Los Angeles Lakers Thread - The Inagural IST World Champions

Mar 28, 2011
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Yep, agree. Although, why it has taken so long to decide to remain where you are is a bit of a mystery. I've got to the point where I don't care if Kawhi becomes a Laker or not. We need people who really want to play for us.
To be fair, it usually takes these free agents a few days to decide. Durant to GS was announced on the 4th, for instance. It’s just that in the past few years teams have been impatient
 

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Even if Kawhi comes to the Lakeshow I don’t think a championship is on lock. Kawhi would be the best player, AD has pretty much been empty stats his career and LeBron has to have the ball his hands at all times for LeBron ball. For this reason it makes me think Kawhi won’t end up with the Lakers as he doesn’t want to be a second option to LeBron.
 
Sep 28, 2006
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Bummer. Kawhi and Paul George with LAC.

Danny Green is a good pick up for us though. Got to scramble now. Boogie Cousins might be looked at.

Need a point guard though. Will Rondo return. He's old but still decent considering what's on the market.
 

Santoz

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Bummer. Kawhi and Paul George with LAC.

Danny Green is a good pick up for us though. Got to scramble now. Boogie Cousins might be looked at.

Need a point guard though. Will Rondo return. He's old but still decent considering what's on the market.

Rondo would be perfect for you.
 
Mar 28, 2011
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Look KCP for that price isn't great, but I'll take it

McGee for 4.2 is nice, and the Green pickup is nice. Good that it's for only two years, even if it is more money than I would've given him

Get Marcus Morris and Quinn Cook now pls
 
Mar 28, 2011
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So...

PG: ?/?
SG: Green/KCP
SF: LeBron/?
PF: Kuzma/?
C: Davis/McGee

Or you could start McGee and get Kuzma to come off the bench

Pretty sure this leaves us with about 10mil, get Marcus Morris, Quinn Cook and Rondo and I'll be happy. Maybe Boogie instead of Morris if they want
 
Even if Kawhi comes to the Lakeshow I don’t think a championship is on lock. Kawhi would be the best player, AD has pretty much been empty stats his career and LeBron has to have the ball his hands at all times for LeBron ball. For this reason it makes me think Kawhi won’t end up with the Lakers as he doesn’t want to be a second option to LeBron.

Spot on. For that reason i never wanted kawhi
 
May 23, 2012
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The NBA needs to investigate the Clippers, I smell a rat. Very clever pretending they were out of the running and making it seem like the Lakers had a shot, meanwhile costing us any chance of picking up one of the better free agents.

Serious?
 
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So our roster looks like this:

PG: Rondo/Cook
SG: Green/KCP
SF: LBJ/Kuzma
PF: AD/Dudley (yeah OK, Dudleys not a PF but trying to list all names)
C: Cousins/McGee

Troy Daniels and THT

Caruso and Williams likely to round out numbers. Have I missed anyone?

Man, Kawhi played us. We were his leverage to get LAC to cough up plenty for Paul George. He tried to get Durant to LAC prior to free agency, so his intention was always to sign with LAC.
 
Mar 28, 2011
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Caruso signed to the main roster, too

I think we have two roster spots left. I’d love to get Avery Bradley for one of them, really improved when he was on the Grizzlies compared to his Clippers tenure

Would give us a nine man rotation of:

PG: LeBron/Rondo
SG: Bradley/Cook
SF: Green
PF: Davis/Kuzma
C: Cousins/McGee

That’s some good depth
 
Mar 28, 2011
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Caruso signed to the main roster, too

I think we have two roster spots left. I’d love to get Avery Bradley for one of them, really improved when he was on the Grizzlies compared to his Clippers tenure

Would give us a nine man rotation of:

PG: LeBron/Rondo
SG: Bradley/Cook
SF: Green
PF: Davis/Kuzma
C: Cousins/McGee

That’s some good depth
And we got him!! Haha that's elite

Top four seed here we come peternorth
 

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Avery Bradley signed up. Makes the roster really complete for this time of year. LeBron rumoured to play the point for extended period gives the squad a different look.
Squad of 12 looks like this as far as I can tell.
Starting five
PG: LeBron
SG: Bradley
SF: GReen
PF: Kuzma
C: Davis
Green and Bradley to defend guards, Le Bron point guard on offence.

Bench:
PG: Rondo, Cook, Caruso
SG: KCP, Daniels
SF: Dudley
PF: Cousins,
C: McGee

Outside squad Talen Horton-Tucker
Personally like the idea of Cousins bringing scoring off the bench.
 
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Think Cousins starts. He’ll definitely improve this year offensively, after an offseason of rest, can see him averaging anything from 18/9 to 22/10

I don’t like him finishing games though, Kuz at PF and Davis at C makes sense in that regard
 
Mar 28, 2011
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Don’t know if anyone’s seen this, but Boogie’s looking a LOT slimmer than he did in the finals

Bodes well for his improvement this year, particularly his movement up and down the court and on defense
 

sherrif

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Don’t know if anyone’s seen this, but Boogie’s looking a LOT slimmer than he did in the finals

Bodes well for his improvement this year, particularly his movement up and down the court and on defence

Cheers for posting the interview. The fact that this far out from the season he's 100% over the quad injury is a great sign. I think the Lakers will play him off the bench with Kuzma starting. That way they could bring Cousins and Rondo off the bench and pair their minutes together as much as possible, with Cousins on the floor for 30-32minutes ish each night (provided he's at full fitness) when the rosters healthy and Rondo 16minutes ish, but have him always on the court when Lebron rests. Last season the Lakers dropped off horribly when Lebron was off the floor. In the big season or playoff games, if they paired the minutes of the old New Orleans crew of Rondo, Davis and Cousins with a rotation of 3 and D players at the 2 and the 3 spots then the plus/minus for LeBron should be a heap better next season. They could also move LeBron to the power forward position when Davis's rests at times. That way Rondo plays a lot less with LeBron on the court, but when they do overlap for brief periods they wont be getting in each others way as much. I can see Rondo playing less in terms of minutes per game compared to last season, but spending more time on court in a playmaking role rather than off ball. Last year he was the only Laker who had a negative += when on the court with James according to a discussion on Jump.

Tipping the Lakers to have one of the top 4 records in the league next year quite comfortably and to be in contention for the title barring massive injuries.

Cousins coming back effectively from injuries would change the Lakers outlook from good to potentially great. The +- for Davis and Cousins when they were on the court together for their time at New Orleans was insanely good, while NOP were also better defensively with Cousins on the court compared to him off for his time there.

When you also consider the two man game of Davis and James has giant potential.Haters can hate. I stopped coming to the Lakers thread (despite being a long-time fan of both Philly and LAL) because of the over the top negativity. Bookmark this post if you're in the team constantly negative and I end up being wrong to remind me how I was wrong. The Lakers will dominate next year provided they're squad is close to full fitness.
 
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Don’t know if anyone’s seen this, but Boogie’s looking a LOT slimmer than he did in the finals

Bodes well for his improvement this year, particularly his movement up and down the court and on defense


How did he lose so much in the space of a month?!?!?!

If he stays fit, and the rest of the squad stay healthy et al, we will not only make the playoffs, but give the west a huge shake. And possibly the whole thing.
 
Last big name to wear 15?

ron-artest-lakers-getty.jpg
 

sherrif

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How did he lose so much in the space of a month?!?!?!

If he stays fit, and the rest of the squad stay healthy et al, we will not only make the playoffs, but give the west a huge shake. And possibly the whole thing.
Thanks Captain Obvious.
For all the negative rubbish about the roster overall in the main off season thread its probably also important to note that all great teams have excellent role players that arent great players in their own right. Even the great LA Showtime teams had a rotation of unskilled, but effective role players rotating through power forward like Kurt Rambis.

Here's a list of some of the contracted LAL players that have similarities between some of the championship winning or near championship winning role players.
Bradley compares decently to Paxon/BJ Armstrong at Chicago.
Danny Green compares well to Danny Green at the Spurs and Toronto.
Kuzmer is already averaging nearly identical stats compared to what James Worthy did for his whole career two seasons in. Granted he has far to go to be that level of player in a contending team, but he's got some similarities and better range to Worthy.
Quinn Cook can probably play a similar role to the role Quinn Cook played at GSW the last two years providing sound decision making and occasional offensive bursts. Could play a role similar to Patty Mills with a bit more court time in that he could play a small guard who hits his shots well off the bench.
Rondo smart vet. Take your pick. Nearly all championship teams have a smart vet to play limited minutes off the bench.
Most good teams also have an antagonistic vet like Dudley as well to get under the opposition skin.
Hell even McGee has similarities to being a sound back-up big who gets rebounds and alters shots in limited minutes like John Salley at Detroit or Will Purdue at chicago.
I dont have a comparison for Cousins but id say thats a good thing. Provided he comes back from injury well a scoring big who comes off the bench (which I think he will) is pretty rare.
 
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Thanks Captain Obvious.
For all the negative rubbish about the roster overall in the main off season thread its probably also important to note that all great teams have excellent role players that arent great players in their own right. Even the great LA Showtime teams had a rotation of unskilled, but effective role players rotating through power forward like Kurt Rambis.

Here's a list of some of the contracted LAL players that have similarities between some of the championship winning or near championship winning role players.
Bradley compares decently to Paxon/BJ Armstrong at Chicago.
Danny Green compares well to Danny Green at the Spurs and Toronto.
Kuzmer is already averaging nearly identical stats compared to what James Worthy did for his whole career two seasons in. Granted he has far to go to be that level of player in a contending team, but he's got some similarities and better range to Worthy.
Quinn Cook can probably play a similar role to the role Quinn Cook played at GSW the last two years providing sound decision making and occasional offensive bursts. Could play a role similar to Patty Mills with a bit more court time in that he could play a small guard who hits his shots well off the bench.
Rondo smart vet. Take your pick. Nearly all championship teams have a smart vet to play limited minutes off the bench.
Most good teams also have an antagonistic vet like Dudley as well to get under the opposition skin.
Hell even McGee has similarities to being a sound back-up big who gets rebounds and alters shots in limited minutes like John Salley at Detroit or Will Purdue at chicago.
I dont have a comparison for Cousins but id say thats a good thing. Provided he comes back from injury well a scoring big who comes off the bench (which I think he will) is pretty rare.

Great teams have always had role players. Championship winning teams have role players. Thanks captain obvious.

The main difference is with the exception of danny green, those who joined the lakers of yore were intelligent, mature vets (mostly) who wanted to come to win. Add to the the leadership of shaq/kobe/ron harper/shaw and phil jackson and it's a recipe for success. This squad is an unknown, a lot of talent but perhaps devoid of the senior leadership in terms of a voice that everyone respects. It should come though.

Rondo is the key. He's matured but a time bomb. If he can recapture his passing and defence first attitude it will go a long way to securing no 17
 
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