**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins

[darthska]

I think upside is that he's flashing his skill at times, and enough that you know he can do it. It's not like the crappy kid you put in RF who sticks his glove out, and one time the ball is hit right into his glove.

The upside is knowing he has a lot of tools in the toolbox because he's shown them all at one time or another in games as a pro.. It's about putting a level of consistency with it.

The team has been in a lot of turmoil the past couple years since he's been a Laker, so that goes into my consideration. I wasn't wild on Ingram at first, but literally in just the short minutes he had in Summer League, I went away from "Not wild on the guy" to "No, no, let's see what he's got when we don't have a coaching carousel and have another young possible star on the roster."

Randle has actually been here longer, and still seems to be a tall fullback too often. I'm not saying he's as luck as a kid in RF whose glove the ball happens to land in sometimes. He has tools. He's not terrible. I just don't like what I see.

 

[darthska]

I think we should get rid of them all.

DLo, Randle, Clarkson, Nance, Ingram, Lonzo, Kuzma, get rid of all of them.

Overpay for proven free agents, they're all great players. Boogie, old man LeBron, re-sign Brooke, flourish.

Was someone talking about trading someone and overpaying for FAs? Quote it and @ me so I can weigh in.

 

[CP1708]

Randle has improved without a doubt, but he, like DLo, is limited by the talent around him.

From jump some of us have said, it's tough to grow 4-5 kids at once. This is that.

What sucks is JR lost that first year, so the clock on paying him is shorter than the amount of growth we MIGHT have seen.

But after flipping DLo, if we move yet another lotto pick, we really gonna go from a possible core of JR, DLo, Ingram, Ball, Clarkson, with nice supplemental adds of Nance, Kuz, Zu

To just Ingram + Ball, and the 3 supplements? (We all kinda know JC will be gone soon)

That is a very poor, poor effort of "rebuilding". Lack of patience is gonna really cost us, especially when we have ZERO reason to rush while GS has the league, West, and division on lock for a minimum of 3 years. That's plenty of time to let these kids grow, not flip them after 2-3 years.

 

[CP1708]

Was someone talking about trading someone and overpaying for FAs? Quote it and @ me so I can weigh in.

I'd have to quote half the thread + last year's thread. Let's not do that.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Kuzma musta got his game up late cuz he fell to 27th and he 22.

 

[MVP]

Core of Ball-BI-Kuz with Nance, Hart, Zu seems damn good to me. Y'all had the unrealistic expectations to keep everyone around. Don't know why. Get those 2 marquee free agents and we cooking with gas next year.

 

[delete1234]

L’dwell Pope trash

 

[darthska]

I'd have to quote half the thread + last year's thread. Let's not do that.

Fair enough.

Thought you were sarcastically saying to trade everyone as a response to my questions on Randle. That's why I asked, to confirm or dispel my assumption, which was apparently wrong.

My bad.

 

[SupremeBeing5]

This guy getting paid same as D Rose? Lmao

 

[darthska]

My opinions change slowly. Very rarely formed, dismantled or swayed suddenly.

Initially, I was excited about a Wildcat being a Laker. That opinion has not been completely swayed to now demanding that he be traded and he's terrible.

But I am trending more towards the negative than the positive regarding him. That can also be swayed. I'm not one to passionately argue something that I know neither of us (me and whoever I'm debating) has any control of. We're not on the phone fielding trade offers and we're not drawing up contract extensions.

Nothing we say matters to our beloved team. Remember that, and everybody love everybody!

 

[tonelow]

Core of Ball-BI-Kuz with Nance, Hart, Zu seems damn good to me. Y'all had the unrealistic expectations to keep everyone around. Don't know why. Get those 2 marquee free agents and we cooking with gas next year.

Yea, even if you look at golden State and okc, they had to let some of the young guys go eventually. I think okc went too far with it but it's true that you can't expect all the young guys to be part of the next playoff contending team.

Kinda off the 2 free agent plan tho. Not sold on two franchise players coming.

Randle has really improved defensively but still makes bad decisions with the ball in his hands. He has decent vision in transition but has tunnel vision whenever he gets it on the block. Im happy with his improvement but don't think it would be smart to pay him 18+ so I'm with trading him for the best pick/upside young player we can.

Looking forward to how we adjust the defense, giving up way too many 3s. Zu and Randle have been pretty good in the paint from what I've seen.

 

[P C H]

Randle can be improved, and Kuz can be a better fit for the Lakers, both can be true.

I joke about Julius but it's obvious he's improved to me. I like him. He still gets excited at times but that motor at times is flat out elite, and his ability to throw those quick deadball passes to shooters was really effective for the Lakers last year. It helped Nick Young a ton. Just from the way he can handle the ball, and dribble hard to shooters while simultaneously setting screens for them, he can make decisions with the ball, he's an athlete too, I mean there is a lot to like about Julius Randle.

That being said, there's also a ton of question marks with him as well. From being out of control at times, effort wavers at times, weak right hand, will never be a good defender, but literally it all boils down to shooting with Julius. You just can't justify keeping Julius when he's a 37% shooter from midrange and can't shoot 3's either. If you believe in Walton, and want ball to flourish, then there's just no way Randle can be a part of this team's future. And that's okay, that's just not who Julius is right now. Literally just like the D'Lo situation where they felt they had someone better and more fit to play the point in Ball, they have someone who they feel fits better to play the 4 in Kuz.

 

[had pants]

 

[sohi 23]

I'm hearing people say the Lakers should should start Kuzma over BI. The same BI Magic said was gunna score 20 points a game this year

 

[notoriousmj23]

Everyone is just excited cause basketball is back. Let's see how things go in the regular season.
Kuzma is displaying a lot of promise tho.
I still like Ball over him but glad we have them both for sure.

 

[CP1708]

I'm hearing people say the Lakers should should start Kuzma over BI. The same BI Magic said was gunna score 20 points a game this year

It's just getting comical at this point.

 

[lovehateself]

I'm hearing people say the Lakers should should start Kuzma over BI. The same BI Magic said was gunna score 20 points a game this year

people are dumb

 

[delete1234]

people are dumb

After these past few years I’m thoroughly convinced we have the worst fans of all time

 

[MVP]

Anybody going to the season opener?

 

[Lizakers]

Kuzma keeps this up they have to find more minutes for him. He’s not some 19 year old rookie, kid’s 22, maybe he’s ready right now

Not worried about Zo, I mean look how Fultz played his first game , even Simmons shot horribly. I like Zo’s skill set as a PG, he’ll be fine long term after bumps and bruises in his first few seasons

 

[CP1708]

I like Zo’s skill set as a PG, he’ll be fine long term after bumps and bruises in his first few seasons

 

[God]

Randle can be improved, and Kuz can be a better fit for the Lakers, both can be true.

I joke about Julius but it's obvious he's improved to me. I like him. He still gets excited at times but that motor at times is flat out elite, and his ability to throw those quick deadball passes to shooters was really effective for the Lakers last year. It helped Nick Young a ton. Just from the way he can handle the ball, and dribble hard to shooters while simultaneously setting screens for them, he can make decisions with the ball, he's an athlete too, I mean there is a lot to like about Julius Randle.

That being said, there's also a ton of question marks with him as well. From being out of control at times, effort wavers at times, weak right hand, will never be a good defender, but literally it all boils down to shooting with Julius. You just can't justify keeping Julius when he's a 37% shooter from midrange and can't shoot 3's either. If you believe in Walton, and want ball to flourish, then there's just no way Randle can be a part of this team's future. And that's okay, that's just not who Julius is right now. Literally just like the D'Lo situation where they felt they had someone better and more fit to play the point in Ball, they have someone who they feel fits better to play the 4 in Kuz.

This is what I've been saying, but dudes refuse to understand how his style adversely affects too many other aspects.

 

[moonman818]

I'm hearing people say the Lakers should should start Kuzma over BI. The same BI Magic said was gunna score 20 points a game this year

Considering how Kuzma has played way better BI thus far, not even sure it’s that laughable.

 

[moonman818]

I like Zo’s skill set as a PG, he’ll be fine long term after bumps and bruises in his first few seasons

Since when do we like to give young players time?

 

[pmatic]