Series Thread: 2) Phoenix Suns vs 7) LA Lakers

[AD2022MVP]

Vogel is really dumb in how he plays him. They needed to pick Drummond up because they did need another Center past Gasol who does have short comings and was a little dinged up. But Vogel keeps playing Drummond starter minutes and it doesn't work at all. Every line up fails. He's DNPing Gasol. Trezz got his minutes cut. Kief is getting DNP'd. All to force Drummond into a starter's role when all he's needed for is situational roles. Gasol needs to play more, specifically when Lebron rests because Gasol's passing ability (the one thing he's still good at in his old age) keeps things moving along. Davis needs to be the 5 most of the time and he should be playing next to Kief or Kuz or Trez if he's playing well. Drummond really should be getting like 10 to 12 mins max and in some games, he should be DNP'd. He should be filling the McGee/Howard role from last year but Vogel is foolishly using him like he's some all star center.

All true. I don't understand Vogel's insistence on playing Drummond so much, it's really stalling the Lakers offense, the spacing is atrocious with him on the floor. He needs to sit the entire series, tbh.

 

[tlance]

Vogel is really dumb in how he plays him. They needed to pick Drummond up because they did need another Center past Gasol who does have short comings and was a little dinged up. But Vogel keeps playing Drummond starter minutes and it doesn't work at all. Every line up fails. He's DNPing Gasol. Trezz got his minutes cut. Kief is getting DNP'd. All to force Drummond into a starter's role when all he's needed for is situational roles. Gasol needs to play more, specifically when Lebron rests because Gasol's passing ability (the one thing he's still good at in his old age) keeps things moving along. Davis needs to be the 5 most of the time and he should be playing next to Kief or Kuz or Trez if he's playing well. Drummond really should be getting like 10 to 12 mins max and in some games, he should be DNP'd. He should be filling the McGee/Howard role from last year but Vogel is foolishly using him like he's some all star center.

Yeah, I especially don’t get Markief Morris not playing.

This is why I said months ago that the Lakers shouldn’t get Drummond.

It is difficult to sit a guy with his ability. But the Lakers are better with Kief, Trezl, Gasol, etc in most situations.

 

[Montalban]

i dunno. Warriors just arent that explosive or athletic outside of Curry.

Memphis doesnt have very many names but they have some guys that can make plays and get up and down the court.

Draymond Green cannot be your 2nd best player in 2021. Not gonna work.

if they get a top 5 pick in this draft it could be huge. There are at least 5 players in this draft that have big time potential. It would be intersting to see if they got #5 and Mobley was the guy left. I bet they would draft him and trade Wiseman in about 5 seconds.

I hope they keep wiseman. He has a lot of potential. I believe the dubs have Minnesota’s pick which should be very high. Then they have their own pick plus hopefully Thompson returns

 

[Pastafazul]

He missed 27 games.

And I don’t think he missed any before he got hurt.

So basically about a month off... for a severe high ankle sprain?

cmon man... Barkley, NY Giants , 22 years old, missed an entire season with an high ankle sprain... they say that’s one of the worst injuries a player can sustain... and lebalding only missed 1 month?

that doesn’t sound suspicious to you?

does lebalding eat magical grits?

 

[WiggyRuss]

I hope they keep wiseman. He has a lot of potential. I believe the dubs have Minnesota’s pick which should be very high. Then they have their own pick plus hopefully Thompson returns

the pick is to top 3 protected. So they could get 4 or 5

 

[DJ Fieri]

LeBron James violated health and safety protocols but won't be suspended.

NBA explains decision to not penalize LeBron James for violating league's health and safety protocols

James recently attended an event for a tequila brand he has invested in

www.cbssports.com

1-It was outside.

2-Everybody in attendance had to show proof they had been vaccinated or tested negative.

3-He was there minutes, not hours like Irving.

 

[DJ Fieri]

@chappee11 is a total moron.

 

[chappee11]

@chappee11 is a total moron.

For saying a lesser player would have been suspended for violating COVID protocols? Huh. Ok.

Barkley said the same, btw.

 

[DJ Fieri]

The Lakers played pretty bad and were still in the game. Same thing happened last year vs Portland and we still won the series.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yeah, I especially don’t get Markief Morris not playing.

This is why I said months ago that the Lakers shouldn’t get Drummond.

It is difficult to sit a guy with his ability. But the Lakers are better with Kief, Trezl, Gasol, etc in most situations.

The biggest issue, imo, is that they're trying to fit him in on the fly while Lebron, AD and everyone else are trying to all get back on the same page as well. He and AD haven't figured out how best to play alongside each other yet, Lebron doesn't know the best places to get him the ball yet, he's trying to adjust to a new offense. He also has ben a bigger part of the offense than he was intended because AD and Lebron missed so much time.

The playoffs is a real tough time to be trying to incorporate new guys. They should probably just cut his minutes for awhile and hope they can still get him acclimated enough to be effective against teams with more more traditional centers.

They want to be fair and give him every opportunity, but he may have to understand that they can't do that at the cost of their ultimate goal.

 

[WiggyRuss]

The biggest issue, imo, is that they're trying to fit him in on the fly while Lebron, AD and everyone else are trying to all get back on the same page as well. He and AD haven't figured out how best to play alongside each other yet, Lebron doesn't know the best places to get him the ball yet, he's trying to adjust to a new offense. He also has ben a bigger part of the offense than he was intended because AD and Lebron missed so much time.

The playoffs is a real tough time to be trying to incorporate new guys. They should probably just cut his minutes for awhile and hope they can still get him acclimated enough to be effective against teams with more more traditional centers.

They want to be fair and give him every opportunity, but he may have to understand that they can't do that at the cost of their ultimate goal.

Ayton is about as much of a traditional center as you can get.

the issue is Davis and his willingness/unwillingness to play center. Theres questions of with his ankle how willing is he to get physical and guard a center like Ayton? if Davis cant or wont cover Ayton- then someone else has to and Morris is not big enough- and Gasol is probably too slow at this point. That leaves Drummond.

And Drummond only did play 19 minutes- certianly not "starter minutes".

Ideally Davis guards Ayton, and allows the Lakers to go smaller and spread the floor more- but if he cant or wont then someone else has to cover Ayton and Gasol might be too slow at this point and Morris might be to small.

 

[DJ Fieri]

The biggest issue, imo, is that they're trying to fit him in on the fly while Lebron, AD and everyone else are trying to all get back on the same page as well. He and AD haven't figured out how best to play alongside each other yet, Lebron doesn't know the best places to get him the ball yet, he's trying to adjust to a new offense. He also has ben a bigger part of the offense than he was intended because AD and Lebron missed so much time.

The playoffs is a real tough time to be trying to incorporate new guys. They should probably just cut his minutes for awhile and hope they can still get him acclimated enough to be effective against teams with more more traditional centers.

They want to be fair and give him every opportunity, but he may have to understand that they can't do that at the cost of their ultimate goal.

Yep.

But....Morris has to be in rotation.

 

[shopson67]

They have Gasol.

They should have signed a Trevor Ariza type instead of Drummond. It is a much greater need in today’s NBA.

...and who like that was available?

 

[trojanfan12]

Ideally Davis guards Ayton, and allows the Lakers to go smaller and spread the floor more- but if he cant or wont then someone else has to cover Ayton and Gasol might be too slow at this point and Morris might be to small.

Agree. Gasol probably struggles a little more trying to guard Ayton. But I guess the positives are that he shouldn't be having to guard him out to the 3 point line and Gasol can draw Ayton out to the perimeter and open up more space for Lebron, AD, etc.

And whatever they do, they need to get Morris some minutes.

 

[shopson67]

Well that's just stupid. To me first team is picking the 5 best players in a season. Not picking 2 G's, 2 F's & a C. And no question Embiid's one of the five best this year. Had the injury bug not hit him the MVP trophy would have ended up in Philly.

I'm the opposite. You pick teams by position. The list without concern of positions would be the MVP voting. Would a baseball all-pro team make sense if it was all outfielders and 1st basemen?

 

[trojanfan12]

Would a baseball all-pro team make sense if it was all outfielders and 1st basemen?

Is baseball turning into a virtually positionless sport?

 

[msgkings322]

I'm the opposite. You pick teams by position. The list without concern of positions would be the MVP voting. Would a baseball all-pro team make sense if it was all outfielders and 1st basemen?

Baseball isn't positionless. Basketball is

 

[shopson67]

God damn Frank Vogel and his weird inconsistent time outs

I'm more upset with his substitution patterns. The game was very even to start, then he starts pulling starters well before Phoenix did. Of course, Phoenix immediately goes on a run which the Lakers never really recovered from.

 

[msgkings322]

Is baseball turning into a virtually positionless sport?

Ninja

 

[shopson67]

Is baseball turning into a virtually positionless sport?

Does the NBA have more small PGs than in recent years? Does it have MVP candidates as centers for the first time since Shaq? Positionless is an exaggeration and an excuse to play behind the 3 point line.