2015-16 NBA Western Conference OFFICIAL THREAD

[Mecca]

its not that HE specfically is lost- its that EVERYONE's numbers come down a bit when you have such a deep and talented roster- not only his, but Bron's are down a little (thoguh some of that is his shooting- which actually has been stupendous lately), Love has started to trail off a little since KI is back and Jr has been on freaking fire...etc...

I mean- it only makes sense....on a team with other piss-poor rebounders- if you gave Thompson 34 minutes a night- I think youd see some crazy totals...On this Cavs team- fighting for boards with Love, Bron, Mozgov etc- and playing 27/28 minutes a night? top 10 in the NBA in rebounding is pretty crazy in my estimation.

I think he could put up Deandre Jordan numbers.

He's not a above the rim type of big. But, he gets good position.

So, yeah.....

Like Jordan, he's never gonna be a great scorer and that's fine when they have guys on their teams that shoulder that burden.

I think Drummond will be the type of big that teams covet in the near future.

I like Boogie.

But, if I could pick any Center today, it would be Andre.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Yeah, some folks (I'm looking at you Wiggy ) were laughing at the signing, but it's turned out to be a very good one for the Lakers (although it didn't look that good at the beginning of the season). He's basically been the Lakers most consistent scorer and has even been solid defensively.

i laughed at the signing then and i do now for the same reasons.

1. Lou Williams is blocking younger guys from getting experience
2. Lou Williams may just play well enough to win enough games that would cause the Lakers to forfeit their pick
3. He is obviously not a guy you build around is is highly unlikely to being with the team when they turn it around and compete years from now.

 

[trojanfan12]

i laughed at the signing then and i do now for the same reasons.

1. Lou Williams is blocking younger guys from getting experience
2. Lou Williams may just play well enough to win enough games that would cause the Lakers to forfeit their pick
3. He is obviously not a guy you build around is is highly unlikely to being with the team when they turn it around and compete years from now.

And you're still wrong. But hey, you're also still trying to convince everyone that TT is worth his contract. Sooo...

 

[Mecca]

i laughed at the signing then and i do now for the same reasons.

1. Lou Williams is blocking younger guys from getting experience
2. Lou Williams may just play well enough to win enough games that would cause the Lakers to forfeit their pick
3. He is obviously not a guy you build around is is highly unlikely to being with the team when they turn it around and compete years from now.

Remember what you said about Tristans contract being a bargain next year?

Ditto.

I do agree that his presence slows down the youngsters development.

But, I'm not sure baptism by fire is a good thing for Russell.

The Lakers publicly stated that it's not about player development this year. It's about the.Farwell tour.



He arguably plays the most competitive position in the NBA.

It might be a good thing for his.confidence to go against guys in the 2nd unit.

He has shown flashes. But, he's not ready for the keys to the castle.

Next Season, maybe he will be able to take a CJ McCollum type leap.

 

[WiggyRuss]

And you're still wrong. But hey, you're also still trying to convince everyone that TT is worth his contract. Sooo...

what is possibly wrong about wht i wrote?

how freaking FURIOUS will you be if you end up with the 4th *pick and NO PICK because Lou williams won you an extra 2 games?!! it would honestly be one of the worst examples of shooting one's self in the foot that I can remember--- NOT TOO MENTION- maybe Russell is STARTING and getting a ton of run and experience if he is not blocked - or maybe other guys get some of the HUGE amount of shots Williams takes

but whatever...whenever you say "your wrong" with absolutely no backup - we know what you really mean- I know your right but I have no good argument.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Remember what you said about Tristans contract being a bargain next year?

Ditto.

I do agree that his presence slows down the youngsters development.

But, I'm not sure baptism by fire is a good thing for Russell.

He arguably plays the most competitive position in the NBA.

It might be a good thing for his.confidence to go against guys in the 2nd unit.

He has shown flashes. But, he's not ready for the keys to the castle.

Next Season, maybe he will be able to take a CJ McCollum type leap.

it sure worked out giving Kyrie the keys to the car...or RW the keys to the car...this isnt the NFL where the QB could benefit from that....

how many top 3 picks do you know do not start right away? And yes - I KNOW Anthony Bennett, lol.

 

[Mecca]

it sure worked out giving Kyrie the keys to the car...or RW the keys to the car...this isnt the NFL where the QB could benefit from that....

how many top 3 picks do you know do not start right away? And yes - I KNOW Anthony Bennett, lol.

Dude, go back and look at those rosters when they were drafted.

Those teams didn't have another good option.

Don't get me wrong. You are spot on that he should play.

But, I understand why he's not because of the Lakers focus.

Mostly because he is so unsure about his role with Kobe on the floor.

 

[trojanfan12]

what is possibly wrong about wht i wrote?

As usual, everything.

 

[trojanfan12]

Dude, go back and look at those rosters when they were drafted.

Those teams didn't have another good option.

Don't get me wrong. You are spot on that he should play.

But, I understand why he's not because of the Lakers focus.

Mostly because he is so unsure about his role with Kobe on the floor.

The Lakers are trying to set him up to be as successful as possible when he's in the game, that's part of why he's been coming off the bench. It's been working because he's been playing better and with more confidence. He's also been playing close to starters minutes.

He's also been staying in at the end of close games. According to Byron, he'll likely be back in the starting lineup fairly soon.

 

[trojanfan12]

how freaking FURIOUS will you be if you end up with the 4th *pick and NO PICK because Lou williams won you an extra 2 games?!! it would honestly be one of the worst examples of shooting one's self in the foot that I can remember--- NOT TOO MENTION- maybe Russell is STARTING and getting a ton of run and experience if he is not blocked - or maybe other guys get some of the HUGE amount of shots Williams takes

I don't care if they get that pick or not. The chances of them getting it are fairly slim anyway. The only thing I care about is the development of the kids, which is coming along just fine. Russell has been playing close to starters minutes and staying in at the end of games.

At the beginning of the season, the game was too fast for him, so Byron has been having him come off of the bench and has been steadily increasing his minutes. It's been working because he's been playing well.

If the Lakers end up winning too many games to keep the top 3 pick, it will be because the young guys developed enough to win more games, not because of Lou Williams.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I don't care if they get that pick or not. The chances of them getting it are fairly slim anyway. The only thing I care about is the development of the kids, which is coming along just fine. Russell has been playing close to starters minutes and staying in at the end of games.

At the beginning of the season, the game was too fast for him, so Byron has been having him come off of the bench and has been steadily increasing his minutes. It's been working because he's been playing well.

If the Lakers end up winning too many games to keep the top 3 pick, it will be because the young guys developed enough to win more games, not because of Lou Williams.

cmon man. You are HONESTLY saying you DONT care if they get a top 3 pick- or no pick at all- you just dont care? lol....

 

[trojanfan12]

cmon man. You are HONESTLY saying you DONT care if they get a top 3 pick- or no pick at all- you just dont care? lol....

Isn't that what I said? You read english, right?

No, I don't care. The chances of them keeping it aren't that good. Developing the players they actually have is far more important than worrying about who they might have. If they manage to keep the pick, awesome. If not, I don't care as long as there is continued development of the players they have.

 

[WiggyRuss]

lol...dude....cmon man. Its ok to say you want them to keep the pick. I mean- thats only logical. If its all the same- OBVIOUSLY- even if its only a trade asset- you WANT the pick....trying to have a genuine argument when you cannot even admit that its a major advantage and HIGHLY preferable to have a top 3 pick then not having a 1st rounder at all is ludicrous- i just dont know what to say.

 

[WiggyRuss]

can u imagine kupchak?

Reporter "Mitch, would you prefer to have the 3rd pick in the draft or no pick at all?"

Mitch "I honestly dont care"

Reporter "Excuse me? did you just say you DONT CARE? That having a top 3 pick- and having no pick in the first round- means the same thing to you?"

Mitch "Yes"

Reporter "RIIIIIIIIIGHT" (Dr. Evil voice).

 

[WiggyRuss]

and right NOW- if the season ended TODAY- the Lakers would have a SUBSTANTIAL chance at retaining the pick.

As we all know- it is top 3 protected. Currently the Lakers are the 2nd worst team in the NBA behind the 76'ers. Chances are the Sixers will be the worst team unless Colangelou responds to an edict from the league office and substantially upgrades the team at the deadline (which i dont see happening).

So- who are the teams competing with the Lakeres for the dungeon of the NBA?

Phoenix 13 wins
Brooklyn 10 wins
Minnesota 12 wins

Now-

Phoenix is an absolute mess. Bledsoe is out for the year. They have a chance to free-fall. Id say they have a chance to be worse than the Lakers at the end of the year.

Brooklyn owes their pick to Boston- so they have ZERO incentive to lose- and have some decent players and play in the East. Unless the new management team just brought it sells everything off- its HIGHLY unlikely they finish with a worse record than the Lakers.

Minnesota- have had some injuries- but just a ton of young guys that really havea ton of talent but dont know what they are doing. Since they have some vets- like KG, Pek, Rubio- and a TON of young talent, Wiggins, Towns, Lavine - id say they have a 75% chance of finishing above the Lakers.


If I had to guess- the Lakers will finish with either the 2nd or 3rd worse record. My GUESS would be Sixers worst, Lakers 2nd, Phoenix 3rd, Twolves 4, Brooklyn 5.

If the Lakers finish with the 2nd lotto spot- they should have about a 80% chance of retaining the pick. They would need to be jumped by 2 teams and do no jumping themselves which is very unlikely.

After Simmons- who would be THE EXACT THING THE LAKERS BADLY NEED- supposedly there are 2 other guys who have #1 overall potential from what I have been reading.

IT is INCREDIBLY important to the Lakers to retain the pick this year and add one more high end player or assest to the rebuild.


Ingram on Duke looks awesome- and the foreigner Bender will without a doubt get plenty of Kristaps comps.

 

[WiggyRuss]

These 3 guys are the ones after Simmons. Ingram looks to be a notch below Simmons- but still a "potential" franchise guy.

2. Brandon Ingram

Previous rank: No. 2
Duke
Freshman
Forward

Since Ingram bounced back from a slow start and exploded for 24 points against Indiana, he has been one of the two or three best players in the country. In that nine-game stretch, Ingram has averaged 20.6 PPG, 8 RPG, 2.1 BPG and 1.9 SPG and shot a red-hot 47 percent from 3-point country. While he clearly needs to add strength, scouts have been impressed with his toughness.

Simmons is the clear No. 1 right now, but I've had a handful of NBA execs suggest to me that he isn't the only top-shelf prize of this draft.

"In a normal draft year, Ingram would be a terrific No. 1 pick," one NBA GM said. "If we win the lottery, I think we'd take Simmons. But we'd seriously consider Ingram. He could be a monster on both ends of the floor in time."

Watch: Brandon Ingram highlights

3. Dragan Bender

Previous rank: No. 3
Croatia
Age: 18
Forward/center

After averaging just 3.6 PPG in 11 MPG for Maccabi Tel Aviv in his first nine games, Bender has seen his role expand in the Israeli league lately. In his subsequent three games he spiked to 13.7 PPG and shot 7-for-13 from beyond the arc. For the season Bender is shooting nearly 52 percent from 3, an important number for scouts who came into the season wondering how he'd fare on the perimeter.

His poor rebounding numbers, however, remain a cause for concern.

He still hasn't seen major action in the Euroleague yet, but his increased opportunity with Maccabi is a welcome sight among scouts.

4. Henry Ellenson

Previous rank: No. 6
Marquette
Freshman
Forward/center

Last month I wrote that Ellenson was a hot month away from surpassing Jaylen Brown and Skal Labissiere on our board. I wouldn't say he lit it up over the past month, but his more-than-solid play as a freshman -- combined with major struggles by Brown and Labissiere -- has pushed him past both.

His shaky 3-point shooting (just 26 percent from deep) is a source of concern, but he's stroking the ball from everywhere else on the floor.

"Every time I see him I can't help but see some Kevin Love there," one NBA GM said. "He's probably a better shooter at this stage and I think he's a more willing passer."

With teams emphasizing bigs who can stretch the floor and still protect the rim, he should be very popular on draft night.

 

[Bolts]

If the Lakers win 1 or 2 more games to lose the pick, I'm guessing it'd be in part because the young guys are playing better and not just Lou Williams going off like he did vs OKC(in a loss). He's also a veteran who can help the young guys in their development. Do I think it was a great signing for them? No, but I don't think it was horrible either.

 

[WiggyRuss]

If the Lakers win 1 or 2 more games to lose the pick, I'm guessing it'd be in part because the young guys are playing better and not just Lou Williams going off like he did vs OKC(in a loss). He's also a veteran who can help the young guys in their development. Do I think it was a great signing for them? No, but I don't think it was horrible either.

its just insane to me- with Kobe already on board at shooting guard- that the Lakers would bring in ANOTHER chucker to take shots away from the young guys.

Right now Kobe is getting about 17 shots a game and Lou 11 shots a game. Thats 28 shots a game dedicated to guys that will almost assuredly NOT be on the team the next time the Lakers go to the playoffs.

I get it with Kobe- kiss his rings---- but then WHY bring in Williams who is another volume shooter? You REALLY want a rebuilding team that is trying to develop young guys to dedicate 28 shots a game to shooting guards that shoot a horrible percentage and dont move the ball?

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.

 

[Bolts]

its just insane to me- with Kobe already on board at shooting guard- that the Lakers would bring in ANOTHER chucker to take shots away from the young guys.

Right now Kobe is getting about 17 shots a game and Lou 11 shots a game. Thats 28 shots a game dedicated to guys that will almost assuredly NOT be on the team the next time the Lakers go to the playoffs.

I get it with Kobe- kiss his rings---- but then WHY bring in Williams who is another volume shooter? You REALLY want a rebuilding team that is trying to develop young guys to dedicate 28 shots a game to shooting guards that shoot a horrible percentage and dont move the ball?

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.

They're gonna need another guard to replace Kobe after he retires, Lou can fill the spot whether it's back in the 6th man role or if he starts with Russell or Clarkson. There's not a lot on their roster when it comes to guys who take up shots, so outside of Kobe and Lou it's mainly those 3 young guys. And it's not like forcing them into playing 35min and shooting 15-20 shots a game is gonna be the best thing for them. They're still shooting about 25 times together a game.

 

[Bolts]

Also you mentioned the bad shooting % and lack of ball movement from Lou. While there could be games he goes off in that helps the Lakers win, there will also be horrible games where he can't buy a bucket and doesn't have many assists which will lead to the Lakers losing. So those games he might help them win will be canceled out by close games they lose because of him.