Lakers Pre-Season Interim Report Card

[Lakerpark]

I just wanted to document a few of my thoughts on the Lakers team at this point of the Pre-Season.

Overall, as a team, I am very disappointed so far in the Lakers.

Where is that defense that they are supposedly working on?

I'm not seeing any results from the conditioning program they are on.

I don't see a lot of hustle.

Why are the other teams getting so many wide open 3's?

Outside of Kobe, there is no one who can hit an outside shot consistently.

Rebounding is not good.

You can't have Boozer and Wes Johnson in the same line up....that's too much suckiness at once....like playing 5 against 3.

I realize that many of the main players are out injured: Lin, Young, Kelly, Nash, Xavier


Individually:

Nash was looking good....for one game...now it seems he will be eternally injured....he should retire.

Wes Johnson is a big disappointment.....He needs to be taken out of the starting line up ASAP. Even having him on the bench will weaken the bench group. I'm just tired of watching him miss wide open shots and his D is nothing special.

Julius Randle - I know he's only 19, but I am a little disappointed in his play so far. He needs to really work on his outside shot. Just seeing how hard the ball rebounds off the back of the rim when he shoots tells me he really needs to work on that touch and that when he makes an outside shot it's probably more luck than skill at this point. He's a long way from averaging that double double that some people were hoping for. But again, he's only 19.

Boozer - I'm disappointed in Carlos. Where is that rebounding? Where is his mid range shot? Is it because (as some sportscasters claim) he's a veteran and will eventually come around when it counts? Why isn't he in better playing shape going into Pre season? His interior defense is as bad as they said it was.

Jordan Hill - I think he's doing ok. He's had two good games out of four so far. I do see him hustling. He is just a little small to guard some of these 7 foot starting centers.

Ronnie Price -I think he is doing good. Playing good defense, and making some shots. I'm disappointed in his playmaking and passing though. It's almost non existant. I wish the Lakers would have kept Jordan Farmar.

Ed Davis - doing good. Why aren't they playing him more?

Jeremy Tyler - I was rooting for him, but he is a no impact player....just cut him.

The rest of the bench scrubs: I don't even remember their names...they are horrible, just cut them as soon as you can (when the injured guys return)

Lakers' overall Pre Season Interim grade: D

[The Shadow King]

We just don't have good personnel.
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Lakers, today. Lakers, tomorrow. Lakers, forever.

[Boybees]

What I've seen so far is exactly what I expected. Our talent and athleticism are in the bottom 5 of the NBA. But we have to continue to be this bad before we can rise again. That's the only way under the current CBA.
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Jerry Buss made the Lakers into the crown jewel of the NBA.

[Cancun Van Exel]

I'm finding it interesting that people keep leaning on missing players as the reason we're looking so bad. Lin is the only NBA starter in the group that are missing, so they're not going to help much. Unless Nash finds the fountain of youth somehow, but then he'd be taking minutes from Lin lol.

[venturalakersfan]

Tied with Portland, San Antonio, Dallas and Memphis. And ahead of the Clippers.
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RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023.

[LoyalLakerfan44]

It's not the loses that bother me, it the way they are losing. Except for that first game they're not competing at any professional level.

[LeBronte Jest]

[LakerLand247]

[Purp&Gold]

you can admit it or not but we are missing our best player nick young.

its sad but true

[LeBronte Jest]

[Cancun Van Exel]

[greenfrog]

If Nick Young's our best player you can pencil in a top 5 pick right now.

[MickMgl]

[MickMgl]

[LoyalLakerfan44]

[ringfinger]

D+.

Through four preseason games, I still don't know what we are good at, and I don't see a clear cut second option out there.

Granted, Young and Lin have been out, that's why no F.

[Lakerpark]

Well, I definitely was impressed with Ronnie Price last night. I see the development of a possible nice bench unit.

I somewhat disagree about starting Davis, I think a bench unit of EDavis, WJohnson and RPrice as a defensive core and round it out with Randle and Young as your aggressive scorers. It looks like EDavis has some nice inside moves especially against weaker guys like Novak as we saw last night. I'm starting to think EDavis is not just a garbage man.

Bench:
Davis
Randle
WJohnson
Young/Clarkson
RPrice

If Randle can build upon last night's game, they can build the bench offense around Randle and Young. If they can play Young at SF then they can add in Clarkson.

Davis
Randle
Young
Clarkson
Price

Play Wes for a little more defense and play Young for a lot more offense.

So that leaves the following for starters:

Hill
Boozer
TBD (Maybe X can fill the spot)
Kobe
Lin

I know there is no rim protection with Hill and Boozer, but they both do a good job on the boards....they can be like a scrappy pack of Hyenas vs having a single Lion.

Don't play Sacre or Nash. Nash is showing he just can't handle the rigor of the NBA anymore. Please retire.

I'm disappointed with Wayne Ellington. I thought the first two games he was shooting good. But now he can't hit anything. A shooter who can't shoot is not very useful. I hope he can find his stroke.

Did they cut JTyler yet?

[yinoma2001]

Tyler is going to play in China. He was let go.
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From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals

[Lakerpark]

Btw, what is Sacre doing (or not doing) that makes him so sucky? I have to admit I don't scrutinize the game as closely as many of you seem to do.

But I see Sacre may hit a mid range jumper or two, or maybe a hook shot or dunk, grab a few rebounds and try to take charges.

He is slow and doesn't jump too high and seems to have bad hands...He does hustle and sacrifice his body. Not a particularly great passer. Not a good shot blocker.

You would think all he needs to do is hold down the fort for a few minutes.

I guess he just doesn't do any one thing good enough to warrant playing time other than garbage time. Right?


If the Lakers decided they could do better can they waive him or buy him out...assuming they can't trade him?

I feel bad for the guy...seems to be a good team guy (towel waver) but they really need a good starting center.

I'd be willing to trade combinations of Sacre, Hill, Wes Johnson, Kelly, Nash, cash, draft picks to get either a good starting center and/or a good starting SF. And I like Jordan Hill, but he just isn't what the Lakers need at center and they have too many PFs (Randle, Boozer, Davis) I know, dream on....

[av3773]

I think they are playing about where one might reasonably expect them to be, 4 pre-season games in...new coach, pretty much new roster, older players coming back from a long lay off, pretty high number of injured players out, rookie/young player inconsistencies

Really speaking wouldn't most of us applaud Scott and the team if they are even fighting for an 8th spot in the West? We have a MASSIVE talent deficit at the moment compared to teams that actually are a lock to make the playoffs let alone contend, it's going to take a bit of time to re-build. If by mid-season Scott still has this team scrapping for wins and trying to scratch out victories, and we are able to catch some vintage Kobe games here and there, I'd be pretty satisfied, we aren't really going to turn the corner until we land our next NBA marquee player, and who knows when that's going to happen

[Lakerpark]

I was hoping they could be like the 2004 Detroit Pistons team...no real starts but worked together and had a killer defense.

The Lakers need a Big Ben type player.

Btw, what ever happened to that guy that many wanted the Lakers to pick up? He was an undersized center but could rebound and block shots....like a Big Ben type. He went undrafted and got signed by someone...I think his name was Patrick "something".. How is he doing?

[Oliver Reed]

Lakers need a center and a small forward. In the worst way. Gasol and Durant basically the next two years if they want to go back to championship level with THIS team within a reasonable time.

Gasol
Randle
Durant
Bryant
Lin(I would be fine resigning Lin on a team like this)

And make sure you keep guys like Ed Davis, Ryan Kelly and Ronnie Price. Maybe not these guys specific but players like this that will compliment the starters off the bench.

I like Boozer, I do, but his interior defense is bad. Hill staring at center is making me cringe. I would almost rather have Randle and Davis play center. At least those guys go after shots to the basket when a guard penetrates.

I would not have thought that starting lineup would be realistic with Kobe on the team. However, I am basing this off, if Kobe plays 75-82 games this season. If he does, and he is dropping 25 points a game, I seriously do not believe he is retiring in 2 years. And with the new 24 billion dollar tv deal the NBA got, that means the cap will be substantially higher for the summer of 2016.

First and foremost, Lakers MUST get a center this summer. Marc Gasol has to be the target and I mean you throw everything at him. A front line of Prime Gasol at center and a year in Randle at the 5 and 4 is how you get back to building a title team. Lakers really need to concentrate on positive results this season and try and ignore and set aside all the media garbage and focus on showing an environment that is cohesive and together. If the Lakers have another "howard hates it here" season, or "Everyone hates D'antoni", that negative vibe around the franchise will continue to erode the club and scare away potential superstars.

Now, even if all this happens, I believe it will be for not. I believe 2017 will be an NBA-less year. This next CBA will be the one where the players finally fight fire with fire against the owners. The only hope that it wont be is that Adam Silver is the commissioner, and I think he has the skills and the acumen to barter something that will be good for everyone, for real this time.

[LoyalLakerfan44]

[yinoma2001]