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

[grittyman]

This is Meh for the Bucks, Still Old, Still lack depth & just lost their only perimeter defender. Obviously their contenders but i don't think this move is some monumental needle mover.

The Suns IMO got much better, added one solid starter & two rotational players , With that said if Portland doesn't trade Jrue ASAP i think him to the Lakers at the deadline is heavy in play.

What solid starter are you speaking of?

 

[pmatic]

Nurk.

 

[trynafeelmink]

What solid starter are you speaking of?

Nurkic isn't better than Ayton in a vacuum, but his role is much more defined & easier to see. He can score in the paint, spread the floor a little bit, good rebounder, slow footed but a willing defender.

Suns biggest issue is that he has a hard time staying healthy & having that risk with a team thats already thin as hell up front should be very worrisome for them. But if he's healthy he can give you 90% of what Ayton was going to give you in that role, while not being a soft malcontent

 

[lovehateself]

Nurkic isn't better than Ayton in a vacuum, but his role is much more defined & easier to see. He can score in the paint, spread the floor a little bit, good rebounder, slow footed but a willing defender.

Suns biggest issue is that he has a hard time staying healthy & having that risk with a team thats already thin as hell up front should be very worrisome for them. But if he's healthy he can give you 90% of what Ayton was going to give you in that role, while not being a soft malcontent

nurk played more games then kd and beal did last season

 

[Brosizzlew30.23]

Dame ain't 7' so I'm not worried

MIL got Dame without having to give up Middleton. They also kept all their Bigs intact.

Lakers vs Bucks in the Finals confirmed. It was supposed to happen in 2021 anyway.

 

[reconic supreme]

pelicans stay losing

dem bucks picks they got are worthless lmao

 

[tupac003]

Yeah I think the suns did ok in this deal.

Only way we gonna beat the bucks is if AD nuts up against Giannis.

 

[pmatic]

Yeah I think the suns did ok in this deal.

Only way we gonna beat the bucks is if AD nuts up against Giannis.

Bring Dame into every offensive action, which should bring Giannis/Lopez out. Hope Bron and the guards can get to the rim from there.

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

AD usually plays well against Giannis. Bron too

 

[grittyman]

Nurkic isn't better than Ayton in a vacuum, but his role is much more defined & easier to see. He can score in the paint, spread the floor a little bit, good rebounder, slow footed but a willing defender.

Suns biggest issue is that he has a hard time staying healthy & having that risk with a team thats already thin as hell up front should be very worrisome for them. But if he's healthy he can give you 90% of what Ayton was going to give you in that role, while not being a soft malcontent

Man stop.

Ayton is a legit two way center.

Nurkic is a legit no way center.

This was just a way for them to get off Ayton's contract. They'll probably find a way to play a lot of KD at the 5 lineups when it matters the most anyway.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

This is Meh for the Bucks, Still Old, Still lack depth & just lost their only perimeter defender. Obviously their contenders but i don't think this move is some monumental needle mover.

The Suns IMO got much better, added one solid starter & two rotational players , With that said if Portland doesn't trade Jrue ASAP i think him to the Lakers at the deadline is heavy in play.

You trippin bruh. Giannis/Dame with Middleton, Portis and Lopez and shooters.

 

[pmatic]

Nurkic has a lot of experiencing playing the short-roll so he should be better than Ayton in that regard when defenses trap Booker and Durant.

 

[Brosizzlew30.23]

If Lakers can swing DLo and Vando for Jrue

Man stop.

Ayton is a legit two way center.

Nurkic is a legit no way center.

This was just a way for them to get off Ayton's contract. They'll probably find a way to play a lot of KD at the 5 lineups when it matters the most anyway.

KD at the 5


You know what skinny xxx KD at center is?

If PHX does that, Lakers in 2

 

[grittyman]

Nurkic has a lot of experiencing playing the short-roll so he should be better than Ayton in that regard when defenses trap Booker and Durant.

Not something that I really studied about Ayton's game but he looks capable here... if you say Nurk is better I'll take your word for that.

If we just want to say team chemistry will improve with Ayton gone I would buy that but it's a downgrade at that possible and upside with the other players added.

 

[pmatic]

Ayton was more likely to shoot that elbow jumper than make plays out of the short-roll.

Defense will for sure suffer though.

 

[grittyman]

If Lakers can swing DLo and Vando for Jrue

KD at the 5


You know what skinny xxx KD at center is?

If PHX does that, Lakers in 2

KD has been playing SOME center every year more and more since the Warriors days.

I’m not convinced you actually watch any nba basketball since the early 90’s.

 

[dontsteponmyshoes]

Always appreciate Ron, will never forget the roller coaster of emotions he put me through those championship runs

"Kobe passed me the ball" top 10 all time nba moment for me. From the actual shot to the post game presser and the quote

 

[trynafeelmink]

You trippin bruh. Giannis/Dame with Middleton, Portis and Lopez and shooters.

They had the same concerns as a team that they did prior to the trade. Dame is better than Jrue no doubt, But it's not like Jrue was some scrub. He's a good offensive player & a top 5 defender in the league. I get it, defense has been nurfed by the current NBA but a defender of that level could really really make an impact on your team overall (Word to AD)

If they don't have Lopez closing games at the 5, your basically looking at Giannis having to do what AD did for this Lakers team prior to the deadline, Giannis has to cover EVERYTHING on the floor to mask for that terrible defense they will have out there.

Maybe the Dame/Giannis two man is just that unstoppable & they just outscore everyone. but new Superstar, rookie head coach, extremely bad defenders.... i'm just not penciling them in to be that much better. Them getting embarrassed by Miami makes people forget how good they looked last year (almost 60 wins)

 

[DLF]

Would be interesting if Rob picks up the phone and sees how interested Portland might be in Beasley (17mill), Bamba (10 mill), JHS (4.5 mill) 2029 first rounder for Holiday?

Holiday/Dlo
Reaves/Christie/walker
Vando/Prince/reddish
lebron/rui
aD/wood/hayes


Ooops. Wrong timeline

 

[Maximus Meridius]

They had the same concerns as a team that they did prior to the trade. Dame is better than Jrue no doubt, But it's not like Jrue was some scrub. He's a good offensive player & a top 5 defender in the league. I get it, defense has been nurfed by the current NBA but a defender of that level could really really make an impact on your team overall (Word to AD)

If they don't have Lopez closing games at the 5, your basically looking at Giannis having to do what AD did for this Lakers team prior to the deadline, Giannis has to cover EVERYTHING on the floor to mask for that terrible defense they will have out there.

Maybe the Dame/Giannis two man is just that unstoppable & they just outscore everyone. but new Superstar, rookie head coach, extremely bad defenders.... i'm just not penciling them in to be that much better. Them getting embarrassed by Miami makes people forget how good they looked last year (almost 60 wins)

Holiday is good but Dame is on another level. Giannis can close games on defense now that Dame is taking pressure off him on offense.

 

[trynafeelmink]

Man stop.

Ayton is a legit two way center.

Nurkic is a legit no way center.

This was just a way for them to get off Ayton's contract. They'll probably find a way to play a lot of KD at the 5 lineups when it matters the most anyway.

LMFAO at 35 yr old KD trying to be the anchor of a defense & even more at Ayton being a legit two way center. Dude just wants to get paid & get touches, dude is cupcake soft & not a winning player

 

[trynafeelmink]

Holiday is good but Dame is on another level. Giannis can close games on defense now that Dame is taking pressure off him on offense.

We gonna see Dame on another level offensively & Defensively, he isn't a steph type guy who's been solid to good, he's legit horrendous at it.

Also their 3 best guys after Giannis the past 3 years

Middleton - 167/246 (games)
Lillard - 154/246
Lopez - 161/246

All over 30, They are easily a top 3 contender IMO. But we thought that last year & they got mopped up

All i'm saying is i'm not crowning them yet.

I wish we had the package for Jrue right now, but we can't trade some until December. You tell me a trade of D'Lo/Vando or Rui/ a unprotected 1st & one of the young prospects for Jrue... & i would place some stacks on LA to win the chip tonight

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

If I'm trading young players and unprotected picks I'd rather get somebody that's not about to retire. There's a handful of guards under 30 that might be available in the near future

 

[Brosizzlew30.23]

KD has been playing SOME center every year more and more since the Warriors days.

I’m not convinced you actually watch any nba basketball since the early 90’s.

Does PHX have 4x champs Klay and Steph?

And dont even try to say they got Book and Beal. Neither of those two pretenders have any championship hardware.

Nice try tho

 

[Maximus Meridius]

KD at center don't work with that suns roster