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

[pmatic]

 

[kal-el-8]

Magic 

 

[pmatic]

Shout outs to the Magic for the double favor tonight. Earn a win while giving the Rockets a loss.

 

[CP1708]

You see the Lowe Magic article?

Somethin brewin over there.

 

[had pants]

 

[oddandtwisted]

 

[freeze]

The new discussion is to shut down kobe for the rest of the season. Damn this hurts. It's truly almost over.

 

[CP1708]

The new discussion is to shut down kobe for the rest of the season. Damn this hurts. It's truly almost over.

Good. It's time to move on.

We did with Kareem.
We did with Magic
We did with Shaq.
We will with Kobe.

 

[freeze]

The new discussion is to shut down kobe for the rest of the season. Damn this hurts. It's truly almost over.

Good. It's time to move on.

We did with Kareem.
We did with Magic
We did with Shaq.
We will with Kobe.

yea I know man. but still. . I think it hurts more since i know we'll probably never see him again. He won't be chilling on TWC with Worthy or Horry. Dude is legit gonna disappear. I think he's been making peace with it for a minute now.

 

[Lizakers]

Ya man really sad that this is happening. Didn't kobe say years ago that he'll never stick around the league and be an average player getting 15 pts or whatever? Looks like he may be just that now and next year

Sad that with kobe retiring soon I feel like a big part of my youth is leaving with him

We will miss him big time when he's gone. I hope we all remember pre Achilles kobe way more than post Achilles Kobe

Kobe retiring would be the end of an era for those old school type players

 

[vindeezy]

^yup...said it to stephen a smith and he said 18ppg (more than 38 yr olds pierce/vince). So....unless of course we retool ASAP and he "accepts" that PP/vince role in 16-17. I don't see it..next yr will be his last.

 

[tay1]

Manage his minutes properly, and get him some decent teammates and all this sad talk will disappear.

 

[pmatic]

D'Angelo Russell creeping into my top five (DraftExpress has him #4 now)

A Unique Talent with Superstar Numbers, D'Angelo Russell Is Carrying Ohio State

Ohio State coach Thad Matta was asked on Monday's Big Ten conference call the difference between superstar freshman guard D'Angelo Russell when he's scoring and when he's not.

"This is going to sound as simple as simple can be, but the ball going in the basket helps a lot," Matta said.

That's the answer of a coach who has a weapon who controls his own destiny.

Halfway into the season, Russell is putting up numbers that put him in a company of players who fit in the "otherworldly" talent category.

The hard numbers are impressive enough. He is averaging 17.9 points, 4.9 assists, shooting 44.6 percent from deep and leads all freshmen with 45 three-pointers. But it's the advanced numbers that really show how special he's been.

Russell has an offensive rating of 114.5—that's a number used to quantify points generated per 100 possessions—and he's using 29 percent of Ohio State's possessions when he's on the floor, per kenpom.com (subscription required).

In the last 10 years, there have been two freshman perimeter players with an offensive rating that high who have used at least 28 percent of their team's possessions: Stephen Curry and James Harden.

View media item 1353219
"Anybody who has followed D'Angelo is not surprised by how he's playing," Indiana coach Tom Crean said on Monday's conference call. "He takes the game very, very serious. And he's got so many dimensions to his game. The bottom line is you can never lose him. And I know that sounds simple, but it's easier said than done."

The Hoosiers became one of the few teams who can puff their chest knowing that they at least contained Russell. They held him to 13 points on 15 shots in Saturday's three-point win in Bloomington.

What Indiana did, as Crean said, was stay connected to Russell. If you give him space, he has as quick a trigger as there is in the country. There's no wasted motion when he shoots. He needs no time to catch and gather. It's simply catch, and he's right into his shot.

Russell also has a really quick trigger off the dribble, and his ability to create his own offense is why he's been so effective as a primary scorer.

Russell has been assisted on only 47.6 percent of his buckets, according to Hoop-Math.com (subscription required). He's been assisted on 61.4 percent of his threes, which illustrates his ability to go get his own shot. As a comparison, Michigan's Zak Irvin, who is second in the Big Ten in three-pointers made, is assisted on 97.6 percent of his threes.

The Buckeyes set Russell up with a lot of ball screens, and he's extremely advanced in his ability to read a screen. Try to cheat by overplaying, and he's off to the basket. When the screener's man soft hedges—meaning he temporarily switches but sags back—Russell is automatic in unloading a three.

"Ohio State takes a backseat to nobody on the way they screen and get people open," Crean said. "Not only do you have to be aware of it, but you have to navigate so many things and be locked into what you're trying to do."

The other way Russell gets a lot of his baskets is in transition. Point guard Shannon Scott is always looking for him, and transition opportunities are typically when the defense has a hard time keeping track of Russell.

On Jan. 6, he scored 25 of his 27 points in the first half against Minnesota, and 11 of those points came in transition.

"You can never lose him," Crean said. "You've got to make sure that you're not giving him very much space. And you've got to understand that he can hurt you from so many different places."

The final part of the Russell equation that makes him so tough to play against is his ability to pass the ball. When he's been double-teamed, he's found open teammates. He often leads the break and is looking for teammates in transition as often as he's hunting his own shots.

View media item 1353222
Russell has played some point guard. But he's mostly played shooting guard, and his assist rate (28 percent) is extremely high for that position. Just look at how it compares to Curry and Harden as freshmen, two very gifted passers who also played shooting guard as freshmen.

But just like those two great talents, Russell is most valuable to the Buckeyes when he's scoring the ball, and they need him to make shots to win games. See how his shooting numbers in wins compared to


There's been some games where he's struggled to hit some shots," Matta said. "We obviously need him to play well for us."

As for how far Russell can take the Buckeyes this season, they're currently 13-4 and 2-2 in the Big Ten with Michigan coming to town on Tuesday. They're fortunate that they play the two highest-ranked teams in the Big Ten (Wisconsin and Maryland) only once and both games are at home.

Ohio State's defense has not been as stingy as typical Matta teams, but this group is currently adapting to a switch from zone to man-to-man. The defense will likely return to typical Matta form.

So it comes down to how far the Buckeyes can ride Russell. As a freshman, Curry helped Davidson get to the NCAA tourney for the first time in four years before losing in the opening round to Maryland. He took the Wildcats to an Elite Eight as a sophomore. Harden got his team to the NIT as a freshman and then the NCAA tournament as a sophomore.

Russell obviously has better parts around him than those two, but the Buckeyes' ceiling is probably a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight with the right breaks. They lack the interior presence that Matta's best teams have had.

But if Russell gets hot, who knows? He's going to find a way to get his shots. It's all about whether those shots are going through the basket or not.

It's that simple.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...umbers-dangelo-russell-is-carrying-ohio-state

If Mitch and co. don't feel comfortable with Mudiay...

 

[jpzx]

I watch Russell and can't get away from the fact that he struggles to use both his left/right at the rim to finish off drives.

 

[CP1708]

Russell as an extra guard would let Mitch buy in in the Center market during the offseason. (instead of buying Dragic)

Russell/Randle combo going forward? Sign a defensive C (Jordan/Asik/Gasol), Kobe and Nick come back, Houston pick, Clarkson, Ed Davis, try to add 1-2 other role guys.

Then use Kobe's cap clearance the following year to truly advance the team?


View media item 787480

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

That's a great shot of lillard's mechanics on his jumper btw

 

[essential1]

Russell as an extra guard would let Mitch buy in in the Center market during the offseason. (instead of buying Dragic)

Russell/Randle combo going forward? Sign a defensive C (Jordan/Asik/Gasol), Kobe and Nick come back, Houston pick, Clarkson, Ed Davis, try to add 1-2 other role guys.

Then use Kobe's cap clearance the following year to truly advance the team?


View media item 787480

Nick coming back?

Are you seeing the light?

 

[CP1708]

God no. I just know nobody will take his insane 3 more years of contract **** we're stuck with.

The Blazers are badly needing depth at SF, they def need more firepower off the bench, Batum is killing the fanbase up here, they would be PERFECT fit for Nick Young.

They want NOTHING to do with 3 more years of his contract, as he's about to turn 30 in a few months. :x


Instead, they are kicking the tires on giving up their first round pick for Wilson Chandler.

 

[willzway26]

Wilson Chandler is a baller tho.  He can shoot, put the ball on the floor and defend.  I always liked his game.

If we dont get a lottery pick I would get this guy.  His only issue is being on crappy teams his whole career

 

[essential1]

Sigh... Kawhi Leonard & Jimmy Butler. Both restricted free agents

I say Marc Gasol is the best fit in Free Agency.

But after that, with Gasol likely not leaving.. I'd split the cap space between Goran Dragic & Roy Hibbert. I think Hibbert ends up losing some money due to all the Centers hitting the market. Gasol, Asik, Jordan, Jefferson, Lopez, LMA (kind of), Monroe, Chandler. All will make more or at very least what he will make. Not to mention guys like Love, Milsap, Draymond all possible hitting the market, which could dissuade teams from spending on a Center.

Pair those 2 with Kobe, Randle and a Top 5 pick.... We have an outside shot at making the playoffs. Would be tough, but have a shot.

 

[willzway26]

You know what, people want to blame Kobe's contract or whatever, but our front office is a joke.  All these trades swirling around our heads and nothing.  If this team is gonna lose like this why keep everything intact.  Might as well make a trade either for the future or to win now, but SOMETHING.  I havent heard ANYTHING from the Laker front office, and that scares me because it's almost as if they doing the exact same thing as last year, and we see how that went.....

 

[pmatic]

Totally forgot to wish every a Happy Jordan Hill is Eligible To Be Traded Day.

 

[essential1]

You know what, people want to blame Kobe's contract or whatever, but our front office is a joke.  All these trades swirling around our heads and nothing.  If this team is gonna lose like this why keep everything intact.  Might as well make a trade either for the future or to win now, but SOMETHING.  I havent heard ANYTHING from the Laker front office, and that scares me because it's almost as if they doing the exact same thing as last year, and we see how that went.....

Couple of reasons...

1. All these trades are happening because of Boston fire sale, and blowing everything up starting from zero. We are not starting from zero. Boston has been involved in a majority of the trades. If Boston wasn't looking to dump everything for anything, there may have been 1 or 2 trades up to now.
2. We couldn't trade Jordan Hill, Wes Johnson until today. Carlos Boozer can't be traded at all.
3. Very little market to no market for Ronnie Price, Wayne Ellington, Robert Sacre
4. Won't trade Julius Randle, Ryan Kelly, Jordan Clarkson.

That's 9 players that wouldn't / won't / can't be traded up until today.

Leaves you with
Kobe - won't trade him for anything.
Nash - No one will take him, unless we eat a long term contract that stinks. And the player exemption we got from him to get someone else would cost us an asset (i.e. Rockets pick)
Black - who knows with him, but he's so cheap, no reason to trade him.


That leaves you the ability up to today to trade: Ed Davis, Nick Young, Jeremy Lin. You could get a cheap expiring and a lesser contract for Young, but not worth it. Ed Davis is hard to drum up value for because he's a really cheap contract, also wherever he gets traded, it's likely a 2-3 month rental. Jeremy Lin's market is one of the more confusing in the NBA. A guy many teams can use, but a contract hard to match when the Lakers don't want anything back.

 

[willzway26]

Rep for breaking that whole thing down

 

[essential1]

I want Jordan Farmar back.