbrook relationship.
-Trevor Ariza...Still chugging along playing tough defense and making threes.
-Gorgui Dieng...Decent rebounder, shot blocker and can space the floor as a backup center.
-Dwight Howard...Missed his vertical spacing this past season, could see a reunion happening.

Feel like the Lakers will re-sign Caruso, THT and Wes, maybe Kieff. I would see what I can get for THT in a sign and trade. For the mini-MLE, I still like Reggie Bullock as a low usage 3 & D swingman. Maybe Nic Batum if you think he will replicate this past season, but he might be tired from the Olympics? Not sure who else is out there.

All of this


I think it’s still gonna be: BIGGER STRONGER FASTER as the motto if we can help it.

westbrook (who plays big), Lebron and AD is a big “small ball” team lol

 

[atlsfinest]

We've heard this story before from Westbrook. "I'm going to change my ways", "I'm going to be in my best behavior and put my ego aside". He said the same thing when he joined the Rockets and played with his longtime friend, James Harden and look how that turned out. It was still a disaster.

He doesn't know how to play any other way. In year 13, he's not going to magically adapt his game. He can't shoot, he literally does nothing when the ball isn't in his hands and he's not a good defender. You can't run the pick and roll with him because teams don't respect his jump shot



I'm a Lakers fan no matter what but I can't put into words how much I hate this move

 

[MVP]

The Rockets were rolling before the hiatus, he caught the Rona and hurt his quad.

 

[pmatic]

The Rockets had to trade a good center to make up for Westbrook's lack of shooting.

 

[MVP]

Cool. Y'all will come around once the roster is filled out. And I'll be here to welcome you. Russelmania is here and the city is LOVING it.

 

[atlsfinest]

The Rockets were rolling before the hiatus, he caught the Rona and hurt his quad.

He shot 33% from the field in the playoffs last year. I like his personality as much as the next guy but we're going to be pulling our hair out when he's 6 for 20 in a playoff game

 

[MIKE LOWERY]

There's obviously going to be changes in how he and Lebron play. I think Bron comes off the ball before the end of the season. Could save him some minutes and keep him fresher. Even though he's mastered in game load managing.

Don't think Westbrook is wild enough to end up 6-20 in a playoff game with Bron/AD next to him.

Vogel has another job to do with staggering these minutes. I think Westbrook leads that second unit like Schroder was supposed to do.


Ellington, Melo and Dwert from that free agents list please.

 

[MVP]

Russ going to be the primary ball handler, Bron at PF and AD at C; Russ running the 2nd unit which will be paramount.

 

[g-time]

The Rockets trading their center was as much for Harden, as it was for Westbrook.

 

[DLF]

the only year we have built a team with some strategy and sense: we won a title

hopefully we surprise everyone and win the unconventional way this year.

 

[atlsfinest]

Don't think Westbrook is wild enough to end up 6-20 in a playoff game with Bron/AD next to him.

Bro, what are you talking about? Have you actually watched Russell Westbrook in the playoffs? He's played with Prime Durant and Harden (twice) and he's still out there wilding in the playoffs shooting sub 40%. You think he's going to change his game now?

I know some of you guys are trying to be optimistic but we need to accept that this is a terrible move. I hope I'm wrong but I don't see how this improves our team in the playoffs.

In the regular season, I think Westbrook might help because he can dominate second units and be a playmaker when LeBron is on the bench but come playoff time when LeBron is playing 40+mins a game I don't see what Westbrook brings to the team.

Also, you guys don't want Russell Westbrook to be the primary ball handler in crucial moments of playoff games. If you watch him play, he's prone to jacking up terrible jumpers and turning the ball over in pivotal moments. I wouldn't be surprised if Westbrook is on the bench in the closing moments of playoff games because LeBron will have the ball in his hands and Westbrook can't shoot and doesn't move off ball.

 

[DLF]

Vogel is gonna have a very tough job massaging the ego when he has to bench westbrook to close out crucial games.

 

[MVP]

Games won't eem be close enough to think about that. West going to be significantly easier as long as we stay healthy. Clips and Nuggets not going to be a serious factor. Warriors will get better but they still got hella roster holes as well. If Luka comes in shape, Dallas will be better. And as for PHX they were dead to rights before AD got hurt. This move was made with an eye towards the Nets. That's the competition.

 

[trynafeelmink]

Soon to be Lakers newest summer league legend