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


Don't really see Vando starting when he returns, Prince and his shooting adds another dimension that's just not going to be there with Vando
 
Prince the better fit, but Vandos defense on some of these superstars is top tier. He did great against Luka and can really slow down some of these ball-dominant stars. Will need to pick and choose when to use him
 
Definitely not starting the season under 500…

Lakers are better than the Kings, Suns and arguably the Nuggets… but since they’re the champs I will give em the benefit of the doubt
 
Stay woke

If we start 5-5 or worse, will be interesting to see if Ham inserts Hayes into that starting lineup
 
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Don’t really care about lists and rankings since most are usually clickbait but saw this from the Ringer’s top 100 NBA player ranking article..

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Lakers preseason takeaways: Offense looks more explosive, but can it last?

The most notable takeaway from the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2-4 preseason: Their offense was a bright spot.

The Lakers’ best offense rating in the LeBron James–Anthony Davis era was the 2019-20 championship season, when they ranked 11th in points scored per 100 possessions. Since then, they’ve ranked 24th, 22nd and 19th in offensive rating – an upward trajectory, but far too low for a team with championship aspirations. (They jumped to 14th after last season’s trade deadline.)

But between the offseason additions of Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince and Christian Wood, and coach Darvin Ham’s move from a four-out offensive system to more five-out sets, the Lakers’ offense looked far more potent in the preseason. Four of the Lakers’ five starters had individual offensive ratings that would’ve ranked in the top six when extrapolated into a team context: Taurean Prince (117.3 offensive rating), Austin Reaves (116.8), D’Angelo Russell (116.6) and Davis (116.2). James (106.8) was the only starter with a subpar offensive rating, though that was partly because he played with some mishmash second-unit lineups.

Los Angeles’ offense has a verve it’s so often lacked. The Lakers are running more complex pick-and-roll and dribble hand-off actions. The ball pops side to side, rarely stopping for more than a second or two. They have the failsafe options of James or Davis creating a high-percentage shot out of nowhere, but they also have the pick-and-roll and isolation abilities of Reaves and Russell, plus the spot-up and secondary creation skills of Vincent, Prince and Hachimura. Wood’s role in the offense is still being defined, but he is a talented offensive player as well.

Through the preseason, the Lakers ranked tied for 18th in 3-pointers made per game, 18th in 3-pointers attempted per game and ninth in percentage. That cumulative 3-point shooting profile would be their best since the 2019-20 season, and could possibly exceed that campaign’s performance. The increase in 3s is paying off with better scoring efficiency with primary lineups. In the approximately seven and a half preseason quarters the team played its regular rotation (the first half against the Brooklyn Nets, the first three quarters against the Golden State Warriors and the first two-and-a-half quarters against the Phoenix Suns), the Lakers scored 240 points, which averages out to 32 points per quarter, or 128 points per game. (For perspective, the Kings led the NBA last season with a 120.7 points per game average.)

The Lakers have the makings of a top-10 offense, which would be a first in the James-Davis era. There’s likely a defense trade-off with the additions in Los Angeles’ new rotation, but that’s a worthwhile compromise. If LA can rank in the top 10 on both sides of the ball, they’ll profile as a legitimate contender rather than a fringe one.

Here are nine other preseason takeaways.

1. AD’s jumper is on the right track
Davis’ jumper was the talk of the team’s minicamp and preseason. Across his five preseason games, Davis made six of his 13 3-point attempts (46.2 percent). He’s not firing them at the six-per-game volume Ham has requested, but he seems more confident than he was over the past two seasons, when he essentially ditched his 3-point shot.

“I’m just taking what the defense is giving me,” Davis said of his approach to start the season. “If it’s a jump shot, it’s a jump shot. If it’s a block for the post, then it’s a post. If it’s a three, it’s a three. Just kinda trying to attack from all three levels. That’s it. Coach is drawing up plays for me and putting me in the right position and the team, my teammates, have done a good job of hitting me in the pocket or finding me in spots that I like. From there, it’s just on me to execute.”

The Lakers have often played Davis at center this preseason, with him only sharing the floor with Wood or Jaxson Hayes for a few minutes per half. If the Lakers are to use those big lineups more, Davis will need to occasionally space the floor as a decoy. Even if they don’t, his 3-point threat in Ham’s new system unlocks driving and cutting lanes.

Health aside, Davis’ jump shot remains vital to LA’s championship viability.

2. The Lakers should be less reliant on James than ever
The Lakers’ eternal quest to find James a quality supplementary ballhandler was solved in one fell swoop last trade deadline. The promotion of Reaves and the addition of Russell provided James with the two best playmaking co-pilots he’s had in Los Angeles, outside of the 2020 Bubble version of Rajon Rondo.

Any offense led by James will always flow through him, to some extent. After all, he’s LeBron James. But the Lakers have the tools to survive his absence offensively, which wasn’t the case until after last season’s trade deadline. Now, they have a functional identity when he’s off the floor.

Russell is a pick-and-roll maestro, capable of whipping on-time and on-target passes to the corner, stringing the defense along to lob a precise alley-oop or pulling up for his mid-range attack. Reaves is similarly skilled, but adds a different dimension with his foul-drawing skills; his 3.7 attempts per game were third on the team in the preseason behind Davis (5.0) and James (5.0). In a sense, Reaves and Russell had opposite journeys to their evolving destinations: Reaves, the natural oversized point guard leaning into his shooting skills and guile; Russell, the pedigree guard who has adapted to a smaller offensive role that’s unleashed his brilliant passing.

This is all before mentioning Davis, who quietly averaged 25.9 points last regular season. Or Vincent, who is a capable, albeit streaky medium-usage guard and plus-shooter. Or Prince, who knocked down 45.8 percent of his 3s in the preseason and flashed an underrated off-the-dribble game. Or Hachimura, who has polished his footwork after a summer training with James and assistant coach Phil Handy. Or Wood, who’s averaged 16 or more points in three consecutive seasons. Or Hayes, a discount version of 2019-20 JaVale McGee whose speed, length and athleticism can swing games in either direction. Or even Max Christie, summer league darling.

The Lakers are loaded with offensive talent. They have playmakers, shooters and finishers. They still need Peak James to beat the best, but they don’t need him as much to get there.

3. DLo is as engaged as ever
This is the best Russell has looked as a Laker on both sides of the ball. He’s been the team’s best passer and playmaker by a solid margin in the preseason. He averaged 13.5 points, fourth-most on the team, and a team-leading 5.3 assists per game. Those are ideal team rankings for Russell.

He’s also taken a greater interest in defense, referencing unheralded Boston Celtics guard Derrick White — who, like Russell, isn’t particularly quick or explosive — as a realistic goal. Russell’s defensive progress will be put to the test immediately on opening night when he faces the Nuggets, the team that targeted him last postseason — in the media and on the floor — before vanquishing him to a reserve role.

Russell’s regular-season chops have never been in question. It’s more a matter of him doing this consistently in the playoffs. He’s had a couple of rough defensive playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022, while a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and last season against Denver. Opponents will game-plan to attack him on that end to force the Lakers to remove a shooter and ballhandler from the floor in favor of a better defender.

“I’ve been saying it since the summertime: I feel like he’s going to have a big, big year,” Ham said. “Just seeing the way he was attacking his body. To see the type of work he was putting in in the gym. And, again, losing together brings you closer. He had a tough series against Denver, but it doesn’t represent who he is as a basketball player. I knew that type of thing, for a guy like him and the way he’s programmed since I’ve been around him, that’s more fuel for the fire. As opposed to being ostracized. He has that chip on his shoulder. He wants to help us win.”

4. Prince is the fifth starter
What started as a three-man competition for the fifth starter spot has seemingly been resolved, at least with incumbent Jarred Vanderbilt’s availability up in the air due to a heel injury. Prince is the fifth starter.

Prince has been the type of floor-spacing wing the Lakers have long coveted. The Lakers have valued defense above all else with their fifth starter spot in the past — think the undersized Avery Bradley or Patrick Beverley trying to guard wings. Prince’s inclusion this season represents a shift to a more offensive-minded approach, though Ham pointed out his defensive chops as well.

“You can just throw him on the floor, man,” Ham said. “He’s a pro’s pro. Strong. He’s the quintessential 3-and-D guy. His scrappiness. His activity. His communication with his teammates trying to keep everybody focused on that side of the ball, as well as a guy who doesn’t have to force anything. He’s the kind of guy, he can have 30 without one play being (run) for him. He knows his spots. He knows where to be. He can finish in the paint, make 3s obviously. But just the consummate professional.”

Prince is a sufficient defender overall. He tries hard, and has a 6’11.5 wingspan with a sturdy frame. But the Lakers will struggle if he’s their principal wing defender against elite scorers, as Phoenix’s Kevin Durant illustrated in the Lakers’ preseason finale. Fouling could be an issue, as Prince compensates for his lack of mass by being overly physical.

The Lakers are playing Whac-A-Mole with the fifth starter spot. Rui Hachimura is the best player of the three candidates, but doesn’t have the consistency the group needs on either end). Vanderbilt is an elite, versatile defender, but teams will happily help off him to clog the paint — and he’ll potentially miss the beginning of the season. Prince is the best offense-defense blend of the three, but he’s the smallest and least physical, too, which matters next to a slight Russell-Reaves backcourt.

Ultimately, Prince’s shooting, basketball IQ and availability gave him an edge early in camp. He started all three preseason games that the Lakers used their other four starters. Unless he struggles in the role, it appears it’s his for the foreseeable future.

5. Hayes is the surprise of the preseason
When initially projecting the Lakers’ rotation, it was difficult to find minutes for Hayes, who has been a project up to this point in his career after the Pelicans selected him eighth overall in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Perhaps he remains the inconsistent contributor he was in New Orleans. But he showed progress in the preseason, playing within the Lakers’ schemes, finding teammates with dribble hand-offs, making plays out of the short roll and trying to dunk anything within his vicinity into oblivion.

Ham refers to Jaxson as the team’s “Energizer Bunny.”

“I told him, ‘I want you to be our best shot-blocker, best rebounder, best runner, best screen-setter, best roller,'” Ham said. “And he has great hands. Catches the ball. Whether it’s an empty space or a crowded space, he’s able to gather the ball and finish or find the next open man.”

The Lakers haven’t had a player like this since McGee in the 2019-20 season. Hayes outplayed Wood in the preseason and could surpass him in the rotation. He’s a long, athletic game-changer, providing a skill set that the Lakers lack outside of their two best players.

6. More early rotation trends
Here are some of the early takeaways from the Lakers’ preseason games:

  • The Lakers are likely to run a 10.5-man rotation, fluctuating between 10 and 11 players nightly, depending on the matchup and game script. With Hayes’ emergence, that means that either Chrsitie or Cam Reddish will be out of the rotation. Based on the preseason, it should be Reddish.
  • The nine rotation locks: James, Davis, Reaves, Russell, Prince, Hachimura, Vanderbilt, Vincent and Wood.
  • Christie outplayed Reddish in the preseason and checks more of the boxes the Lakers need from the backup shooting guard spot. That said, Ham used Reddish ahead of Christie in the finale, which suggests the latter may get the first shot at backup wing minutes. (With no Vanderbilt or Vincent in the finale, Ham might have simply preferred Reddish as the team’s perimeter stopper.)
  • Hayes outplayed Wood and should push him for minutes. He’s the better defender and roller. Wood’s spacing and overall offensive skill set are valuable, but he’s yet to impact games the way Hayes did.
  • Wood was often handcuffed to either Davis or Hayes, rim protectors who helped negate his defensive deficiencies. That should continue into the season. Davis played center more than half the time, but the middle parts of halves will feature him next to either Wood or Hayes.
  • The Lakers never had all 12 potential rotation players available, so Vanderbilt’s eventual return will put Ham in unchartered territory.

7. Transition defense is still a focus
One of the worst-kept secrets with the Lakers is the team’s terrible transition defense. They’ve ranked 27th, 29th, 16th and 30th, respectively, in opponent fast-break points over the last four seasons.

“I remember playing the Lakers last year, that was a big key for us was attack their transition defense,” Hayes said. “So I want to make sure I can help with that in getting back and setting up in the paint so people aren’t just getting fastbreak layups and stuff like that.”

However, the Lakers were much better to start the preseason, allowing the eighth-fewest fast break points in the league. The concession has been the team abandoning offensive rebounding and sending more defenders back.

That said, transition defense is still a macro concern for the group.

“It’s a lot of it,” Davis said. “That’s all it really is. Effort and communication. Those are the two biggest things. Hustling back, running back and realizing that you don’t have a man in transition. You’re not going to your man, you have to find a man and just match up from there. Getting back, not running alongside your man and then communicating.”

Davis can’t pinpoint why it’s been such a long-term issue for Los Angeles, even blaming himself in a moment of deadpan humor.

“I don’t know,” Davis said when asked why LA can’t make simple tweaks to be better in defensive transition. “Maybe we’re just not a good transition defensive team. I don’t know. I have no idea. Maybe it’s me.”

8. Injuries quietly mount up
Last season, preseason injuries cost Dennis Schröder and Thomas Bryant the first 13 games of the season. This time around, the Lakers also suffered multiple injuries in the preseason.

One appears to have a lasting impact. Vanderbilt suffered left heel soreness during practice between the first and second preseason games and missed the rest of the preseason. After being re-evaluated on Friday, he is day-to-day and unlikely to play in Denver, according to Ham.

“We’ll see,” Ham said. “There’s some hurdles that we got to go through and some boxes that we got to check with him and in all likelihood he probably won’t be available.”

Vanderbilt’s absence is significant, since the Lakers don’t have another perimeter player who can do what he does as a defender and rebounder. It’s unclear how he’ll be reintegrated into the rotation. (Ham has called Prince’s selection as a starter “circumstantial,” implying it’s because of Vanderbilt’s injury. At the same time, he hasn’t outright named Vanderbilt the starter or affirmed he’d start when he returns.)

Beyond that, rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino suffered a right knee contusion in the second Warriors game. He is still being evaluated and his timetable to return is unclear as of Monday morning. Vincent missed the final three preseason games due to back tightness, but has since practiced and been cleared to play in Denver on Tuesday.

9. Hood-Schifino needs time in the G League
The Lakers’ 2023 first-round draft pick garnered buzz over the first few days of training camp because of his impressive play in scrimmaging. That never translated in the preseason, though, with Hood-Schifino often looking like the game was moving too fast for him.

Hood-Schifino averaged 3.5 points on 17.9 percent shooting over his four appearances and went just 1-for-11 on 3s. His jump shot is plainly a work in progress, with his misses ranging from short (including an airball) to wide left or right. He scored 14 points over his 37 possessions with the ball in the preseason, which translates to 0.378 points per possession, per Synergy, an abysmal figure. He struggled to create separation due to his lack of top-end speed and athleticism, routinely having his shot blocked or altered as he adjusted to NBA defenses.

It doesn’t help matters that the three players drafted immediately behind him – Jaime Jaquez Jr. at No. 18 to the Miami Heat, Brandin Podziemski at No. 19 to the Warriors and Cam Whitmore at No. 20 to the Houston Rockets – already look like rotation players for their respective teams.

Hood-Schifino’s passing (4.0 assists per game) and two-way physicality were positives, but he clearly needs a lot of reps in the G League. He’s unlikely to emerge in the rotation barring injuries to Russell or Vincent, and even then, the Lakers can simply rely on Reaves or James more to fill in. Hood-Schifino projects as more of a project than initially anticipated.
 
I just pray Bill Plasckhe stays away from any positive predictions for the Lakers.

He is always wrong and if he picks your team they are doomed. See Dodgers and Trojans this year.....smh
 
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The Ringer is talking like Jarami Grant to the Lakers is some foregone conclusion. It makes sense on paper but I don't see the Lakers wanting Grant's 5 year contract he just signed. Also, no way the Lakers would give up draft compensation to Portland to get him. If anything Portland would have to give us draft compensation to take Grant's contract.
 
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