Your new LA Laker: Julius Randle

[trojanfan12]

I've agreed Bledsoe isn't worth a max deal but he is way better than Lin ever was it's not even close... Injury would be my only concern with him, but it would be a big concern...

His resume is no bigger than Lin's right now. I agree that he's likely better, but lets let him get some more time before we decide who he's better than.

Also, even if he is better than Lin, he's not worth a max deal and a max deal is what he's looking for, so the Lakers would have been stupid to go after him based on what they'd have to pay him. Especially with guys like Westbrook up for free agency in the next couple of years.

 

[lakersrule]

"As you said we look to have nobody 2016... That being the case having Deng or Parsons wouldn't be a bad thing... I personally would liked to have had that be Parsons, but it matters not... I honestly don't think having an empty roster is better than having some solid pieces and going after a big fish when Kobe and Nash are off the books... But we will see what happens... What's done is done... Let's go Lakers!"

I think they potentially have some solid pieces now that the future big fishes would find attractive.

Randle - He's the key piece. If he turns out to be a legit NBA player, he'll attract others. Humble, hard-working kid.

Clarkson - I think he could develop into a solid combo guard. Relentless attacker. Good form on his jumpshot which should improve with the reps he can get up now as a pro.

Kelly - I like his game, but needs more development. Prototypical stretch 4. Smart. Pretty good with his help defense.

Davis - He has potential, but just may need the minutes. His per-36min are pretty good. So were Jordan Hill's prior to being traded to the Lakers. When Hill got the minutes with the Lakers, he's proven to be a solid NBA player. Could be the same for Davis.

Lin - I think Lin was overrated after his stint in New York and is now underrated after his stint with Houston. He's got skills. Good ball-handler. Very good finishing at the rim (2nd highest FG% at the rim minimum 7 shots per game last season [Lebron #1]). He's shown steady improvement so far (increasing FG%s and decreasing TOs).

I don't think it's a bare cupboard for the Lakers.

 

[trojanfan12]

1) if we're going that route of course I can't say they didn't make the inquiry, like you can't say they did... What I can say is NO got Asik for a 2015 first round pick and 1.5mil... Since we got Lin for free I'd say we could have gotten both for free... They were looking to dump salary and Asik was due 15 mil in his final year which is this year coming... Perhaps they will try to sign him after this year but we may have had the inside track if we had him already... I add Nash to a package that includes the #7 pick because as you said he will be off the books after this year, which is why I went Rondo/Crash... Celtics clear the Crash contract a year early by taking Nash and they get rid of Rondo and get another 1st round pick... I act like they sat on their hands because that's what they appeared to do... Again, as of late things were being run into the ground by little Buss... It appeared they still were... I can admit I may have been wrong, but can you admit the same...?

2) Why wouldn't he say what he likes...? He's a new coach, he needs his players on his side... I can't say for sure, but he probably talked about everybody on the roster and said what he liked... I'm sure there were things he didn't like but he didn't say that either... As you said he's over paid... Should Byron come out and say, "well Lin is good, but not as good as his contract says..." That would be dumb... As for Parsons, he may not be worth the 14-18 for the 3 years but that's what it took to get him out of Houston... But when those 3 years are up Dallas will be his first choice and if he becomes the MAN as he is looking like, he would be worth his next contract... You may not build around him, but you will need him... And he isn't as easy to find as okay we have our star let's go get Parsons now...

3) Boozer is unnecessary IMO... Nothing you can say to change my mind... He's not in the long term plans, he's below to average defensively, and he takes minutes away from our young guys... He is a good scorer and solid rebounder... I have said Randle looks like Boozer to me which may be something that can help his growth, but Boozer is going to need to teach the guy to shoot... We have other people who can do this... Again, a steal at that price but it looks more like a desperation move for a few more wins so people like me can shut up and people like you to say they got Boozer what else do you want them to do...

I'm trying to build backwards because this is the hand that is dealt... When Dwight left we had holes... Kobe's age creates more holes... Pau gone... Nash never came... Holes holes holes... At this point the future is this...

1. Randle starter
2. Young 6th man
3. Jordan Hill possible sub
4. Clarkson sub
5. Kelly sub
6. Sacre sub

That's it... Anybody else including the guys labeled "sub" are either gone or replaceable with little to no effort... So I'm building backwards to give somebody who may want to join a winner a reason to believe the Lakers are him signing on the dotted line away from being that winner... Because at this point, the new NBA is about finding enough talent around you to win while still standing out as "the man"... There's a reason people went to Miami, want to go to the Bulls, Cavs, Okc, GS, Clipps, Houston... They feel like they have a chance... Around this time last year many were talking about how Love would be a Laker after this year... Looks like having a team in place changed that up real quick... That's all I'm saying...

1.) Again, you're talking about guys that you don't build around. You're talking about guys who are the pieces that you add to guys that you build around. I don't know why you seem to be having a hard time grasping the effect of these players on future cap space. Parsons, Asik, Deng, etc. were all signed to 3 and 4 year deals. The Lakers are looking at having huge money over the next 2 off seasons. They need to preserve all of the cap space they can to go after the big ticket items.

2.) It's not that he shouldn't say what he likes, but why blow smoke when he doesn't have to? He could simply make a generic statement like he did about the roster as a whole. When asked how he saw the team performing, he said that he likes the roster and that he needs to see how all the pieces fit to have an idea how much they are likely to win.

3.) I agree that Boozer is unnecessary, but that's part of the beauty of the deal. He's NOT in the long term plan, yet the Lakers get the benefit of him still being a very good NBA vet who can mentor the young guys. Essentially, he's a luxury and a nice one to have. So, the Lakers get a guy on the cheap who should mesh well with what they will be doing on offense, who has Kobe's respect and who can teach the young guys and won't have any effect on future cap space because he won't be here, or if he is, it will be as a backup on cap friendly deal.

The Lakers don't have to build the team backwards though and that's what they appear to be trying to avoid. Look at this way, they have some solid players, many of whom are young and are "auditioning" for a better/longer deal down the road.

The Lakers are setting themselves up to have a ton of cap flexibility over the next 2 seasons. By doing things the way they are, they can see whom they get as far as max FA's and then decide which players will fit best with them and keep those guys while letting the others walk. Sure it's gonna suck for a couple of seasons as we are looking at missed playoffs or low seeds and early exits. But being patient now, should pay off well down the road.

Signing the guys that you suggested would have been an act of desperation that would have the Lakers facing years of 4-5 seeds with no hope of a title and not enough cap space to land the players that would put them over the top.


Remember, the Lakers can't go over the cap to sign an FA until that player has already been on the team and Bird rights kick in. That's why they had to wait until they got definitive answers from Lebron and 'Melo before they could start signing other players.

 

[trojanfan12]

You've got some valid points there Wlk, some of which I agree, some I don't.

The reason i'm so excited about Randle is because he's stood out for me when he was in college. He's young, very athletic and NBA ready. He has a good shot from within 15 feet, finishes great at the basket, is a good defender and is not afraid to go 1-on-1 against bigger, stronger guys. Outside of Wiggins and Parker THIS is the guy I had hoped the Lakers would get and at #7 he was a steal. Yes I do think he will be better than Love in the long run. I've watched at least a dozen games of his while he was at Kentucky and he's a very skilled, smart player.

It was pretty much settled that Pau would never re-sign with us. A combination of Randle, Boozer and Davis easily fills his void, if not upgrades the PF position dramatically. Gasol was on a steady decline over the year and while I would have loved to kept the guy he was getting more and more injuries and getting very soft at the rim.

Exactly. There is no Lakers fan who is a bigger fan of Pau than me. As much as I hate to see him go, the fact is that at this stage in his career, he is much better off with the Bulls than he would be with the Lakers. The Lakers would have to rely on him far too much and with his decline defensively, we'd just be spending another season of frustrated fans calling him Gasoft. The skill set that he brings to the Bulls may very well put them over the top in the East.

 

[trojanfan12]

"As you said we look to have nobody 2016... That being the case having Deng or Parsons wouldn't be a bad thing... I personally would liked to have had that be Parsons, but it matters not... I honestly don't think having an empty roster is better than having some solid pieces and going after a big fish when Kobe and Nash are off the books... But we will see what happens... What's done is done... Let's go Lakers!"

I think they potentially have some solid pieces now that the future big fishes would find attractive.

Randle - He's the key piece. If he turns out to be a legit NBA player, he'll attract others. Humble, hard-working kid.

Clarkson - I think he could develop into a solid combo guard. Relentless attacker. Good form on his jumpshot which should improve with the reps he can get up now as a pro.

Kelly - I like his game, but needs more development. Prototypical stretch 4. Smart. Pretty good with his help defense.

Davis - He has potential, but just may need the minutes. His per-36min are pretty good. So were Jordan Hill's prior to being traded to the Lakers. When Hill got the minutes with the Lakers, he's proven to be a solid NBA player. Could be the same for Davis.

Lin - I think Lin was overrated after his stint in New York and is now underrated after his stint with Houston. He's got skills. Good ball-handler. Very good finishing at the rim (2nd highest FG% at the rim minimum 7 shots per game last season [Lebron #1]). He's shown steady improvement so far (increasing FG%s and decreasing TOs).

I don't think it's a bare cupboard for the Lakers.

Agree. That's part of the the point I've been trying to make. You stated it much more succinctly than I did.

 

[Retroram52]

I would like to think that some of our second year guys like Sacre, Hill, Henry, Wes Johnson, and Ryan Kelly may develop into even better players than we saw last year especially when Scott and his staff teaches them how to play defense. With the additions that we have, I see a team that may develop into something pretty darn good. It may not be this year but I have already stated we will win around 35-40 games this year. We sure as hell will win more than 23. If we don't because of injuries and krappy play, I'll be the first to state that I am the eternal optimist who is basically whistling dixie here.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

I've agreed Bledsoe isn't worth a max deal but he is way better than Lin ever was it's not even close... Injury would be my only concern with him, but it would be a big concern...

Lin is an expiring contract though.

Who's to say they didn't think about Bledsoe and immediately decide that he wasn't worth the risk? Maybe that's why they never took a look.

 

[wlk3]

Lin is an expiring contract though.

Who's to say they didn't think about Bledsoe and immediately decide that he wasn't worth the risk? Maybe that's why they never took a look.

I'm not saying they didn't take a look at Bledsoe, I'm saying he was worth a look but from all the stories about how much he wanted he isn't worth the risk because of injuries... I don't have a problem with Lin overall, I agree he is a probable starter on many teams, just not on a championship team... I know why they have him, I understand the "pick and off the books" angle... I was pointing out adding him took money off the shelf for this years crop of free agents... IMO this year was the year for the Lakers to let everybody worry about Lebron and Melo, while we went and did the dirty work so when the next crop of Superstars came around we has the name and the team that attracted the "big fish"... I'm glad we didn't get Melo but if we had a team like the Bulls swapping Kobe and DRose, don't you think Melo signs...? As we all know, this is still the Lakers but if you're not in the mix these guys these days don't care about the past greatness...

 

[trojanfan12]

I'm not saying they didn't take a look at Bledsoe, I'm saying he was worth a look but from all the stories about how much he wanted he isn't worth the risk because of injuries... I don't have a problem with Lin overall, I agree he is a probable starter on many teams, just not on a championship team... I know why they have him, I understand the "pick and off the books" angle... I was pointing out adding him took money off the shelf for this years crop of free agents... IMO this year was the year for the Lakers to let everybody worry about Lebron and Melo, while we went and did the dirty work so when the next crop of Superstars came around we has the name and the team that attracted the "big fish"... I'm glad we didn't get Melo but if we had a team like the Bulls swapping Kobe and DRose, don't you think Melo signs...? As we all know, this is still the Lakers but if you're not in the mix these guys these days don't care about the past greatness...

If Mario Chalmers can start on a championship team, so can Jeremy Lin.

 

[wlk3]

If Mario Chalmers can start on a championship team, so can Jeremy Lin.

Mario Chalmers plays D, Lin does not... I'll take Chalmers over Lin all day...

 

[trojanfan12]

Mario Chalmers plays D, Lin does not... I'll take Chalmers over Lin all day...

Meh, Lin's better offensively. He does need to learn to at least be a solid team defender though. Hopefully, that's something Byron will teach him. If he can be a solid team defender and cut down on turnovers (which may happen naturally in Byron's offense), then he could actually end up being a bargain if he sticks around under a cap friendly deal.

 

[lakersrule]

Randle putting in some work. Get up lots of midrange jumpers young fella. He'll be a tough guard if defenders have to respect both that and the dribble drive.

 

[trojanfan12]

Randle putting in some work. Get up lots of midrange jumpers young fella. He'll be a tough guard if defenders have to respect both that and the dribble drive.

[MEDIA=twitter]498931296568356866[/MEDIA]

The more I see of this kid, the more I like him.

 

[Retroram52]

He is going to be a stud in this league and when he pony's up for some D, the Lakers are going to like the results.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

The guy is going to be a beast! I don't understand why wlk dislikes him so much!

 

[Black Adam]

The guy is going to be a beast! I don't understand why wlk dislikes him so much!

hell, i'm looking forward to seeing how good this kid's gonna be...

 

[wlk3]

The guy is going to be a beast! I don't understand why wlk dislikes him so much!

I don't dislike him so much as I felt we could have used the pick to get more talent... As I said I liked what I saw... Like the drive and dish, wonder if it clears or turns into turn overs when he faces real defense... But in summer league he was killing people on the dish... Not overly impressed defensively and looks average on the glass... I see him more of a 16/7/4ast guy, which I can live with but that can all change if he can learn to stroke it from 15-18ft... I'm interested now that he's here, he may never be an all-star but he will always be a guy just missed IMO... I can live with it...

 

[trojanfan12]

I don't dislike him so much as I felt we could have used the pick to get more talent... As I said I liked what I saw... Like the drive and dish, wonder if it clears or turns into turn overs when he faces real defense... But in summer league he was killing people on the dish... Not overly impressed defensively and looks average on the glass... I see him more of a 16/7/4ast guy, which I can live with but that can all change if he can learn to stroke it from 15-18ft... I'm interested now that he's here, he may never be an all-star but he will always be a guy just missed IMO... I can live with it...

If he can be an A.C. Green level power forward or close to it, I think we'll all be very happy with that. If he turns out to be better than A.C. Green, we'll all be ecstatic.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Who else was there available though? The Lakers had the 7th pick. The only better players in the draft IMO were Wiggins, Parker and Exum. We got Randle at a steal!

And let's not forget, at the time of the draft we hadn't signed Hill, Boozer or Davis yet and Gasol was as good as gone by then. Drafting a PF was the best move the team could have made.

 

[lakersrule]

I don't dislike him so much as I felt we could have used the pick to get more talent... As I said I liked what I saw... Like the drive and dish, wonder if it clears or turns into turn overs when he faces real defense... But in summer league he was killing people on the dish... Not overly impressed defensively and looks average on the glass... I see him more of a 16/7/4ast guy, which I can live with but that can all change if he can learn to stroke it from 15-18ft... I'm interested now that he's here, he may never be an all-star but he will always be a guy just missed IMO... I can live with it...

This will be the key to his success. He'll be a tough guard one on one if he can hit that shot consistently. Against a bigger defender, he'll drive right past them. That bigger defender lays off to have a better chance against the dribble drive, he can take the midrange J. Smaller defenders he can just post up. Let's not forget about his ability to rebound and push the ball, ala Lamar Odom.