☆ Official 2017 NBA Draft Thread

[$LakerGold]

Here we go, boys. I AM SO NERVOUS.

[bladefd]

Hope for the best, guys! :cheers:

[bladefd]

Yes Yes Yes

[bladefd]

#2 pick. YES!! HELL YEAH! WOW SO HAPPY :rockon: :rockon: :rockon: :rockon: :rockon: :rockon:

[$LakerGold]

OMG YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS. #2 in 3 straight years. I'm content with that (who wouldnt) wooooooooooooooooooo

[dd24]

Looks like Lonzo Ball will be a Laker.

[InsanityKills]

Can't wait to draft another bust! WOOOO!

[kkinchen]

Can't wait to draft another bust! WOOOO!


Ball is not going to be a bust. He lead the nation in assists, as a freshman, with a bunch of scrubs around him. He's the real deal. He truly is that guy that is going to come in and make the rest of our roster better. Just watch.

Lonzo Ball joining us represents the new era of Showtime we have all felt coming over the last few years. Its here now.

[tamaraw08]

Porzingis is unhappy at NY, who would you give up to make a fair trade to get him? Phil loves tall PGs and smart utility players like Junior, would they be enough? Would you trade BI for unicorn?

[dd24]

I'm not sure NY would do that deal and it's not really worth it. It would have to be a deal that blows them away and that would likely include the 2nd pick.

[$LakerGold]

Porzingis is unhappy at NY, who would you give up to make a fair trade to get him? Phil loves tall PGs and smart utility players like Junior, would they be enough? Would you trade BI for unicorn?
If Phil's willing to trade him, I'd be happy if the Lakers shipped D'Lo & Randle for Unicorn. Not BI though. Never (for now).

[tamaraw08]

If Phil's willing to trade him, I'd be happy if the Lakers shipped D'Lo & Randle for Unicorn. Not BI though. Never (for now).

As a Lakers fan, yeah, I would do that deal but I'm not sure Phil would do it, if he ask for Ingram, would you do it?
I would consider it bec Unicorn looks more polished right now, unless of course BI would significantly improve on his 3pt shooting, then it's a no for me.

[dd24]

I think I agree with what Magic has been saying and we keep Ingram as the one untouchable. It would take a very good deal for the Lakers to give him up. I don't see doing it for Porzingas. It's too early to tell which one is going to be the better player yet. Both teams are better off just keeping their young guy in that case.

[tamaraw08]

I think I agree with what Magic has been saying and we keep Ingram as the one untouchable. It would take a very good deal for the Lakers to give him up. I don't see doing it for Porzingas. It's too early to tell which one is going to be the better player yet. Both teams are better off just keeping their young guy in that case.

I think it's a huge mistake declaring anybody as "untouchable". Yes, Ingram is humble and a smart kid but the guy still have a lot to prove.
Most fans are convinced that he dramatically improved after the All-star break but let's check the numbers.
http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/1627742/traditional/
21 games where atleast 12-14 are blowouts, as the other team would sit their best players bec the outcome was already settled early and the Lakers in tank mode.
FT%, where there's no defender in front of him, from 65% to an abysmal 54.5%:facepalm
turnovers from 1.3 increase to 2.0/game
rebs from 4.1 to 3.9.
Yes he had marginal improvement on other other stats but the one very critical stat for me is his 3pt shooting.
From 30.4% to 26.9% again facing mostly opposing scrubs bec the game is out of reach.
Final 7 games in April he became very judicious with his 3pt shots, barely attempting at 1.1 shots, just shot 25%. :eek:
I strongly believe that Luke started using him as a "facilitator"/passer so he can hide him and not put him in a situation when the other team is intentionally leaving him open so hell be dared to take more 3pt shots.
That is why I am pushing really hard in hiring a top notched shooting coach bec of the possibility of him going to the Anthony Brown path.

[dd24]

The numbers mean nothing to me. Everyone knows they don't look good on paper. But he did look quite promising in the games. He's definitely a work in progress. I don't see trading young assets to be a 7 seed in the playoffs. Dumbest move ever. Being stuck in mediocrity is the worst place to be in the NBA. Plus by Magic calling him untouchable all it does is make his worth go up. If there was a slight possibility of a trade teams will have to up their offer. The Lakers should keep building. Keep developing their young guys. Then once Golden State is forced to break up and Lebron is getting up there in age they will have some young guys in their prime. Then they can make moves. The Lakers aren't going to be contender overnight like they could in the past.

[tamaraw08]

The numbers mean nothing to me. Everyone knows they don't look good on paper. But he did look quite promising in the games. He's definitely a work in progress. I don't see trading young assets to be a 7 seed in the playoffs. Dumbest move ever. Being stuck in mediocrity is the worst place to be in the NBA. Plus by Magic calling him untouchable all it does is make his worth go up. If there was a slight possibility of a trade teams will have to up their offer. The Lakers should keep building. Keep developing their young guys. Then once Golden State is forced to break up and Lebron is getting up there in age they will have some young guys in their prime. Then they can make moves. The Lakers aren't going to be contender overnight like they could in the past.

I understand the saying Figures don't lie but liars figure but it's not like I nitpicked a couple of his bad shooting games to back up my concern.
IMO, the accuracy of a player's 3-pt shooting in the last several years has been have been highly valued by most teams in the league. Lakers wasted their 34th pick on Anthony Brown and after just a year (2 training camps to evaluate his worth) shooting 28%, he was dropped like a hot potato. :(
Just in case you're not aware, I am rooting for the Lakers and therefore I want every player on that team to succeed. Yes, I am very concerned about his shooting that is why I am pushing hard for them to get the best shooting coach available bec IMO, his shooting accuracy along with D'Russ, and future draftees, from the 3pt area are one of the keys for them to succeed. I can't see GSW and Cavs going this far without being very good in that area (ranked 3rd and 2nd respectively).
It's not like I am advocating gutting the team to just trade for a midget aging and spoiled superstar. The 7-3 Porzingis is not even 22 yrs old yet and he has more answered questions about his game than Ingram with an ave of 18 pts, 50% EFG and 2 blocks per game.
BTW, I am very intrigue on how you really evaluate talent and worth, do you simply go by your "eye test"?

[bladefd]

The numbers mean nothing to me. Everyone knows they don't look good on paper. But he did look quite promising in the games. He's definitely a work in progress. I don't see trading young assets to be a 7 seed in the playoffs. Dumbest move ever. Being stuck in mediocrity is the worst place to be in the NBA. Plus by Magic calling him untouchable all it does is make his worth go up. If there was a slight possibility of a trade teams will have to up their offer. The Lakers should keep building. Keep developing their young guys. Then once Golden State is forced to break up and Lebron is getting up there in age they will have some young guys in their prime. Then they can make moves. The Lakers aren't going to be contender overnight like they could in the past.

Ingram seems to have the intangibles based on everything I have seen throughout the season.

Sure, statistically things look bad but watching him play, I think there are clearly a lot of small things he brings to the table that simply won't show up on stat sheet. I know Lakers haters out there are quick to point out the stats to try to draw him as a bust, but it is clear most of them haven't seen ingram in more than a few games or they are just focused on the stat sheet. I do get annoyed a bit when he is drawn as a bust. He just finished his rookie season. Obviously, he is no Durant in rookie season but very few are as polished as Durant out of college.

I would not even consider trading him yet. Way too early and if his intangibles are a sign of what is to come, I am optimistic he will be an impactful starter within a year or 2.

[bladefd]

Going after Porzingis would mean we would essentially need to either drop longterm investment in the depth that we have (it would also take away investment in Nance/Zubac). At the same moment, we would lose Ingram in the trade and possibly D'Angelo. We would lose team depth. I don't know if that would be worth it.

Let's say we hold onto Randle and have following lineup..

Porz
Randle
PG13
Clarkson
Ball
with not much depth off bench other than Nance.

Would that be better than a team with more depth like:

Nance
Randle
Ingram
Pg13
Ball
and D'Angelo/Clarkson off the bench?

I don't know if losing that much depth just to gain a big man like Porz would be worth it in a guard oriented league. I am just not sold on the idea.

[tamaraw08]

Ingram seems to have the intangibles based on everything I have seen throughout the season.

Sure, statistically things look bad but watching him play, I think there are clearly a lot of small things he brings to the table that simply won't show up on stat sheet. I know Lakers haters out there are quick to point out the stats to try to draw him as a bust, but it is clear most of them haven't seen ingram in more than a few games or they are just focused on the stat sheet. I do get annoyed a bit when he is drawn as a bust. He just finished his rookie season. Obviously, he is no Durant in rookie season but very few are as polished as Durant out of college.

I would not even consider trading him yet. Way too early and if his intangibles are a sign of what is to come, I am optimistic he will be an impactful starter within a year or 2.

No one knows really how Ingram would turn out in the next few years. A LOT will depend on how he works on his weaknesses this summer and the next season. I understand the intangibles, the guy is super long, intelligent, has great attitude and feel of the game etc etc etc but in my opinion, he would have a very difficult time justifying that 2nd over pick if he doesn't shoot above 35% from the 3pt area. Yes it sounds like I am being myopic.
Not unless ofcourse he turns into a James Harden mastering the art of drawing fouls, creating and being a true lock down defender.
Several months back, I argued back and forth with another poster named "pero Antic". He predicted that Ingram would NOT BE A SUPERSTAR and that he'll peak averaging 16pts, 5 rebs, 5 assists bec he claims, he is "slow" etc. I did my own research to dispute that point even found a link about his agility stat....

Last year, there was talk that Randle was really working on his shooting.. A coworker showed me on youtube on how Clarkson nailed about 20+ straight 3pt shots.... The latter actually regressed his % last season.
Yes, there is such a thing as waiting too long, holding to what you think would be great, then every manager sees what you see, and his value goes down. John Ireland brought it up more specifically about Russell. Now be honest, aren't you having some doubts about the ceiling of D'Angelo? And don't you think managers are actually salivating at the thought of giving away their top assets just to have him?

There is a ton of work to be done, I think it would be a huge mistake to ignore his glaring deficiencies (and think it's not a major concern) and be a perfect example of what "insanity" truly means.
Magic seems to be taking some good steps in that new direction, challenging them to be in better physical fit during exit meeting, hiring a new strength and conditioning director....

[bladefd]

Do you guys put any stock into rumors of Lakers possibly passing up on Ball? In exchange for Josh Jackson or Fox? I don't so far.. Lakers haven't even tried out Ball or any of these guys.. I don't understand what are these rumors based on.. All Lakers scouts and front office have analyzed so far are college videos. They haven't met any of them, tried them out or even put them through workout with other Lakers players. Is it not too early for the rumors to be taken seriously?

[dd24]

I think the rumors had to be leaked in case the Celtics were seriously considering taking Ball. They may have tried to force the Lakers hand to trade up. But.... if the Lakers don't want Ball because they like someone else better (or so the rumors say) then other teams may want to try to trade up to go after Fox or Jackson. Then the Lakers could move down a pick or two and still get Ball. All the while, making the Celtics cool down on him. I think it's just part of the strategy.

I do think they really do need to look at all these players close up still in the workouts though. Jackson and Fox do make a case for the #2 pick. Really this is a deep draft. I really like that top 4, heck top 10 lol. I'm not saying they're all all-stars but there's some solid starters there for sure.

[tamaraw08]

I think the rumors had to be leaked in case the Celtics were seriously considering taking Ball. They may have tried to force the Lakers hand to trade up. But.... if the Lakers don't want Ball because they like someone else better (or so the rumors say) then other teams may want to try to trade up to go after Fox or Jackson. Then the Lakers could move down a pick or two and still get Ball. All the while, making the Celtics cool down on him. I think it's just part of the strategy.

I do think they really do need to look at all these players close up still in the workouts though. Jackson and Fox do make a case for the #2 pick. Really this is a deep draft. I really like that top 4, heck top 10 lol. I'm not saying they're all all-stars but there's some solid starters there for sure.

It would not hurt to do extensive research and take a much closer look at all the players. I like Jackson but I'm not too impressed with Fox but hey....
Biggest knock on Jackson's weakness was his shooting, yet he shot 38% from the 3. Watching TWC Lakers Network last night the question was what does Fox have to do to impress and convince the Lakers he's a better pick than Ball. Woj and one of the Kamenetsky brothers said SHOOT MUCH BETTER! bec he averaged 25% from the college 3pt line.
I did my little research, he actually shot UNDER 25% from the college line which is just beyond 20 feet!That's missing 75% of his shots from about 19.75 feet.
College players like Anthony Brown and Ingram shot at about 40% from the same area and yet have both struggled from beyond 24 feet....3pt shooting is such a premium the past several years that is why Ball was asked to do a TON of shooting drills during his work out, also probablythe reason why GSW and Cavs are on the finals bec they were both top 3 in 3pt shooting.

[dd24]

Part of the reason why I like Malik Monk. I think he's going to be a really good fit for whoever he falls to. Shooting is at a premium and someone around probably 8-12 is going to get really lucky that he drops to them.

[tamaraw08]

Part of the reason why I like Malik Monk. I think he's going to be a really good fit for whoever he falls to. Shooting is at a premium and someone around probably 8-12 is going to get really lucky that he drops to them.

Monk would have been easily top 3 if he's 6-6, unfortunately, he's only 6-3, comparable to Lou Williams. SG's who has legit size is so highly valued right now that if you do the re-draft, Devin Booker would have been top 3.
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/malik-monk

Weaknesses: Certainly best as a scoring guard, though at around 6’3 with a 6’6 wingspan, definitely would be considered undersized and could struggle defending bigger guards … While some have referred to him as a combo guard, he is not particularly comfortable setting up the offense and does not really show the vision of a primary handler

[brandonislegend]

Supposedly Lonzo Ball's workout was disappointing/underwhelming reports say today.

Either way I want Fox or Jackson, Jackson the most.

Fultz
Jackson
Fox
Ball

imo.

[dd24]

6'3" is too short for that position, but his shooting is going to make him dangerous.

[bladefd]

Supposedly Lonzo Ball's workout was disappointing/underwhelming reports say today.

Either way I want Fox or Jackson, Jackson the most.

Fultz
Jackson
Fox
Ball

imo.

Fultz not dropping to Lakers.

I would say it depends on how Fox does in workout on Tuesday. That should determine whether Fox or Ball is the choice between the two. Jackson will be a SG so you have to judge him a bit differently.

We need a pg more so than a sg tbh, especially with PG13 being a very good chance of coming to Lakers. PG is a SF/SG hybrid. This is why I am not sure if Jackson is the right choice unless if he just impresses them of their minds.

[tamaraw08]

Fultz not dropping to Lakers.

I would say it depends on how Fox does in workout on Tuesday. That should determine whether Fox or Ball is the choice between the two. Jackson will be a SG so you have to judge him a bit differently.

We need a pg more so than a sg tbh, especially with PG13 being a very good chance of coming to Lakers. PG is a SF/SG hybrid. This is why I am not sure if Jackson is the right choice unless if he just impresses them of their minds.

With Ingram's great flexibility and Russell at 6-4, IMO, Josh Jackson can fit right in bec he is also known to be flexible and a very good 2-way player. However, I still prefer Ball who has great range and supreme ability to be a great court general, spot and set up players in better scoring position etc.
I have big concerns for Fox who MISSED 75% of his shots from just beyond 19.70 feet. I can't imagine him really shooting much better from 24 feet.
Having said that, if he turns out to be the next John Wall, then by all means.

[bladefd]

With Ingram's great flexibility and Russell at 6-4, IMO, Josh Jackson can fit right in bec he is also known to be flexible and a very good 2-way player. However, I still prefer Ball who has great range and supreme ability to be a great court general, spot and set up players in better scoring position etc.
I have big concerns for Fox who MISSED 75% of his shots from just beyond 19.70 feet. I can't imagine him really shooting much better from 24 feet.
Having said that, if he turns out to be the next John Wall, then by all means.

The issue is that Jackson is not a very good shooter and lacks range too AFAIK. Unless if Ingram improves significantly and Jackson too, I am not sure if it would be a good idea to start both of them together. Add Russell in there too and you have a recipe for disaster potentially with teams stacking the paint. We need to be able to spread the field a bit.

Damn, that's some crappy long range numbers for Fox. Ball is definitely a significantly better shooter from practically everywhere even with a truly odd shooting style.

I read Lakers were bit disappointed by Ball's conditioning in the tryout on Wednesday. Not sure if he was out of shape or what.. I also don't know how much stock to put into these rumors.

[OG LeeTSkeeT]

supposedly lakers promised jackson they gonna draft him but possibly a smoke screen.

[dd24]

I don't think they would have made a promise to anyone yet.

[dd24]

I guess the one scenario I could see them taking Jackson would be if they had another deal in place where maybe they offered Russell and their other 1st round pick to move up so they could get a guy like Dennis Smith. I still feel like that would be rare.

[tamaraw08]

I guess the one scenario I could see them taking Jackson would be if they had another deal in place where maybe they offered Russell and their other 1st round pick to move up so they could get a guy like Dennis Smith. I still feel like that would be rare.

There were concerns about Josh Jackson's ability to shoot from the perimeter, well he shot 38 % from there. Smith Jr shot actually worst at 36%:(
He is being compared to Steve Francis whom I actually find to be overrated.
according to draft net his weaknesses are

Weaknesses: Questions about attitude, focus and desire have surrounded Smith since his high school days ... Has a tendency to rely on his physical gifts and not pay enough attention to detail in regards to improving as a PG ... As talented as Smith is, he is still learning how to play the position and run a team offense at an optimum level
Inspite of tearing his ACL....he is still explosive...
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/dennis-smith

[tamaraw08]

The issue is that Jackson is not a very good shooter and lacks range too AFAIK. Unless if Ingram improves significantly and Jackson too, I am not sure if it would be a good idea to start both of them together. Add Russell in there too and you have a recipe for disaster potentially with teams stacking the paint. We need to be able to spread the field a bit.

Damn, that's some crappy long range numbers for Fox. Ball is definitely a significantly better shooter from practically everywhere even with a truly odd shooting style.

I read Lakers were bit disappointed by Ball's conditioning in the tryout on Wednesday. Not sure if he was out of shape or what.. I also don't know how much stock to put into these rumors.

Just did a little research.
Both Jimmy Butler and James Harden shot actually worst from the 3pt line at 35% as compared to Josh Jackson's 38%
Did you know that Kawhi Leonard shot a horrible 25% from the(19.7 feet) 3pt area in college?:eek: I'm sorry for BEING SO REDUNDANT here. The effect of hiring a top notched shooting coach like the Spur's Chip Engelland is so vital in the success of the Lakers here. Kawhi now is averaging 38% from beyond 23 feet, while current players like Clarkson actually REGRESSED! No improvement from Russell while Ingram STAYED HORRIBLE at 29% even after allstar break were most of their games were blow outs.

[dd24]

I think it's hard to just blame it on coaching. There's a lot of guys who come out of college raw. As a matter of fact the majority of them are since they have only played one or two seasons. The guys have to be willing to put in all that work. From what it looks like so far the young Lakers guys are finally understanding that. I think it's hard to compare them to Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard. Those guys not only fell in the draft but it really put a chip on their shoulder to work a bit harder. They are two of the best success stories in recent drafts. There's a ton of guys we could compare to them and say they ended up better..... Coaching is a part of it, but I feel like you are putting a lot of weight on that certain aspect of things.

[tamaraw08]

I think it's hard to just blame it on coaching. There's a lot of guys who come out of college raw. As a matter of fact the majority of them are since they have only played one or two seasons. The guys have to be willing to put in all that work. From what it looks like so far the young Lakers guys are finally understanding that. I think it's hard to compare them to Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard. Those guys not only fell in the draft but it really put a chip on their shoulder to work a bit harder. They are two of the best success stories in recent drafts. There's a ton of guys we could compare to them and say they ended up better..... Coaching is a part of it, but I feel like you are putting a lot of weight on that certain aspect of things.
Player can put in all the work but if there's a mechanical flaw about their shooting then most likely, they will not improve that much but hey, don't just think it's just me, I actually heard about Chip's value from the emphatic statements of famous shooter Reggie Miller when he serves as a color commentator for NBA games. Google the name of Chip Engelland and you'll see how many articles have been written about him.
One link you should check out is this https://theringer.com/nba-shooting-coaches-kent-bazemore-kawhi-leonard-8660e9939680

Leonard ranks 16th in 3-point percentage since 2011, when he entered the NBA. The Spurs don’t lock their players in the gym to turn them into shooters, though. There are no magic elixirs, either. They have Chip Engelland, the professor of shooting. Engelland rebuilt the shots of Shane Battier, Grant Hill, Tony Parker, and Richard Jefferson, among others, before getting to Leonard. The changes to Leonard’s shot didn’t require a full teardown and rebuild. “He had a foundation we thought we could work with,” Engelland told the San Antonio Express-News in 2012

The video on the left shows Leonard’s shot prior to the draft (video via Draft Express), and the 3-pointer is from the 2014 NBA Finals. The change is subtle but significant. Leonard relocated his release point from the top of his head, where the ball nearly touched his hair, to in front of his face. After working with Engelland, Leonard’s shot became more compact, with very little motion in the elbow/wrist area. Notice how his elbow is aligned underneath his wrist. It looks as if Engelland took a protractor to Leonard’s elbow and adjusted it to a 90-degree angle.
In 2014, Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer, who had previously been an assistant with the Spurs, hired Ben Sullivan, who was then just a 30-year-old assistant video coordinator with San Antonio. “I learned from Chip Engelland, that’s who mentored and taught me,” Sullivan tells me. “I owe him everything for what he’s done for me.”
Some players owe Sullivan, too. Kent Bazemore had tears in his eyes at his press conference after signing a four-year, $70 million deal to return to the Hawks. He wondered aloud, “Why walk away from something so perfect?” A lot of what made Atlanta perfect had to do with Sullivan. Bazemore calls his shooting coach “a blessing in his life” and “a great friend” off the court.
They worked on technique by taking baby steps, focusing on mechanical stuff like ball, hand, elbow, and hip positioning. “It was almost like working on a golf swing,” Bazemore says. “He also showed me a lot of shots of people throughout the league, of people we liked. We just took a blend of player positioning and body types, athleticism, all these kind of things, and we just kind of meshed it and made it our own kind of thing. It was super technical.”

.
And it's not just the Spurs who is benefiting from a careful guidance of a shooting coach. Miami now has one and it's very hard for me to ignore the strides of their shooters.
But behind Miami’s recent shooting success is a face that usually goes unnoticed — shooting coach Rob Fodor. Spoelstra added Fodor to his coaching staff before this season.
http://http://heatzone.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2017/03/10/a-look-at-the-man-behind-miami-heats-recent-nba-best-3-point-shooting-shooting-coach-rob-fodor/

Fodor, who is known as “The Shooting Guy,” is the Heat’s first full-time shooting coach in franchise history. Known for being able to make small tweaks to a jump shot that produce big results, Fodor has been working closely with Miami’s shooters behind the scenes this season.Now, Heat players are experiencing that same ‘aha moment’ with Fodor. Goran Dragic (42.1 percent), James Johnson (34.0 percent) and Waiters (39.3 percent) are having career-best seasons from 3-point range Maybe even more impressive is Miami’s gradual improvement throughout the season. Over the Heat’s current 20-4 stretch, Luke Babbitt is shooting 50.6 percent from three, Dragic is shooting 45.3 percent, Waiters is shooting 44.9 percent, Wayne Ellington is shooting 41.9 percent, and Rodney McGruder is shooting 41.1 percent.

[OG LeeTSkeeT]

There were concerns about Josh Jackson's ability to shoot from the perimeter, well he shot 38 % from there. Smith Jr shot actually worst at 36%:(
He is being compared to Steve Francis whom I actually find to be overrated.
according to draft net his weaknesses are

Inspite of tearing his ACL....he is still explosive...
http://www.nbadraft.net/players/dennis-smith

supposedly he had the rare case of having 2 ACL's....athletic freak like Adrian Peterson. i wouldnt mind Jackson tbh. Fox is gonna be a great point guard but his shot scares me. It'll prove but I'm not sure if it'll ever be a threat. It's gonna be a hard choice between Ball and Jackson.

[bladefd]

I think tamaraw makes a very valid point.

One of the biggest offensive issues Lakers have is streaky shooting, no question about it. It makes it very difficult to not only spread the field and to consistently put points on the board but to simply maximize each possession. We don't have any career shooters so we do need to maximize what we do have. I am sure the Lakers could afford a solid shooting assistant coach to work with some of the guys, perhaps change some of their shooting styles slightly. I wouldn't mind it tbh.

[bladefd]

supposedly he had the rare case of having 2 ACL's....athletic freak like Adrian Peterson. i wouldnt mind Jackson tbh. Fox is gonna be a great point guard but his shot scares me. It'll prove but I'm not sure if it'll ever be a threat. It's gonna be a hard choice between Ball and Jackson.

Do you ever truly heal 100% after an ACL tear though? Don't you permanently lose a little bit of burst and explosiveness off one of the legs?

[bladefd]

It looks like Lakers are focusing a lot on the shooting for Ball, Jackson and Fox workouts. I think they realize the importance of shooting in modern nba.. The guy they choose will be someone who they believe can be an elite shooter. The numbers show that Ball is the best shooter out of the 3 from all over the court.

The more I think about it, the more I feel like Lakers are going to draft Ball. They are just doing their due diligence at this point to make sure there is no one else out there under the radar.

[dd24]

Another article on the Ball vs. Jackson debate.
http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2017/6/14/15798954/la-lakers-draft-rumors-lonzo-ball-josh-jackson-nba-reports-news-ucla-kansas-split

It makes good points. That length and athleticism on D would be awesome with Jackson/Ingram. A Ball/Russell back court could be pretty awesome too. It's definitely a tough decision.

[tamaraw08]

I think tamaraw makes a very valid point.

One of the biggest offensive issues Lakers have is streaky shooting, no question about it. It makes it very difficult to not only spread the field and to consistently put points on the board but to simply maximize each possession. We don't have any career shooters so we do need to maximize what we do have. I am sure the Lakers could afford a solid shooting assistant coach to work with some of the guys, perhaps change some of their shooting styles slightly. I wouldn't mind it tbh.

I am actually struggling at the thought on why they can't even attempt to lure a guy like Chip Engelland join them. If there are contractual issues, they should be able to afford to buy that contract out. If not, find the next available one, Miami found one.
I find it a bit odd why there were concerns about Josh Jackson's ability to shoot when he shot a decent 38% from the 3pt(better than most prospects) area but I guess scouts have learn from that myopic thinking of just solely basing one's prowess from that area alone.
Here's a link to that concern.
[QUOTE]On the other end, Jackson

[dd24]

I don't see any chance of the Lakers drafting Jackson now. Paul George officially said he won't resign with the Pacers and prefers to be on the Lakers. I would imagine that kind of forces the Lakers hand to draft Ball. You can't have Ingram, Jackson, and George on the same team. Plus with the slight chance you could add Lebron all of them can't play together. It's definitely Lonzo Ball now. Ball, Russell, George, Ingram, Zubac is a pretty nice starting lineup.

[bladefd]

I don't see any chance of the Lakers drafting Jackson now. Paul George officially said he won't resign with the Pacers and prefers to be on the Lakers. I would imagine that kind of forces the Lakers hand to draft Ball. You can't have Ingram, Jackson, and George on the same team. Plus with the slight chance you could add Lebron all of them can't play together. It's definitely Lonzo Ball now. Ball, Russell, George, Ingram, Zubac is a pretty nice starting lineup.

:cheers: :cheers:

I prefer Ball's game too tbh as long as he is in good shape.

[kkinchen]

Lonzo Ball and Jordan Bell.

Randle, Nance Jr, and Bell could be something special in today's NBA. Combine them with Lonzo Ball, Ingram, and PG13 and we're gonna be offering a look the league has never seen.

[$LakerGold]

Is Fultz an explosive version of BI?

[tamaraw08]

Is Fultz an explosive version of BI?
I strongly think he's a stronger/more athletic version of Russell. Watch them both in YouTube, they're very similar

[dd24]

Big surprise.... it was Lonzo.

[$LakerGold]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DC9pGWTWsAE1igz.jpg:large

[Mgamer20o0]

i hope he can ditch the bs from his dad and play a good game.

[Mgamer20o0]

Utah will trade Nos. 30 and 42 to Lakers for No. 28, securing Tony Bradley,

[dd24]

Here's a pretty good article on Josh Hart:
https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2017/6/22/15858696/nba-draft-la-lakers-picks-josh-hart-villanova-trade-news-30

Interesting pick for the end of the 1st round. The Lakers need shooting and he can hit 3s. Hopefully he can turn into a solid role player. I don't know much about Kyle Kuzma.

[tamaraw08]

Here's a pretty good article on Josh Hart:
https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2017/6/22/15858696/nba-draft-la-lakers-picks-josh-hart-villanova-trade-news-30

Interesting pick for the end of the 1st round. The Lakers need shooting and he can hit 3s. Hopefully he can turn into a solid role player. I don't know much about Kyle Kuzma.
Yes thanks for the link, I also checked draftexpress video link and what I pay attention now is the distance where players take their 3 pt shots from. He seemed to nail a couple of those shots from pro distance. His defense looks promising , yes im hopeful that he can finally be the legit 3&D guy they badly need.

[brandonislegend]

I actually watched Kuzma quite a bit, I don't like that pick.

[bladefd]

How come Josh Hart fell all the way to 30 in the draft? Was it just due to his age or what? 22 isn't really old tbh.. If he was defensive player of the year in Big East and player of the year, that speaks volumes of his talent and work ethic.. :confusedshrug:

[tamaraw08]

How come Josh Hart fell all the way to 30 in the draft? Was it just due to his age or what? 22 isn't really old tbh.. If he was defensive player of the year in Big East and player of the year, that speaks volumes of his talent and work ethic.. :confusedshrug:
Im guessing age bec GMs are focusing so much on high ceilings that is why Brogdon was picked very late too last year IMO. Most of them feel these older players will not develop anymore, heck I was a big fan of Brook Lopez from his Stanford days but bec he stayed 2 years like Wade, that 9 teams passed on them, Jimmy Butler was treated worst

[dd24]

I agree. Everyone loves that word potential. I think some of those 4 year guys are definitely worth it though. Just like I've always said there's some guys in the G league that deserve a chance too.

[$LakerGold]

I agree. Everyone loves that word potential. I think some of those 4 year guys are definitely worth it though. Just like I've always said there's some guys in the G league that deserve a chance too.
I just remembered what G-League is. :oldlol: Damn, Gatorade with that EF YOU MONEY. I love that they picked Josh Hart, solely because of his accolades, disregard of what he could be in 5 years -- I love how they're picking these players.

I was listening to Bill Simmons Pod, and he was saying about how HS players should be able to enter the draft, but if not, you have to atleast stay 2 yrs. in college before being eligible. Yey or nay?

[$LakerGold]

Yes thanks for the link, I also checked draftexpress video link and what I pay attention now is the distance where players take their 3 pt shots from. He seemed to nail a couple of those shots from pro distance. His defense looks promising , yes im hopeful that he can finally be the legit 3&D guy they badly need.
Can Josh Hart be an OKC-Harden? Not in terms of play style but his level of play/floor impact. Maybe to a lesser extent, but not by much?

[dd24]

I just remembered what G-League is. :oldlol: Damn, Gatorade with that EF YOU MONEY. I love that they picked Josh Hart, solely because of his accolades, disregard of what he could be in 5 years -- I love how they're picking these players.

I was listening to Bill Simmons Pod, and he was saying about how HS players should be able to enter the draft, but if not, you have to atleast stay 2 yrs. in college before being eligible. Yey or nay?

Adam Silver is on record saying they are going to rethink the age limit. My guess is they will let high schoolers go to the G League and then enter the draft after a season rather than being a 1 and done.

[tamaraw08]

Can Josh Hart be an OKC-Harden? Not in terms of play style but his level of play/floor impact. Maybe to a lesser extent, but not by much?

I'm not sure he fits that role. For a player to have that "floor impact", he needs to be crafty and be creative like you said about Harden back in his OKC days IMO.
Re: Hart, I would be ecstatic if he can be like a Danny Green who can really hit 3's and at the same time be a very good defender.

[bladefd]

Houston also trying hard to get PG.. Houston, Celtics, Cavs, Lakers all trying hard to get PG.

Celtics have the most to offer in future first round draft picks, but it is contingent upon Hayward signing with Celtics first. Houston has Ariza, Capela and future 1st round picks to offer. Cavs don't have enough assets unless if they include Love or bring in 3rd team - they would still need to trade Love to make salaries work. We will not be so lucky to sign PG outright as a FA next summer. Pacers are not dumb enough to just let him walk.

Lakers have Clarkson, Randle, Brewer's expiring deal, Nance, Zubac, future 1st rounders. Pacers could use Brewer's expiring deal and couple future 1st rounders. They don't need Nance, Zubac, Clarkson, or Randle..

[dd24]

PG is still saying he wants to go to LA though. He's talking about teaming up with someone this season but those guys think it's a 1 season rental if he gets traded to a place like that. All Lakers fans can do is cross their fingers.

[bladefd]

PG is still saying he wants to go to LA though. He's talking about teaming up with someone this season but those guys think it's a 1 season rental if he gets traded to a place like that. All Lakers fans can do is cross their fingers.

If he ends up on a team with deep playoff run squad potential, he may sign extension. From what the news sources say, the Celtics/Pacers deal is contingent on Hayward signing with Boston first. Celtics has so many draft picks that we can't even compete for PG on an open trade market. Not unless if we bring Ingram or Ball to the table, which obviously cannot be done under any circumstances.

If Celtics pull that trade off after signing Hayward, we will just have to look elsewhere for our next big star. No way PG leaves that for a rebuilding team out West.