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

[freeze]

^

BCS Finale on Monday.

Hells yeah, that too.

I can't wait for that

i hope they dont kill off jimmy

lol

 

[mr j 858]

Yeah I read Ellington separated his shoulder last night.

I can't see Lin returning. He doesn't like Byron and Byron doesn't seem to like him.

To me Lin has always been a salary dump anyways with the bonus of Houston throwing in the 1st rounder because they were desperate in clearing cap space to go after Bosh.

I don't want Lin back anyways.

 

[darthska]

[quote name="CP1708"]7 more hours til Furious 7.
Lakers/Blazers tomorrow
Final Four Saturday
Cubs v Cardinals Sunday
Championship game on Monday (hopefully Towns v Okafor)

Helluva weekend. [/quote]Wut?

That's gonna be ugly, bruh. :\

 

[kal-el-8]

 

Originally Posted by CP1708  
7 more hours til Furious 7.

Lakers/Blazers tomorrow
Final Four Saturday
Cubs v Cardinals Sunday
Championship game on Monday (hopefully Towns v Okafor)

Helluva weekend.

Wut?

That's gonna be ugly, bruh.

 

[darthska]

Gotcha.

 

[fun guy]

anyone know if randle will be considered a rookie next year? he did play like 14 minutes this season, but it'd be nice for him to compete for ROY

 

[pmatic]

He played in a regular season game this season, so he wouldn't be considered a rookie next season.

 

[pmatic]

Holmes:

Clarkson a diamond in rough for Lakers?

Jordan Clarkson fell just short of history Wednesday, coming three rebounds shy of being the first Los Angeles Lakers rookie to record a triple-double since some guy named Magic Johnson, who nabbed seven during the 1979-80 season.

It would've been another fine notch in the belt for the athletic combo guard out of Missouri, but Clarkson said he wasn't even aware that he was near a triple-double until he checked out late in the Lakers’ 113-92 loss to New Orleans.

"Kobe [Bryant] told me, ‘You missed it by three,'" said Clarkson, who finished with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, 10 assists, 7 rebounds and, most impressively, just one turnover in 31 minutes.

More and more, Clarkson has become the lone bright spot in a lost Lakers season, the one (healthy) player in purple and gold who is really worth the price of admission, that Lakers fans are excited to see while also rooting for their team to lose in order to help its draft lottery position.

And with every game, Clarkson seems to show more upside, more promise, whether it’s scoring a career-high 30 points while going toe-to-toe with Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder last week, or performances such as Wednesday, when Clarkson posted 11 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds in the first quarter alone.

Still, Lakers coach Byron Scott tempers his praise of Clarkson, whose rapid rise has placed him in discussion for a spot on the NBA’s 2014-15 All-Rookie first team.

“I still want him to continue to show me something, which he’s doing, but I don’t want to go overboard,” Scott said. “I’m sure he has very high expectations of himself, but, again, I've got to take it step by step.

“He’s had a great rookie year. Let’s see how the summer goes and training camp goes, and let’s see how the season goes next year. I want to keep everything in perspective when it comes to Jordan Clarkson. Obviously, he’s shown that he can play in this league.”

Entering Wednesday, Clarkson had averaged 14.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in 30 starts. His player efficiency rating was 15.98, the second best among rookies (Chicago’s Nikola Mirotic's is 18.0 and just above league average. But over Clarkson's past five games, he has averaged 21.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

Scott said he’s also noticed that Clarkson brings a certain fire to each game, one stoked by the fact that Clarkson was a second-round pick, drafted 48th overall.

“He’s a kid that’s trying to prove himself every single night, so he has a toughness about him, mentally as well as physically,” Scott said. “That helps him do some of the things that he’s been able to do this year. He keeps looking at everybody who was drafted in front of him. He keeps looking at this stuff that he was hearing and reading -- he was supposed to be in the first round and he dropped late to the second. All those things are motivating factors for him.”

As he prepared to leave the Lakers’ locker room Wednesday, Clarkson was approached by a reporter and asked if he could, in fact, name all the point guards/combo guards taken ahead of him in the 2014 draft -- and name them all in order.

The inquiring reporter held a notebook listing the players drafted in order and told Clarkson that he would receive no hints, but it quickly became apparent that Clarkson didn't need any help.

“Exum,” Clarkson said after a short pause.

Yes, Dante Exum, drafted fifth overall by Utah.

“Smart.”

Marcus Smart, drafted sixth by Boston.

“Payton.”

Elfrid Payton, drafted 10th overall by Philadelphia, then traded to Orlando.

There was some debate about whether the next player was in fact a point guard, but Clarkson named him nonetheless: “Zach.”

Zach LaVine, drafted 13th overall by Minnesota.

“Ennis.”

Tyler Ennis, drafted 18th by Phoenix.

“Shabazz.”

Shabazz Napier, drafted 24th by Charlotte, then traded to Miami.

And the final point guard taken before Clarkson in the 2014 draft? He knew.

“Dinwiddie.”

Yes, Spencer Dinwiddie, drafted 38th overall by Detroit.

And eight picks later, Washington picked Clarkson, then traded his rights to the Lakers for cash, but, as he illustrated, the names of those who went before him are burned into his memory. They won’t be fading anytime soon.

“It’s just in the back of my head, knowing I have to perform,” Clarkson said. “I just want to prove people wrong. That’s always been the drive for me.”

He recalled draft night, when he was passed over again and again.

“Of course I was mad, but I was happy at the same time to even get an opportunity to play in this league,” Clarkson said. “Coming to this organization was a blessing. But I kept it in the back of my head. That just pushed me through summer league and pushed me through this year. Next year it’s going to be the same thing.”

It might seem like being drafted low put a chip on his shoulder, but he said that chip has always been there.

“I always feel like I've been the underdog," Clarkson said. "Maybe because I’m from San Antonio or something. I’m not from overseas or something crazy. It’s just one of those things.”

Clarkson was told that there’s a basketball team in San Antonio that has often been overlooked too, even though that team isn't too bad. So maybe it’s a regional thing.

“I don’t know what it is, man,” he said with a laugh.

Of course, the situation has been ideal for Clarkson. On a team with nothing to play for, he's been able to earn tons of minutes and play through mistakes. The bigger question is how he'd fare on a contender with a much stronger core around him.

"You can always sit there and wonder with other guys around him, how good can he be?" Scott asked. "If he continues to approve at this rapid rate, how good can he be? Nobody has a crystal ball to really figure all that out. But in Jordan’s case, I think he’s shown enough to let us know that he can be a hell of a player in this league for a long time."

Indeed, at this point, Clarkson is no longer being overlooked. And he has more than shown that he belongs in the NBA. Now, he’s showing that he might deserve more than just a spot on a roster. He’s showing everyone around the league, and especially the Lakers, that he might, in fact, be something special.

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles...82/clarkson-a-diamond-in-the-rough-for-lakers

 

[CP1708]

He's from SA?

Trade him.

 

[kal-el-8]

He's from SA?

Trade him.

 

[pmatic]

It's funny the pillars of the Lakers' future could be Texas boys (Clarkson, Randle and Winslow/Mudiay).

 

[CP1708]

It's funny the pillars of the Lakers' future could be Texas boys (Clarkson, Randle and Winslow/Mudiay).

 

[tupac003]

^

BCS Finale on Monday.

BCS? What is that?

 

[CP1708]

Better Call Saul.

Breaking Bad spin off.

 

[kal-el-8]

Okafor- Chicago

Towns- Jersey

I'll take the jersey boy pls.

 

[kal-el-8]

 

[rck3sactown]

Report: Lakers will prioritize Rajon Rondo over Goran Dragic in free agency http://t.co/IPWnXWx1YN
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) April 2, 2015

 

[kal-el-8]

 The Lakers are not in the market for a guy who can make the team better; they need a bona fide star, the kind of player they thought they were getting when they traded for Dwight Howardin 2012. The Howard deal flopped, though, and the Lakers have been rudderless since. It could be Bryant’s final season, and the franchise does not want to send him off with yet another rebuilding year, though that might be in the best long-term interest of the team. Assuming the Lakers stay in win-soon mode, it is a safe bet that they will go hard after the two top point guards on the market, with Bryant’s pal Rajon Rondo  at the head of the list andGoran Dragic  behind him.

Mitch has already said he won't jeopardize the future for Kirby, makes me highly doubt this report.  

 

[pmatic]

Problem is what's going to happen if/when they lose the pick, their top targets (Gasol, Love, etc.) go elsewhere and there's Rondo just waiting to be signed...

Edit:

From the original source:

Though the assumption when Jordan Hill signed a two-year deal worth $18 million last summer was that the Lakers would deal him by the trade deadline and that the second year of his contract (a team option) would not be exercised, sources have said all year that there is a distinct possibility the Lakers will, in fact, keep Hill going forward. He was one of the more productive Lakers this season, averaging 12.3 points and 8.2 rebounds. Hill showed improved midrange touch early in the year, but tapered thereafter and still has his faults on the defensive end. The Lakers want to be active on the free-agent market, but considering the going rate for big men, front-office executives have told me the Lakers are leaning toward keeping Hill, unless they get some assurance they can land a star big man in free agency. Hill would still be a good deal at $9 million, and could be used then as a trade asset.

 

[kal-el-8]

Problem is what's going to happen if/when they lose the pick, their top targets (Gasol, Love, etc.) go elsewhere and there's Rondo just waiting to be signed...

Edit:

From the original source:

Though the assumption when Jordan Hill signed a two-year deal worth $18 million last summer was that the Lakers would deal him by the trade deadline and that the second year of his contract (a team option) would not be exercised, sources have said all year that there is a distinct possibility the Lakers will, in fact, keep Hill going forward. He was one of the more productive Lakers this season, averaging 12.3 points and 8.2 rebounds. Hill showed improved midrange touch early in the year, but tapered thereafter and still has his faults on the defensive end. The Lakers want to be active on the free-agent market, but considering the going rate for big men, front-office executives have told me the Lakers are leaning toward keeping Hill, unless they get some assurance they can land a star big man in free agency. Hill would still be a good deal at $9 million, and could be used then as a trade asset.

Not this **** again.

He's not an asset. No one wants this dinosaur looking *** bum.

And of course we do.

I ******** hate this team.

 

[essential1]

Them picking up the option is a "I'll believe it when I see it."

The only way I think they do pick up his option if they already have a trade in tow for draft night.

I.e. Hill + Rockets pick for a better pick or contributing player.

Not to mention Rondo being floated is difficult with Hill's option picked up.

 

[pmatic]

If my math is correct, if they keep the lotto pick and Hill, that knocks their cap space down to ~$13M this summer.

 

[noblekane]

Jesus man i want the lakers to lose all 8 of their games left. Is that so hard to ask? Got damn it

Next year its back to hoping they win every single game but please for the love of god lose the rest of your games!!!!

 

[comptonprince]

Tarik Black can do everything Hill can do for way cheaper 

 

[pmatic]

It's the stupid Kings home and home that worries the hell outta me.

Edit:

My God the Lakers still have to play the T'Wolves.