☆ Lakers General Gameday Thread: 2018-2019 SEASON

[bladefd]

All Lakers gametalk for October, November and December games.. Probably best to condense game discussions into fewer threads

October:
Oct 18 @ Portland Trail Blazers
Oct 20 Houston Rockets
Oct 22 San Antonio Spurs
Oct 24 @ Phoenix Suns
Oct 25 Denver Nuggets
Oct 27 @ San Antonio Spurs
Oct 29 @ Minnesota Timberwolves
Oct 31 Dallas Mavericks

November:
Nov 3 @ Portland Trail Blazers
Nov 4 Toronto Raptors
Nov 7 Minnesota Timberwolves
Nov 10 @ Sacramento Kings
Nov 11 Atlanta Hawks
Nov 14 Portland Trail Blazers
Nov 17 @ Orlando Magic
Nov 18 @ Miami Heat
Nov 21 @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Nov 23 Utah Jazz
Nov 25 Orlando Magic
Nov 27 @ Denver Nuggets
Nov 29 Indiana Pacers
Nov 30 Dallas Mavericks

December:
Dec 2 Phoenix Suns
Dec 5 San Antonio Spurs
Dec 7 @ San Antonio Spurs
Dec 8 @ Memphis Grizzlies
Dec 10 Miami Heat
Dec 13 @ Houston Rockets
Dec 15 @ Charlotte Hornets
Dec 16 @ Washington Wizards
Dec 18 @ Brooklyn Nets
Dec 21 New Orleans Pelicans
Dec 23 Memphis Grizzlies
Dec 25 @ Golden State Warriors
Dec 27 @ Sacramento Kings
Dec 28 Los Angeles Clippers
Dec 30 Sacramento Kings

[LA Lakers]

You know I

[insidehoops]

All eyes on these Lakers

[bladefd]

I'm trying to keep my disappointment under control. Only one game in out of a 82-game season.

Especially keeping the following in mind:
-Portland has not lost opening day game in 17yrs (18 now). Last time they lost was vs 2000 Shaq-Kobe Lakers. Back then, Portland had young Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen, and Arvydas Sabonis
-Lakers have lost last 15 to Blazers in a row (16 now)
-Home game in Portland, emotional one with the passing of Mr Allen

As for the game yesterday, I did not like our defense. Too many lapses. I felt our post defense was fine but perimeter defense they tore apart. Stuka-diver Stauskus making 3s all over the place? Out of the left field after being borderline bust for his career :lol

We obviously cannot hit 3s so perhaps we should focus on the higher percentage shots closer to the basket.. We were hitting them at 53-54% clip most of the game. It's not a completely lost cause to focus on 2s if you can hit them that well. I believe 50% from 2pt line is equivalent to 40% from 3s. So we could have still won that game if we kept going for 2s.

I know it's the era of 3pt shots, but I think games are still winnable if you focus on 2s at high clip and defense.

I don't like Kuzma at 5. Sorry, it does not work. He is more of a 3 who can play 4. But 5? No no no, I don't want to see that. I also feel like Kuzma has not improved very much since last season. That's bit discouraging. He has high floor, but I am afraid his ceiling is low as well. I don't know, guys, but he is not on same level as Ingram.. I have a bad feeling about this.. Is it going to go the way of Nance vs Randle, where we chose Randle and traded Nance?

KCP played decent defense but his offense was brutal.. Something feels off about him. He might become trade-bait, but it was game 1 so I don't want to overreact. I might rather have Hart starting. He gives us more offense.

Stephenson and Beasley, uhhm.. Yeah.

Lonzo looked better around the paint driving in, but mehh. Hopefully, he was just rusty. We will see.. His assists will take a dip I believe with this squad.

[tamaraw08]

I'm trying to keep my disappointment under control. Only one game in out of a 82-game season.

Especially keeping the following in mind:
-Portland has not lost opening day game in 17yrs (18 now). Last time they lost was vs 2000 Shaq-Kobe Lakers. Back then, Portland had young Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen, and Arvydas Sabonis
-Lakers have lost last 15 to Blazers in a row (16 now)
-Home game in Portland, emotional one with the passing of Mr Allen

As for the game yesterday, I did not like our defense. Too many lapses. I felt our post defense was fine but perimeter defense they tore apart. Stuka-diver Stauskus making 3s all over the place? Out of the left field after being borderline bust for his career :lol

We obviously cannot hit 3s so perhaps we should focus on the higher percentage shots closer to the basket.. We were hitting them at 53-54% clip most of the game. It's not a completely lost cause to focus on 2s if you can hit them that well. I believe 50% from 2pt line is equivalent to 40% from 3s. So we could have still won that game if we kept going for 2s.

I know it's the era of 3pt shots, but I think games are still winnable if you focus on 2s at high clip and defense.

I don't like Kuzma at 5. Sorry, it does not work. He is more of a 3 who can play 4. But 5? No no no, I don't want to see that. I also feel like Kuzma has not improved very much since last season. That's bit discouraging. He has high floor, but I am afraid his ceiling is low as well. I don't know, guys, but he is not on same level as Ingram.. I have a bad feeling about this.. Is it going to go the way of Nance vs Randle, where we chose Randle and traded Nance?

KCP played decent defense but his offense was brutal.. Something feels off about him. He might become trade-bait, but it was game 1 so I don't want to overreact. I might rather have Hart starting. He gives us more offense.

Stephenson and Beasley, uhhm.. Yeah.

Lonzo looked better around the paint driving in, but mehh. Hopefully, he was just rusty. We will see.. His assists will take a dip I believe with this squad.
Interesting stats last night.
Lilliard and CJ had a -8 and -9 respectively. Damian tho milked the FT line with 8-8.
Hart played really good but his FT's concern me also Ingram. Yes, Brandon had a nice groove during the preseason but still,...
Kuzma is just a bit too trigger happy, just because he has the mamba mentality doesn't necessarily mean he's got the Mamba ability.
Rondo had a good 11 assist to just 3 turnover unlike Lebron who had 6-6. :(
KCP was pretty gun shy which makes me wonder if he is bricking his shots during practice.
124 pts allowed seems really high but Portland just shot 44%

[bladefd]

Well, it looks like Rondo is suspended 3 games and Ingram 4.. Video shows Rondo did spit on CP3, regardless of whether it was intentional or not. Bad look for Rondo.. Ingram as well looks bad.

As for CP3/Harden.. I don't respect their antics, especially Harden. He flops around like a dodo constantly and cries for freethrows every single play. Guy has a good game, he doesn't need to rely on those foolish tactics, antics and acting. It's annoying to watch him cry every play. Just play the damn game..

As for the game itself.. I thought we did well defensively and kept it close most of the game. I see same issues.. Can't hit 3s, not enough depth at 5, not able to draw fouls to get to FT line, I don't trust us making our FTs either. I'm disappointed in KCP all-around and Kuzma offensively. I don't like Kuz playing 5 -- JaVale may not be able to play big minutes so we need Wagner back fast.

I hope Hart is moved to starting 5 soon if KCP shows no improvement. Lonzo and Kuzma will also replace Rondo and Ingram over the suspension. It will be interesting to see how they do.

[LA Lakers]

My main concerns out of the gate are: 1. Lack of size. When McGee is on the bench the Lakers have no defense against dribble penetration. They get out rebounded constantly. Kuzma is getting eaten alive at the 5. He isn

[bladefd]

Josh Hart must start and we need Mo Wagner back right now. I don't want to see Zubac out there again - let him go to the d-league to develop. Spurs went to Aldridge every single play over and over while McGee was on the bench in foul trouble. He scored I think 5 straight possessions on Zubac in under 4 minutes, drew fts and completely shut down Zubac on the other end before we had to bring in Jonathan Williams who isn't even on our depth chart.

I miss Randle and his defense. I wish he had just returned instead of asking out.. I would have paid him instead of KCP. We would have won last night with Randle. Sh!t, I'd rather have Kwame Brown or Chris Mihm out there than Zubac..

I would try to move KCP's expiring deal, Beasley's expiring deal and a future pick for a backup center. Neither of them will be back next season anyways so lets get something in return now.. Preferably a backup center as I said who can provide 15-20 solid minutes per night.

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What was wrong with LeBron in first half yesterday? He missed 3 layups in a row before getting blocked on the 4th layup by Rudy Gay.. He no longer looks like the best player in the game.. He still did keep us in the game so I don't blame him at all, but we have to account for that as a team.

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We are losing close games against decent teams so it's not a lost cause, but we have to get our acts together. We didn't have Ingram or Rondo yesterday too, but I thought Kuzma did great yesterday, more than made up for Ingram not being there. Ingram has been asleep at the wheel too often as well so far - Kuzma is at least energetic and active out there. We could have used Rondo yesterday though in crunch time. Disappointing loss yesterday..

[LA Lakers]

I

[LA Lakers]

I’m not super impressed with Kuzma to be honest. I know he scored a lot of points last night and that’s great. I don’t know what he did during the offseason but it doesnt look like he’s added anything I haven’t seen already last year. And when they play him and Lebron at the 4 and 5 for long stretches while McGee is on the bench the defense and rebounding really suffers. However, I’m pretty sure these guys are barely drinking age. They’re kids. Kuzma, Ingram, Lonzo and Hart could all be future stars problem is Lebron didn’t sign up so that Ingram could be great in two years. He wants to win now. Same with Magic. It’s championship or bust for the guys running the show. We can talk about patience and development but at the end of the day it’s win now for the Lakers.

[bladefd]

I’m not super impressed with Kuzma to be honest. I know he scored a lot of points last night and that’s great. I don’t know what he did during the offseason but it doesnt look like he’s added anything I haven’t seen already last year. And when they play him and Lebron at the 4 and 5 for long stretches while McGee is on the bench the defense and rebounding really suffers. However, I’m pretty sure these guys are barely drinking age. They’re kids. Kuzma, Ingram, Lonzo and Hart could all be future stars problem is Lebron didn’t sign up so that Ingram could be great in two years. He wants to win now. Same with Magic. It’s championship or bust for the guys running the show. We can talk about patience and development but at the end of the day it’s win now for the Lakers.

I have a gut feeling it is going to come down to a Kuzma or Ingram choice sooner or later. Both won't be here long-term - I just don't know who.

I prefer Ingram's all-around game but his 2 big issues are a) lack of range and b) falling asleep at the wheel too often. Shooting will come as his game progresses, and tbh you can compensate for lack of range in other ways - his midrange is not bad at all. I'm mainly worried about the second thing. It speaks completely to a focus issue, and it worries me in the big picture.

Kuzma, on other hand, is active and focused. He is not as talented overall, but he can shoot very well. His 2 big issues are a) not playing good defense and b) inconsistency on offense/taking low percentage shots. I'm worried about the latter, or as tamaraw called the mamba mentality.. It is what made Kobe great & win us games but also cost us games when his shot wasn't falling. Kobe though got to the FT line, played very good defense, and was clutch. Kuzma is not there yet in overall impact as Kobe.

So far, Ingram impacts the game more, but MUST STAY AWAKE! Drink coffee before games, drink 5 hour energy, do something to stay focused. No falling asleep at the wheel.

[LA Lakers]

It

[LA Lakers]

It’s kind of the same issue as last year in the sense that you had all of these assets at the forward position. Too many guys in the 6’8- 6’9 range who all want to dominate the ball. How does Walton rotate guys when you have Julius Randle, Kuzma and Ingram all needing minutes? Now they solved part of the issue by replacing Randle with Lebron James. But that still leaves a lot of passing and ball sharing to be expected. It’s hard to divvy up minutes for versatile stretch forwards. Especially if they are young and still raw and unproven. If you think about it isn’t Kuzma a really shooting guard in a very athletic 6’9 frame. He’s basically trapped in a power forwards body with a guards mentality. I think he’s good. Shows a lot of promise. To be fair to Kuzma last night, the refs weren’t giving him any calls. There were several and-1s and flat out no calls. He played aggressively which is good. Lebron also got four or five no calls. Only time it seems he went to the line was at the end when he couldn’t make his shots lol. The officiating has been terrible so far. Letting guys get the shit hacked out of them on one end and then a ticky tac bs phantom call on javale McGee for having the audacity to attempt to play traditional defense on Lamarcus Aldridge as he backed down into the post. Like wtf. It was insane the officiating during that game. The nba feels weird this season. I love the 14 second re set shot clock after an offensive rebound rule. But man the pace of these games is so fast. It’s basketball on meth. Hockey basketball. 145 point games. Crazy. Gonna be a wild year lol

[bladefd]

[QUOTE=LA Lakers]It

[LA Lakers]

Seems like the Lonzo, Hart, Kuzma, Lebron, McGee lineup is good defensively.

[LA Lakers]

Lonzo plays really good defense. I know it

[bladefd]

Things we cleaned up:
3pt shooting
Ft shooting
Played great first 3 quarters. It fell apart last 3 minutes of 3rd quarter with LeBron on bench.


Hard to understand WHY we keep trying to play Kuzma at 5. KUZMA CANNOT PLAY CENTER even for 5 mins. He is a 3 naturally who can play 4 when LeBron is resting.

I also CANNOT understand why Lonzo and Rondo are in there together in crunch minutes. Pick one and keep the other on bench. I believe it should be Lonzo in there in crunch minutes because he is maybe our best overall defensive player. I would say it should be Lonzo, Hart, Kuz, LeBron, McGee. But Ingram I cannot count out. Maybe him when he returns. All depends on how they are playing that night.

KCP needs to be traded off the Lakers for a backup center. When Javale is resting or in foul trouble, we fall apart. Jonathan Williams, who wasn't even on our official depth chart until last Monday, is our backup center. Williams has been doing well, but idk if he is ideal. He is undersized..

Too many turnovers today. We were good until 4th quarter when we gave away the ball something like 6 or 7 times. I hope they study film of last 3 minutes of 3rd and 4th quarter. Saw sloppy mistakes. Turnovers are why we lost tonight imo.. We cannot have turnovers like Javale stepping out of bounds.. We have to clean up mistakes like these.

Need to cut out some of the heatcheck 3s. They kill momentum and our mojo. Occasionally it's fine. I would say Kuz does it more than he should. Need to be cautious there because it takes away high percentage 2s that we hit at around 50%!!

[tamaraw08]

We need a post presence for when McGee is resting or in foul trouble more than anything..


Maybe a scrub or average team with lockjam at 4/5, who could use expiring contracts and future pick or 2, would be willing to do something like KCP/Beasley/picks..
Hawks with Dedmon or Alex Len
Nets with Kenneth Faried
Philly with Amir Johnson
Suns with Tyson Chandler
Kings with Kosta Koufos
Raptors with Greg Monroe

^ any of those could be valuable to Lakers. I would have to further look into their strengths/weaknesses to see how they fit. I don't know all of them..
No to Monroe, he's great on offense but very bad on defense. Koufos is too old and injury prone. Faried is too small, I don't think Sixers will let Amir go.
Chandler is good enough for 20 mins even if he's old.
Len is the youngest but looks ok, Dedmon is ok. The last 3 mentioned belong to teams that are tanking and can be had for a 2nd rounder IMO.
Luke is trying Jonathan Williams, He's quick and a hustler but he's too small at 6-9 inside the paint IMO.

[bladefd]

1) Shot selection
2) Turnovers
3) Blocking out, positioning and the little stuff to get defensive rebounds

If we don't clean up those 3 things (especially 1 and 2), we are not making playoffs. Period.

[bladefd]

No to Monroe, he's great on offense but very bad on defense. Koufos is too old and injury prone. Faried is too small, I don't think Sixers will let Amir go.
Chandler is good enough for 20 mins even if he's old.
Len is the youngest but looks ok, Dedmon is ok. The last 3 mentioned belong to teams that are tanking and can be had for a 2nd rounder IMO.
Luke is trying Jonathan Williams, He's quick and a hustler but he's too small at 6-9 inside the paint IMO.

Yeah, it's costing us big rebounds.. Lack of size also makes it hard to block out opponents from overpowering us for the rebound when McGee is resting. We need a trade for a backup center or Mo Wagner back very soon.

[tamaraw08]

1) Shot selection
2) Turnovers
3) Blocking out, positioning and the little stuff to get defensive rebounds

If we don't clean up those 3 things (especially 1 and 2), we are not making playoffs. Period.

All valid points but there are other disturbing stats.
Last year they were 12th best in defense rating. Now 23rd.:(
I think a lot of it is having that mindset of trying to run even BEFORE they secure the defensive rebound, leading to easy put backs. Most of the time, McGhee and ESP the back up center gets out of position.
3pt shooting, Lebron is shooting 24.4%, Kuzma at 28.9%, they combine for 9 3pt missed attempts per game.
I understand players get into a funk but they also sucked at FREE throw shooting at 25th worst. :facepalm
The are losing badly in the last quarter where they can't execute properly.
I was hoping Luke would devise several good set plays with options and also know how to take away options for the opposing best players.
Most losses were inflicted by the opposing team's focal scorer. Lilliard, Butler, DeRozan twice, Harden. :mad:

[bladefd]

All valid points but there are other disturbing stats.
Last year they were 12th best in defense rating. Now 23rd.:(
I think a lot of it is having that mindset of trying to run even BEFORE they secure the defensive rebound, leading to easy put backs. Most of the time, McGhee and ESP the back up center gets out of position.
3pt shooting, Lebron is shooting 24.4%, Kuzma at 28.9%, they combine for 9 3pt missed attempts per game.
I understand players get into a funk but they also sucked at FREE throw shooting at 25th worst. :facepalm
The are losing badly in the last quarter where they can't execute properly.
I was hoping Luke would devise several good set plays with options and also know how to take away options for the opposing best players.
Most losses were inflicted by the opposing team's focal scorer. Lilliard, Butler, DeRozan twice, Harden. :mad:

Hopefully it is just growing pains..

All these games have been so damn close that just a minor improvement here or there and the results can change drastically. Something as simple as if LeBron stops missing those layups, and we could be talking whole new ball games..

I kind of want us to return to last year's style of rebounding. Everyone blocks out but the point-guard, and the point runs the court off the rebound. I know we had Lopez and Randle last year but I don't see why it wouldn't work this year.. I have seen that style this year. McGee has size, strength and length to block out. LeBron as well and Kuzma. Either Hart or Lonzo/Rondo can clean up the rebounds.

Also, I would prefer taking fewer 3s if it means we get the very high percentage 2s. I don't understand the modern nba mindset that you have to keep taking 3s to stay in games even if you are missing these shots. Statistically speaking, shooting 3s at 40% is equivalent to shooting 2s at 50%. If you can't hit 3s at 40% but you can hit 2s at 50%, then your best bet is to keep taking the 2s because they work out almost the same.. I understand it would force opponents to go into zone defense sets and start stacking the paint, but we still have decent midrange game to keep them on their toes.. We are averaging 4th best fg% in nba, not because of 3s but due to dominating paint scoring and midrange.

It also doesn't mean you don't take 3s.. Spread around the rock to the open man and take open 3s. Just minimal 3s off-the-dribble, no dribble dribble dribble 3s ala LeBron.. I don't want to see that crap from LeBron/Kuzma. Don't force the issue..

It took monumental performance from Twolves from 3pt line, hitting 3 after 3, just to beat us by 4. But we also didn't help things by wasting our possessions on garbage 3s while being heavily defended and long-range low-percentage 2s. You drive into the paint or take more higher percentage 2s or even 3s through extra passing.. You put even more pressure on the Twolves to hit even more 3s. At some point, they will run out of ammo. These are not the Warriors who you can't get into that type of game with. It's the Twolves..

I also hope Magic is working the phones for a backup to McGee.. God forbid if McGee gets an injury?? We are done for.. We need a backup center fast.

[bladefd]

Mo Wagner is back btw.. Active.. Good sign! :cheers:

I hope he can provide 20mpg at some point. Keep McGee's minutes down in high 20s so he is not exhausted out there.. Jonathan Williams may also be useful in short bursts for energy purposes when Mo gets into foul trouble or isn't playing well.

[bladefd]

Posted this in general forum.. Probably more applicable here..

I have a gut feeling that 1 of Kuzma or Ingram will be getting traded over the summer. I feel like it will be Ingram if he doesn't get his head in the game. I don't know who it would be for, but it might be on the horizon for an established star.

Trying to guess what position it could be for, these are locked in positions for the next 4 years minimum:
c-
pf- LeBron
sf- Kuzma or Ingram
sg- Hart
pg- Lonzo

I would put Hart in italics because he is not guaranteed to stay but he is there by default. Hart has the mindset and talent to become a great 6th man too. So ultimately that leaves center and shooting guard as the biggest needs for Lakers in long-term picture. Who could that be?

I expect Lakers to go after Kawhi and Klay, hoping to land just 1 of them on a big deal. Both can play sg so it makes me suspect that McGee is under the lenses for Magic and Pelinka. They want to know 'Can he be a long-term viable center in Lakers system?' If not then it's possible Lakers use either Kuzma or Ingram as a chip to trade for another very good long-term center over the summer.

[tamaraw08]

Hopefully it is just growing pains..

All these games have been so damn close that just a minor improvement here or there and the results can change drastically. Something as simple as if LeBron stops missing those layups, and we could be talking whole new ball games..

I kind of want us to return to last year's style of rebounding. Everyone blocks out but the point-guard, and the point runs the court off the rebound. I know we had Lopez and Randle last year but I don't see why it wouldn't work this year.. I have seen that style this year. McGee has size, strength and length to block out. LeBron as well and Kuzma. Either Hart or Lonzo/Rondo can clean up the rebounds.

Also, I would prefer taking fewer 3s if it means we get the very high percentage 2s. I don't understand the modern nba mindset that you have to keep taking 3s to stay in games even if you are missing these shots. Statistically speaking, shooting 3s at 40% is equivalent to shooting 2s at 50%. If you can't hit 3s at 40% but you can hit 2s at 50%, then your best bet is to keep taking the 2s because they work out almost the same.. I understand it would force opponents to go into zone defense sets and start stacking the paint, but we still have decent midrange game to keep them on their toes.. We are averaging 4th best fg% in nba, not because of 3s but due to dominating paint scoring and midrange.

It also doesn't mean you don't take 3s.. Spread around the rock to the open man and take open 3s. Just minimal 3s off-the-dribble, no dribble dribble dribble 3s ala LeBron.. I don't want to see that crap from LeBron/Kuzma. Don't force the issue..

It took monumental performance from Twolves from 3pt line, hitting 3 after 3, just to beat us by 4. But we also didn't help things by wasting our possessions on garbage 3s while being heavily defended and long-range low-percentage 2s. You drive into the paint or take more higher percentage 2s or even 3s through extra passing.. You put even more pressure on the Twolves to hit even more 3s. At some point, they will run out of ammo. These are not the Warriors who you can't get into that type of game with. It's the Twolves..

I also hope Magic is working the phones for a backup to McGee.. God forbid if McGee gets an injury?? We are done for.. We need a backup center fast.

I am not sure we you got your math that 40% from 3pt area = 50% FG :confusedshrug:
You can simplify it by if a team takes 10 3's and hit 40%, that generates 12 pts as compared to only 10 pts if you hit 50% of 10 regular FG attempts.
If you take 20 3's at 40%, that generates 24 pts, = 4 extra points.
So, if you can just hit 35% of 100 3's= 105 pts still 5 extra points than 50% of 100 regular shots.
Actually the Lakers are not the worst in 3pt accuracy, they are actually 5th in team EFG% but they are very bad, mostly bottom 3rd in team defense and rebounding % BOTH at 23rd worst.
Kuzma has the 2nd most minutes but only grabs about 1 defensive reb/quarter. :facepalm
And Yes I am with you with Kuzma being too trigger happy.:rockon:
Yes, they should gang rebound but most of them are leaking out to get easy shots.
It will be interesting if they will stick to these tall perimeter line up vs the short back court of Portland. If they postup more, their pace will slow down, im not sure it's a bad thing. Lebron has never played with this break neck pace and yes it's also tiring out their LONE LEGIT CENTER:(

[bladefd]

I am not sure we you got your math that 40% from 3pt area = 50% FG :confusedshrug:
You can simplify it by if a team takes 10 3's and hit 40%, that generates 12 pts as compared to only 10 pts if you hit 50% of 10 regular FG attempts.
If you take 20 3's at 40%, that generates 24 pts, = 4 extra points.
So, if you can just hit 35% of 100 3's= 105 pts still 5 extra points than 50% of 100 regular shots.
Actually the Lakers are not the worst in 3pt accuracy, they are actually 5th in team EFG% but they are very bad, mostly bottom 3rd in team defense and rebounding % BOTH at 23rd worst.
Kuzma has the 2nd most minutes but only grabs about 1 defensive reb/quarter. :facepalm
And Yes I am with you with Kuzma being too trigger happy.:rockon:
Yes, they should gang rebound but most of them are leaking out to get easy shots.
It will be interesting if they will stick to these tall perimeter line up vs the short back court of Portland. If they postup more, their pace will slow down, im not sure it's a bad thing. Lebron has never played with this break neck pace and yes it's also tiring out their LONE LEGIT CENTER:(

You are right, 2 points matters. I get that, but you still have to hit 3s at 40% for it to matter. If you are not hitting 3s close to 40% but you are hitting 2s at 50%, you will be better off focusing on taking 2s for higher percentage shots.

As for Ingram starting at 2, he publicly declared the day he was back from suspension he will not come off the bench. I think that had a big impact on him starting. Luke probably doesn't want to get into a feud over that with him. He knows Hart won't make a fuss whether he is starting or not so Luke probably decided to defuse the situation by starting Ingram at the 2. Just my own observation and nothing else

[EllEffEll]

The way I see it, the Lakers are 'climbing the mountain' to try to get the team playing 'the right way'. I see LeBron deferring when he could be taking charge. He needs for the rest of the team to assert themselves as a matter of habit so it doesn't turn into 'stand around and wait for LBJ to take over' in crunch time.

It will take time for them to get the system clicking and to learn how to close out the game in the 4th quarter. The down side to losing now is that playoff seeds are at stake. The further down they finish and the more likely they will be to face the better teams early in the playoffs.

I don't expect a championship this year, and I want the top FA's to see the potential of the Lakers being a great spot for them to land for next season.

Player development didn't mean as much when the top FA's would touch the Lakers with a ten foot pole (during the Jim Buss era), but it should be their main focus for this year IMHO.

All things considered, I like a lot of what I see on the court (and it's been a WHILE since you have seen that sentiment from me).

[tamaraw08]

You are right, 2 points matters. I get that, but you still have to hit 3s at 40% for it to matter. If you are not hitting 3s close to 40% but you are hitting 2s at 50%, you will be better off focusing on taking 2s for higher percentage shots.

As for Ingram starting at 2, he publicly declared the day he was back from suspension he will not come off the bench. I think that had a big impact on him starting. Luke probably doesn't want to get into a feud over that with him. He knows Hart won't make a fuss whether he is starting or not so Luke probably decided to defuse the situation by starting Ingram at the 2. Just my own observation and nothing else

But like I said, per math, Lakers would still be ok even if they just hit 35% from the 3 than 50% of their 2pt shots (33.1pts>30pts) every 30 attempts.
Lilliard, Butler(career 34%) etc wouldn't even shoot that much if they are pressured to hit 40% but the bottom line is that their coaches feel it's worth the risk and this help them beat the Lakers.
About Ingram, the suspension set them back as Lebron and Ingram were still trying to work together with James feeding the ball to Brandon at certain sweet spots.
But now, I understand BI is the 2nd best in terms of creating/initiating the offense esp when James sits. I just want to know the first 5 mins vs Portland, will they slow down and post up the small back court to death?
The problem is their space issues. Also, by rim running, it negates Nurkic from wreaking havoc inside.
I say, start with posting up, then pull out Ingram after 5 minutes and insert Hart. Luke then at the end first quarter rest James with BRandon so he can initiate the offense. Lakers will have to expose Lillard and CJ at defense.

[bladefd]

Some basic schedule analysis I posted in a general forum post..

Schedule has been rough so far.

Spurs twice
Houston
Portland 2nd time tomorrow
Denver
Twolves

^ all of them were topnotch teams last season, all are pretty much intact with same personnel and coaching. Only Suns and Dallas were scrub teams last season but both improved- we beat them both as we should..

Season gets bit easier after first week of November ends- after Nov 10th..
Kings, Atlanta, Magic twice, Cavs, Miami, Mavericks.. These are all winnable games. Don't be surprised if we win 5-6 of them and get to .500.

December is not too bad either..
Suns, Memphis twice, Miami, Hornets, Wizards, Nets, Kings twice .. All winnable games.. Good enough to hold at few games over .500...

January is brutal schedule where we might again drop, barely hover around .500..
February is brutal too..

March has decent schedule, hopefully will get us back to a few games over .500 back to our December trajectory.. April is brutal too but short month of 5 games. Those teams will be resting preparing for playoffs so might be able to steal couple games there..

In conclusion:
We must do well in 2nd half of November and December. January/February will test what we are made of, and I don't want us desperate for wins going into that 2 month hell schedule.. We need to be a couple games over .500 going into January or we are toast. March is a respite thankfully if we can get there intact and have built team chemistry to finish strong with a playoff push.. I almost feel like it was intentional respite for that playoff push right when we should be clicking on all cylinders - don't be surprised to see a couple 3-4 game win streaks in March..

[bladefd]

No to Monroe, he's great on offense but very bad on defense. Koufos is too old and injury prone. Faried is too small, I don't think Sixers will let Amir go.
Chandler is good enough for 20 mins even if he's old.
Len is the youngest but looks ok, Dedmon is ok. The last 3 mentioned belong to teams that are tanking and can be had for a 2nd rounder IMO.
Luke is trying Jonathan Williams, He's quick and a hustler but he's too small at 6-9 inside the paint IMO.

We got Chandler once he clears waivers :cheers:


After receiving a buyout in Phoenix on Saturday, Suns center Tyson Chandler will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers once he clears waivers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and the New York Times’ Mark Stein.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/tyson-chandler-reportedly-bought-suns-will-sign-lakers-221540513.html

He will provide 15 solid minutes per game. It will allow Mo Wagner to work his way into our lineup.

[tamaraw08]

Disturbing stats (advanced) of Brandon Ingram.
12th in VORP,
10th +/-
10th in TS%
10th in overall and offensive win shares etc etc
https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2019.html
Yes, it's just 10 games but they spent countless hours practicing, film rooms and whole preseason.
He's involved in the very ugly fight=4 game suspension and the disturbing video where he threw his hands and gave up on the play because of frustration over Lebron.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDDFuLDYjcQ
James will be here for 4 years, how long will Magic wait before he finds out it's not a good fit and when the rest of the league finds out, Ingrams worth will NOT be much.
The next 10 games will be crucial IMO.

[bladefd]

Disturbing stats (advanced) of Brandon Ingram.
12th in VORP,
10th +/-
10th in TS%
10th in overall and offensive win shares etc etc
https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2019.html
Yes, it's just 10 games but they spent countless hours practicing, film rooms and whole preseason.
He's involved in the very ugly fight=4 game suspension and the disturbing video where he threw his hands and gave up on the play because of frustration over Lebron.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDDFuLDYjcQ
James will be here for 4 years, how long will Magic wait before he finds out it's not a good fit and when the rest of the league finds out, Ingrams worth will NOT be much.
The next 10 games will be crucial IMO.

Worries me too.. If Kuzma played better defense, Ingram would have been gone by now tbh. Kuzma worries me a bit too with his shot selection and defense but those are things you can work on and be coached on..

Ingram is different. All the talent in the world beyond anything Kuzma has but his head isn't there. Nobody can teach that or coach you on.. You can tell Ingram is trying hard out there but either ends up being too aggressive and costing us possessions OR falling asleep at the wheel and being a zombie.

I'm convinced one of Ingram or Kuzma have to go. We can't have both at a redundant position trying to work through their own set of issues. One of them is going to be moved, I'm almost certain.


Now I wonder if we should have just let Spurs take whoever they wanted for Kawhi.. I would have been like "Take Ingram or Kuzma. And whatever else you want." We may have been better off in the long-run. The way Raptors are playing now, they have potential for a Finals run. If they make finals, oh boy... I don't know where we go if that happens. Kawhi is who we were focused on. Klay is still possible ofc, but he is not an organization changing player that Kawhi is. I don't know..

Maybe if we start winning games, it still may be enough to draw Kawhi. Raptors surely can't keep this up forever. This is a crucial 7-week stretch to get some winning going until January hell-schedule hits for 2 months.

[tamaraw08]

Worries me too.. If Kuzma played better defense, Ingram would have been gone by now tbh. Kuzma worries me a bit too with his shot selection and defense but those are things you can work on and be coached on..

Ingram is different. All the talent in the world beyond anything Kuzma has but his head isn't there. Nobody can teach that or coach you on.. You can tell Ingram is trying hard out there but either ends up being too aggressive and costing us possessions OR falling asleep at the wheel and being a zombie.

I'm convinced one of Ingram or Kuzma have to go. We can't have both at a redundant position trying to work through their own set of issues. One of them is going to be moved, I'm almost certain.


Now I wonder if we should have just let Spurs take whoever they wanted for Kawhi.. I would have been like "Take Ingram or Kuzma. And whatever else you want." We may have been better off in the long-run. The way Raptors are playing now, they have potential for a Finals run. If they make finals, oh boy... I don't know where we go if that happens. Kawhi is who we were focused on. Klay is still possible ofc, but he is not an organization changing player that Kawhi is. I don't know..

Maybe if we start winning games, it still may be enough to draw Kawhi. Raptors surely can't keep this up forever. This is a crucial 7-week stretch to get some winning going until January hell-schedule hits for 2 months.
The Houston game where he yelled at the ref, shoved Harden and attacked CP3 was a huge concern for me. You think he's done and learned his lesson but that video where he turned around at the play, faced the bench and threw his hands was appalling.
Magic confronting Luke with strategies etc are not helping esp going to the media before about how Ingram was "untouchable" etc.
If Magic truly wants to help, he'll be meeting with Brandon, include James and Luke if needed and REALLY SORT THIS OUT.
They showed some promise during the preseason games where I saw James feeding BI to his sweet spots....
I always felt that Ingram will be the one who will have to adjust the most because of how he likes to dominate the ball.
Everyone knows James will eventually decline, having a focused Brandon will really help.
I really don't care about Kawhi right now esp after hearing the reports that he's not really a fan of the Lakers growing up. It's beyond their control.
Klay is not alpha but I like the idea of just not acquiring a legit shooter/defender but also the concept of taking him AWAY from your arch rivals.

[GimmeThat]

the reality that Magic won't face, is that even those show time Lakers, demonstrated characteristics of a John Wooden team because of Kareem Abdul-Jabar

with those discipline, you take the player that can dribble and shoot because he had already mastered how to catch and shoot

[bladefd]

Chandler is a perfect fit.. He brings defense and rebounding. McGee brings blocking and scoring on offense. Both are experienced vets too.

I would also like the Lakers to try:
McGee or Chandler
LeBron
Kuzma
Ingram
Hart

in crunch minutes. That has potential against certain teams.. I feel like Hart needs to be playing more minutes, especially in crunch time. He is ice cold and needs to be out there last 6 minutes of 4th quarters imo.. Let LeBron or Ingram run the point. If Ingram is a zombie that day like he often is then sit him down on the bench and insert Lonzo for defense.

[tamaraw08]

Chandler is a perfect fit.. He brings defense and rebounding. McGee brings blocking and scoring on offense. Both are experienced vets too.

I would also like the Lakers to try:
McGee or Chandler
LeBron
Kuzma
Ingram
Hart

in crunch minutes. That has potential against certain teams.. I feel like Hart needs to be playing more minutes, especially in crunch time. He is ice cold and needs to be out there last 6 minutes of 4th quarters imo.. Let LeBron or Ingram run the point. If Ingram is a zombie that day like he often is then sit him down on the bench and insert Lonzo for defense.
I see your point. Hart is my favorite player but if you watched carefully the last 6 minutes vs TWolves, Rondo made some solid decisions out there.
Ran and then set up Ingram for a 3pt shot.
Set a screen for Kuzma leading to a dunk.
spotted Kuz for another 3. Yes there are times that he gambles too much.
I am not opposed to Bron taking point, it's a matter of creating great set plays and executing them.

[bladefd]

I see your point. Hart is my favorite player but if you watched carefully the last 6 minutes vs TWolves, Rondo made some solid decisions out there.
Ran and then set up Ingram for a 3pt shot.
Set a screen for Kuzma leading to a dunk.
spotted Kuz for another 3. Yes there are times that he gambles too much.
I am not opposed to Bron taking point, it's a matter of creating great set plays and executing them.

Hart is clutch and plays smart down the stretch. He doesn't choke like LeBron or chuck up extremely low-percentage shots like Kuzma. We don't have players like Hart tbh with his strengths..

I think he has to be out there even if you have to take out Kuzma or Ingram. I always want Chandler-LeBron-Hart trifecta out there (or McGee). The other 2 players can vary by game and how they are performing that night. In certain situations you can also take out Chandler (or McGee) and free up 3 slots. Add players from there depending on situation.

^ This hurts us imo. We don't have automatic-starters in crunch minutes beyond LeBron and Hart (maybe Chandler who rarely makes boneheaded mistakes ala McGee lol).. We lack a Butler or Kyrie or Kobe or Rose or Klay or Kawhi.. Those players are ice-cold players you want in crunch time. We only have Hart and LeBron's sheer impact makes him crucial to put out there even if he chokes. I hope we can have a 3rd guy next season to add to that.. I also think Kuzma will become that guy very soon as the 4th clutch guy.

[GimmeThat]

The Laker's problem isn't their offense, but having a roster that has length and athleticism at each position, they may be able to try something unconventional, such as actually going after the ball on the defensive end

[bladefd]

Extremely ugly game vs Atlanta. We didn't deserve to win that game.. I don't like games where we do everything wrong in last 6-8mins and affirming everything we did wrong.

We missed crucial freethrows as usual, had too many turnovers costing us possessions left and right, and forced shots.. LeBron again forcing 3s. I wish he would drive into paint or if he couldn't then pass the rock. Let the play establish - there is a reason you are given 24 seconds per possession. Don't waste it.. I can't understand this... We just stand around, jacking up 3s on heavy coverage. I know Luke can't tell LeBron what to do because LeBron is basically Luke's boss, but this is madness... This is unsustainable.

Chandler saved us, saved LeBron.. We didn't deserve that win.

Lakers also tried lineup in clutch of:
McGee or Chandler
LeBron
Kuzma
Ingram
Hart

Looked okay. Not bad but ball became too stagnant in LeBron's hands, and the players keep putting the ball in his hands to make stuff happen. I think this is a confidence issue. Nothing else.. I don't know how you overcome that. It's all mental..



I also hope Lakers don't go after Melo. If they do, I'm going to lose my mind. I do not want to see Melo in purple and gold. Please no.. Stay away from Melo.. He has been horrendous every time I watched him play. He plays horrendous defense, and I don't want to see him take minutes from Kuz or anyone.. OKC were better without Melo than with him. Same with Houston. Same with Knicks towards the end. His ego is greater than his game at this point. We can't sacrifice defense for this guy. Melo is done..

[tamaraw08]

Extremely ugly game vs Atlanta. We didn't deserve to win that game.. I don't like games where we do everything wrong in last 6-8mins and affirming everything we did wrong.

We missed crucial freethrows as usual, had too many turnovers costing us possessions left and right, and forced shots.. LeBron again forcing 3s. I wish he would drive into paint or if he couldn't then pass the rock. Let the play establish - there is a reason you are given 24 seconds per possession. Don't waste it.. I can't understand this... We just stand around, jacking up 3s on heavy coverage. I know Luke can't tell LeBron what to do because LeBron is basically Luke's boss, but this is madness... This is unsustainable.

Chandler saved us, saved LeBron.. We didn't deserve that win.

Lakers also tried lineup in clutch of:
McGee or Chandler
LeBron
Kuzma
Ingram
Hart

Looked okay. Not bad but ball became too stagnant in LeBron's hands, and the players keep putting the ball in his hands to make stuff happen. I think this is a confidence issue. Nothing else.. I don't know how you overcome that. It's all mental..



I also hope Lakers don't go after Melo. If they do, I'm going to lose my mind. I do not want to see Melo in purple and gold. Please no.. Stay away from Melo.. He has been horrendous every time I watched him play. He plays horrendous defense, and I don't want to see him take minutes from Kuz or anyone.. OKC were better without Melo than with him. Same with Houston. Same with Knicks towards the end. His ego is greater than his game at this point. We can't sacrifice defense for this guy. Melo is done..
Chandler might have saved Luke's job for now. That is my main concern recently with Magic unfairly putting so much blame on Luke.
Yes the late offensive execution is very ugly but I am not sure who is totally to blame for that, certainly not the FT shooting and 3pt shooting, not having back up center before etc.
Ingram refusing to go to the bench at start of games is also not helping because it's affecting Josh Hart's minutes. It also doesn't help when Luke is still trying to play KCP. Last 3 games, Josh has only played under 23 mins. too low for the team's top 3 most efficient players IMO.

[bladefd]

Chandler might have saved Luke's job for now. That is my main concern recently with Magic unfairly putting so much blame on Luke.
Yes the late offensive execution is very ugly but I am not sure who is totally to blame for that, certainly not the FT shooting and 3pt shooting, not having back up center before etc.
Ingram refusing to go to the bench at start of games is also not helping because it's affecting Josh Hart's minutes. It also doesn't help when Luke is still trying to play KCP. Last 3 games, Josh has only played under 23 mins. too low for the team's top 3 most efficient players IMO.

I honestly believe Ingram is on his way out the door to a rebuilding team where he can get 15 shots a game and run the offense. His time is LA is coming to an end, maybe over the summer unless a big deal comes through earlier.

[tamaraw08]

I honestly believe Ingram is on his way out the door to a rebuilding team where he can get 15 shots a game and run the offense. His time is LA is coming to an end, maybe over the summer unless a big deal comes through earlier.

The most important question is who do the Lakers get in return?:confusedshrug: You can't simply just move him for any decent player.
I really like Booker but getting him means they will not be able to acquire the superstar agent they badly want next summer because of his enormous contract.
That player they want should have a rookie contract and at the same time be good enough to help this team. I can't think of that player fitting that description.

[bladefd]

The most important question is who do the Lakers get in return?:confusedshrug: You can't simply just move him for any decent player.
I really like Booker but getting him means they will not be able to acquire the superstar agent they badly want next summer because of his enormous contract.
That player they want should have a rookie contract and at the same time be good enough to help this team. I can't think of that player fitting that description.

Someone long-term. I would say a 2 or 3.. Kuzma is best in 6th man role imo. Hart I'm not sure yet if he can be a viable long-term starter for us at the 2.

I expect us to sign an elite 2 or 3 so whoever we trade for would have to be a complementary piece to who we sign. That's why they might wait until the summer. No point in doing a midseason trade without knowing who wants to come to Lakers in summer.

I also wouldn't mind going after an elite big like Anthony Davis, but I don't know if AD is on the market. Maybe if they miss playoffs by a big margin.. :confusedshrug: AD trade would mean we probably lose either Kuzma or Hart or both along with Ingram so.. it could be interesting to watch what Magic/Pelinka decides.

Jarrett Jack hinted at KD signing with Lakers then Lakers trading for AD.. https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-jarrett-jack-hints-at-lebron-james-kevin-durant-anthony-davis-teaming-up/
That would be nuts if it went down.. Lakers have plenty of salary to make it work too lol

[kkinchen]

I still think Scott Machado and Andre Ingram should have our two two-way contracts. And, when Carmelo becomes available, I'm hoping we will waive or trade Zubac to free up a roster spot to bring in Carmelo.

Maybe he can play some small ball 5 for us.

[$LakerGold]

Worries me too.. If Kuzma played better defense, Ingram would have been gone by now tbh. Kuzma worries me a bit too with his shot selection and defense but those are things you can work on and be coached on..

What worries me about Kuzma is that the more he makes shots (whether it be wide open shots or contested shots), the more he continues to take bad shots for the hell of it or heat check purposes. It was fun to watch during his rookie year because for a solid month & a half — he shot really well. But it's just getting old & frustrating to watch now especially when his shots aren't falling. He gets really streaky, & I'm not sure if that's how we imagined Kuz to be - just another streaky shooter.

[bladefd]

What worries me about Kuzma is that the more he makes shots (whether it be wide open shots or contested shots), the more he continues to take bad shots for the hell of it or heat check purposes. It was fun to watch during his rookie year because for a solid month & a half — he shot really well. But it's just getting old & frustrating to watch now especially when his shots aren't falling. He gets really streaky, & I'm not sure if that's how we imagined Kuz to be - just another streaky shooter.

That essentially means he has to come off the bench.. He can provide that scoring punch off the bench. I don't think he will be a starter in this league, but I see nothing wrong with him being a 6th man.. Lamar Odom and Manu Ginobili took that role and dominated the nba for years. Kuzma can backup both the 3 and 4 very well (maybe the 5 too against certain smaller teams for limited minutes) for years to come. He is best as 3rd option on a very good playoff team..

[tamaraw08]

That essentially means he has to come off the bench.. He can provide that scoring punch off the bench. I don't think he will be a starter in this league, but I see nothing wrong with him being a 6th man.. Lamar Odom and Manu Ginobili took that role and dominated the nba for years. Kuzma can backup both the 3 and 4 very well (maybe the 5 too against certain smaller teams for limited minutes) for years to come. He is best as 3rd option on a very good playoff team..

I don't care much on who starts and who needs to come from the bench. Yes, Kuzma can be too aggressive with his shots but for me, his main issue is lack of rebounding and defense. If he can improve on that, he can play more than 32 minutes.
My other issue is Lonzo being so contented on just spot up shooting. He lurks on the 3 pt area and that is about it. :facepalm
Very minimal cutting to the basket, barely posting up small players and last but the least not even providing picks for teammates. Steve Nash, even the freaking Steph Curry, Rondo etc provide picks, Lonzo just stand around the perimeter and is contented in watching Lebron play. :(

[GimmeThat]

Kuzma is pretty much Jordan Farmar at the 4

Josh Hart is an oversized Farmar

[dd24]

I didn't see the stickied general thread so there isn't a great place to put this but it's looking more and more like the Lakers should have traded Ball instead of Russell. The main difference is Russell is going to need to get paid this year. He deserves it at this point though.