LAKERS LAKERS Thread

Discussion in 'Los Angeles DODGERS' started by rube, Dec 16, 2015.

  1. LAdiablo

    LAdiablo descarado

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    exactly right
    in order to have any chance of playing in the same arena w the elite teams in the west you have to gain confidence against the dregs
    right now its some good stretches followed by a loss, a shower and some excuses along w the growth talk
    other than the first quarter and a few flashes we did the same thing tonight
    i think they got within six in the third and then houston just put us in the rear view
    20+ turnovers every night is more than enough to ensure a loss against pretty much any squad
     
  2. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Again? As in what, consistently? On the contrary, they've been quite watchable and competitive this season. There have only been 2 or 3 games thus far where they weren't competitive and one of those games was the season opener where Luke pulled that Luol Deng stunt. Frustrated about the loss, of course, but that doesn't distort the big picture. They just played nose to nose with GSW, without Kuzma.
     
  3. Gebbeth

    Gebbeth DSP Legend

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    We were in the same situation last year and Luke and the team better nut up.

    We were at .500 last year and things looked good, then I think we went on a 7 game losing streak and never recovered.

    We are close to this right now.

    A lot rides in this year....no good draft picks for tanking and need to try to convince FA that this team is up and coming and worth spending a few years with riding a wave.

    So far, this is not looking good.
     
  4. rube

    rube DSP Legend Staff Member Administrator

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    Trade time.
    First you trade Randle, Bryant, Zubac, and Lopez for Marc Gasol
    Then you sign LeBron and George.
    Now you can trade Clarkson, and Deng for Mike Conley

    PG: Conley, Ball
    SG: George, Ball
    SF: Ingram, Kuzma
    PF: LeBron, Kuzma
    C : Gasol, Nance

    That's a solid 7/8 man rotation in the playoffs.
    We've done this dance with the Grizzlies before.
    Lets see what they can make out of Zubac.
    They would have a new core of younger cheaper players.

    PG: Clarkson, Chalmers
    SG: Evans, McLemore
    SF: Parsons, Selden
    PF: Randle, Bryant
    C : Lopez, Zubac
    And a couple handful of other late first rounder/second rounder mid level prospects in their system.
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2017
  5. Doughty8

    Doughty8 DSP Legend

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    Were we supposed to be a play-off contender this year, did I miss something? :D Sure winning is important and doing it more regularly is a real good thing but the team isn't ready yet. We are at least 2 years away IMHO and are still in a learning curve. The great news is that we are a real good defensive team which is a good foundation to start with. I'm encouraged but I'm not going to hold them to the standard of a veteran team who have had success together. I will hold them accountable for the FT % though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :ranting:
     
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  6. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Pretty much. Don't know about the 2 years away stuff, but an otherwise fairly accurate take. Predictable start, basically on pace for 30-34 wins, where most felt they'd be by season's end. They've learned how to defend, which is obviously essential for a club that wants to attract stars that already know how important it is to defend consistently. I want them to stay in the picture for the 8th seed, but I can also see the big picture here. What does worry me, though, is team composition moving beyond this season because to this point Julius and KCP have been the 2 best defensive players on the team and both could be gone after the season. Julius has turned into an A-/A+ defender
     
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  7. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    LeBron/Boogie LAL team up confirmed.

    Report: Security separated Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins in back after ejections

    Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins got ejected late in the Warriors’ win over the Pelicans last night.

    Apparently, their confrontation didn’t end there.


    Morgan Beard@morganbeard
    After Kevin Durant and Demarcus Cousins' ejections - there was some sort of almost-altercation in the back. Cousins came around when KD was exiting. Security has to close doors to separate the two #GoldenState#NewOrleans #Warriors #Pelicans
    9:26 PM - Dec 4, 2017
     
  8. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Brandon Ingram is transforming before the Lakers' eyes


    After the Lakers lost Sunday to the
    Houston Rockets, Brandon Ingram caught himself as he spoke about the Lakers’ young players as if he wasn’t one.

    “All we can do is give advice to the young guys,” Ingram, 20, said. “Of course I’m a young guy too, but give it to the rookies.”

    That was another part of Ingram’s evolution. He’s learning to lead, he’s gaining confidence and he’s figuring out how he can truly be a scoring threat. Last week, for the first time in his career, Ingram scored at least 20 points in consecutive games. After scoring a career-high 32 against the
    Golden State Warriors, he scored 20 against the Denver Nuggets.

    He’s at his best when the stage is biggest, and others have noticed.

    Corey Brewer said, “he’s definitely going to be an All-Star in the next two or three years.”

    That kind of expectation came with Ingram into the NBA. The former Duke forward was the second pick in the draft last year, and many wanted immediate results. The Lakers insisted on patience. Ingram wasn’t even their starting small forward until February.

    During the offseason, they steadfastly maintained their belief in Ingram, refusing to include him in potential trade packages. The Lakers’ front office was new to Ingram, but the coaching staff wasn’t. It was on the strength of their faith in him that the organization remained bullish on him.

    Now, it’s not just inside the building that Ingram is being noticed. Warriors star Kevin Durant said he was impressed with the young Laker’s development. During that game, Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum said on Twitter: “Ingram gonna be a probleeem.”

    The 6-foot-9 Ingram came into the NBA weighing 190 pounds, too skinny to be as effective as the Lakers knew he would be later in his career. He struggled with his shot, taking contact and finishing at the rim. Two of those issues have been negated significantly as he has added strength.

    “I think he knows how [to get to the rim] now,” Brewer said, giving a glimpse at Ingram’s mentality. “ ‘When I come off, I know I’m going to be able to get past this guy. I know if I go to the rim it’s going to be a big guy coming over but I’ve got to finish.’

    “He’s using his body a lot better. Last year he was getting hit and he couldn’t finish. This year he’s getting hit and he can finish.”

    Ingram showed off his ability to score in the paint against the Warriors as he faced Durant. Durant has served as an adviser to Ingram, familiar with the plight of a too-skinny teenager trying to play forward in the NBA.

    “I think I lost myself into the game a little bit and just trying to compete and think that the competitive nature came out when we were scoring… trying to get to the rim,” Ingram said of the game against the Warriors. “I think that some of my best games are when I just have a clear head.”

    Against the Rockets, Ingram’s streak of 20-point games ended, but Lakers coach Luke Walton almost liked that game better than Ingram’s higher-scoring efforts.

    “I’d rather him have games like this than [against Denver],” Walton said. “I think he finished with 20 [in Denver] but tonight he had five assists and nine rebounds. That to me is who Brandon is. He’s more of a basketball player than he is just a scorer.

    “We’re at our best when he’s in the game trying to not only get to the rim and put pressure on but also looking to be a playmaker for his teammates when the defense collapses. I think [against the Nuggets] the defense collapsed a lot on him and they forced some turnovers because he wasn’t ready to make those passes and he didn’t make those same mistakes tonight.”

    One part of Ingram’s game that still needs improving is his shooting. Excluding shots taken at the rim, where the majority of his points are scored, he has made only 32% of his shots.

    “He’s getting to the rim with ease now,” Brewer said. “Once he improves his jump shot he’s going to be almost unguardable.”
     
  9. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    https://www.silverscreenandroll.com...coach-larry-nance-jr-julius-randle-kyle-kuzma
    It’s time for the Lakers to change their starting lineup

    If you’ve recently put your beachfront property on Luke Walton Island up for sale, you’re not alone. It’s a buyers’ market right now.

    The once heralded young coach has fallen out of favor with some Los Angeles Lakers fans. A handful of questionable lineup decisions, particularly in crunch time, have caused dissonance within the fan base just 23 games into his second season. However, perhaps even more disappointing than their recent late-game meltdowns has been the lack of effort by the first unit to start games all season.

    The Lakers (8-15) are currently giving up 28.8 points per game in the first quarter, which is the fourth-most by any team this season, only behind the Phoenix Suns, the Orlando Magic and surprisingly, the Golden State Warriors.

    This would be less of a concern if the Lakers’ offense was firing on all cylinders coming out of the gate, but unfortunately that hasn’t been the case, as they are ranked 24th in first quarter points per game (25.1).

    The problem isn’t the bench, who are in the top half of the league in first quarter points per game and are ranked third in the league in bench scoring with 41.4 points per game. It’s become clear the problem is the starting lineup.

    The Lakers’ current starting lineup featuring Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr. and Brook Lopez has played 155 minutes together, the second-most used lineup by Luke Walton this season. Had Nance not missed extended time nursing a fractured hand, it would probably be the most-used lineup.

    In their time together, the starting five has posted an offensive rating of 94.3, a defensive rating of 104 and a net rating of -9.7, which is the third-worst net rating by any of the Lakers’ lineups that have played at least 15 minutes this season. In other words, they’ve been bad.

    So what lineups have worked? Below is a chart of lineups the Lakers have used with a positive net rating. See if you can spot a common theme:

    [​IMG]

    All six of the lineups with positive net rating feature at least one of Julius Randle or Kyle Kuzma, neither of whom are regular starters. Additionally, Jordan Clarkson and Lonzo are in four, while Hart and Ingram are featured in three.

    Nance and Lopez, who have started every game they’ve been physically able to play this season, are in one. That is a problem. Nance’s place in the starting lineup has been especially peculiar.

    While Nance has been a steady force defensively since returning to the starting lineup, the Lakers as a team have actually been worse on both ends of the floor since his return, posting an offensive rating of 101.2 and a defensive rating of 111.8.

    Compare that to the 11 games Kuzma started, when the Lakers had an offensive rating of 100 and a defensive rating of 103.6, and it’s glaring. In fact, in the 155 minutes Kuzma is on the floor in place of Nance, the Lakers have a net rating of -2.8, almost seven whole points better than the current starting lineup (-9.7).

    Does that mean Kuzma is the answer to all the Lakers’ problems? Not exactly.

    While Kuzma has indeed been a better player than Nance this season, moving Nance to a second unit featuring Clarkson, Hart, Randle and sometimes Corey Brewer, would cause serious spacing issues for one of the league’s best scoring benches.

    Instead, the Lakers should seriously consider starting Randle, who has been arguably their most valuable player this season. Julius’ defense has improved leaps and bounds this season, while his offensive numbers have remained steady despite seeing about seven minutes less per game than he was last season.

    Randle is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 12 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting above 50 percent from the floor in less than 22 minutes per contest. He’s been great since settling into his role, but stats show he could be even better given more playing time.

    Through 23 games Randle’s averaging 20.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks per 36 minutes. The only players that can say the same are Joel Embiid and DeMarcus Cousins. There’s no reason he should be playing less than 20 minutes a night, something he has done three times in the last 10 games.

    Walton can shake things up with smaller moves like featuring either one of Ivica Zubac, Thomas Bryant and Alex Caruso, three players that have been killing it for the South Bay Lakers this season, but moving Randle to the starting lineup seems like the most logical one.

    The Lakers will rest for the next three days before embarking on a six-day road trip where they’ll see the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hopefully during the course of that road trip, we’ll see a few new faces in the starting lineup.







    Yup, so give me Kuzma and Julius as starters and give them a few more minutes, particularly while Lopez is in this slump.
    Nance should just get in where he fits in and get used to that now because that's probably his role going forward after this year anyway, if he's even still with LAL after this season.
    Personally, I think Julius has made enough strides to stick with LAL beyond this season, I really just need to see how his motor reacts to a minute increase to be 100% all in.
    But at the same time he could just be a 22-24 minute a night type of guy for a while and that'd be fine going into the future as well if the efficiency on both ends continues.
    Maybe that's the way to get the necessary energy/defense out of him?
    Anyway, the piece points out how Luke has little clue in what to do with these guys rotation wise.
    These guys sort of jumbled up in a way because there aren't any superstar level guys who demand minutes.
    One of the things I was worried about regarding the depth coming into the season, that he wouldn't have rotations figured out consistently.
    Landing a star or two in free agency will help make rotations easier for Luke.
    But yeah, at this point Julius and KCP should both be re-signed in my estimation.
     
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  10. rube

    rube DSP Legend Staff Member Administrator

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    Then you cant sign other players.
    KCP is a placeholder contract, he will get a multiyear deal this offseason.
    Randle is gonna get paid. He is good as gone. No way he comes back at a discount since he isnt even given the starting job.
    A lot of the issues you see with Luke are probably FO related.
     
  11. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Big road W in Philly, needed that
    Sleepy Ingram magnificent

     
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  12. TAFNAC

    TAFNAC Cossack Staff Member Administrator

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    Loved Ingrams reaction. Like he's done it before and he'll do it again.
     
  13. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Excellent game by Julius last night, filthy dunk over Embiid
    Played 30 energy-filled minutes and looked damn good in his role.
    Yeah, he needs to be retained. Great season so far for him

     
  14. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    https://sports.yahoo.com/rumor-lebron-james-nerlens-noel-200002979.html

    Rumor: LeBron James and Nerlens Noel plotting teaming up, maybe with Lakers


    Where is Noel going to have the surgery? In Cleveland, hometown of LeBron James and a headquarters for agent Rich Paul, who reps both LeBron and Noel and yeah, it’s kind of an open secret now that the fellas are plotting ways to end up together, maybe next July 1 via free agency to the Los Angeles Lakers.






    Weird duo, but I guess I don't mind Noel. Obviously hasn't lived up to all the hype coming out and is banged up a lot it seems, but he can be sort of a Nance type that excels around better guys. More defensive upside than Nance though. Longer.
     
  15. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Brandon Ingram is the Lakers’ real future superstar
    The second-year Lakers swingman has flown under the radar this year. Here’s why Lakers fans should be thrilled with his play.

    Dec 7, 2017

    With the hype surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2017 first-round picks, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma, we’ve forgotten about last season’s No. 2 pick and Duke standout, Brandon Ingram. There’s reason for this, as he had an unremarkable nine-point, four-rebound rookie season.

    But now’s the time to invest in Ingram stock, because his rise is already underway.

    Averaging 16 points per game, Ingram is L.A.’s second-leading scorer and the team’s go-to in crunch time. His 32-point night on 21 shots against the Warriors earlier in the season showed why.

    Ingram went shot-for-shot with Kevin Durant, his consensus NBA player comparison, and nearly outdueled him. In taking his team to overtime, Ingram proved he’s one of the best young wings at getting to the rim, where most of his finishes came. He was able to absorb hits in stride, and like he has for much of the season, finish strong.

    His star potential is no longer a theoretical. He’s showing signs of greatness every night.

    With all the talk of what’s to come in free agency for L.A., the Lakers might already have a superstar in the making.

    Ingram is seeing the floor better as a ball-handler
    Ingram is handling the ball now more than when he played at Duke, or when D’Angelo Russellwas in town. He’s averaging 10.7 drives per game, according to NBA player tracking stats, nearly triple the 3.6 from his rookie year. His free-throw attempts have almost doubled, from 2.7 to 5.2 per game because of it.

    Time with the ball has allowed him to grow into a smarter offensive player. He knows when to retreat and create space. That’s part of the reason his potential assist numbers have risen from four to six per game, according to player tracking stats. (That puts him in the same range as top-notch wings like C.J. McCollum and Bradley Beal.)

    But it’s also allowed him opportunities to score off the dribble. Here’s an example where he’s able to evade Ben Simmons’ and Joel Embiid’s lengths by stepping back into a mid-range shot — just like a point guard would:

    He’s scoring against the league’s top defenders
    Ingram has five 20-point games this season, and three of those have come against top-10 defenses: Golden State, Houston, and Philadelphia. His first game against the Sixers, when he went off for 26 points, showed us a glimpse into his future.

    The 6’9 slasher has a modern NBA frame and a guard’s mentality. That’s why it didn’t matter whether Philly sent Robert Covington, Embiid, or Simmons to defend him.

    Against Covington, Ingram was able to run off screens with the ball and extend his 7’0 wingspan to the bucket.

    His hang time here shows that he’s finally understanding how to use his frame to beat larger rim protectors. A year ago, this would’ve been swatted away, and Ingram would have crashed to the floor.

    He had no fear taking the ball in against Embiid either, who has three inches and at least 60 pounds on him:

    Where his game goes from here
    Ingram has come a long way in a short time, but there’s still glaring flaws in his game. Aside from his obvious need to gain weight, his three-point shooting (31 percent) is below par and he’s making less than 70 percent of his free throws.

    He’ll have to perfect his stroke to get the most out of his game, particularly at the line. He’s shooting to a 68 percent success rate, up 6 percent from last year, but that’s still below where it should be.

    Ingram’s already ahead of schedule though. At 20 years old, it’s already easy to see his All-Star potential. He’s becoming a must-watch every night and a player who should be the centerpiece of the Lakers’ long-term future.






    Not even reactionary, pretty much a coincidental piece from SB Nation early yesterday, before the game winner.
    Ingram and Kuzma do indeed look like future stars.
    Would like to see Ingram defend smaller wings/guards more often, see where his progression is in that aspect, he can give LAL some flexibility roster-wise if he can at a solid level.
    But with that said about Ingram and Kuzma, the only rookies who have ever averaged 8+pts, 7+reb, 7+ast are:
    1. Oscar Robertson
    2. Magic Johnson
    3. Ben Simmons
    4. Lonzo Ball
    And that's the list.
    Next game tomorrow @ Charlotte ( The Dwight Howard Bowl)
     
  16. LAdiablo

    LAdiablo descarado

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    nice to be excited about watching the team play/develop again
    don't need mebron and word up noel
     
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  17. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Lol couple road wins in a row
    The bench killing as usual
     
  18. rube

    rube DSP Legend Staff Member Administrator

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    This rotation is not too bad if they dont want to go grab players in the offseason. If all they add to this team is Paul George and keep Randle as well as bring back Pope at good value then the Lakers can wield a strong team without killing themselves with the tax.

    PG: Lonzo 30 vs Curry
    SG: KCP 30 vs Iguodala
    SF: George 36 vs Klay
    PF: Ingram 36 vs Durant
    C : Randle 32 vs Draymond

    6th: Clarkson/Hart 32 vs Livingston/Swaggy P
    7th: Kuzma/Brewer 28/ vs West/Casspi
    8 th Nance/Lopez 16 vs Pachulia/McGee

    The Warriors model would have us weaker at PG considerably until Lonzo improves, after that it all kinda balances out with the Warriors still having the overall edge thanks to Durant and Draymond outclassing Ingram and Randle. Hopefully those two young guys continue to improve and close the gap.
    George over Klay would be our only edge, maybe.
    Off the bench our combo of Clarkson and Kuzma would be a significant edge over anyone they have offensively.

    So bottom line if Lonzo fulfils his promise then the Lakers become the Warriors but not as good.
     
  19. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    LAL @ NYK/ESPN today
    LAL looking for 3-0 on the current road trip
    Knicks 13-13
     
  20. Fall Winslow

    Fall Winslow McRib

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    Fuck, Porzingis is a basketball creation
     

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