Is he really though? Where the Kings in a better position before they drafted him? Where the coaches fired solely because of Cousins or because the entire organization hasn't been a properly ran organization since Chris Webber was there?
They were shitty when they drafted him and they're shitty now despite his physical talent. But you're right.......Sacto is a cluster fuck of an organization.
Spurs ate their heart Shit should count as 2 L's Fuck Pau, BTW. Put that Spurs jersey on and it's fuuuuuck you, buddy..just the way it is
Zubacalypse did have 8pts on 4-7 shooting in 14min, a block and solid D Could be getting ready to see some PT If he can eventually be the defensive force that Marc Gasol is that'll go a long way in curing LAL's defensive woes over the long run
Over the last couple of days, a report or two has surfaced saying that the LAL brass is split on DLo and perhaps willing to trade him for the right return. The timing is so that I could maybe see a scenario where these " Cousins/200MM/Kings " early reports are the Kings trying to put pressure on the Lakers to budge on an offer they've made and tabled. Like it or not, LAL has held discussions about Cousins and does have some level of interest, George Karl tipped that hand the other week. Me, I'd prefer a wing like Butler or just a safer/talented addition in general, but I also wouldn't turn my nose up at Cousins until he did the Lakers dirty w/some sort of extraordinary foolishness. He was a LAL fan growing up, big Kobe/Shaq fan ( no teams in Alabama, where he grew up), and so maybe he'd take hold of the opportunity to be one of the great LAL bigs ( unlike Dwight)? Cousins is one of the more charitable guys in the league, so he's not all bad. And then of course LAL has always traded for their dominant big man. I'd feel a ton better if LAL were able to get him while keeping Randle..there needs to be 1 guy among the core that's not intimidated by Cousins and Randle backs down from nobody in the league. Personally, I think DLo's gonna be productive, but uncertain about the consistency of his hunger to win and the timetable for his maturity, although, its obviously early when it comes to nuances such as those, so no shocker there for most guys his age. The piece I posted from Lowe hit on much of that..there's just this relaxed feel to DLo's game at times when you'd wish he'd take over and be more efficient with his passes and usage in general, and then Clarkson is almost the polar opposite - he can't wait to take over and is always gung ho it seems. I can see DLo and Ingram topping out at similar stat lines in the future..both 20ppg/5reb/5ast type of guys w/maybe each guy perhaps able to do a little better. But like you said earlier w/the Pippen comparison, Ingram has that potential to be an impact player on defense while DLo could struggle a lot on that end down the road. It could all work itself out with time ( regarding DLo)..I thought they'd defend a lot better this year from a team standpoint, but the improvement has been marginal on that side. Ultimately, I think DLo has enough asshole in him to eventually become a guy who takes the game over offensively and gets the team over the hump most nights, but I'm not sure if his confidence will ever really be at an alpha-esque level when he's on the floor with the best players in the league because he's just not all that athletic. I've seen the Manu comparisons that he gets and they aren't really A1 comps because Manu was very athletic, a fearless/alpha type offensively + a crafty/smart defensive player to boot. But a non-alpha masquerading as one ( James Harden) has suffered similarly when facing the more athletically gifted players like Jimmy Butler and Paul George, obviously LeBron, etc. on the biggest stage/playoffs. Harden turns into a turnover machine and just looks out of his element too often when guys like that are out there with him in May/June, doesn't seem nearly as confident. I've seen CP3 show far more heart when over-matched, so hopefully DLo winds up being more CP3 than he is Harden between the ears and shoulders. Paul competes on both ends no matter what..is a little dirty too I suppose. But I do fear DLo could be similar to Harden in that way, however, from a team outlook type of scope DLo's game should still fit very well much like Harden's did in OKC. We just may need for DLo to be more of a 2nd/3rd wheel @ the highest level - same as the Harden that was in OKC. Which would mean we need Ingram and/or Randle to become alpha/stars. Or not, and they'll try and deal for an alpha like Butler/Cousins instead. Of course, again, its still early, so perhaps it'll all work out, definitely not giving up on DLo and his potential. Even if DLo winds up being a strong 2nd/3rd wheel, or a beta, for a winning LAL team that'd be cool. But I think I feel the same about DLo potentially being the big piece that nets us an alpha like Butler/Cousins, TBH..cool with that too. By the start of the '18-'19 season they should know what they have in DLo for sure..outside of the numbers, its still a bit too early for a concrete profile, but from what I gather - opposing execs are also split on his upside and where he goes from here, so his value on the trade market is hit and miss for now and maybe matches up well for a Cousins' trade. It's gotta be tempting to offer say DLo, Clarkson, and every other non-Ingram/Randle/Zubac/Nance guy on the team to get a Butler or Cousins. Those would be my absolute untouchables..Ingram/Randle/Zubac/Nance. Guards, while valuable, still fall off trees and so they'll find it much easier to replace DLo/Clarkson. I think that deal works money-wise and everything. In the past I'd say they'd be able to get Cousins for less, because they just always do get stars for less, but in the past they've also had draft picks to trade and right now they don't have that, so DLo/Clarkson are probably the attainable guys for opposing execs. http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=j23x9dp Works almost perfectly, but the Kings have some other pieces that may help as well and so a deal could be bigger and involve much more.. http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=zo8wjzw Something bigger similar to that^, although, LAL should be careful not to take on so much that they become " Kings- south " Lol
Defense is just bad and dlo, randle aren't very good defenders. Our interior d is pretty pathetic. Black and robinson are both undersized hustle guys and mozgov is just doo doo defensively. Jordan just feasted today. We will be able to score in the future. However we need a real defensive big and a tony allen lock down guy if we want to compete for a ring in 3-4 years.
Didn't know I still had so much hate for the Pistons DLo, JC, Lou..other than that everybody else was trash Randle w/2pts...my eyes just can't unsee it 15-30...if they weren't 3 wins behind the 8th seed they'd be entering " fuck it..try to keep the draft pick " territory
Tickets to that fiasco were a Christmas gift from my wife to me. Randle was totally MIA and it was uncanny how Detroit scored just before the buzzer on several occasions. Luckily we saw a Kings' OT win the night before.
They've used Magic's advice and pull in the past regarding personnel as well..had Magic call MWP ( then Ron Artest) at mid-night when FA started back in 2009. LAL had their Ariza replacement within minutes. Guess this maybe the 1st time since Magic sold his 4/5% share of the team, so news in that respect. Then again, they asked Magic to mentor DLo last year and so he's been doing that
Zubac Shakur VS DEN last night - 11 pts, 13 reb, 3 blks Way ahead of Marc Gasol when he was 19yrs old
Article on how bad mozgov has been http://www.lakersnation.com/timofey-mozgov-and-the-lakers-center-struggles/2017/01/19/
Articles (plural) on how bad Biyombo has been http://orlandomagicdaily.com/2017/01/18/orlando-magic-need-bismack-biyombo-reset/ http://orlandomagicdaily.com/2017/01/14/orlando-magics-biggest-first-half-disappointment/
Zu Alcindor- “I’m coming from the NBA, so they want to talk trash all the time,” Zubac said. “But I don’t really care what they’re trying to say. I’m in the NBA and they’re not. They can say whatever they want.” So, Zubac has responded by averaging 15.6 points on 57.8 percent shooting, 9.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 block through 13 games with the D-Fenders. On Saturday, he posted 20 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in 32 minutes. “If English was my first language, I would talk back. But sometimes it’s really hard to answer really quick,” Zubac said. “So I just score on them. I respond with my game.” Zubac continued, "I'm trying to prove I'm not in this league just [as a] bench guy, going to do little stuff. I'm trying to prove I'm a good player and that I can help my team." Zubac's locker is next to Brandon Ingram's locker, and the Lakers' no. 2 pick had come out of the shower to find access to his locker blocked by cameras and microphones interviewing the Croatian on his big night. Upon hearing Zubac say "I'm trying to prove I'm a good player," Ingram spoke over the cameras and corrected his fellow rookie: "Great player."
Mild MCL sprain for DLo early in the game Kupchak looked like he wanted to throw up..probably the one young piece they'd move damn close to a season ending injury
Not all that different from what I mentioned earlier about DLo's perceived lack of fire- http://www.lakersnation.com/lakers-dangelo-russell-needs-to-bring-it-or-lose-it/2017/01/20/ Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell Needs To Bring It Or Lose It By Hannah Kulik - 01/20/2017 Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered their 21st loss in their last 26 games and their fifth in a row, this time to the “mighty” Denver Nuggets who entered the contest with only one more win on the season than the Lakers. The final score was 127-121, which means neither team played a lick of defense, but the Nuggets have more offensive firepower. It was the first time the Lakers lost this season when they scored more than 120 points. There were plenty of negatives to go around. The team fell behind by double digits almost immediately. The first unit was so bad that all five starters were removed at the same time just a few minutes into the game. They were also on the bench in the fourth quarter when reserves Jordan Clarkson, Lou Williams, and Ivica Zubac brought the team to within one point of the Nuggets. For the game, the Lakers starters were badly outplayed by their Nugget’s counterparts. Denver’s first unit shot 60 percent to 40 percent from Los Angeles; scored 103 points to the Lakers’ 53 points; and shot 53 percent from three-point range to 37 percent from D’Angelo Russell and company. The Lakers came out flat and stayed that way most of the night, with the first three quarters as bad as the Lakers have played all season. It was yet another game against a beatable foe where the team foundered. As bad as the game was, however, the most startling revelation came after it was over. Julius Randle had another poor performance, finishing with only seven points and five turnovers, but at least when he was interviewed after the game, he was angry which is exactly how he should have felt. D’Angelo Russell, however, was impassive. He was equally bad during the game, played only 17 minutes, and not at all in the fourth quarter. Yet Russell’s demeanor when the game was over was the opposite of Randle’s. He calmly explained to reporters that, “I haven’t been bringing it” (via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters) so it was perfectly fine that Coach Luke Walton has been giving him reduced minutes. Respectfully, that is not the attitude a team wants from its starting point guard and supposed floor general. You want fire. You want passion. You want disgust like Randle showed. A docile point guard is unacceptable. It is unimaginable that fellow point guards Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, or James Harden, whose careers Russell hopes to emulate, would ever have trouble “bringing it” at any moment of any game. While Russell’s honesty is admirable, what rational explanation or excuse is there for a 20-year-old, second-year NBA player, who was handed the keys to the Lakers’ storied franchise the moment he was drafted, is paid millions of dollars a year, and was anointed the team’s leader entering his second season, to fail to “bring it” every moment of every game? How can one read that passive, matter-of-fact quote from Russell without being shocked? The Lakers are heavily invested in Russell. They desperately want and need him to succeed. He may never be Westbrook or Kyrie Irving because he lacks their speed and athleticism, but can’t he at least match their fire? Russell’s game more closely resembles that of Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzles and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs: Both play more of a sneaky, deliberate, and slithery game and have done well at it – Conley is the highest paid player in NBA history, and Parker is a five-time champion. History shows that while the first choice in any NBA Draft is almost certain to go on to stardom, second selections have not fared as well. Russell must know that the fans and media are badly divided on his future: Whether he is a real point guard; whether he can be an effective leader; whether the Lakers are wise making him the focal point of their future plans; whether he will be a successful NBA player at all. In light of all the questions, it is disheartening that the one thing he can control, his effort and energy, is so often lacking. There are 35 games left in the season, and Russell should not waste one of them. At age 20, he has a lot to learn, and that is fine. There will be nights when his shot is not falling. But his shooting percentages are lower this year than last when he was a rookie, which is not supposed to happen. For the season, he is shooting below 40 percent overall from the field and below 35 percent from three-point range. The way the Lakers are constructed they need Russell to consistently score 18 points to go along with five assists a game, or better. In the modern NBA, point guards are supposed to light it up – many lead their respective teams in scoring. By any measure, Russell simply has to get better. Of course, there are other issues too like his often atrocious defense. But most important, he has to “bring it” every game in terms of effort and energy. Russell may lack the speed and quickness of a Westbrook or a Harden, but he has to match their fire. It is inexcusable for a young professional basketball player, especially one with as many blessings as Russell, to have a hard time “getting up” for games. It has played in a small number of games in which he has really excelled, enough to entice even the harshest critic to take notice. But if he cannot be counted on to bring maximum energy and effort each and every game, it will soon be time for Russell to lose his starting role and his future with the team could eventually be in doubt. The Lakers have another guard by the name of Jordan Clarkson. Once upon a time – and it wasn’t that long ago – people thought he was the team’s point guard of the future. He started every game last year but hasn’t started a single game this season. That job has been Russell’s and his alone. Clarkson has his own issues, but one thing he can never be accused of is giving less than maximum effort. He has boundless energy whenever he is on the court and is always in attack mode. Last season, Byron Scott handed Russell the starting job, but he lost it 20 games into the season. If Russell doesn’t look carefully in the mirror and start leaving it all on the court every single night, history may repeat itself, Russell may lose his starting gig again, and this time Scott won’t be around to blame.
