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

[grittyman]

Russell was what 19 when he was drafted?

Surrounded by Swaggy P, several other clowns and a coach that didn’t like him but somehow he was the one who got a bad rap out of all that.

Never made any sense to me

 

[essential1]

It’s the point I made a couple days ago about how teams treat players on their way out can impact their career forever.

Byron Scott trashed him in the media nightly. Magic trashed him on the way out.
When he wasn’t even that bad in his first two years, not what was expected, but those teams for the Lakers were plain just not good.
People made up their mind in the Swaggy P incident. When DLo tried to move on, Swaggy P still mentions DLo it’s like 7 years later.

DLo still gets the “immature” label after turning around the Nets franchise as a leader on the team, and being sacrificed for KD (Sean Marks goofed), not complaining when Warriors got him to flip him, not complaining when Finch pulled him in a playoff game, and pretty much everybody he’s been teammates with since leaving LA, and even some of the guys from LA say good things about him. (Rudy being the exception, but DLo isn’t the first player to have issues with Rudy, including current Timberwolves).

DLo also being just a level guy. Makes people think he doesn’t give a ****.

DLo may not be what the ceiling was for him. But he’s had a really good career. Despite the reputation provided to him. And a ton of instability.

 

[DLF]

The real question is:

Was conley Beasley vandy trade available for us last summer for 1 2027 UNPROTECTED pick?

 

[essential1]

The real question is:

Was conley Beasley vandy trade available for us last summer for 1 2027 UNPROTECTED pick?

Hard to say yes.

Ainge got 5- 1sts and a pick swap for Rudy.

He probably thought, he could get 2, maybe 3 for Conley. Which wouldn’t have been crazy to think based on the Rudy trade.

 

[pmatic]

The real question is:

Was conley Beasley vandy trade available for us last summer for 1 2027 UNPROTECTED pick?

Hell nah. It would've been two picks with all the money owed to Brick.

 

[essential1]

essential1

Yup.

Chris Finch has talked about how much basketball DLo watches. Something along the lines that if he’s not playing, he’s watching hours and hours of games.

DLo knows other teams sets and can call them out.




The problem is two fold. He sometimes takes too much focus on seeing what everyone else is doing and will lose track of his man.
2. He lacks the explosive lateral speed to stay in front in a defensive stance of a quick first step with the ball.

When the effort is there, he plays decent defense. But it isn’t always there for a variety of reasons.

 

[CP1708]

You’re going to trade our only chance at a ring for some 1st rounders that won’t be valuable because AD is dominating for the next team?

I’m not trading our only chance at a ring for a “young piece” and multiple picks ranging from 20-30.

Or.........he sprains his ankle and misses half the season and it's a Top 10 pick. Kind of like we're lookin at right now.......

And 2 years from now he could be even worse

And 4 years from now......

 

[sohi 23]

The whole reason they only have 25 games or whatever to gain chemistry and leap from all these teams is because they didn’t want to give up 2 picks to remedy the Westbrook mistake.

Waiting worked but it’s going to be tough now. I believe the team would be a top 4-5 seed rn if we did the Turner/Hield trade in the summer but is that worth the extra pick? Idk.

 

[pmatic]

 

[essential1]

The Byron Head Coach years were something

 

[pmatic]

Doing some simple math, this team is gonna be in the tax again unless they don't bring back one of D'Lo, Beasley or Rui.

 

[moonman818]

Russell was what 19 when he was drafted?

Surrounded by Swaggy P, several other clowns and a coach that didn’t like him but somehow he was the one who got a bad rap out of all that.

Never made any sense to me

I mean he did practically ruin Nick Young’s life bro

 

[pmatic]

I mean he did practically ruin Nick Young’s life bro

Some would argue he saved Nick Young's life.

 

[sohi 23]

Or.........he sprains his ankle and misses half the season and it's a Top 10 pick. Kind of like we're lookin at right now.......

And 2 years from now he could be even worse

And 4 years from now......

If we didn’t have Lebron I could see where you’re coming from. Wasting the end of Lebron’s career to rebuild for the future would be infuriating.

Because he’s still playing at a level that can win a title, because the FO promised him (and fans) they’d always compete for titles and because we wasted the end of Kobe’s career the same exact way.

People think tanking is some guaranteed strategy when there’s so many things that can go wrong. If health is the only obstacle, I’m rather be competing for rings over watching another rebuild.

 

[essential1]

Doing some simple math, this team is gonna be in the tax again unless they don't bring back one of D'Lo, Beasley or Rui.

Considering what available in Free Agency. It’s probably why Woj said they want to extend DLo

Of guys they could fit under a gut the team, maximize cap space (Van Vleet, Draymond, Kuzma, Kristaps, Clarkson, Jerami Grant, Christian Wood, Harrison Barnes, Bogdan)

 

[pmatic]

Considering what available in Free Agency. It’s probably why Woj said they want to extend DLo

Of guys they could fit under a gut the team, maximize cap space (Van Vleet, Draymond, Kuzma, Kristaps, Clarkson, Jerami Grant, Christian Wood, Harrison Barnes, Bogdan)

Don't think any of the cap space teams are gonna go after D'Lo so there's some incentive to just wait it out. It would be ideal to get him under $22M AAV.

 

[grittyman]

I mean he did practically ruin Nick Young’s life bro

My point is (and has always been) guys like Nick Young shouldn’t have even been on the team, and the moment I see my number two pick hanging out with him I’d probably have traded him.

Put the kid in an environment that’s going to help him learn and grow, basically the opposite what happened.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Nick Young was a clown and I think Dlo was following his lead. Either way it was years ago. I like what he said at the end of this. Without saying so many words I think he took accountability and has grown.

 

[essential1]

 

[MVP]

If we didn’t have Lebron I could see where you’re coming from. Wasting the end of Lebron’s career to rebuild for the future would be infuriating.

Because he’s still playing at a level that can win a title, because the FO promised him (and fans) they’d always compete for titles and because we wasted the end of Kobe’s career the same exact way.

People think tanking is some guaranteed strategy when there’s so many things that can go wrong. If health is the only obstacle, I’m rather be competing for rings over watching another rebuild.

Competing for rings just hasn't been the reality in his tenure here largely due to his co-star's inability to stay healthy. Roster has been turned over every season since his arrival and we're very much on the verge of missing the playoffs in 4 outta 5 years.

Nobody is wasting the end of his career. He seems content to get his numbers and chase all these milestones and more importantly just be in LA. It's why he signed that extension with no real reasoning to do so.

If this doesn't work out the rest of this season, moving AD needs to absolutely be on the table.

 

[essential1]

AD for KAT!

 

[drewsone]

Cuz was playing 38 mpg to stay competitive and now his foot cooked smh lol

 

[pmatic]

 

[essential1]

Rob did not mention my return once.

*Sends cryptic tweet disguised as a trade demand*

 

[MIKE LOWERY]

I'm intrigued.

DLo
Beasley
Vando
Bron
AD

A bench unit with Schroder/Reaves/TB7/Rui/Bamba should have no problem scoring or defending (ie don't lose leads when Bron sits). You got guys who have all spent time starting and can steal minutes in a pinch with foul trouble or injuries. Not sure who finishes, but it's probably Vando subbing out for Reaves, depending on the team. Then you have 3 good-great range shooters who can all get their own shot if needed outside of Bron/AD.

Then you still got Lonnie/Reed/Christie/Wenyen to find time for.

If Oubre or Burks get bought out, take it and run