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so we not gonna release jordan or bazemore huh?
**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by licensed to ball,
- Start date
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“We didn’t see a buyout candidate that would make an immediate impact and we value the chemistry these vets bring”
Quote coming soon
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They’re family
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i read online dj gave vogel a scolding the last time he yanked him from the game
how you get mad when you sucking on court?
how you get mad when you sucking on court?
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The play that can (not really, but let's be nice) save the Lakers season
It's not great that 75% through a dispiriting Lakers season, I jolt out of my seat whenever I see this -- the same reaction I might have if I spotted a tiger outside my office window:
It was not hard to predict Russell Westbrook would be an awkward-to-disastrous fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis -- and erase the idea of playing traditional centers. As I wrote upon the trade, if James is the best shooter in some core lineups, you've done a bad job building a team around James. Westbrook isn't the typical non-shooting point guard, either. He's a non-shooting point guard who shoots all the time.
Westbrook needed to tweak his game, and the easiest tweak was setting ball screens for James. Everyone within the team knew this over the summer. When it became a talking point after the Lakers' 0-2 start, Westbrook set eight ball screens in the next game -- the most he has set in any game since Second Spectrum set up video tracking in 2013.
He has not set more than two in any game since. Westbrook screening more is not on its own turning this sub-.500 mess into a title team. Duh. But it would help, and that it hasn't happened is an organizational failure.
A lot of the media -- this writer included -- is guilty of underestimating how difficult it is getting stars to change how they play. It's hard for successful people in any profession to hear, You're not good enough anymore to do what you've always done. Good luck convincing the triple-double king to become some hybrid of Bruce Brown and Draymond Green. The Lakers have at times gone the other way, encouraging Westbrook to "be Russ" in an effort to buoy his confidence.
But Westbrook has the explosiveness, vision, and creativity to average 20 points and 8 assists in that Draymond-style role -- provided he could still "be Russ" when James rests.
Buckle up. Either the Lakers are squeaking through the play-in back door -- they have almost 0% chance of cracking the top six -- and reminding us any team with James and Davis is scary, or limping into a perilous summer.
It's not great that 75% through a dispiriting Lakers season, I jolt out of my seat whenever I see this -- the same reaction I might have if I spotted a tiger outside my office window:
It was not hard to predict Russell Westbrook would be an awkward-to-disastrous fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis -- and erase the idea of playing traditional centers. As I wrote upon the trade, if James is the best shooter in some core lineups, you've done a bad job building a team around James. Westbrook isn't the typical non-shooting point guard, either. He's a non-shooting point guard who shoots all the time.
Westbrook needed to tweak his game, and the easiest tweak was setting ball screens for James. Everyone within the team knew this over the summer. When it became a talking point after the Lakers' 0-2 start, Westbrook set eight ball screens in the next game -- the most he has set in any game since Second Spectrum set up video tracking in 2013.
He has not set more than two in any game since. Westbrook screening more is not on its own turning this sub-.500 mess into a title team. Duh. But it would help, and that it hasn't happened is an organizational failure.
A lot of the media -- this writer included -- is guilty of underestimating how difficult it is getting stars to change how they play. It's hard for successful people in any profession to hear, You're not good enough anymore to do what you've always done. Good luck convincing the triple-double king to become some hybrid of Bruce Brown and Draymond Green. The Lakers have at times gone the other way, encouraging Westbrook to "be Russ" in an effort to buoy his confidence.
But Westbrook has the explosiveness, vision, and creativity to average 20 points and 8 assists in that Draymond-style role -- provided he could still "be Russ" when James rests.
Buckle up. Either the Lakers are squeaking through the play-in back door -- they have almost 0% chance of cracking the top six -- and reminding us any team with James and Davis is scary, or limping into a perilous summer.
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Season starts tonight
#7 seed within reach
Strive for Greatness
#7 seed within reach
Strive for Greatness
- 92,270
- 127,785
Three keys for the Lakers to maximize their post-All-Star break surge
The Lakers practiced on Thursday for the first time since the All-Star break, beginning a pivotal stretch of their season that will determine if they have any chance of climbing out of the ninth spot in the West with 24 games remaining.
When asked what his message was to his team on their first day back, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel kept the objective simple, saying the 27-31 Lakers need to “win as many games as we can.”
“We know exactly where we’re at in the standings,” Vogel said. “We’re six back from the six-spot, we’re three-and-a-half back from the seven-spot, and we’re one-and-a-half back from the eight-spot. We know the goal would be to get to the top six. We know that’s a long shot but still within reach if we come out strong. And if we don’t, if we’re not able to get that, then getting into that first Play-In game. The first Play-In game is double elimination. The 9-10 game is single elimination.
“Every game is going to matter. We want to move up as much as we can in the standings. But more importantly than all of that, we want to play our best basketball down the stretch and peak going into those playoffs series or games.”
LeBron James, who dominated headlines over the past week with his comments during All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, was not at practice after the Lakers gave him additional time off. Vogel said James’ comments weren’t a distraction and that he didn’t feel the need to address them with James or the team.
“I learned to let the noise be noise and focus on what’s in front of me, which, that’s winning the next game,” Vogel said.
The shorthanded Lakers, who are currently without Anthony Davis, Kendrick Nunn and Avery Bradley, received some positive news on the Carmelo Anthony front: Anthony was a full participant in Thursday’s practice and is probable to play in Friday’s game against the Clippers.
Davis, who sprained his right mid-foot against Utah during the Lakers’ final game before the All-Star break, wasn’t around during the visible portion of practice for the media but was walking around off of his crutches, according to Vogel.
“He was here today, moving around gingerly without crutches,” Vogel said. “But, obviously, it’s gonna be a long road for him.”
It’s also going to be a long road for the Lakers without Davis as his injury puts their post-All-Star-break aspirations of rising in the standings in serious jeopardy. As the Lakers regroup and reset after a week off, here are three keys to try to maximize their final 24 games.
Establish a consistent starting lineup
The Lakers are 58 games into the season and don’t have an established starting lineup yet. That is a ridiculous statement.
The primary reason, of course, has been the sporadic absences for most of the rotation, because of injury, suspension or COVID-19. But the other notable reason has been the inconsistency with the rotation’s performance, causing Vogel to constantly vacillate between who he relies on.
It was easier to build a starting lineup before Davis’ injury. Now, the Lakers have three spots to fill to build a lineup around James and Russell Westbrook.
There should be five candidates for the three spots: Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, Stanley Johnson, Dwight Howard and Trevor Ariza (Talen Horton-Tucker is a more natural fit off the bench as his subpar 3-point shooting and need to have the ball in his hands make him an awkward fit next to James and Westbrook simultaneously).
Bradley will also factor in the mix, though it’s worth noting that Vogel’s confidence in him has slightly waned recently. (Bradley has played fewer than 20 minutes in three of his last five games.)
Here are how some of the lineup combinations have fared this season as three-man combinations.
Monk should be a near-lock for a starting spot given the Lakers’ need for shot creation without Davis. Reaves is also a strong contender — possibly even over Monk, as he’s a plus-defender with the versatility to chip in multiple ways.
If James is the starting center — the outcome in any scenario in which Howard isn’t starting — the Lakers need more frontcourt size. A James-Johnson/Ariza-Reaves trio is probably too small. A Monk-Bradley pairing is definitely too diminutive on the wing.
Thus, the Lakers probably need to start two of Johnson, Ariza or Howard, with Monk filling the other backcourt spot. Reaves has developed solid chemistry with Carmelo Anthony and Horton-Tucker off the bench, and Vogel seems to prefer him as a jolt of energy with the second unit.
At this point, the Lakers are best off establishing a starting lineup and developing continuity and consistency with their rotation. Even if the lineup is imperfect — there’s still a reasonable chance it features Bradley — it would be better to stick a lineup and adjust mid-game than continue to reshuffle the starting lineup and rotation on a nightly basis.
Play the young guys more
Good things happen for the Lakers when Monk and Reaves are on the floor. Regardless of whether they start — and at least one of them should — they should each be playing 25-plus minutes every night (something that’s only happened once in the past five games for Reaves). Monk has consistently crossed that threshold in recent weeks and should be in line for more minutes with Davis out.
Monk and Reaves have arguably been the Lakers’ third- and fourth-best players for large stretches of the season. Monk leads the team in plus-minus (plus-12
, with Reaves not far behind him (plus-124). Only one rotation regular has a positive plus-minus (Carmelo Anthony, who is plus-65).
Monk and Reaves are two of the team’s best shooters and playmakers. Monk provides a level of necessary shot creation, energy and athleticism. Reaves is a jack-of-all-trades who shape-shifts to whatever a lineup needs.
Horton-Tucker has been a bit of a disappointment considering the contract the Lakers signed him to last offseason and the lofty preseason expectations for his role. He played well heading into the All-Star break, though, and could serve as the Lakers’ fourth- or fifth-most reliable offensive option without Davis.
For as much as Johnson’s poor 3-point shooting — and more harmful, defenders flat-out ignoring him at the line — can hurt certain lineups, the Lakers actually have their highest offensive rating (113.1) when Johnson is on the floor. That’s partially due to the small-ball lineups, in which Johnson is often the 4/5. But his ability to get out in transition and to occasionally exploit mismatches is valuable, to say nothing of his switchable defense and overall sturdiness.
Most of the Lakers’ free-agency misses — DeAndre Jordan, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, Ariza, etc. — have been their older players. The young guys have often played hard and provided energy on one or both ends of the floor. There is no time for managing egos or playing politics. The Lakers need to win and that requires more lineups with their younger players.
Maintain their small-ball identity
The Lakers began dabbling with a smaller identity back in November when James shifted to center and led them to an overtime win in Indiana.
They embraced their small-ball identity further in December and January, starting James at center for seven games once Davis went down on Dec. 17 with a left MCL sprain. The Lakers went 5-2 during that stretch, albeit against lesser competition for the most part.
Vogel has been transparent about the challenges of playing small without Davis. It’s one thing to play James at center for 12-15 minutes per game. It’s another thing to play him there for 30-35 minutes per game.
The Lakers don’t have the frontcourt depth or versatility to fully center-less without Davis, meaning that they’ll likely have to dust off Howard and possibly even DeAndre Jordan in the coming weeks.
“We’re going to need them more, a lot more now than when AD was using up a lot of the center minutes,” Vogel said. “So we’re gonna need both of those guys.”
Howard hasn’t been as effective in his third stint with the Lakers, regressing as a finisher, rebounder and rim-protector. He can help in a 12-to-14-minute role, but he’s not capable of assuming most or even half of Davis’ minutes.
Jordan has been arguably the worst Laker this season. The Lakers are -94 in his 399 minutes — the third-worst mark on the team, behind only Russell Westbrook (-116 in 1,970 minutes) and Bradley (-123 in 1,165 minutes). He hasn’t played at a rotation-caliber level. The Lakers are better off going smaller with Johnson, Ariza or even Anthony.
The larger point is that while the Lakers’ small-ball personnel isn’t exactly ideal, their centers — especially Jordan — aren’t good enough to necessarily warrant playing big for 48 minutes either. The Lakers’ offense has cratered with Jordan on the floor (the Lakers have a team-worst 96.0 offensive rating when Jordan is on the floor).
Vogel always leans toward more defense with lineups. He’s stated that he prefers two-big lineups for that very reason. But spacing just isn’t ideal with a paint-bound big man clogging the driving lanes — even with one big. Los Angeles doesn’t have the requisite supplementary shooting.
Vogel has to strike the right balance, and that balance tilts more toward small-ball. The Lakers’ lineup data suggests their best bet is more James at center than not.
“We’ve done a lot of just studying the film and the analytics of that stretch when Anthony was out and things that worked and things that didn’t work,” Vogel said. “And there’s some things we’re comfortable with going forward. Obviously a lot of lessons learned during that stretch. Hopefully, we can be a little better than we were during that stretch.
“There were some real positives with how we played small and LeBron playing center. Whether that becomes a full-time thing, it’s probably to be more of a hybrid of using that lineup in doses. But we definitely looked at that stretch of our season to evaluate who we’re going to be going forward.”
The Lakers practiced on Thursday for the first time since the All-Star break, beginning a pivotal stretch of their season that will determine if they have any chance of climbing out of the ninth spot in the West with 24 games remaining.
When asked what his message was to his team on their first day back, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel kept the objective simple, saying the 27-31 Lakers need to “win as many games as we can.”
“We know exactly where we’re at in the standings,” Vogel said. “We’re six back from the six-spot, we’re three-and-a-half back from the seven-spot, and we’re one-and-a-half back from the eight-spot. We know the goal would be to get to the top six. We know that’s a long shot but still within reach if we come out strong. And if we don’t, if we’re not able to get that, then getting into that first Play-In game. The first Play-In game is double elimination. The 9-10 game is single elimination.
“Every game is going to matter. We want to move up as much as we can in the standings. But more importantly than all of that, we want to play our best basketball down the stretch and peak going into those playoffs series or games.”
LeBron James, who dominated headlines over the past week with his comments during All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, was not at practice after the Lakers gave him additional time off. Vogel said James’ comments weren’t a distraction and that he didn’t feel the need to address them with James or the team.
“I learned to let the noise be noise and focus on what’s in front of me, which, that’s winning the next game,” Vogel said.
The shorthanded Lakers, who are currently without Anthony Davis, Kendrick Nunn and Avery Bradley, received some positive news on the Carmelo Anthony front: Anthony was a full participant in Thursday’s practice and is probable to play in Friday’s game against the Clippers.
Davis, who sprained his right mid-foot against Utah during the Lakers’ final game before the All-Star break, wasn’t around during the visible portion of practice for the media but was walking around off of his crutches, according to Vogel.
“He was here today, moving around gingerly without crutches,” Vogel said. “But, obviously, it’s gonna be a long road for him.”
It’s also going to be a long road for the Lakers without Davis as his injury puts their post-All-Star-break aspirations of rising in the standings in serious jeopardy. As the Lakers regroup and reset after a week off, here are three keys to try to maximize their final 24 games.
Establish a consistent starting lineup
The Lakers are 58 games into the season and don’t have an established starting lineup yet. That is a ridiculous statement.
The primary reason, of course, has been the sporadic absences for most of the rotation, because of injury, suspension or COVID-19. But the other notable reason has been the inconsistency with the rotation’s performance, causing Vogel to constantly vacillate between who he relies on.
It was easier to build a starting lineup before Davis’ injury. Now, the Lakers have three spots to fill to build a lineup around James and Russell Westbrook.
There should be five candidates for the three spots: Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, Stanley Johnson, Dwight Howard and Trevor Ariza (Talen Horton-Tucker is a more natural fit off the bench as his subpar 3-point shooting and need to have the ball in his hands make him an awkward fit next to James and Westbrook simultaneously).
Bradley will also factor in the mix, though it’s worth noting that Vogel’s confidence in him has slightly waned recently. (Bradley has played fewer than 20 minutes in three of his last five games.)
Here are how some of the lineup combinations have fared this season as three-man combinations.
Monk should be a near-lock for a starting spot given the Lakers’ need for shot creation without Davis. Reaves is also a strong contender — possibly even over Monk, as he’s a plus-defender with the versatility to chip in multiple ways.
If James is the starting center — the outcome in any scenario in which Howard isn’t starting — the Lakers need more frontcourt size. A James-Johnson/Ariza-Reaves trio is probably too small. A Monk-Bradley pairing is definitely too diminutive on the wing.
Thus, the Lakers probably need to start two of Johnson, Ariza or Howard, with Monk filling the other backcourt spot. Reaves has developed solid chemistry with Carmelo Anthony and Horton-Tucker off the bench, and Vogel seems to prefer him as a jolt of energy with the second unit.
At this point, the Lakers are best off establishing a starting lineup and developing continuity and consistency with their rotation. Even if the lineup is imperfect — there’s still a reasonable chance it features Bradley — it would be better to stick a lineup and adjust mid-game than continue to reshuffle the starting lineup and rotation on a nightly basis.
Play the young guys more
Good things happen for the Lakers when Monk and Reaves are on the floor. Regardless of whether they start — and at least one of them should — they should each be playing 25-plus minutes every night (something that’s only happened once in the past five games for Reaves). Monk has consistently crossed that threshold in recent weeks and should be in line for more minutes with Davis out.
Monk and Reaves have arguably been the Lakers’ third- and fourth-best players for large stretches of the season. Monk leads the team in plus-minus (plus-12
, with Reaves not far behind him (plus-124). Only one rotation regular has a positive plus-minus (Carmelo Anthony, who is plus-65).Monk and Reaves are two of the team’s best shooters and playmakers. Monk provides a level of necessary shot creation, energy and athleticism. Reaves is a jack-of-all-trades who shape-shifts to whatever a lineup needs.
Horton-Tucker has been a bit of a disappointment considering the contract the Lakers signed him to last offseason and the lofty preseason expectations for his role. He played well heading into the All-Star break, though, and could serve as the Lakers’ fourth- or fifth-most reliable offensive option without Davis.
For as much as Johnson’s poor 3-point shooting — and more harmful, defenders flat-out ignoring him at the line — can hurt certain lineups, the Lakers actually have their highest offensive rating (113.1) when Johnson is on the floor. That’s partially due to the small-ball lineups, in which Johnson is often the 4/5. But his ability to get out in transition and to occasionally exploit mismatches is valuable, to say nothing of his switchable defense and overall sturdiness.
Most of the Lakers’ free-agency misses — DeAndre Jordan, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, Ariza, etc. — have been their older players. The young guys have often played hard and provided energy on one or both ends of the floor. There is no time for managing egos or playing politics. The Lakers need to win and that requires more lineups with their younger players.
Maintain their small-ball identity
The Lakers began dabbling with a smaller identity back in November when James shifted to center and led them to an overtime win in Indiana.
They embraced their small-ball identity further in December and January, starting James at center for seven games once Davis went down on Dec. 17 with a left MCL sprain. The Lakers went 5-2 during that stretch, albeit against lesser competition for the most part.
Vogel has been transparent about the challenges of playing small without Davis. It’s one thing to play James at center for 12-15 minutes per game. It’s another thing to play him there for 30-35 minutes per game.
The Lakers don’t have the frontcourt depth or versatility to fully center-less without Davis, meaning that they’ll likely have to dust off Howard and possibly even DeAndre Jordan in the coming weeks.
“We’re going to need them more, a lot more now than when AD was using up a lot of the center minutes,” Vogel said. “So we’re gonna need both of those guys.”
Howard hasn’t been as effective in his third stint with the Lakers, regressing as a finisher, rebounder and rim-protector. He can help in a 12-to-14-minute role, but he’s not capable of assuming most or even half of Davis’ minutes.
Jordan has been arguably the worst Laker this season. The Lakers are -94 in his 399 minutes — the third-worst mark on the team, behind only Russell Westbrook (-116 in 1,970 minutes) and Bradley (-123 in 1,165 minutes). He hasn’t played at a rotation-caliber level. The Lakers are better off going smaller with Johnson, Ariza or even Anthony.
The larger point is that while the Lakers’ small-ball personnel isn’t exactly ideal, their centers — especially Jordan — aren’t good enough to necessarily warrant playing big for 48 minutes either. The Lakers’ offense has cratered with Jordan on the floor (the Lakers have a team-worst 96.0 offensive rating when Jordan is on the floor).
Vogel always leans toward more defense with lineups. He’s stated that he prefers two-big lineups for that very reason. But spacing just isn’t ideal with a paint-bound big man clogging the driving lanes — even with one big. Los Angeles doesn’t have the requisite supplementary shooting.
Vogel has to strike the right balance, and that balance tilts more toward small-ball. The Lakers’ lineup data suggests their best bet is more James at center than not.
“We’ve done a lot of just studying the film and the analytics of that stretch when Anthony was out and things that worked and things that didn’t work,” Vogel said. “And there’s some things we’re comfortable with going forward. Obviously a lot of lessons learned during that stretch. Hopefully, we can be a little better than we were during that stretch.
“There were some real positives with how we played small and LeBron playing center. Whether that becomes a full-time thing, it’s probably to be more of a hybrid of using that lineup in doses. But we definitely looked at that stretch of our season to evaluate who we’re going to be going forward.”
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Three keys for the Lakers to maximize their post-All-Star break surge
The Lakers practiced on Thursday for the first time since the All-Star break, beginning a pivotal stretch of their season that will determine if they have any chance of climbing out of the ninth spot in the West with 24 games remaining.
When asked what his message was to his team on their first day back, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel kept the objective simple, saying the 27-31 Lakers need to “win as many games as we can.”
“We know exactly where we’re at in the standings,” Vogel said. “We’re six back from the six-spot, we’re three-and-a-half back from the seven-spot, and we’re one-and-a-half back from the eight-spot. We know the goal would be to get to the top six. We know that’s a long shot but still within reach if we come out strong. And if we don’t, if we’re not able to get that, then getting into that first Play-In game. The first Play-In game is double elimination. The 9-10 game is single elimination.
“Every game is going to matter. We want to move up as much as we can in the standings. But more importantly than all of that, we want to play our best basketball down the stretch and peak going into those playoffs series or games.”
LeBron James, who dominated headlines over the past week with his comments during All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, was not at practice after the Lakers gave him additional time off. Vogel said James’ comments weren’t a distraction and that he didn’t feel the need to address them with James or the team.
“I learned to let the noise be noise and focus on what’s in front of me, which, that’s winning the next game,” Vogel said.
The shorthanded Lakers, who are currently without Anthony Davis, Kendrick Nunn and Avery Bradley, received some positive news on the Carmelo Anthony front: Anthony was a full participant in Thursday’s practice and is probable to play in Friday’s game against the Clippers.
Davis, who sprained his right mid-foot against Utah during the Lakers’ final game before the All-Star break, wasn’t around during the visible portion of practice for the media but was walking around off of his crutches, according to Vogel.
“He was here today, moving around gingerly without crutches,” Vogel said. “But, obviously, it’s gonna be a long road for him.”
It’s also going to be a long road for the Lakers without Davis as his injury puts their post-All-Star-break aspirations of rising in the standings in serious jeopardy. As the Lakers regroup and reset after a week off, here are three keys to try to maximize their final 24 games.
Establish a consistent starting lineup
The Lakers are 58 games into the season and don’t have an established starting lineup yet. That is a ridiculous statement.
The primary reason, of course, has been the sporadic absences for most of the rotation, because of injury, suspension or COVID-19. But the other notable reason has been the inconsistency with the rotation’s performance, causing Vogel to constantly vacillate between who he relies on.
It was easier to build a starting lineup before Davis’ injury. Now, the Lakers have three spots to fill to build a lineup around James and Russell Westbrook.
There should be five candidates for the three spots: Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, Stanley Johnson, Dwight Howard and Trevor Ariza (Talen Horton-Tucker is a more natural fit off the bench as his subpar 3-point shooting and need to have the ball in his hands make him an awkward fit next to James and Westbrook simultaneously).
Bradley will also factor in the mix, though it’s worth noting that Vogel’s confidence in him has slightly waned recently. (Bradley has played fewer than 20 minutes in three of his last five games.)
Here are how some of the lineup combinations have fared this season as three-man combinations.
Monk should be a near-lock for a starting spot given the Lakers’ need for shot creation without Davis. Reaves is also a strong contender — possibly even over Monk, as he’s a plus-defender with the versatility to chip in multiple ways.
If James is the starting center — the outcome in any scenario in which Howard isn’t starting — the Lakers need more frontcourt size. A James-Johnson/Ariza-Reaves trio is probably too small. A Monk-Bradley pairing is definitely too diminutive on the wing.
Thus, the Lakers probably need to start two of Johnson, Ariza or Howard, with Monk filling the other backcourt spot. Reaves has developed solid chemistry with Carmelo Anthony and Horton-Tucker off the bench, and Vogel seems to prefer him as a jolt of energy with the second unit.
At this point, the Lakers are best off establishing a starting lineup and developing continuity and consistency with their rotation. Even if the lineup is imperfect — there’s still a reasonable chance it features Bradley — it would be better to stick a lineup and adjust mid-game than continue to reshuffle the starting lineup and rotation on a nightly basis.
Play the young guys more
Good things happen for the Lakers when Monk and Reaves are on the floor. Regardless of whether they start — and at least one of them should — they should each be playing 25-plus minutes every night (something that’s only happened once in the past five games for Reaves). Monk has consistently crossed that threshold in recent weeks and should be in line for more minutes with Davis out.
Monk and Reaves have arguably been the Lakers’ third- and fourth-best players for large stretches of the season. Monk leads the team in plus-minus (plus-12
Monk and Reaves are two of the team’s best shooters and playmakers. Monk provides a level of necessary shot creation, energy and athleticism. Reaves is a jack-of-all-trades who shape-shifts to whatever a lineup needs.
Horton-Tucker has been a bit of a disappointment considering the contract the Lakers signed him to last offseason and the lofty preseason expectations for his role. He played well heading into the All-Star break, though, and could serve as the Lakers’ fourth- or fifth-most reliable offensive option without Davis.
For as much as Johnson’s poor 3-point shooting — and more harmful, defenders flat-out ignoring him at the line — can hurt certain lineups, the Lakers actually have their highest offensive rating (113.1) when Johnson is on the floor. That’s partially due to the small-ball lineups, in which Johnson is often the 4/5. But his ability to get out in transition and to occasionally exploit mismatches is valuable, to say nothing of his switchable defense and overall sturdiness.
Most of the Lakers’ free-agency misses — DeAndre Jordan, Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore, Ariza, etc. — have been their older players. The young guys have often played hard and provided energy on one or both ends of the floor. There is no time for managing egos or playing politics. The Lakers need to win and that requires more lineups with their younger players.
Maintain their small-ball identity
The Lakers began dabbling with a smaller identity back in November when James shifted to center and led them to an overtime win in Indiana.
They embraced their small-ball identity further in December and January, starting James at center for seven games once Davis went down on Dec. 17 with a left MCL sprain. The Lakers went 5-2 during that stretch, albeit against lesser competition for the most part.
Vogel has been transparent about the challenges of playing small without Davis. It’s one thing to play James at center for 12-15 minutes per game. It’s another thing to play him there for 30-35 minutes per game.
The Lakers don’t have the frontcourt depth or versatility to fully center-less without Davis, meaning that they’ll likely have to dust off Howard and possibly even DeAndre Jordan in the coming weeks.
“We’re going to need them more, a lot more now than when AD was using up a lot of the center minutes,” Vogel said. “So we’re gonna need both of those guys.”
Howard hasn’t been as effective in his third stint with the Lakers, regressing as a finisher, rebounder and rim-protector. He can help in a 12-to-14-minute role, but he’s not capable of assuming most or even half of Davis’ minutes.
Jordan has been arguably the worst Laker this season. The Lakers are -94 in his 399 minutes — the third-worst mark on the team, behind only Russell Westbrook (-116 in 1,970 minutes) and Bradley (-123 in 1,165 minutes). He hasn’t played at a rotation-caliber level. The Lakers are better off going smaller with Johnson, Ariza or even Anthony.
The larger point is that while the Lakers’ small-ball personnel isn’t exactly ideal, their centers — especially Jordan — aren’t good enough to necessarily warrant playing big for 48 minutes either. The Lakers’ offense has cratered with Jordan on the floor (the Lakers have a team-worst 96.0 offensive rating when Jordan is on the floor).
Vogel always leans toward more defense with lineups. He’s stated that he prefers two-big lineups for that very reason. But spacing just isn’t ideal with a paint-bound big man clogging the driving lanes — even with one big. Los Angeles doesn’t have the requisite supplementary shooting.
Vogel has to strike the right balance, and that balance tilts more toward small-ball. The Lakers’ lineup data suggests their best bet is more James at center than not.
“We’ve done a lot of just studying the film and the analytics of that stretch when Anthony was out and things that worked and things that didn’t work,” Vogel said. “And there’s some things we’re comfortable with going forward. Obviously a lot of lessons learned during that stretch. Hopefully, we can be a little better than we were during that stretch.
“There were some real positives with how we played small and LeBron playing center. Whether that becomes a full-time thing, it’s probably to be more of a hybrid of using that lineup in doses. But we definitely looked at that stretch of our season to evaluate who we’re going to be going forward.”
Wow. Bold goal. Thinking outside the box here!
“Move up in the standings”
Lightyears ahead of the competition
darthska
Staff member
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Everyone else playing checkers, we playing... hide & seek. In the desert.
-foe
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If Lakers go 20-4 or better in the last 24 they will reach the WCF
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I’ll take 12-12 
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for us to have a good 24 games frank vogel gotta step up and utilize his entire roster. no more of this "if hes playing today your not playing today" bull ****.
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20-4?!?!
16-8 would have me juiced.
I was gon say season starts tonight but AD isn’t here
I’m hyped for the final 24 games tho. Hopefully the week long break did the team good. We’ll see.
It seems we have no shot at the 6th seed. Best we can get is the 7 but I’ll take that.
16-8 would have me juiced.
I was gon say season starts tonight but AD isn’t here
I’m hyped for the final 24 games tho. Hopefully the week long break did the team good. We’ll see.
It seems we have no shot at the 6th seed. Best we can get is the 7 but I’ll take that.
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Tonight is pretty much a must-win if they want the 8 seed from the Clippers.
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U ain’t never lied!
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Feels like we haven’t beat the clips in years. That ends tonight
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F the Clippers
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on the waterfront
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Lol yaaayyy 9th seed. Woohoo.
I’ll let y’all watch. I’ll be sipping on the finest.
Hot Green tea and going to be at 930 like the wet hairy ***** I am.
I’ll let y’all watch. I’ll be sipping on the finest.
Hot Green tea and going to be at 930 like the wet hairy ***** I am.
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You’ll miss the fourth quarter comeback when we cut it from 30 to 12
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I’ll be in Victorville knee deep is some 5’10” big booty cakes tonight…
Wish me luck guys she’s a real PAWG
Wish me luck guys she’s a real PAWG
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victorville
damn doggie...
you can borrow my honda fit
damn doggie...
you can borrow my honda fit
