[:: LAKERS 2014 THREAD | POLL: Who Should Coach Next Year? ::]

[CHAOSE57]

Pau

 

[essential1]

That Pau video legit tears

 

[darthska]

Honestly who sounds more emotional the guy saying trade him , or someone saying trade him somewhere he can fade away and how they can't stand him because he has no heart and deserves to suffer blah blah blah. How is that point of view NOT emotional ?

Nah, I'm not letting this pass through like you didn't just twist everything all the way around. 

You're trying to paint a picture that there is one guy just saying "OK, trade him," and another guy saying "Grrrr! I hate him! Trade him to Turkey! I hope he suffers!"

Yeeeeaaaahhhno.

That first guy... representing your camp... is not just saying 'Trade him', guy. C'mon. More like "Trade him, but just make sure it's to somewhere nice. Trade him to a fancy team, and make sure he's comfortable and well fed and his emotions are coddled and everything. I'm ok w/ trading him... as long as he's still taken care of. I love you, Pau! I will remember you"

Yes, y'all got them feels. Yes, that's emotional.

I'm saying... my interest in looking out for him MATCHES his interest in going beastmode: NONE.

My interest in protecting him MATCHES his interst in protecting the paint now (NOOWW): NONE.

My interest in him going somewhere to succeed matches his CURRENT interest in making sure WE succeed: NONE.

(and before you hit me w/ 'How do you know what his interests are?', there's a creed I live by: Believe some of what people tell you, AND ALL OF WHAT PEOPLE SHOW YOU. He's ok w/ being shoved around and passive, so I'm ok w/ him being shipped around and passed to other teams; I really don't care who it is.)

 

[grandtheftbike]

Farmar might be back this Friday vs the Wolves #TheReturn

He should start right? Or will Kobe start as the 1 again to have Jordan with the bench like he is used to?

 

[darthska]

Honestly, when Farmar's back, he needs to both help Kobe handle the rock, kind of split the ball handling duties of the SLU, and also be the sparkplug he is for the bench.

Not that that's what WILL happen, but I think that's what his role should be defined as. Because Kobe can't keep playing 1, and Farmar can't be taken from providing bench energy.

 

[grandtheftbike]

i cant wait for farmar to not pass kobe the ball

but even if kobe is not playing point, the ball will still be in his hands 80% of the time. thats not to say it will be a stagnant offense. its only been a few games, but from what we saw, he has been playing within the offense and has had less kobe do it all moments (minus the turnovers) that we were accustomed to for the past 16 years . anywho, i expect this kobe to be back once he gets familiar with the speed of the game or when the lakers go on a 3 game losing streak

 

[laker4lifeman]

View media item 696886

 

[la kb24]

Please tell me he isn't playing with those boots tonight

 

[tuna629]

Was actually kinda excited about the Shumpert trade, then found out that it was reported by this guy ...

View media item 696913
Which means it's most likely not gonna happen. Seriously though, when was the last time that this guy was right (when he actually broke a story instead of just copying what Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted)?

 

[grandtheftbike]

looks like he got his kobe 9s a few months early

 

[yeezusdisciple]

looks like he got his kobe 9s a few months early

who?

 

[darthska]

^ Swaggy

Previous page.

Kobe IXs, Rodeo Pack

 

[yeezusdisciple]

^ Swaggy

Previous page.

Kobe IXs, Rodeo Pack

how many pairs of kobes do u own?

 

[had pants]

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[had pants]

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/...is-kaman-los-angeles-lakers-role-not-imagined

The veteran center says he joined the team as a free agent this summer because he saw opportunity to play significant minutes and re-establish his value after a couple of up-and-down seasons with New Orleans and Dallas. Instead he's found himself at the end of the Lakers' bench.

"It's absolutely not what I was looking for," Kaman told ESPNLosAngeles.com on Monday morning after the Lakers' shootaround. "It's not really in my control. I just try to keep working hard and be ready if the time comes. And if it doesn't, then it just wasn't meant to be."

 

[yeezusdisciple]

kaman is better than pau. he actually wants to play and is not soft

 

[senorroboto2k5]

So the Lakers would be better with Kaman starting and Pau warming the bench?

 

[grandtheftbike]

didnt this guy JUST come back from an injury?

 

[VinMillerHearn58]

I do see where Kaman is coming from. He was pretty good in the first couple games where he did get time on the floor. He did a good job with scoring from 15 ft out, and he did some good things when his back was against the hoop. It was really odd to me when D'Antoni did reduce his minutes significantly, granted he was injured and is coming off of that. But he does add another big body out there. I would like to see more of Kaman and less of Williams/Sacre.

 

[00david00]

Kaman needs to shut the hell up man, aint nobody got time for that right now

 

[grandtheftbike]

chrismare part 1

word to mrdieselfuels avy

 

[moiety]

Who the hell is even bothering to interview Chris Kaman?

Dude is a scrub at the end of the bench on a team that isn't very talented at his position

 

[goldmember]

This dude Kaman

 

[darthska]

 

^ Swaggy

Previous page.

Kobe IXs, Rodeo Pack

how many pairs of kobes do u own?

Let's see...

- those ones where he had the white/purple ones and Antoine Walker wore the black and white ones

- the OGs that are now being called Crazy 8 (white/black)

- The Kobe, white/black

- The Kobe, ice blue

- whatever the retro is called, white/yellow/purple

- Zoom Kobe I, USA

- Zoom Kobe I, white/yellow PE

- Zoom Kobe I, limited white/purple/ice 

- Zoom Kobe II, white/yellow/purple

- Zoom Kobe II, iD; white/sky blue/navy blue

- Zoom Kobe IV, iD; white/gray/yellow

Why?

 

[pmatic]

Per Diem 12/16

What's Pau Gasol's trade value?

A thriving NBA rumor mill added another big name last week when Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol and coach Mike D'Antoni feuded through the media. After Gasol complained to the Los Angeles Times about not getting enough post touches and D'Antoni responded by telling reporters that Gasol needed to play harder, our Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne reported the Lakers are considering their trade options.

But what exactly can they get for Gasol? The Lakers would hardly be selling high on Gasol, whose 15.2 player efficiency rating is the lowest of his NBA career. My wins above replacement system is even harder on Gasol, grading him as just 0.2 wins better than replacement level so far this season.

So the question is: Does Gasol have much trade value left? And perhaps more importantly, could he turn it around with the Lakers or another team? Let's take a look.

View media item 697172
Post touches going nowhere

Gasol's argument that he's not getting the ball where he likes isn't backed up by the numbers. In fact, according to Synergy Sports Technology, post-ups account for a larger share of Gasol's plays ending in a shot attempt, turnover or trip to the free throw line than any season since 2010-11 -- when he was an All-NBA Second Team pick in Phil Jackson's final season in L.A.

That's a change from the past two seasons, when Gasol played primarily at power forward next to Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard and was unable to spend as much time down low. As the chart at right shows, Gasol had a valid complaint last season, when post-ups accounted for less than one-quarter of his plays and barely a larger share than spot-up opportunities. But both trends have reversed this season.

The problem, instead, is that Gasol isn't scoring when he does get the ball. As recently as last season, Gasol averaged .859 points per play in the post, according to Synergy. He was over .9 points per play the previous two years, making him an efficient option. But so far this season, Gasol has made just 33.9 percent of his shots on post-ups and averaged .682 points per play, worst of any player with at least 100 post-ups. (Howard ranks second from the bottom at .724 points per play.)

No longer generating easy opportunities

Gasol's difficulty scoring in the post explains part of his dismal 41.8 percent shooting from the field this season, although not all of it. The other culprit is Gasol's inability to create easy opportunities at the basket. Just 23.8 percent of his shot attempts have come in the restricted area, per NBA.com/stats, down from around 32 percent the previous two seasons and 38.2 percent in 2010-11. Like nearly all other NBA players, Gasol shoots more accurately right at the rim (61.0 percent so far this season) than anywhere else, so taking away those gimmes has severely hampered Gasol's efficiency.

Most scores at the basket for big men come on two Synergy play types -- cuts and offensive rebounds. As the chart at right shows, the percentages of Gasol's plays generated from both of those opportunities has dwindled this season. In particular, Gasol isn't helping himself with putbacks. He's scored just 15 points all season from offensive rebounds, per Synergy. By contrast, energetic teammate Jordan Hill has 54 points from offensive boards.

Although scheme is a factor, scores off cuts and offensive rebounds are often created by the individual player. That's surely part of what D'Antoni was implying when he told reporters in response to Gasol's complaints, "The more energy you bring to the game, the more you're going to get the ball."

How a limited Gasol can be productive

For all the talk of systems, positions and playing hard, there's a simpler explanation for why Gasol is no longer as effective as he was three years ago: age. Gasol, who turned 33 this past summer, has accumulated heavy mileage between the Lakers' long playoff runs and his work for the Spanish national team. He's battled a series of foot and leg injuries and hasn't been fully healthy at any point the past two seasons. It might be time to acknowledge that Gasol is no longer capable of being a primary option on offense.

Smaller role: So far this season, Gasol has used 25.9 percent of the Lakers' plays on offense, his highest rate since being traded to L.A. The list of 7-footers with usage rates of 25 percent or higher after age 33 is small and exclusive: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing, Dirk Nowitzki, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal. Gasol might not belong among their ranks. Of course, Kobe Bryant's return to the lineup will relieve some of the pressure on Gasol to create his own offense. Gasol hasn't shot any better during Bryant's first four games this season, but a smaller role might help Gasol be more accurate from the field.

More pick-and roll: Besides ensuring he won't need to be a featured player, the other important criterion for teams considering a Gasol trade is how effectively they can employ him in the pick-and-roll. So far this season, Gasol has been exceptionally efficient in pick-and-roll opportunities, shooting 51.4 percent and averaging 1.024 points per play.

Maintain defense: It's encouraging for potential Gasol suitors that his defensive stats haven't experienced the same kind of decline. Gasol's block rate is right in line with what he's done throughout his career in L.A., and his defensive rebounding is up slightly, which has helped him anchor small lineups alongside stretch 4s.

As he enters his mid-30s, Gasol still can offer value to a team so long as he recognizes his own limitations. In the wake of the past week's turbulence, that might be the most important question teams will have to answer about Gasol. Would he accept a smaller role that features fewer post-ups and more pick-and-rolls? The answer will determine whether Gasol will be worth it for the Lakers or whichever team comes next.