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[Lizakers]

3 straight bad hires, is anyone confident they'll hire the right coach next time?

 

[MVP]

Ok that's what you wanted. I thought at the time and still think that Russell is the right choice. I watched a lot of both of them last year and came away way more impressed and intrigued when watching russell. The front office felt the same way.

That doesn't mean Oak won't have a great career. I'm still rooting for him and will enjoy watching him.

I just think its weird to actively root against someone on your team and pick at every fault he has just because he was chosen instead of the guy you had a man crush on.

You're entitled to your opinion and you can believe that should've picked Oak but they didn't. Why are you still constantly whining about it?

Who's actively rooting against him? I've said repeatedly I hope he proves me wrong for the sake of the Lakers getting back to competing. Do I see it happening based on the physical limitations he has no. But it's not going to stop my belief in that they goofed on the thought process and execution.

Didn't want to touch him nor Mudiay despite what he did in college and the hype really was crazy touting him as some Steph x Harden hybrid. Watching him at tOSU later in the season I thought my TV was broken cause there wasn't none of that.

Ppl whine in here every day about Byron, Kobe, Lou, Jeanie, everything else but when it comes to D'Lo it's hands off? Nah I'm a fan of the Lakers just like they are this is a democracy.

 

[CP1708]

You wanted Jah, but I doubt you watched much of Russell at all. And I will assume Mitch watched a lot more of Russ than you did, and he's proven to be pretty good at finding talent.

Like I pointed out last night, you hated the Nance pick, and fairly sure that's lookin pretty good right now.

He also pulled Clarkson and Randle, so I truly don't get why you can't grasp that Mitch has a handle on the scouting aspect of things.

You have an ax to grind over not getting the guy you wanted, that's fine, but that doesn't make DLo a bad long term prospect or something.

 

[CP1708]

In the lead up to the draft, when I wrote about whether D’Angelo Russell was worth the #2 pick, I ultimately concluded that I thought he was. Nothing through the Lakers first 11 games has changed my mind or made me second guess that. Not Russell’s sub 40% shooting from the field, not his sub-3 assists per game, not Byron Scott playing him so few 4th quarter minutes, not…anything. I still have full belief in Russell as a prospect.

In saying that, the same concerns I had about Russell heading into the draft still exist. He can get lost off the ball defensively and is susceptible to getting beat off the dribble too often. He is not an elite athlete and there are times where his motor does not rev very high. There are times I want him to play faster and with more urgency. These are all things that have shown up in his game through the first part of his rookie season. This, really, is totally expected.


This is why we preach patience with young players like Russell. It takes time for these guys to learn the league, to grow out of some of their bad habits, and to learn how to maximize their strengths. Add to this the context of the schemes they play in, the teammates they are surrounded by, and the role they are asked to play and any given young player’s situation can be complicated further.

So, when looking at Russell, one has to look at more than his box-score stats and dive deeper into what his role is, what system he’s playing in, who his teammates are, how much he is being asked to do, and how much he is actually capable of doing as a 19 year old rookie. The reality is, many of those factors are not in Russell’s favor.

Russell has a relatively high time of possession, but in the Princeton offense the Lakers are running, a fair amount of that is handling the ball at the top of the floor looking for a teammate to break open off screens or in calling a play where his first pass will trigger the scheme’s motions. Russell shares the floor with other players who all like to create shots with the ball in their hands and three players who have usage rates over 20 (including Kobe who leads the team in usage at 29.4).

Russell also plays for a coach who, admittedly, is still learning to trust him and wants him to play a very specific way:

“And as I’ve I told him, I’m not looking for you to average 20 points a game, I’m looking for you to be our facilitator and get everybody where they need to be, but also to be aggressive when you have the opportunity to be aggressive. I think he’s trying to figure out that happy medium.”

“Players have got to make me want to trust them,” Scott responded when asked about how he builds trust with rookies. “He’s (D’Angelo Russell) one of those guys that I’m getting to that point where I’m trusting him, but I still want him to continue to learn and not try to do things on the fly just try to stick within the system as much as possible.”

In unpacking these quotes, it’s pretty clear Byron Scott wants Russell to be a pass first player who understands where his teammates are on the floor while operating within the offense to find his success. Scott notes he’s not telling Russell he can’t look to score, but in emphasizing balance and facilitating, I would imagine Russell’s role has been pretty well defined.

This is why I have difficulty comparing Russell to other rookies. Among other top picks, Russell’s 20.4 usage rate is 7th and behind Jahlil Okafor (28.0), Emmanuel Mudiay (27.6), and Kristaps Porzingis (25.0). These three players just happen to be the other rookies Lakers’ fans are comparing Russell to because they were all on the board when the Lakers selected. To see them put up some of the numbers they are while Russell’s stats are pedestrian can get frustrating.

Again, though, it’s important to understand context. Okafor and Mudiay lead their team in usage. Okafor is the number one scoring option and the focal point of his team’s offense. Mudiay is playing in a P&R heavy scheme where the entire flow of the offense is based on his decision making from possession to possession. These two guys* have been given the keys to the kingdom and told to play their respective games. Whether they succeed or fail is simply part of the growth process.

Russell, meanwhile, has not been given that same luxury. Whether you agree with this approach or not (and, to be clear, I do not) is not as important as this being what his reality is. Shouting at the clouds will not change the offense he plays in nor that his coach has other high usage guards he can (and will) turn to for long stretches.

I understand that patience is hard. But it is also necessary. Russell is young and has a lot to learn, but he’s also playing under circumstances several of his highly touted peers are not. This may or may not hinder his short term growth, but I still have a lot of confidence in his long term prospects. As I said up top, nothing to this point has changed my view.

*I did not mention Porzingis has having the “keys to the kingdom” because, of course, he plays with Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks are Melo’s team. But Porzingis, I would argue, is in a much more advantageous position than Russell in that he’s playing in an offense which is a great match for what he does well. Kristaps is a skilled big who sets good screens, moves well off the ball, can post up, has a nice jumper, understands passing, and does good work crashing the offensive glass. These are the exact skills a Triangle team would want in a PF and it is showing in his production and in how he’s exceeding expectations. On the flip side, if you can look at me with a straight face and say you think he would be doing similar things in the Lakers’ offense, playing for Byron Scott, while very likely playing behind Randle on the depth chart I would imagine you have used too much botox and your face no longer moves.

 

[CP1708]

This is Jordan Clarkson, last year, under Byron Scott. Thru Jan 21st.

View media item 1794117View media item 1794118

 

[CP1708]

And this is Jordan Clarkson under Byron after Jan 21

View media item 1794122View media item 1794124

Patience. Required.

 

[MVP]

It's my opinion you're not going to convince me right now he was a better pick, nor will be a better pick. Only his play can do that like Nance is doing.

 

[tonelow]

Yes but when the complaining is based off of your plain dislike of the person it changes things. Or because you wish someone else was here instead then any little thing they do, real or perceived, is blown out of proportion.

Don't throw stones then hide your hands. He's been your whipping boy the whole time. Like I said, Julius isn't playing drastically better than him yet I don't see the same vitriol towards him.

Your boy wasn't picked and now you look like a sore loser.

 

[CP1708]

It's my opinion you're not going to convince me right now he was a better pick, nor will be a better pick. Only his play can do that like Nance is doing.

I mean, you bagged on Steph all this time, pretty sure DLo could win back to back titles and you still gonna be hypin Oak over him. It's what you do.

 

[MVP]

Yes but when the complaining is based off of your plain dislike of the person it changes things. Or because you wish someone else was here instead then any little thing they do, real or perceived, is blown out of proportion.

Don't throw stones then hide your hands. He's been your whipping boy the whole time. Like I said, Julius isn't playing drastically better than him yet I don't see the same vitriol towards him.

Your boy wasn't picked and now you look like a sore loser.

I don't know the kid as a person. I do know that he plays timid, lacks athleticism at that position, and seems to be very enamored with the Hollywood lifestyle already. Funny those first two things were mentioned in the 2nd paragraph of that piece CP posted above. Yes I wanted Jah. I still want Jah is that a crime? Like I said block me if it's bothering you that much cause having to respond to every little defense is starting to annoy me.

 

[CP1708]

I'm not the bad guy this year.

Keep up the good work Mamba.

 

[MVP]

I mean, you bagged on Steph all this time, pretty sure DLo could win back to back titles and you still gonna be hypin Oak over him. It's what you do.

Bagging on Steph cause the beginning of last season mirrored the 2nd half of last season and I thought Harden was doing more with less? Cool.

If the kid turns it around awesome, that'll be great for the Lakers and I'll shout his praises from the top of Griffith Park and record it. Will that make y'all happy? I guarantee of he was wearing any other uniform y'all wouldn't be saying a damn thing.

 

[senorroboto2k5]

View media item 1794143

 

[CP1708]

Uh oh....

 

[senorroboto2k5]

[I do know that he plays timid, lacks athleticism at that position, and seems to be very enamored with the Hollywood lifestyle already. Funny those first two things were mentioned in the 2nd paragraph of that piece CP posted above.

...followed by a bunch of reasons why those things may not be big deals and why you should be patient

 

[MVP]

May not be big deals means they could be. As far as patience it's a given they're not going to cut him or trade him. I just don't want to have to wait another 3 years for this dude to get it and be that guy he was touted to be.

 

[senorroboto2k5]

Okay great.

Just making sure you didn't stop reading after the writer mentioned those two things you wanted to hear. Almost sounded like you did.

 

[lovehateself]

seems like i voted right, day after the season ends b. scott canned

2nd day after season ends, welcome to LA coach k

 

[CP1708]

Okay great.

Just making sure you didn't stop reading after the writer mentioned those two things you wanted to hear. Almost sounded like you did.

He clearly gets it, he doesn't want to wait til DLo turns 22, he wants that greatness at 19-20. Forget the fact it took his favorite player 2-3 years to get going. We need it now.

 

[MVP]

We need him to look like a competent player now along with Randle and Clarkson with these next two summers yeah. I'd rather he get it sooner than later so somebody will want to come here because they see potential from actual play.

 

[moonman818]

We need him to look like a competent player now along with Randle and Clarkson with these next two summers yeah. I'd rather he get it sooner than later so somebody will want to come here because they see potential from actual play.

I've been critical of his play too... But you're going way too hard doggy

R-E-L-A-X

He's young... It's gonna take time.

 

[MVP]

Saying he plays timid and doesn't have the athleticism to compete at the positron right now is going hard? Y'all gone soft on me.

 

[moonman818]

Saying he plays timid and doesn't have the athleticism to compete at the positron right now is going hard? Y'all gone soft on me.

Going hard as in the last 24 hours you've been blasting this thread tryna prove something that no one can even really keep up with anymore


Nothing is gonna happen overnight... Especially with the roster, coaching, and situation he's currently in.

 

[MVP]

I'll say it again block me if you don't want to read it.

 

[lovehateself]

I'll say it again block me if you don't want to read it.

mamba out here eating