Is This Team Better? How Well Will Players Mesh?

[wolfpaclaker]

We seem more longer (Cam, Prince, Vandy, Rui).
But less guard creating ability (Lost Dennis, Walker, Beasley).

Strength of last year's team was their guard abilty to create and depth there. Even guys out of the rotation like Walker or Beasley could come in and drop 20 any given night DLO or Reaves was cold. Dennis was huge in injuries. The other strength of the team post-WB trade was their defense. That should mantain, considering we brought back a lot of the core. But again, those guards at the top like Dennis gave a lot of effort there.

The key move may be Vincent vs Dennis. If Dennis is easily replaced by Vincent then we mantain the same guard depth that Ham utilized with DLO/Reaves/Beasley/Walker/Dennis, only with even more wing options/depth.

However if Vincent isn't that level, and if DLO/Reaves don't play as well as they did last post-deadline then we may miss Walker/Beasley/Dennis and that guard depth. Again, can't harp on this enough, that depth was heavily relied upon by Ham.

[waterman40]

It's always a wait and see approach. The abundance of moves looks good, but we have to see how it plays out. Injuries are always such a big factor. Nunn looked like a good player, especially when we saw him in the finals, but then he was injured, and we lost the opportunity.

I think the Laker model forever is to have had a star or two, then fill them with role players, and hope one of them will shine enough on any given night to help us win. The great white hope has always been for the Lakers to groom their low draft pick or project scrub into a NBA starter level player.

Hachimura looked like he could go from role player to starter level; Reaves was tremendous, his rise is Kurt Warner like, I have a feeling he won't come down and might be a long- term answer as a starting guard for us.

I'm a glass half full fan, wishing that our moves are successful and that it will work out. I didn't see any moves we could have made without gutting our depth or exceeding the tax apron. Being that we are not owned by some billionaire corporation we have to accept the limits of our ownership family.

If that does not work for you, the Clippers and the Warriors seem to have unlimited funds, so plant your fandom there if you like. Part of being a fan of any team is dealing with the bumps and bruises, the losses, the breaks that don't go our way, and the reality that sometimes we are not the best team on the floor on any given night.
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LAKERS 2019-2020: NBA World Champions!

[PICKnPOP]

I’m assuming between Austin, Dlo, and Vincent all the guard minutes will be eaten up. Any left over minutes will probably go to whoever is playing better between the rookies and Christie.

Austin (16)/Vincent (32)
Dlo (32)/ Austin (16)

Center is pretty easy since AD will eat up the majority of those minutes

AD (34)/ Hayes (14).

The issue is that AD is only playing about 60 games so we need an another big that can step in and start a good portion of the season.

Forward….stacked
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“like I never left”

#1

[Four Decade Bandwagon]

Better or not will be determined as they play out the season. But at the moment I like the continuity and the additions to the roster.

Bringing back multiple players will help with the chemistry. The replacement players all seem to have the reputations of being grinders or play with more intensity. Needed on this roster over a long season.

Still see a couple vet mins added to round it out. Thompson returning would not be a shock. Vet minimum locker room guy. Hoping Castleton can earn his full contract and contribute. TBD if he can.

I like all the SF additions. Even if big question marks they provide alternatives for Ham to rest James. Whether days off ( BtoB) or get his mpg under 30? Being productive without relying on big mins from James and to some extent Davis is critical IMO.

Can the coaches get a team system in place? Will the players buy in? James is not the dominant player he once was. Expecting him to dominate the ball as much and in the same old ways is not working. How effective can the team be with him reducing his influence will be key.

Overall, like the roster. Up to the players and coaches to find the chemistry together for the season.

[venturalakersfan]

If Lebron and AD are healthier and better then the team likely improved. If not they likely didn’t. No other player on the roster can make up for the loss of one of them. It’s pretty much the way any two star team rolls. But no matter what, the Buss kids will make more money this season.
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RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023.

[Halflife]

[venturalakersfan]

[Halflife]

[LakerDYnasty72]

We are absolutely better. The experience of making it all the way to the WCF, and then to bring back the core, and then add reinforcements to the core like Prince, Vincent, and a physical freak in Hayes, means we'll be a much better, balanced team.

We need another veteran 5, but otherwise the front office is truly on a mission, and it's being accomplished very impressively.

[kfkilla]

[manlisten]

Think Thomas Bryant has to be factored in. Couldn't defend but much more productive than either Bamba or Hayes and was huge when AD missed time. Big downgrade there.
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It was reminiscent of one of those Most Interesting Man in the World advertisements: "I don't always shoot 6-for-28 from the field, but when I do, I become the youngest player in league history to score 28,000 career points."

[Laker7]

Lakers embrace continuity and grinders, not stars, with that have one of league’s best offseasons

Link
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Darvin Ham is an idiot!

[Laker7]

Lakers’ Anthony Davis trade gets even more lopsided after free agency

Link
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Darvin Ham is an idiot!

[Laker7]

Evaluating the Lakers’ Free Agency

By simply improving on the margins and refraining from messing with what worked this past season, the Lakers hit a home run in free agency.

Link
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Darvin Ham is an idiot!

[Laker7]

Lakers News: Former LA Finals Foe Applauds Team’s Free Agent Moves

Link
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Darvin Ham is an idiot!

[Kobefied]

Predicting a full season of DLO will mean we will make the playoffs easily.

But getting to the NBA finals with this squad is still a major stretch, so lets keep expectations in check.

You will be also going against other Western teams that have improved including a very hungry Phoenix team that is being put together.

So guess it depends how you measure success.

In a way I wish we had kept DS for 13M and let DLO walk - and added a name C to really back up AD --- but again easy to play armchair QB here - I actually think Pelinka and his staff have done a masterful job so far.

[Polarbear]

[SGSD32]

Not sure if I mentioned on this thread...
The "players meshing" thing is a big deal.. and is a great lens to look at the acquisitions.

Why Vincent and not Shcro? I think Vincent allows better spacing and has a game that's similar in many ways to AR and Dlo.. meaning the team can run the same basic stuff.

Same thing with Prince. His position.. a 3 & D wing.. is pretty plug and play.. especially for a veteran like him.

Jaxon Hayes is a much better fit as a backup to AD than Gabriel or Bamba. He has the size and athleticism to play the same drop coverage in a very effective way.

So.. I think the "meshing" part is going to be juuuuuuust fine.

[activeverb]

[lakersfan32]

oof. lol

https://twitter.com/deanondraft/status/1674992933672562689

Dean
@deanondraft
·
Jun 30
Even forgetting contracts, there's a good case that Okogie, Metu, Bates-Diop, Eubanks, Lee, and Yuta > Rui, Vincent, Prince, and Reddish.

Lakers paid up for a bunch of replacement players who aren't as good as the guys the Suns got for free.

[epic_]

[epic_]

[LaxT]

Playoffs are about match ups. The Lakers could have been the 8th seed and faced the Nuggets... first round sweep. Would fans and the front office still share the optimism? Probably not. It was the same crew and yet a very different evaluation in a different context.

Back to the question. Is the team better? It's probably not worse but does not improve against the Nuggets' length. The Lakers had two centers, Jones and Bryant, last season and both were gone before the trade deadline. Bamba never made the rotation. AD was, and is, the center backed up by Vanderbilt and Hachimura. It was not enough and will not.

Pelinka mentioned the concept of pre free agency in February. I think it worked. The Lakers, in total, used one FRP and two SRP to unload Westbrook and add, among others, Hachimura, Vanderbilt and Russell. These three passed the "audition" and were kept. Vincent and Prince also fill needs. Last but not least, the team has a good chance of avoiding repeater tax. When you combine February and July activities, it's a win.

Whether they will win the real trophy is another matter.

[CervantesRises]

[slavavov]