Author Topic: 2017-18 Lakers Season Watch Thread (27-34, 10th Slot on 3/2)  (Read 221879 times)

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Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #75 on: August 03, 2017, 07:47:03 AM »

Offline Big333223

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Is actually probably a good thing. Hey will be a little better we want them to have the 2nd worse record.😉😉😉

It's a bad thing once they add Rajon Rondo. They will be a 10th seed in the West with Rondo/Ball/KCP/Ingram/Lopez

That lineup looks terrible defensively.

It is, but it can't be any worse than one that featured Russell, Young and Williams. Those guys all played 25-30MPG and were among the very worst at their positions defensively. KCP is a massive upgrade over any of them.

Lopez is no DPOY but he's really no worse than Mozgov, even defensively. He's slow and protects the rim, and his DPM is at least average.
The Ball could be a lot worse than Russel and Young defensively actually and he's unlikely to be as good as Lou Williams was offensively.

Why? Russell and Young were just as bad defensively as your typical poor-defending rookie PG. Why would Ball be any worse?
That's not quite true. Young was actually OK defensively and while Russell certainly wasn't good, he had begun to learn to use his length to his advantage. I think Lonzo will be worse.
They will prob have to hide Ball on the other teams SG and have KCP defend the PG
This. Although I wonder what kind of year KCP will have given his one year contract. Is he going to try to put up big offensive numbers to make more money in '18? How will that affect his defense?

Anyway, I'm anticipating the Lakers being a bottom 3 defense this season so if everything else goes well and the offense overperforms and Ball is terrific on day 1, their best case scenario is still something like 29 wins.
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Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #76 on: September 01, 2017, 08:49:51 AM »

Offline TheSundanceKid

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Here's some reasons why the Lakers will be trash this year:

1. They trash

2. Next summer they want enough cap space to sign 2 max free agents. Obviously it depends which ones as to how much cap space they need to create but currently they would need to shed about $20m to sign George and Westbrook, more if they wanted to sign LeBron instead. That means shedding at least Luol Deng and his 3 years averaging $18m. They'll need to throw some incentive into that deal and the deal won't make them better this year. They'll need expirings in return, Milwaukee may be a place to look...

3. Building on the above they will likely also need to move Clarkson, a more reasonable deal at 3 years averaging $12.5m. Depending on how much future salary they choose to take back they may have limited options here, again its unlikely they improve.

4. As the Lakers have planned there are a lot of guys about to hit free agency at a sensitive time in the market. We have seen this summer how the 'middle class' of the NBA have been squeezed. There's a lot of guys on that roster who are going to want to ensure they get paid, will they be as willing to sacrifice for the team?

5. They are integrating a new point guard into their system, a ball dominant one at that. However good he may become, there will be growing pains which will impact this team. Their margin for error is already small. As I have pointed out above, will others sacrifice for the team? If they don't then it will be harder for Ball to make this team function.

6. They trash

Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #77 on: September 01, 2017, 09:07:52 AM »

Offline tazzmaniac

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Here's some reasons why the Lakers will be trash this year:

2. Next summer they want enough cap space to sign 2 max free agents. Obviously it depends which ones as to how much cap space they need to create but currently they would need to shed about $20m to sign George and Westbrook, more if they wanted to sign LeBron instead. That means shedding at least Luol Deng and his 3 years averaging $18m. They'll need to throw some incentive into that deal and the deal won't make them better this year. They'll need expirings in return, Milwaukee may be a place to look...

Why in the world would Milwaukee take on that Deng contract?  They don't have any cap space so they aren't a good partner for a salary dump trade.  They just had to waive and stretch Hawes to get under luxury tax.   

Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #78 on: September 01, 2017, 10:53:32 AM »

Offline TheSundanceKid

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Here's some reasons why the Lakers will be trash this year:

2. Next summer they want enough cap space to sign 2 max free agents. Obviously it depends which ones as to how much cap space they need to create but currently they would need to shed about $20m to sign George and Westbrook, more if they wanted to sign LeBron instead. That means shedding at least Luol Deng and his 3 years averaging $18m. They'll need to throw some incentive into that deal and the deal won't make them better this year. They'll need expirings in return, Milwaukee may be a place to look...

Why in the world would Milwaukee take on that Deng contract?  They don't have any cap space so they aren't a good partner for a salary dump trade.  They just had to waive and stretch Hawes to get under luxury tax.
It wouldn't be a salary dump, they'd match it with Monroe's expiring. It would depend on what else LAL were willing to throw into the deal. Perhaps adding Larry Nance jr and a pick would help. It would have to happen alongside some other moves in order for them to stay under the luxury tax next year as well. Perhaps by the trade deadline there has been more change in Milwaukee. That's not the only place though, strange as it sounds, Lakers could look to trade for Wade midseason (should he still be in Chi), giving Chicago some extra assets for their rebuild, then buy him out late in the season.

It will be difficult for the Lakers to move Deng though which is part of my point. They have to move him if they want their free agents next summer, the price of moving him is likely going to take a few pieces that would help them win this year, making their win total lower.

Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #79 on: September 01, 2017, 10:57:13 AM »

Offline green_bballers13

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I think the Lakers will figure out how to be better than the 5th worst team. A lot of teams at the bottom will be fighting for that #1 pick. If LA adopts this path, they are more likely to convey the pick to their sworn enemy.

I'm banking on the 2019 Kings pick.

Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #80 on: September 01, 2017, 11:03:45 AM »

Offline TheSundanceKid

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I think the Lakers will figure out how to be better than the 5th worst team. A lot of teams at the bottom will be fighting for that #1 pick. If LA adopts this path, they are more likely to convey the pick to their sworn enemy.

I'm banking on the 2019 Kings pick.
The only truly bad teams in the East are Atlanta and Chicago. Indiana have made moves that suggest they still want to be competitive and we know that Brooklyn aren't going to actively tank.
In the West it's a little murkier but the Mavs, Kings and Pels all have talent that should pull them away from a disastrous season. That leaves the Lakers and Suns at the bottom. I guess it depends how much the Suns want to lose, history suggests they will try to win and simply fall short.
I think it's reasonable to have LAL as the 5th worst team in the league right now. The thing to watch will be if they make changes that worsen themselves in preparation for next summer and if any teams currently above them (like the Knicks) make moves that make them worse than LAL. There's a lot that can go wrong in LA this year, that roster does not inspire confidence

Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #81 on: September 15, 2017, 12:45:29 PM »

Offline Phantom255x

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I'd love to see drama unfolding in La La Land this season involving LaVar and Lonzo  :laugh:

Would make our chances at the pick conveying this season a lot better  ;D

Truthfully though I think LAL are probably going to be 4th or 5th worst in the league (Kings, maybe Suns and 2 other East teams will be even worse), so may need some lottery luck too.

I'm hoping with Kyrie on board the national media and NBA favors the C's a little more now, including helping us out in lottery LOL.  ;)
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Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #82 on: September 15, 2017, 02:51:00 PM »

Offline smokeablount

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Here's some reasons why the Lakers will be trash this year:

2. Next summer they want enough cap space to sign 2 max free agents. Obviously it depends which ones as to how much cap space they need to create but currently they would need to shed about $20m to sign George and Westbrook, more if they wanted to sign LeBron instead. That means shedding at least Luol Deng and his 3 years averaging $18m. They'll need to throw some incentive into that deal and the deal won't make them better this year. They'll need expirings in return, Milwaukee may be a place to look...

Why in the world would Milwaukee take on that Deng contract?  They don't have any cap space so they aren't a good partner for a salary dump trade.  They just had to waive and stretch Hawes to get under luxury tax.
It wouldn't be a salary dump, they'd match it with Monroe's expiring. It would depend on what else LAL were willing to throw into the deal. Perhaps adding Larry Nance jr and a pick would help. It would have to happen alongside some other moves in order for them to stay under the luxury tax next year as well. Perhaps by the trade deadline there has been more change in Milwaukee. That's not the only place though, strange as it sounds, Lakers could look to trade for Wade midseason (should he still be in Chi), giving Chicago some extra assets for their rebuild, then buy him out late in the season.

It will be difficult for the Lakers to move Deng though which is part of my point. They have to move him if they want their free agents next summer, the price of moving him is likely going to take a few pieces that would help them win this year, making their win total lower.

TP, your original post and this follow up make some good points. 

I'm not super knowledgeable about the prospects in 2019 (link below) but just based on the names and basic details, I am really hoping the LA pick conveys this year.  There just isn't a ton of top shelf talent with size based on the current rankings.  While I'd be stoked to get a young superstar no matter what position he plays, failing that, I'd like to lock in a teenage PF.

Zion Williamson has a lot of hype and is listed as a combo forward, but at 6'6" I'm having a hard time seeing him as a PF on our weak rebounding team without a growth spurt.  Know nothing about the international PF in the top 10. 

I hear some really good things about Bol Bol, but he looks like the only 2019 equivalent to Bamba/Ayton/Williams, and if he's actually likely to go #2 (I don't take nbadraft.net as gospel by any means) then it's hard to be optimistic that we have a real shot at him.  And with Bagley now in this year's draft, the 'young superstar' potential players at all positions become ever more scarce.  At least RJ Barrett reclassified into 2019 to kind of balance out the osmosis.

So... long story short... let's pray that the LA pick lands this year and we have a choice between at least 2 of Bagley, Porter, Ayton, Bamba, Williams, and Doncic who is looking more and more like a guy I'd be stoked to get even if it doesn't seem like we have room for him.

http://www.nbadraft.net/2019mock_draft
2023 Non-Active / Non-NBA75 Fantasy Draft, ChiBulls:

PG: Deron Williams 07-08 / M.R. Richardson 80-81 / J. Wall 16-17
SG: David Thompson 77-78 / Hersey Hawkins 96-97
SF: Tracy McGrady 02-03 / Tayshaun Prince 06-07
PF: Larry Nance Sr 91-92 / Blake Griffin 13-14
C: Bob Lanier 76-77 / Brad Daugherty 92-93 / M. Camby 06-07

Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #83 on: September 15, 2017, 02:51:00 PM »

Offline Big333223

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I'm hoping to see a lot of highlights of other teams' PG's roasting Ball this year.
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Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #84 on: September 15, 2017, 02:59:06 PM »

Offline smokeablount

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I'm hoping to see a lot of highlights of other teams' PG's roasting Ball this year.

I think you're in luck.  Unless he's a Usain Bolt-quick learner, he should get roasted this year. 

He's used to always being the biggest guard on the court and still having good speed and better shooting than his man, but at this level he's either going to find that his combo of size and shooting may actually be worse than who he's guarding more often than not... or he's going to be facing a lot of guys who aren't too much slower than De'Aaron Fox, who we all know lit him the F up in every game without even really having much of a jumper in his arsenal.

I'm hoping he's like the LA version of 2016-17 IT4- good offense with porous D, except IT's offense came from scoring, and Lonzo's will come from creating for others.  The other key difference is that IT's team finished first in his conference.  Here's hoping Lonzo's finishes last.
2023 Non-Active / Non-NBA75 Fantasy Draft, ChiBulls:

PG: Deron Williams 07-08 / M.R. Richardson 80-81 / J. Wall 16-17
SG: David Thompson 77-78 / Hersey Hawkins 96-97
SF: Tracy McGrady 02-03 / Tayshaun Prince 06-07
PF: Larry Nance Sr 91-92 / Blake Griffin 13-14
C: Bob Lanier 76-77 / Brad Daugherty 92-93 / M. Camby 06-07

Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #85 on: September 15, 2017, 03:46:45 PM »

Online Neurotic Guy

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Here's some reasons why the Lakers will be trash this year:

2. Next summer they want enough cap space to sign 2 max free agents. Obviously it depends which ones as to how much cap space they need to create but currently they would need to shed about $20m to sign George and Westbrook, more if they wanted to sign LeBron instead. That means shedding at least Luol Deng and his 3 years averaging $18m. They'll need to throw some incentive into that deal and the deal won't make them better this year. They'll need expirings in return, Milwaukee may be a place to look...

Why in the world would Milwaukee take on that Deng contract?  They don't have any cap space so they aren't a good partner for a salary dump trade.  They just had to waive and stretch Hawes to get under luxury tax.
It wouldn't be a salary dump, they'd match it with Monroe's expiring. It would depend on what else LAL were willing to throw into the deal. Perhaps adding Larry Nance jr and a pick would help. It would have to happen alongside some other moves in order for them to stay under the luxury tax next year as well. Perhaps by the trade deadline there has been more change in Milwaukee. That's not the only place though, strange as it sounds, Lakers could look to trade for Wade midseason (should he still be in Chi), giving Chicago some extra assets for their rebuild, then buy him out late in the season.

It will be difficult for the Lakers to move Deng though which is part of my point. They have to move him if they want their free agents next summer, the price of moving him is likely going to take a few pieces that would help them win this year, making their win total lower.

 

So... long story short... let's pray that the LA pick lands this year and we have a choice between at least 2 of Bagley, Porter, Ayton, Bamba, Williams, and Doncic who is looking more and more like a guy I'd be stoked to get even if it doesn't seem like we have room for him.

http://www.nbadraft.net/2019mock_draft

An interesting reality (I think) will be that there will be pre-lottery and trade deadline value for this pick IF LAL is hanging in there with one of the worst records in the league.   LAL loses early (and Kings look bad) and the LAL/Sac pick becomes pretty valuable at the deadline.

Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #86 on: September 19, 2017, 12:13:22 AM »

Offline rondofan1255

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Welcome Andrew Bogut!

Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #87 on: September 19, 2017, 12:18:02 AM »

Offline SparzWizard

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That's a huge blow to our Lakers pick now that they landed Andrew Bogut. They could be doing some serious damage if he's healthy.


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Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #88 on: September 19, 2017, 12:25:14 AM »

Offline CelticsElite

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Andrew bogut doesn't make or break any team. He adds 0 wins  to a team. To be honest I doubt he plays much

Lakers will have Lopez randle  And kuzma taking most of the 4/5 minutes

Re: 2017-2018 LA Lakers Season Watch Thread
« Reply #89 on: September 19, 2017, 12:52:39 AM »

Offline Sixth Man

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Andrew bogut doesn't make or break any team. He adds 0 wins  to a team. To be honest I doubt he plays much

Lakers will have Lopez randle  And kuzma taking most of the 4/5 minutes

Agreed, but he did break his leg less than one minute into his Cavaliers career!  Really, you couldn't make it up.  :laugh: