| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Aeneas Hunter
Retired Number
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 31763
|
 Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 7:01 am Post subject: |
|
|
| wolfpaclaker wrote: | | Quote: |
Depth? Okay, the scrubs are younger and somewhat more athletic than last year's scrubs, but they're still scrubs. There is not a single player on that list (plus Johnson and Gabriel) who would play significant minutes for a good team. There are a couple of them who may start for us. |
That's the thing. They added some more athleticism and younger legs, and that should help them cease those slow nights. A lot of long road trips, tired legs in the RS. This kind of team should be able to give a better effort on a nightly basis. But talent is talent. We're still heavily reliant on a big 3, and the big 3 playing 60 games together, to make the playoffs. I think we can make the playoffs, and we would have last year as well had the big 3 played 60 games together.
What Pelinka is doing is going all in on one way of doing things. Last year he went all in for the big names and vet min signings. This year all younger unproven players/aka scrubs. Something in between probably made most sense. A few vets and a few younger players/projects. We went all in on the declining/washed vets last year, and this year all in for guys who have no name appeal but may not even be worthy of playing minutes on a good team.
Mainly what we're missing is a big that can anchor the defense and space the floor. Bryant can space (based on pre injury shooting) but he's got questionable rim protection/defense according to scouting reports on him. Jones can rim protect and play above the rim, but he can't space. Our wings are all either shooting or man defense liabilities. No 2-way guys. So basically the team will be heavily leaning on AD, Bron and WB/Kyrie playing like stars, staying healthy. And if they can stay healthy for 60-70 games, they can get a playoff spot, IMO. |
That's all fair. Pelinka did seem to overcorrect, but I'm actually willing to give him the benefit of the doubt -- just a sliver -- because I suspect that it's hard to sell veteran players on coming to the Lakers right now. Some of these young players could work out and make the scouts look like geniuses.
Bryant is the biggest question mark. He's played a total of 83 games in the last three years. When he came back last year, he was awful for the Wizards. We don't lose anything by giving him a shot, but I see people penciling him in as a starter. That's a real leap of faith. I hope he can find his old form and stay healthy.
The other guys are essentially projects. If we hit on one or two of them, it's a big win, even if their ceilings aren't very high. Trying to develop projects is inconsistent with a win-now team built around an aging superstar, but it is what it is.
_________________
Internet Argument Resolved |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
nomoreshaq
Star Player
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Posts: 5141
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 7:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
Damon Jones - A (upside, young, can't beat the min)
Lonnie Walker IV - F (redundant, unnecessary piece, if he is 6MOY level then an A)
Troy Brown Jr. - B (upside, young, min. might not be NBA caliber though)
Juan Toscano Anderson - A (played real minutes for the warriors, min)
Thomas Bryant - B (would be an A if he is healthy)
C+ so far, with potential to be an A if Lonnie Walker is good, if troy brown demonstrates real skills and bryant is healthy. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
defense
Retired Number
Joined: 12 Jan 2010
Posts: 39451
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 8:11 am Post subject: |
|
|
Last edited by defense on Thu Jul 07, 2022 8:15 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
defense
Retired Number
Joined: 12 Jan 2010
Posts: 39451
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 8:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
| defense wrote: | | wrong tread. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Halflife
Franchise Player
Joined: 15 Aug 2015
Posts: 16704
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Hanging from Rafters
Star Player
Joined: 31 Jul 2018
Posts: 4412
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 9:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
| MJST wrote: | Our Roster after Free Agency Thus far
Starters:
Russell Westbrook
Austin Reaves
LeBron James
Anthony Davis
Thomas Bryant
Bench:
Kendrick Nunn / Scottie Pippen Jr (two-way)
Lonnie Walker IV / Juan Toscano-Anderson
Talen Horton-Tucker / Max Christie
Troy Brown Jr. / Cole Swider
Damian Jones / Jay Huff (two-way) |
C-/D+ over all
Needs:
1 - Starting quality C, PF, or SF; grade B with TB & DJ
2 - Big wing with Competent back up for LeBron & AD; grade F
3 - 3 & D; grade D, not F cause Cs can space and block shots, others worse than Melo & Monk for 3pt%. JTA and TBrown can play D but hasn’t shown reliably 3pt ability with needed volume.
Grade with that roster = C-/D+. The only reason it’s not worse is because we only had the tpMLE and vet mins to deal plus Bryant and Jones kept the grade from being a lower.
Obviously game play can exceed the grade if TBrownjr, JTA and Lonnie Walker improve their shooting and play good D but if they play like they did last year then these signings are bad. I like the potential of TBrownjr and if LWalker was a vet min I would like his too…but he wasn’t so I don’t. The jury is out on JTA, poor shooter but I like his versatile defense and athleticism for the vet min. If we couldn’t get 3 and D in the same player at least we should have gotten a 37%+ player. TBrownjr somewhat redundant with JTA and Lonnie Walker shot poor last year and described as a poor defender. To be fair, LW shoot well in previous years and athletic ability may transfer into defensive potential.
Better FAs needed close to our $$ability that we didn’t convince to take a slight pay cut:
Mo Bamba
C Martin
Olidipo
Monk? (active on D but maybe not enough)
Better FAs needed within our $$ability that we didn’t convince to take our same offer:
TJ Warren
Otto Porter
DiVincino? (Only 33% 3pt)
House
Bruce Brown |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DancingBarry
Editor-in-Chief
Joined: 07 Sep 2001
Posts: 40198
Location: O.C.
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 10:23 am Post subject: |
|
|
Need to wait to see it all come together. But with no draft picks and mostly minimums they did reasonably well. They tried to keep Monk in the fold with their larger exception but were outbid.
I'm not as annoyed as last season with AC out and the WB trade decision and some of the oldies. One disturbing decision after another. But a big question mark still hanging in the air for this offseason...a lot can go sideways (or very well).
I do think our C spot pickups at the minimum were excellent. Not only if we trade WB, but even if he is kept. They both fit well.
Swider, Pippen and Christie with no draft picks going into the offseason was pretty solid. Christie has potential to be a 3 and D starter (with defensive versatility) in this league. That's a good gamble if it pays off. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
yinoma2001
Retired Number
Joined: 19 Jun 2010
Posts: 119487
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 10:26 am Post subject: |
|
|
Getting Jones/TB with the minimum is truly great stuff.
But I still feel very shaky about our 3 point shooting. Russ benefits from TB signing, but our on court shooting geometry still is off (as AD/Russ and whomever we start at SG will either be atrocious to below league average).
_________________
From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
cthroatgtr
Star Player
Joined: 21 Aug 2005
Posts: 1375
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 10:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Liked Bryant and Jones signing underwhelmed by the rest. Seemed to be in a hurry to do little and another future "plan". |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
calistrtballr
Star Player
Joined: 24 Jun 2005
Posts: 6352
Location: Los Angeles, CA
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 2:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
PG- Lebron
SG- Troy Brown Jr
SF-Juan Toscano Anderson
PF-Davis
C-Thomas
Bench Mob:
Walker
THT
Reeves
Gabriel
Jones |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
LakersRGolden
Star Player
Joined: 13 Jan 2002
Posts: 7922
Location: Lake Forest
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 3:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Bryant for min = A+
Jones for min = A
JTA for min = A
Walker - C
Christie: B- (only due to time before he contributes)
Swider: A+
Pippen: B+
Huff: incomplete |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TooMuchMajicBuss
Franchise Player
Joined: 17 Sep 2008
Posts: 21075
Location: In a white room, with black curtains near the station
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 9:55 pm Post subject: |
|
|
It's a matter of perspective, unfortunately. Considering the situation we're in with Westbrook's radioactive contract, no cap space, and no way any free agent is going to mistake this team for a title contender, I'd say the Lakers did surprisingly well.
This situation goes away in a year, but we're dead in the water until then regardless. So why not do away with the undersized washed-up vets and fill the team with young projects on the chance that one or two of them will work out? They're not going to take a ton of cap space, even if any of them do pan out and stick around when the concrete boots get removed in '23.
I like the center signings, for the price at least. Particularly if TBryant comes back from the ACL setback.
I also like seeing a few more players over 6'4" on the roster now instead of a pile of elderly hobbits.
We all would have loved seeing the Lakers grab a solid 2 way wing with length who can defend, hit shots, and play smart, but we've got nothing to offer. In spite of this the Lakers have indeed tried to package Westbrook with whatever scant value we were willing to part with, providing sidesplitting entertainment to executives around the league. That took some courage.
If we were a title contender I'd give this offseason a D.
Considering our current circumstances it's about an A-. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ThePageDude
Star Player
Joined: 25 Jul 2002
Posts: 2573
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2022 6:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
| TooMuchMajicBuss wrote: |
<snip>
We all would have loved seeing the Lakers grab a solid 2 way wing with length who can defend, hit shots, and play smart, but we've got nothing to offer. In spite of this the Lakers have indeed tried to package Westbrook with whatever scant value we were willing to part with, providing sidesplitting entertainment to executives around the league. That took some courage.
If we were a title contender I'd give this offseason a D.
Considering our current circumstances it's about an A-. |
Solid perspective. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
