2014-15 Lakers Season Thread (21-61) KAT

This summer, if the chance comes, Love, Rondo, Neither, or Both?

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  • Rondo

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  • Neither

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  • Both

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Ding:
Lakers Stuck in the Present as Youth Movement Lacks Youth, Movement

It's human nature to be happier working toward something, the basic feeling of growth surprisingly fulfilling even when compared with the delight of success.

This era of Los Angeles Lakers basketball obviously isn't about success.

It isn't about growth, either.

That's a problem.

Free agency is the understandable and logical solution for the Lakers, especially considering how much talent will be available come 2016, but the uncertainty of how that sudden change will occur does nothing for the present day.

The whole misguided “tanking” mindset, diminishing the competitive spirit, is rooted in fans' desire to feel like the games are building toward something bigger and better.

So while it makes sense for the Lakers to fill out their injury-depleted roster with probably the best current player available, ex-Lakers forward Earl Clark from the NBA Development League, Clark is 26 and not quite a beacon of hope for the future.

And the Lakers' efforts to present a player who could be part of a bright future have not worked out so far this season.

The Lakers worked out several younger players—including 22-year-old Quincy Miller, who has been compared to Kevin Durant and Paul George—earlier this month with an eye toward using this time for development. No one blew the Lakers away.

So instead of giving up on him, the Lakers had decided to wait and see if Xavier Henry, 23, could get his injured body back to the point it was at this time last year, when his hammer dunk on New Orleans center Jeff Withey was just the sort of play that can animate a losing team. Henry was re-signed in the offseason largely because his age allowed for a potentially major improvement still to come.

Instead, Henry offered nothing and then tore his Achilles on Monday in practice in a potentially career-ending injury.

And the absence of rookie Julius Randle continues to leave Lakers fans wondering "What if?" With the Lakers at 3-11, it's already a time when many would've been focused mostly on Randle, who turns 20 Saturday.

Instead of being on the practice court Tuesday with the team, Randle was having some good girl talk over lunch with Lakers president Jeanie Buss, Lakers special project manager Linda Rambis and his girlfriend. (Randle's girlfriend posted an Instagram photo of her and Randle with the NBA championship trophies in Buss' office.)

Veteran power forward Carlos Boozer missed the Lakers' loss Sunday night with a strained shoulder and is questionable for Wednesday night against Memphis, and these are games that would've taken on added buzz because Randle could showcase where his development has reached.

Maybe he wouldn't have been ready and things would've gone poorly. But maybe he would've jumped ahead in his progress and offered more reason for hope.

Either way, we would've learned something about Randle—yet that isn't happening with him just spending the season waiting for his broken leg to heal.

There is an intangible value in that possible progress for fans—even more than for Lakers management as it hopes Randle is ready for prime time by 2016 (or as a trade piece to accelerate the rebuild).

Without Randle and Henry, the Lakers' youth right now comprises Jordan Clarkson, 22, and Ryan Kelly, 23. The excitement second-round picks generate only goes so far, although the Lakers remain very high on Kelly as a stretch 4 who can play in the NBA for a long time.

Kelly's hamstring injuries have kept him off the radar most of this season and now for another five weeks, at least. That leaves no one but Clarkson, the rookie combo guard who is flat-out undependable at this early stage in his career.

Given what we're talking about here, however, it makes complete sense for the Lakers to give Clarkson some sink-or-swim opportunities sooner than later.

And Clarkson will get a chance to play backup point guard sometime soon, even though Ronnie Price's bulldog defense fits the team much better as it tries to win. The wild-driving Clarkson isn't ready in any way to be an offensive decision-maker—and Byron Scott told Lakers.com on Tuesday that he would limit Clarkson to a small package of plays when the day comes that Clarkson does enter the rotation behind Jeremy Lin.

Price, 31, is the sort of player whom coaches like to play in order to compete right now, but when the goal is two-pronged for success and growth, any minutes Price plays are fundamentally wasted minutes.

Look back to the Lakers' other really bad team from the recent past in 2004-05 after the departure of Shaquille O'Neal. Even the filler minutes were used on players young enough to be still growing, guys such as 25-year-old Tierre Brown and 25-year-old Jumaine Jones ahead of 20-year-old Sasha Vujacic, who was force-fed some rookie minutes (and shot 28 percent from the field) and wound up contributing to future Lakers championships.

The Lakers have some of that in Ed Davis, 25, and Wayne Ellington, 26, but there needs to be much more than that.

That 2004-05 team was at least young enough at its core to be building up: After Bryant, 26, the secondary options were Lamar Odom, 25, and Caron Butler, 24. And indeed, the growth of Odom (a linchpin for those 2009 and '10 championship teams) and Butler (swapped for Kwame Brown, who was swapped for Pau Gasol) back in 2004-05 did lead the Lakers and their fans somewhere eventually. That's why what happens with Lin, 26, as he determines which way his career path will go is such a relevant storyline.

With Bryant now 36, even though so many fans still enjoy watching him as he tries to fight off injuries and age, these Lakers fundamentally are not in development.

There's something innately encouraging about watching kids play, from Little League to college ball. There would've been something special about every moment Randle was on the court this season, no matter the Lakers' record in those moments.

Without him, it's inescapable just how much the Lakers these days are biding their time instead of growing their future.
Click to expand...
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...resent-as-youth-movement-lacks-youth-movement
 
Wow. Welcome back Earl!

I'm not sure I expect much if anything from him, but I'm excited to have him back anyway.

It's better than most of the guys they were working out.
 
"Earlsanity 2: Why Isn't Mike D'Antoni Still Here?"
"Earlsanity 2: I Only Play 7 Seconds or Less?"
"Earlsanity 2: The Mason Betha Story"
"Earlsanity 2: The Quest for Tankdom"
"Earlsanity 2: My Eyes Do Not Open All The Way"
 
LOL.  Fan fiction.  LA's youth movement?  We looking at AGE NOW?

Blue prints of success should be followed.
 
@Mike_Bresnahan The Earl Clark signing likely means the end of Xavier Henry's Laker tenure. He's the guy to be cut to make room for Clark's guaranteed deal.
Click to expand...
Hmmm.

I thought teams couldn't waive injured players? Eh, whatever though.
 
I sat at a table next to Earl's at a Wolfgang Puck's in Vegas when he signed with Cleveland. Good to see him getting another chance.
 
setbacks?  can't wait to see black ice. ice it up.

dudes decked out in DROSE GEAR like it's combat pro.
 
denni5themenace said:
as bad as this team is, i'm still hyped on going to the game tonight for my bday
pimp.gif
Click to expand...
happy bday bro! 
pimp.gif
 
PMatic said:
Ding:
Lakers Stuck in the Present as Youth Movement Lacks Youth, Movement

Without him, it's inescapable just how much the Lakers these days are biding their time instead of growing their future.
Click to expand...
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...resent-as-youth-movement-lacks-youth-movement
Click to expand...

Could easily become a team with a lot of youth. And some semblance of a future.


Next year have Randle (21). Kelly (24). Clarkson (22). Sacre (26) under contract.

Randle's floor is a decent starter, his ceiling is an All-Star caliber guy. Kelly, Clarkson & Sacre 10th -12th in a rotation. Kelly as a backup 4. Sacre as your 3rd Center. Clarkson as your 5th guard.

Re-sign Ed Davis (26). Who would be your backup Center.


During the season, the best trade we have is Jordan Hill to the Thunder for Kendrick Perkins & their 1st Round Pick. The Thunder are 3-12, worst team in the West Conference. Now they will certainly will be a whole hell of a lot better when Russ & KD come back, but it will still be a tough climb to get into the playoffs. 9-1/2 games and having to jump 8 teams even with 65 games left is still a task. Their biggest problem is they stink when it comes to bigs (Adams, Collison & Perkins). Hill gives them energy and rebounding, and better defense over Collison & Perkins.

I don't really see a player who is a better fit for the Thunder than Hill that they could get for Perkins and a late first. Of course, Hill would have to approve, but a team that could win it if they make it, and pretty much would need to accept his team option because they'd have no spending power in 2015, and would get a lot of playing time, I think he accepts that trade.

We take the Thunder pick (I think they are going to end up 6th-8th in the West), which could be between 19-22nd pick, and the Rockets pick probably 24-25th and try to move up as far as we can.

Then we'd have the Top 5 pick who would be 19 years old, and maybe a 13th or 14th pick who could be anywhere from 19-22yrs old.

Next Year it Would Be:
Top 5 (19)
14th pick (19-22)
Randle (21)
Clarkson (22)
Kelly (24)
Davis (26)
Sacre (26)


And you have guys like Jimmy Butler (26) I think is at the top of my list behind a Marc Gasol. Robin Lopez who will be 27. DeAndre Jordan 27. Reggie Jackson who will be 25.
 
Last edited:
Essential1 said:
PMatic said:
Ding:
Lakers Stuck in the Present as Youth Movement Lacks Youth, Movement

Without him, it's inescapable just how much the Lakers these days are biding their time instead of growing their future.
Click to expand...
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...resent-as-youth-movement-lacks-youth-movement
Click to expand...

Could easily become a team with a lot of youth. And some semblance of a future.


Next year have Randle (21). Kelly (24). Clarkson (22). Sacre (26) under contract.

Randle is a bonifide starter. Kelly, Clarkson & Sacre 10th -12th in a rotation. Kelly as a backup 4. Sacre as your 3rd Center. Clarkson as your 5th guard.

Re-sign Ed Davis (26). Who would be your backup Center.


During the season, the best trade we have is Jordan Hill to the Thunder for Kendrick Perkins & their 1st Round Pick. The Thunder are 3-12, worst team in the West Conference. Now they will certainly will be a whole hell of a lot better when Russ & KD come back, but it will still be a tough climb to get into the playoffs. Their biggest problem is they stink when it comes to bigs (Adams, Collison & Perkins). Hill gives them energy and rebounding, and better defense over Collison & Perkins.

I don't really see a player who is a better fit for the Thunder than Hill that they could get for Perkins and a late first. Of course, Hill would have to approve, but a team that will be in the playoffs, and pretty much would need to accept his team option, and would get a lot of playing time, I think he accepts that trade.

We take the Thunder pick (I think they are going to end up 6th-8th in the West), which could be between 19-22nd pick, and the Rockets pick probably 24-25th and try to move up as far as we can.

Then we'd have the Top 5 pick who would be 19 years old, and maybe a 13th or 14th pick who could be anywhere from 19-22yrs old.


Top 5 (19)
14th pick (19-22)
Randle (21)
Clarkson (22)
Kelly (24)
Davis (26)
Sacre (26)


And you have guys like Jimmy Butler (26) I think is at the top of my list behind a Marc Gasol. Robin Lopez who will be 27. DeAndre Jordan 27. Reggie Jackson who will be 25.
Click to expand...

I like it

I like it a lot


Do we have enough room for dragic and butler? :nerd:
 
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