Lakers 2017-2018 Season Thread

[Retroram52]

Clarkson may match his 33-point night in this game.

 

[Retroram52]

Great D by Caruso.

 

[Retroram52]

Ingram shoots the airball, it goes to Randle, Randle jams it, and the Laker lead is 13.

 

[Retroram52]

Randle has another double-double.

 

[Retroram52]

The lead is now 15 with 3 and half to go.

 

[Retroram52]

The Lakers lead by 17 with the shot by Ingram.

 

[Retroram52]

Wow, Nance ties up Porzingis and forces the jump ball.

 

[Retroram52]

The Lakers have put up 120 on 55% shooting. I don't think we need to make anymore trades. WE have the people and they are beginning to gell I do believe.

 

[Retroram52]

Randle drops in a nice hook and the lead remains 17. Randle and Clarkson are rapidly becoming a dynamic duo.

 

[Retroram52]

Now the lead is 19 with the steal and jam by Nance. We play Boston Tuesday night and then go on the road for the Emmy's road trip.

 

[Retroram52]

Wow, A Nigel Hayes sighting. Signed a 10-day contract Thursday. I think they should jettison Ennis and play Caruso, Peyton, and this Hayes fellow.

 

[Retroram52]

Great game by the youngsters as we move to 17 and 29. Boston is next and I hope we play like we did today. Later...

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

Randle and Clarkson have been playing great which helps their trade value.

However, can the Lakers really afford to trade these guys away? Clarkson is one of the best 6th men in the league and Randle is way more versatile than Nance.

I would rather see them trade Nance if they are determined to unload a PF. I know his value might not be as high, but someone will take him for sure.

Killing the bench by trading Clarkson would be a mistake though, especially with Lonzo's injuries.

I gotta say, I didn't like the Lonzo pick, and so far, with his dad's big mouth not stopping, his terrible shooting, and now multiple injuries, that pick has not worked out. I hope things get way better in years 2-3, but if he doesn't improve his shot, it won't matter.

Meanwhile, the C's get Tatum falling in their lap and he is arguably the best rookie out of the bunch ( I don't count Simmons cause he was drafted last draft ).

The Lakers may end up regretting not taking Tatum even though they had Ingram. You could argue Tatum is a better overall player than Ingram even now.

Would Russell, Pope/Clarkson/Hart, Tatum, Randle/Kuzma/Nance and Lopez/Randle be better than the current roster? ( yes, I know Kuzma was part of the Russell trade, but the Lakers could've still drafted him with whatever they got for Ingram in this scenario ).

I am hoping everything works out long term, but I have reservations about it backfiring big time.

 

[wildturkey]

Suck it, Boston

 

[DJ]

Good win!!!!

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

Looks like Kuzma is over his rookie wall.

 

[trojanfan12]

However, can the Lakers really afford to trade these guys away? Clarkson is one of the best 6th men in the league and Randle is way more versatile than Nance.

Yes, they can afford to trade them. The point of trading them is to clear cap space to sign 2 max level players. Clarkson and Randle will never be max level players. They are great pieces to add to a contending team and it would be nice to have them once the Lakers are back to being a contending team. Unfortunately, thanks to the "brilliance" of Short Buss, they have no choice but to unload them to get top FA's.

I love Julius Randle, but I disagree that he is more versatile than Nance. Randle is an undersized PF and because of that, he is much more vulnerable defensively than Nance. It's also what causes some of his inconsistency where he will go for 22 points and 12 rebounds one night and then have 11 points and 5 rebounds the next.

Randle is at his best playing the 5 in a small ball lineup. Because of this, while Randle has definitely improved his trade value, Nance would likely bring more in a trade.

Killing the bench by trading Clarkson would be a mistake though, especially with Lonzo's injuries.

It would only kill the bench if they trade him by the trade deadline and only for the rest of this season. If things work the way the Lakers are hoping, aside from still having Ball, Ingram, Kuzma and maybe Nance...they will have many different players on the roster next season. I'd like to see them keep Hart and maybe Zubac if possible. With his play of late, Caruso maybe making a strong case to be back as the backup point guard.

I gotta say, I didn't like the Lonzo pick, and so far, with his dad's big mouth not stopping, his terrible shooting, and now multiple injuries, that pick has not worked out. I hope things get way better in years 2-3, but if he doesn't improve his shot, it won't matter.

I disagree on Ball. His shooting was definitely atrocious early in the season, but he's gotten much better of late. He's been an elite level facilitator pretty much since day 1 and that's what the Lakers drafted him for, not his shooting. The injuries are a little worrisome, but I think it's more about the Lakers being cautious than anything. I'd be willing to bet that if this team were fighting for playoff position, he'd be playing.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

TJ

I see your point, but what if they trade away those guys and can't get 2 max contract guys? Then, you hurt the depth and talent of your team.

You can't just say they are getting 2 max guys. Nothing is a guarantee.

Also, your same,arguments about Randle are true about Nance as well. He will show up one game and disappear the next. This difference is Randle will show up with those 20+ games with 10+ rebounds. Those game are rare for Nance.

 

[Retroram52]

The reason the Lakers are not trading any of the trio to date is because no team is willing to step forward with any assets of equal or greater value.

Also, this notion that the Lakers HAVE to have a max player is beginning to wane a little because all of the players of the trio and the team in general are beginning to gel and play great together.

They beat Boston last night and handed Boston their fourth straight loss. That is always a good thing. I see these kids under Walton excelling to the point that they force Magic to rethink his present stance especially in light of the fact THAT NO TEAM IS WILLING TO PART WITH ASSETS THAT MAKE A TRADE OF ANY THOSE PLAYERS WORTHWHILE just to clear space for a max.

I watched Randle play against New York and he is playing quite well in many facets of the game even defense even though at times he makes stupid decisions especially in transition. How do players get to be max players anyways? They have talent and they spend years doing what Randle, Clarkson, and Nance are now doing.

Separately, they may not be max players, but together, they may be just what we need. I say keep them all and screw the max players.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/kyle-kuzma-gets-28-lakers-131845571.html

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

The team is playing great.

I think Luke's biggest challenge going forward is finding the right balance of rotation when everyone is healthy.

The biggest disappointment so far this season has been Ingram. I thought he would take a big step forward this season, but like alot of guys on this team, he is way too inconsistent.

I think the reason the Lakers need a max player is because this team lacks a leader. I thought Ingram would step up into that role and be that guy, but I don't think that's who he is as a player.

If they could get George for instance, that not only fills the weakest position on the floor ( arguably ), but provides the team with a leader to bring the whole team together so that the play is more cohesive and consistent on a game to game basis.