Lakers OFF-SEASON IS A WRAP

[kal-el-8]

 

 
Los Angeles Lakers
Round 1:  D'Angelo Russell  (2), Larry Nance, Jr. (27)
Round 2:  Anthony Brown  (34)
Grade: B+

On one hand, I think the Lakers hit a home run on draft night. I never loved theJahlil Okafor  fit there and it was refreshing to see Lakers brass embrace new school and take a point guard over a big. The Lakers have had only one All-Star point guard (Nick Van Exel) since Magic Johnson. Russell has the talent to make many All-Star games. He's a brilliant passer, a very good shooter and has an elite feel for the game. He should be a lure to free agents like LaMarcus Aldridge  and Kevin Love. The Lakers fan base really needed star potential and I think he can deliver. If he was a better athlete, he'd be a can't-miss prospect.

With that said, I still believe that Emmanuel Mudiay has the slight edge as a prospect and that they left the second-best player in the draft, Kristaps Porzingis, on the board at No. 2. One Lakers source admitted they thought Porzinigs had the most upside of anyone in the draft, but they just didn't have the stones to take him. The rest of their draft was interesting. Brown made a lot of sense at No. 34. He's a potentially elite shooter with great size for his position. Nance was more interesting -- a versatile forward with good athleticism and high basketball IQ- - because he might end up duplicating a lot of what Julius Randledoes. With that said, the combination of Russell and Randle gives Lakers fans a bright young foundation to build upon in the future.

Thank you sir. 

Very excited about the future. 

 

[Chester McFloppy]

Why ain't yall looking at Deandre Jordan?

 

[ValarMorghulis]

Okafor was CRUSHED

Hes gonna kill the east tho

 

[darthska]

Team DRuss
DarthSka
L2B
Mamba
SoHi
manup
Kal
Willchamberlain
thatboydrew
MR J
cleansneaks
CP?
Blu3s?

Team Grumpygills
Kane
Essential

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

Okafor was CRUSHED

Hes gonna kill the east tho

Kinda felt bad for him. I understand why his pops said he wasnt gonna cry on Tv . Sold myself on him for a week and was shocked when it was D Lo but Jah is gonna be a player. Should have a strong season, his toughest competition at the 5 spot in the east is all on his own team

 

[CP1708]

Ska, we had guys raving about Russ all thru last seasons thread. We just assumed Mitch would take the big. I have ZERO issues with Russ. 6-5 dynamic PG/SG combo, who can pass, shoot a lil bit, athletic enough to become a serviceable defender ala Steph has at least done. What's not to love?

Towns was always my #1. Oak/Russ were always the "settle" for a great lottery pick guy.

 

[Chester McFloppy]

Team DRuss
DarthSka
L2B
Mamba
SoHi
manup
Kal
Willchamberlain
thatboydrew
MR J
cleansneaks
CP?
Blu3s?

Team Grumpygills
Kane
Essential

Add me to team DRuss pls.

 

[CP1708]

With that said, I still believe that Emmanuel Mudiay has the slight edge as a prospect and that they left the second-best player in the draft, Kristaps Porzingis, on the board at No. 2. One Lakers source admitted they thought Porzinigs had the most upside of anyone in the draft, but they just didn't have the stones to take him.

Such a bunch of bs. Dude and his love for Euros needs to not have a job anymore. God damn.

 

[CP1708]

Team DRuss
DarthSka
L2B
Mamba
SoHi
manup
Kal
Willchamberlain
thatboydrew
MR J
cleansneaks
CP?
Blu3s?

Team Grumpygills
Kane
Essential

Add me to team DRuss pls.

Yeah, I can get you that application for fanship when LaMarcus signs on. I'll vouch for you with these guys, no problem.

 

[rck3sactown]

Add me to team DRuss pls.

same

 

[ValarMorghulis]

Team DRuss
cleansneaks
L2B
SoHi
DarthSka
Willchamberlain
thatboydrew
MR J
manup
Kal
Mamba

CP?
Blu3s?

Team Grumpygills
Kane
Essential

FIXED in order of bandwagon admission date/time

 

[ValarMorghulis]

Some of y'all gotta get all the way in the BACK OF THE BUS!!!!!!!

 

[kal-el-8]

 

Team DRuss
cleansneaks
L2B
SoHi
DarthSka
Willchamberlain
thatboydrew
MR J
manup
Kal
Mamba

CP?

Blu3s?

Team Grumpygills
Kane
Essential

FIXED in order of bandwagon admission date/time

Some of y'all gotta get all the way in the BACK OF THE BUS!!!!!!!

 

Shut the hell up. Honestly, this is stupid as hell. 

Most of us were just high on Okafor cause we thought thats who the franchise was gonna pick. No one has slandered or said D-Russ won't be good. 

 

[CP1708]

Some of y'all gotta get all the way in the BACK OF THE BUS!!!!!!!

You're the same guy that drafted Okafor in the Mock Draft.

And then the Euro Zinger the second go round.


Go ahead and sit down fam.

 

[darthska]

Got no problem with being bumped, but c'mon, man. We on the same side. Let's run with that.

 

[CP1708]

I'm starting to settle in to having Okafor.

He's just so solid, does a lot of things really well, I just need him to pick it up on the boards and not become Brook Lopez 2.0

4 days ago...............

 

[youngwolf]

But why not, just go Okafor and go big in Free Agency.

Aldridge would fit with Okafor. And he can slide up to the 5 for enough minutes a game to get Julius close to 30 mpg.

I'd be content with Okafor, Aldridge & Randle for the next 4 years. And know I have it solidified and not have to even bother looking at it again.


Then you go into 2016 with Clarkson, Okafor, Randle & Aldridge.

And know you need to go SF and SG in whatever order. And fill the back court bench.

How about this...

Lakers draft Russell..
Hold Sixers for ransom.

Sixers take Okafor.


We sweep Miami into this..


Sixers get: Russell, # 10.
Lakers get: Okafor, make next year's pick lottery protected & McBob
Heat get: Tarik Black, # 34 & keep their next year's pick which is owed to Sixers 1-10 protected.

Take Okafor for Goodness Sake..

When they draft Russell, and don't trade back to get Okafor.

Because they think they got a FA in line already and that FA never comes..

I'm going to be pissed.

Jahlil Okafor

1. is the better player today
2. not a single scout has disagreed with the statement that he is the best low post option to come out of the draft in 10 years, if not more.
3. There is at least a copule dozen guys who can do what Russell can do. How many guys can you build an offense around and dump it into them time after time?
4. Russell has the same weaknesses as Okafor. Bad defense. Not very athletic.. I'll take the guy who just needs better conditioning to ease his defensive woes. And Russell's strengths are not better than Okafor's.
5. Put Okafor on the floor, teams have to play traditional basketball in terms of positions. You gonna put Draymond Green on Jahlil Okafor? Goodnight! You'd have to play a big.
6. The Lakers gave a few absolutely silly reasons for selecting Russell.

a) He could be Steph Curry.. That's fine, and it would be great. But Jahlil Okafor could be Tim Duncan. If we're throwing out super un-realistic top of the line this is extreme ceiling. I'll take Duncan over Curry. Or realistic comparison in ceiling.. Russell is Manu, and Jahlil is Al Jefferson... I'll take the 18 & 8 guy over the guy who is certainly great, also was maximized by a system. Neither win by themselves, each give you advantages, one is an advantage that many teams just can't prepare for with their current roster.

b) We have a Free Agent in tow.... And what if like last year, the FAs say nah I don't want to play with them. Then you screwed up and picked a guy because you felt the roulette wheel would spin your favor.

Or say we do get Love. Then we screwed up because now Randle is stunted.

Saying we think we have a shot at a FA is not a good reason to draft someone else.


7. Free Agency will not bring you a Jahlil Okafor as easy as it will bring you a Russell.. Sure every year there is Centers and Combo Guards on the market. What's the frequency that an elite Offensive Big man is there?




Now if we were drafting # 3 and Towns / Okafor were gone? Then I'd be 100% on board with Russell.

But drafting Russell # 2 with Okafor still on the board is foolish and stupid. It's a fairly easy decision.

And the final reason:
 

JQ (Philly)
Will Lakers actually take Russell 2nd, or is this just a smokescreen? If so, who do you think Sixers take 3rd?

Chad Ford (1:04 PM)
They might. I think he's Byron Scott's choice. The issue is that Mitch Kupchak is making this pick and I think he leans Okafor. I'm not saying it's impossible that it's Russell. But still hear Okafor there. If they trade the pick, all bets are off.

Pick the guy Byron wants over the guy Mitch wants

Going to the gym. May go back to back bicep days. I have walls to potentially punch through.

The reasoning of "there are great big men in Free Agency this year" is one of the dumbest reasons to not pick Okafor.

Just ridiculously stupid.

 

Chadd ford just said lakers are leaning towards Russell now

And they are stupid asterisk idiots.


The reasoning is ridiculous. They are banking on Free Agency

 

 

And they are stupid asterisk idiots.


The reasoning is ridiculous. They are banking on Free Agency

Bottom line is Mitch & Jim Buss want a proven big man in either LMA or Boogie.

And they obviously weren't impressed with Okafor enough to justify taking him.

I don't blame them and trust them.

Boogie is not coming here... Just stop right now.


You want to play Aldridge 30+ minutes at the 5? Okay.. Have fun with that.

Aldridge still leaves a hole down low.


And that's nonsense that they weren't impressed with hin. They had Okafor for an entire month.


Their justification for taking Russell is the guys in Free Agency..

I blame them, and think it is awful reasoning

 

Why so much hate on Russell

He's being chosen over a better player... In a position we need. For a reason that is no more a sure bet than Russian Roulette.


So when Aldridge ends up somewhere else... And Love stays in Cleveland. And we max out Greg Monroe.. We'll have fun with that team

If we were # 3. Towns & Okafor off the board. I'd be ecstatic for Russell.

But at # 2 with Okafor still there?


Just plain old dumb.

Sigh.

I'll reserve judgement. But think we went the wrong way.

If one slot down. I'd be elated.

But we're not.

 

[CP1708]

Uh oh.

 

[kal-el-8]

But who gives a damn? This is stupid, we're finally on the same page and got some talent, and yall wanna call first on who liked who first 

 

[CP1708]

Im pretty sure that the 2 years weren't wasted if we use the assets gained to trade for Boogie and land LMA.

Anything else will be a waste.

I kind of find myself wanting to see Okafor in a Laker jersey tho :\

24 hours ago........

 

[MVP]

I hope we can find a sucka for Nick Young. Offseason will already be perfect if that happens. Maybe trade him to the Cavs for Haywood's non guaranteed deal since Earl opted out.

 

[CP1708]

But who gives a damn? This is stupid, we're finally on the same page and got some talent, and yall wanna call first on who liked who first 

It's all giggles man. We all finally have somethin to be happy about. But my man wanna ride in the front of the bus, but I'm not sure why is all.


What just got dropped on E tho, that felt unnecessary.



#TeamTank welcomes all.

 

[(*Fin)]

Great to see most of the Lakers fans embrace the Russell selection. Can't wait for summer league.

 

[CHAOSE57]

Let's not turn against each other here

 

[kal-el-8]

 

But who gives a damn? This is stupid, we're finally on the same page and got some talent, and yall wanna call first on who liked who first 

It's all giggles man. We all finally have somethin to be happy about. But my man wanna ride in the front of the bus, but I'm not sure why is all.

What just got dropped on E tho, that felt unnecessary.

#TeamTank welcomes all.

I just don't get it 

 finally some positive outlook and the arguing continues 

Let's not turn against each other here

pls