Just how much did the Lakers screw up? (Okafor debut highlights)

[GIF REACTION]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xDBy6wFc3E

Jesus christ

The man is a walking double team threat

[bobopenguin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xDBy6wFc3E

Jesus christ

The man is a walking double team threat

....
Laker's FO.. ***...
can my fellow lakers bro boost my faith?

looks like he tried his best to prove lakers' FO wrong.. i think he successed..

[ClipperRevival]

:facepalm

I still can't believe Lakers didn't see Russell's cement feet. It absolutely boggles my mind. Yes, we fu'ked up. Okafor will be a much better pro. You don't use your #2 pick to draft a facilitator that can't break down defenses. :facepalm

[hawksdogsbraves]

This is the sort of draft flub that can set a franchise back for a decade. Russell will never sniff an All-Star game, Okafor may average 20ppg as a rookie.

Decent PG's are a dime a dozen in the NBA, and they're all a hell of a lot quicker than Russell is :oldlol:

[noob cake]

This is the sort of draft flub that can set a franchise back for a decade. Russell will never sniff an All-Star game, Okafor may average 20ppg as a rookie.

Decent PG's are a dime a dozen in the NBA, and they're all a hell of a lot quicker than Russell is :oldlol:

D'Slow is a decent PG now?

[hawksdogsbraves]

D'Slow is a decent PG now?

Nah I'm saying the Lakers could have just signed a decent PG for like $12 million/yr next offseason, (or any offseason). It's the deepest position in the league. Or just let Clarkson develop since he's probably better than Russell anyway.

Either way they passed on a guy who is going to average 20/10 for the next 15 years.

[fpliii]

:facepalm

I still can't believe Lakers didn't see Russell's cement feet. It absolutely boggles my mind. Yes, we fu'ked up. Okafor will be a much better pro. You don't use your #2 pick to draft a facilitator that can't break down defenses. :facepalm
I kinda skimmed your thread a couple weeks ago, I'll have to look into it in more depth.

How far off is his first step from where it would need to be to at least give defenses something to worry about, and so you think by the time he's filled out into his NBA body/in NBA shape he'll get there?

[ClipperRevival]

I kinda skimmed your thread a couple weeks ago, I'll have to look into it in more depth.

How far off is his first step from where it would need to be to at least give defenses something to worry about, and so you think by the time he's filled out into his NBA body/in NBA shape he'll get there?

You can't teach light feet. His feet is heavier than a lot of bigs, it's mind blowing how heavy they are. So forget about having a first step, he can't even move around like a normal NBA guard. His heavy feet pretty much affects everything he does, which means he will be much less impactful on the court.

Just shocking how "professional" scouts didn't see this. Maybe I just stress light feet as a prerequisite. Who knows but they blew it.

[WeGetRing2012]

You can't teach light feet. His feet is heavier than a lot of bigs, it's mind blowing how heavy they are. So forget about having a first step, he can't even move around like a normal NBA guard. His heavy feet pretty much affects everything he does, which means he will be much less impactful on the court.

Just shocking how "professional" scouts didn't see this. Maybe I just stress light feet as a prerequisite. Who knows but they blew it.

Calm the hell down! His feet aren't that heavy he just plays with pace but he can speed it up. Very similar to Harden who isn't the quickest guy but very nifty with his movements. Russell split a double team today, found guys wide open, and hit the midrange,. He just needs time to develop.

[Sarcastic]

He can't shoot 3's, so he obviously has no place in modern, evolved, advanced NBA.

He actually has the audacity to shoot from mid range. :facepalm

[ClipperRevival]

Calm the hell down! His feet aren't that heavy he just plays with pace but he can speed it up. Very similar to Harden who isn't the quickest guy but very nifty with his movements. Russell split a double team today, found guys wide open, and hit the midrange,. He just needs time to develop.

:oldlol:

As a die hard Laker fan, I want nothing more than Russell to be great but I have eyes. I can't believe how heavy his feet are. It's shocking.

[Nick Young]

Okafor ain't shit.

[outbreak]

While i think russell will imprve i just don't see how his ceiling can be high with his physical limitations. Okafor, mudiay, Hezonja, porzingis or wcs all look higher

[Goofsta Knicca]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xDBy6wFc3E

Jesus christ

The man is a walking double team threat


He's deceptive cuz he looks like he's just a dumb, clumsy-ass knicca, but he still get buckets.

[oh the horror]

Well one thing the scouts did predict is that Okafor is NBA ready now. He obviously is and while he too has some room to grow of course he's making an immediate impact.


Russell was said to need time but is supposed to be the bigger payoff down the road. So honestly I guess we will find out.



Right now however I'm irritated with the Lakers front office because I'm not impressed with Russell. I AM curious how he looks after 20-30 games into the season

[ClipperRevival]

He can't shoot 3's, so he obviously has no place in modern, evolved, advanced NBA.

He actually has the audacity to shoot from mid range. :facepalm

His shot will be fine and that is the one thing I am hoping he will excel in to make up for his heavy feet.

[WeGetRing2012]

:oldlol:

As a die hard Laker fan, I want nothing more than Russell to be great but I have eyes. I can't believe how heavy his feet are. It's shocking.

Im a Laker fan too but you're expecting him to be Curry or Harden already. & remember those guys came in the league after their Jr. & So. years, & they still took time to develop to the players they are today.

I wanted Okafor before the draft too but after watching him... all you see is all you're gonna get. Which is a good player but not anything near the potential of Russell.

Russell has the tools... shot, play making, rebounding, moves, height, etc He just needs time!

[ClipperRevival]

Well one thing the scouts did predict is that Okafor is NBA ready now. He obviously is and while he too has some room to grow of course he's making an immediate impact.


Russell was said to need time but is supposed to be the bigger payoff down the road. So honestly I guess we will find out.



Right now however I'm irritated with the Lakers front office because I'm not impressed with Russell. I AM curious how he looks after 20-30 games into the season

He's still going to have his heavy feet 30 games from now.

What we can hope for is that his shot will be deadly, that he'll continue to be a great passer and is very effective running the P&R where he won't have to deal with a set defender.

[outbreak]

He's still going to have his heavy feet 30 games from now.

What we can hope for is that his shot will be deadly, that he'll continue to be a great passer and is very effective running the P&R where he won't have to deal with a set defender.
In this league as a point guard though its really tough to be elite when you aren't stupidly quick on your feet

[catch24]

Are "heavy feet" just something you're born with? I've heard people describe players having the same issue, but nothing like I've seen with Russell. Some of you are honestly convinced the kid is a bust because of how much his feet weigh.

[Cocaine80s]

He's still going to have his heavy feet 30 games from now.

What we can hope for is that his shot will be deadly, that he'll continue to be a great passer and is very effective running the P&R where he won't have to deal with a set defender.
Its like God switched Russell and Okafor's feet at birth just to **** with the league :lol

[ClipperRevival]

Is "heavy feet" just something you're born with? I've heard people describe players having the same issue, but nothing like I've seen with Russell. Some of you are honestly convinced the kid is a bust because of how much his feet weigh.

You can't teach light feet. And i never said he will be a bust. Just that because of his feet, his ceiling is severely limited because having heavy feet affects almost everything you do on the court. The game is not played standing still. It requires a lot of planting and exploding, changing directions, chopping your steps, etc. If you can't keep up, you are simply limited on the court. That's him.

[ClipperRevival]

In this league as a point guard though its really tough to be elite when you aren't stupidly quick on your feet
Yup.

[dazzer87]

Lakers tanking all year long and ends up with the # 2 pick!!!!!!!! Okafor is available and ready to put on that Lakers jersey!!!!!!!!!!!

end up picking up Ramon sessions 2.0....:biggums: ..:facepalm :roll: :facepalm

[outbreak]

Yup.
Doesnt mean he will be a bust but it does make it hard to be a star and hard to really distinguish yourself from a lot of point guards in this league who are competant but lack the natural gifts of a westbrook. Go through the leagues starting point guards and its rare to find guys who aren't gifted athletically or at least in footwork and foot coordination

[oh the horror]

Aside from his playmaking and passing though what else does he do out there? His defense isn't good at all as he was getting blown past all night. He's not very aggressive offensively, as others have said he doesn't have a real first step so he isn't in the paint very often either.


Again, I only have summer, preseason and this game as a sample but I'm not impressed at all.


We had a dude last season who could pass the ball too. And he is a career journeyman. I don't even remember his name.



I was legit excited about Okafor

[Naero]

Considering that D'Angelo Russell is just latent talent, I'm not concerned about the short-term comparison; even the most masterful of unathletic Point Guards will take a longer time to acclimate to the game-speed continuum of the NBA than physically ready big-men, and thus the current discrepancy obviously will not extrapolate long term as long as Russell maintains the right mentality. Many are just over-subscribing in first-impression bias

[R.I.P.]

Okafor, Porzingis, Mudiay and a few others like Booker already showing huge potential. This has 2003 (?) written all over it, where almost everybody was a stud and the Pistons took Darko at 2. :lol

[oh the horror]

[QUOTE=Naero]Considering that D'Angelo Russell is just latent talent, I'm not concerned about the short-term comparison; even the most masterful of unathletic Point Guards will take a longer time to acclimate to the game-speed continuum of the NBA than physically ready big-men, and thus the current discrepancy obviously will not extrapolate long term as long as Russell maintains the right mentality. Many are just over-subscribing in first-impression bias

[ClipperRevival]

Aside from his playmaking and passing though what else does he do out there? His defense isn't good at all as he was getting blown past all night. He's not very aggressive offensively, as others have said he doesn't have a real first step so he isn't in the paint very often either.


Again, I only have summer, preseason and this game as a sample but I'm not impressed at all.


We had a dude last season who could pass the ball too. And he is a career journeyman. I don't even remember his name.



I was legit excited about Okafor

His shooting hopefully. It looks right and he does have a pretty quick release. That's what we can hope for at this point.

[dazzer87]

What I find more disgraceful, however, is the rationale of the Lakers FO in picking him. They harbored unduly conviction that they could land a more seasoned Power Forward in the off-season (remember the buzz of landing both DeMarcus Cousins and LaMarcus Aldridge?), and yet there was a continuant dry spell in free agency.

With all the free-agency and trades buzz that has emanated around this team in the past-two seasons, I've seen more unfulfilled promises than I have in a presidential debate.
Yeah Kome telling the FO that he could convince either LMA or Cousins to play in LA and to dont waste the draft pick on a Okafor.......
But I guess telling Cousins and LMA "I eat first" at the meeting didnt work ......:facepalm

[bluechox2]

actually not going to the lakers saved okafors career early on...or he'd just watch kobe chuck shots up

see source: deangelo...MIA tonight

[oh the horror]

Yeah Kome telling the FO that he could convince either LMA or Cousins to play in LA and to dont waste the draft pick on a Okafor.......
But I guess telling Cousins and LMA "I eat first" at the meeting didnt work ......:facepalm




You're basically just creating a dialogue that didn't happen. These moves are the Lakers front office and theirs to eat if this shit continues to crash.

[ClipperRevival]

Doesnt mean he will be a bust but it does make it hard to be a star and hard to really distinguish yourself from a lot of point guards in this league who are competant but lack the natural gifts of a westbrook. Go through the leagues starting point guards and its rare to find guys who aren't gifted athletically or at least in footwork and foot coordination

Yeah, this isn't rocket science. Heavy feet is very bad for a PG at the highest level.

[outbreak]

Yeah, this isn't rocket science. Heavy feet is very bad for a PG at the highest level.
A lot of people here brush it off like its no big deal and claim he wll be an immediate all star

[ClipperRevival]

A lot of people here brush it off like its no big deal and claim he wll be an immediate all star

Are you a Laker fan? I only ask because I want to make sure I am not talking to a Laker hater because they will go with anything negative about them. I am not hating on Russell or anything, just givng my honest assessments.

[outbreak]

Are you a Laker fan? I only ask because I want to make sure I am not talking to a Laker hater because they will go with anything negative about them. I am not hating on Russell or anything, just givng my honest assessments.
Not a laker fan. I try to be unbiased though but there's some lakers stans here who get really frustrating and make silly claims. I never want any player to be a bust for any team but if a group of posters are making silly claims I'll happily post their flaws

[Naero]

I've also been noticing far too much tentativity with D'Angelo Russell so far; that never bodes well, as a player's mentality is the best predictor we can work with in sample-size glimpses of them. He does not even demand the ball, as others advance the ball down the court half of the time, and I've seen too many times where he simply serves as an intermediate passer rather than attacking to try to playmake himself.

Marcelo Huertas needs to start over him meanwhile, IMO. In the long run, one can only hope that the Lakers' draftee will outperform the 32-year-old Huertas. Until then, benching Russell will mold into a needed stopgap at that position; if anything, it may instill a chip on Russell's shoulder, which is what some young players need to turn the scale for the betterment of their mentality.

[TheBigVeto]

Other than letting Kobe chuck too many damn shots, not much.

[Bless Mathews]

He's deceptive cuz he looks like he's just a dumb, clumsy-ass knicca, but he still get buckets.

"Knicca " word of the month nominee.


:applause:

[bobopenguin]

I wanted Okafor before the draft too but after watching him... all you see is all you're gonna get. Which is a good player but not anything near the potential of Russell.

Russell has the tools... shot, play making, rebounding, moves, height, etc He just needs time!

i dont think i agree with that.. what made u think okafor will stop developing?
he can improve on his rebound, strength, offense/defense... this guy will be another monster down the post.. he has the size and height and skill...

[brownmamba00]

I've also been noticing far too much tentativity with D'Angelo Russell so far; that never bodes well, as a player's mentality is the best predictor we can work with in sample-size glimpses of them. He does not even demand the ball, as others advance the ball down the court half of the time, and I've seen too many times where he simply serves as an intermediate passer rather than attacking to try to playmake himself.

Marcelo Huertas needs to start over him meanwhile, IMO. In the long run, one can only hope that the Lakers' draftee will outperform the 32-year-old Huertas. Until then, benching Russell will mold into a needed stopgap at that position; if anything, it may instill a chip on Russell's shoulder, which is what some young players need to turn the scale for the betterment of their mentality.
Huertas sucked ass tbh no way he should start...when JC was out with foul trouble and DLo took over the offense in the third Q we still looked fine...had a lot of indirect passes that got open looks.

When BS benched him the whole 4th Q we missed 16 out of 20...not a coincidence.

[OG LeeTSkeeT]

Russell is just too damn raw. Looks scared and hesitant out there. Not confident in his shots. Doesn't even try to beat his defender off the dribble or take it to the hole. Just the takes the ball up and tries to set up the offense. Just either pullups or spot up jumpers. At least facilitate if you aren't going to be a scorer and run pick and rolls, pick and pops or drive and dish.

[Optimus Prime]

I expressed my disbelief multiple times during and after the draft that the Lakers wasted their amazingly good fortune by drafting D'Bustalo instead of Okafor who was a sure thing. Yet I was shouted down by all the ISHiots declaring D'Bustalo as the next GOAT.

:kobe:

[All Net]

Wish we took okafor but too early to tell right now

[T_L_P]

I wasn't that high on Okafor and he's probably gonna prove me wrong, but I never liked the D'AngeSlow move. Lakers goofed.

[!@#$%Vectors!@#]

If this keeps going on quicker Pgs are gonna be feastin on him just like rubio did last night. heck even Raymond Felton will feast:lol I'm gonna predict that Skinny Lowry will drop 40 on Russell.

[dubeta]

Who had quicker feet, current Russell or '87 Jordan?

[Mike Armstrong]

D'Slow is a decent PG now?
I think he meant that at best he will be decent, and that just isn't good enough to make an impact in today's league.

[Darius]

Dat feathery touch.

Lakers dun fukked up

[Sarcastic]

I think the Wolves fcked up too. Jah was the best player in the draft.

Although Porzingod may give him a run for his money down the line.

[ClipperRevival]

Russell is just too damn raw. Looks scared and hesitant out there. Not confident in his shots. Doesn't even try to beat his defender off the dribble or take it to the hole. Just the takes the ball up and tries to set up the offense. Just either pullups or spot up jumpers. At least facilitate if you aren't going to be a scorer and run pick and rolls, pick and pops or drive and dish.

He's hesitant and doesn't try to beat his man off the dribble because he knows he lacks the quickness to do it. Anyone who plays the game knows this. They know who they can blow by and who they can't. Everyone Russell is playing against has noticeably superior foot speed so anything he gets in iso situations has to be off skills and not sheer quickness. And that's a huge problem because he will struggle to create his own shot in iso situations. He will NEED a P&R situation to get free. So he has been relegated to a facilitator that can't create his own shot.

But he's not raw. He is very skilled and has a feel for the game but his heavy feet just limits his entire game. It's that simple. Nothing more can be said than this simple fact. Everything starts and ends with his heavy feet if we are talking about his ceiling.

[STATUTORY]

still looks slow as hell and plays below the rim

he's not gonna be defended by short white boys on a daily basis. I wouldn't take too much from this game

[NBAplayoffs2001]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xDBy6wFc3E

Jesus christ

The man is a walking double team threat

KAT went 14/12 and has more versatility in his game. In today's day and age, having an old school big may not really help a team. The game speed is way quicker now than it has been in the past in my opinion.

[fpliii]

You can't teach light feet. His feet is heavier than a lot of bigs, it's mind blowing how heavy they are. So forget about having a first step, he can't even move around like a normal NBA guard. His heavy feet pretty much affects everything he does, which means he will be much less impactful on the court.

Just shocking how "professional" scouts didn't see this. Maybe I just stress light feet as a prerequisite. Who knows but they blew it.
Thanks. Here are my follow-ups for you:

1) Who else would you compare him to, in recent memory, in terms of his heavy feet?

2) What kind of shooting are you projecting for him? How good would it have to be to offset his heavy feet?

[senelcoolidge]

Russell could become a quality back up point guard in the league..like Andre Miller, just a little more flashy. That's terrible for a #2 pick.

[Dr.J4ever]

It's all good for Laker fans.

You will always have Kobe to make the team win just enough to compete for a playoff spot and fall short. When that happens, even if you don't win the lottery or get a top 3 pick, you will, at the very least, get a pick between 4-8 range.

That would be great, right? Oh wait....

[NBAplayoffs2001]

I wasn't that high on Okafor and he's probably gonna prove me wrong, but I never liked the D'AngeSlow move. Lakers goofed.

I can't think of anyone in the top 5 that would have been a perfect with the Lakers. With Kobe hogging up 20+ shots a game with horrific efficency, how are you supposed to expect any rookie or young player to develop?

[ClipperRevival]

Thanks. Here are my follow-ups for you:

1) Who else would you compare him to, in recent memory, in terms of his heavy feet?

2) What kind of shooting are you projecting for him? How good would it have to be to offset his heavy feet?

1) I can't think of any PG that had feet that heavy. Usually, foot speed is correlated to size, meaning the smaller you are, the lighter and quicker your feet should be when compared to a larger player. But there are so many guys at the 3, 4 and even 5 position that have significantly lighter feet than Russell. It really is an anomaly. The guy was just cursed. You can't teach light feet. I am guessing the Lakers training department is doing all it can to improve his footspeed. If they aren't. :facepalm

2) There's no way to tell for sure because we have never seen him get off a good amount of shots in one game where he can get into a rhythm. But his shot looks great and so does his release. I think his shot will be very good. The question is how good.

[NBAplayoffs2001]

1) I can't think of any PG that had feet that heavy. Usually, foot speed is correlated to size, meaning the smaller you are, the lighter and quicker your feet should be when compared to a larger player. But there are so many guys at the 3, 4 and even 5 position that have significantly lighter feet than Russell. It really is an anomaly. The guy was just cursed. You can't teach light feet. I am guessing the Lakers training department is doing all it can to improve his footspeed. If they aren't. :facepalm

2) There's no way to tell for sure because he we have never seen him get off a good amount of shots in one game where he can get into a rhythm. But his shot looks great and so does his release. I think his shot will be very good. The question is how good.

Watching him in college, I thought his ceiling wasn't as high as people claimed but I don't think Russell's floor is that low. He's kind of like an Andre Miller type of guy with a better jumpshot. He might be one of those dudes who last 15 years in the league while averaging like 12 ppgs 5 asts.

[Sarcastic]

Russell will be a fine pick. He's gonna flourish once Kobe retires, and he can run the show. He needs the ball in his hands all time, and he's not gonna get that for a while. Also his athleticism should improve once he grows into his man body.

His court vision is insane, and he's got a sweet stroke. 2 things that can't really be taught.

[chips93]

The lakers FO didnt do the kid any favors in signing lou williams. huertas might even eat into his minutes.

the lakers have pretty decent firepower on the perimeter this year.

during the 3rd quarter when russell was allowed to run the offense i thought he looked good, teammates shots didnt fall though and his stats looked mediocre as a result.

[chips93]

And that's a huge problem because he will struggle to create his own shot in iso situations. He will NEED a P&R situation to get free. So he has been relegated to a facilitator that can't create his own shot.

its not an iso league anymore, its all about the pick and roll, and he has the handles, smarts, and touch on his jumper to be a good scoring threat out of the pick and roll, in due time.

chris paul isnt blowing by many people these days, but he is skilled enough to be able to get his team a bucket, whenever they need it. someday russell could be a scorer like paul, only taller, and probably not as smart.

[Kawhi]

This kid is drawing double teams in his first ever NBA game. Very polished moves, good footwork. Very nice.

[Johnni Gade]

What a beast. Game 1. Jeez

[ArbitraryWater]

:facepalm

I still can't believe Lakers didn't see Russell's cement feet. It absolutely boggles my mind. Yes, we fu'ked up. Okafor will be a much better pro. You don't use your #2 pick to draft a facilitator that can't break down defenses. :facepalm


:oldlol:

As a die hard Laker fan, I want nothing more than Russell to be great but I have eyes. I can't believe how heavy his feet are. It's shocking.

You're a Lakers fan? :biggums:

[Levity]

Russell is just too damn raw. Looks scared and hesitant out there. Not confident in his shots. Doesn't even try to beat his defender off the dribble or take it to the hole. Just the takes the ball up and tries to set up the offense. Just either pullups or spot up jumpers. At least facilitate if you aren't going to be a scorer and run pick and rolls, pick and pops or drive and dish.

very much agreed. the kid looks so fcking nervous out there. but when your coach implements an offense that favors off ball screens and movement rather than high pick and rolls, its harder for a pg who doesnt like to break down him man, to look good. I counted something like 3 or 4 high screens for russel during last nights game, and sadly, he barely even attacked off those.

the lakers are running a system that doesnt fit their current personnel. one or the other has to change/adjust.

[Genaro]

Man that some real overreaction right here. I wanted Okafor but we can't predict Russell's career just because of a bad first game. I may remind you that even Kobe avg 7 points in his first year.
Yes, it makes me angry to watch Hezonja, Okafor, Mundiay and the other guys playing well and think we picked a bust but we can't tell for now.

[Levity]

Thanks. Here are my follow-ups for you:

1) Who else would you compare him to, in recent memory, in terms of his heavy feet?


brandon roy. and rumor has it, he was pretty good

[Levity]

Yes, it makes me angry to watch Hezonja, Okafor, Mundiay and the other guys playing well and think we picked a bust but we can't tell for now.

marios a baller that can fit in most any system. but the latter two have offenses catered to their expertise. cant say the same for russel at the moment.

i wont lie, he looks pretty bad out there. but hes being asked to play off the ball right now, allowing clarkson to be the main ball handler with randle pushing the pace off rebounds. russel is not an effective off the ball player just yet (hes just not aggressive enough), besides back cuts which have impressed me. but point being, you dont draft a pg with substantial vision, to play as an off ball shooter his rookie year.

[brownmamba00]

Man that some real overreaction right here. I wanted Okafor but we can't predict Russell's career just because of a bad first game. I may remind you that even Kobe avg 7 points in his first year.
Yes, it makes me angry to watch Hezonja, Okafor, Mundiay and the other guys playing well and think we picked a bust but we can't tell for now.
This

And it's that clipper guy instigating it...what kind of a Laker fan is a fan of the Clippers SMH

[SugarHill]

still looks slow as hell and plays below the rim

he's not gonna be defended by short white boys on a daily basis. I wouldn't take too much from this game
nah, he was running around there. seemed fine for a center. he's also able to pass out of double teams which was another thing he had going for him that set him apart from the Al comparisons

[Lakers Legend#32]

Ya need a point guard to compete in the West. DeAngelo and the Lakers will be just fine.

[dazzer87]

Ya need a point guard to compete in the West. DeAngelo and the Lakers will be just fine.
Yeah hes in the same level as WB, Lillard and Curry..........:roll:

[ClipperRevival]

Watching him in college, I thought his ceiling wasn't as high as people claimed but I don't think Russell's floor is that low. He's kind of like an Andre Miller type of guy with a better jumpshot. He might be one of those dudes who last 15 years in the league while averaging like 12 ppgs 5 asts.

Agreed. His floor isn't that bad. It's just that his ceiling isn't that high either.

[ClipperRevival]

You're a Lakers fan? :biggums:

Of course. Die hard since 1988. Since I grew up in LA, I naturally root for all LA based teams. Since the Clippers have been a laughing stock for decades, it's sort of like the little brother that always struggled and now that he's doing well, you naturally feel good for him. I know some Laker fans hate the Clippers and I can see why. But not me. But I do bleed purple and gold, first and foremost.

[ClipperRevival]

Man that some real overreaction right here. I wanted Okafor but we can't predict Russell's career just because of a bad first game. I may remind you that even Kobe avg 7 points in his first year.
Yes, it makes me angry to watch Hezonja, Okafor, Mundiay and the other guys playing well and think we picked a bust but we can't tell for now.

Heavy feet is heavy feet. It's not going to change. It's not like a guy being turnover prone or having a questionable shot or lacking footwork. Those are things that are correctable. Heavy feet is not.

[ClipperRevival]

brandon roy. and rumor has it, he was pretty good

Roy was pretty darn athletic before his injuries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClLXyG5rBb8

[ClipperRevival]

This

And it's that clipper guy instigating it...what kind of a Laker fan is a fan of the Clippers SMH

I'm not instigating anything. I wanted Russell to be that next superstar for us more than anything. And it kills me to face REALITY but the guy's ceiling isn't that high. It's just a fact. I didn't say bust. I said low ceiling.

[Relinquish]

Lakers tanking all year long and ends up with the # 2 pick!!!!!!!! Okafor is available and ready to put on that Lakers jersey!!!!!!!!!!!

end up picking up Ramon sessions 2.0....:biggums: ..:facepalm :roll: :facepalm

:biggums:

Sessions is much quicker and more explosive than Russell

[ClipperRevival]

Seriously, I wonder what the Laker scouts were thinking when they put him through those two workouts before drafting him. How could they NOT see his heavy feet? How is that possible? I mean you are watching this guy move around, cutting, planting and exploding, changing directions, etc. You are a "professional" scout. This is like scouting 101 when looking at point guards. They need some level of suddenness/quickness and light feet to succeed at the NBA level. This guy moves around like he has 10 lb bags strapped to each leg. It's a travesty that the Lakers could make such a terrible pick. He was probably more of a 7-15 pick type talent but not #2. We should've taken Okafor. I just can't believe this sh*t.

This is like the first high draft pick the Lakers whiffed on in decades. We always drafted great with high picks.

[9erempiree]

Of course. Die hard since 1988. Since I grew up in LA, I naturally root for all LA based teams. Since the Clippers have been a laughing stock for decades, it's sort of like the little brother that always struggled and now that he's doing well, you naturally feel good for him. I know some Laker fans hate the Clippers and I can see why. But not me. But I do bleed purple and gold, first and foremost.

No. Bro.

They are redheaded step-cousins.

[GOBB]

Okafor plays a legitimate NBA sized Center/defensive anchor in Rudy Gobert friday. What happens if he has a bad game? Bad shooting, low pts/rebounds and high turnovers? Did the Lakers still screw up? Point is don't overreact to one game. If you liked Okafor prior to that game? Fine, I understand you. If this game has you using it as proof to how they screwed up? Stop it. :no:

I do like Okafor however. Glad Sixers took him.

[G0ATbe]

:lol Okafor played way over his head this game, he'll probably never score that much again. Give it a year before russell is having these games regularly. Godbe will show him the way.

[Optimus Prime]

Okafor plays a legitimate NBA sized Center/defensive anchor in Rudy Gobert friday. What happens if he has a bad game? Bad shooting, low pts/rebounds and high turnovers? Did the Lakers still screw up? Point is don't overreact to one game. If you liked Okafor prior to that game? Fine, I understand you. If this game has you using it as proof to how they screwed up? Stop it. :no:

I do like Okafor however. Glad Sixers took him.

I've been saying he's D'Bustalo since the Lakers amazingly wasted their super lucky #2 pick on him. Go back and look at the draft night threads or threads about him after the draft. I've been consistent since my jaw hit the floor after he was drafted. Heck, even before the draft I was trying to reason with all these ISHiots that D'Bustalo is overrated and Okafor was the pick.

Okafor was the surefire choice, and the Lakers blew it big time by trying to be too "clever". This is the type of epic mistake that sets back franchises for years. The cupboard is pretty bare with them probably giving up a 1st in 2017 and then again in 2019 (I think).

And all the Lakers have to show for all these years of awful is D'Bustalo (Darko #2 in the making), Clarkson (nice player but not going to be a star) and Randle (too early to tell he should end up solid but I doubt he turns into a star)?

:facepalm